nearly all the others were negroes. I showed the white people
down into the cabin, and directed Cobbington to do all he could for
their comfort.

In the course of half an hour we had seventy-two persons whom we
rescued. We were unable to find any more. The three boats had searched
every house which could contain a human being. They had taken men,
women and children from the trees, as well as the houses. We sounded
the whistle vigorously, and then waited for any call.

There were no more, and I directed the pilot to work back to the levee.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE WITH THE RUSHING WATERS.

The water had risen so that the Sylvania had swung around and drifted
half-way up to the knoll, or to the houses on the highest part of it.
As soon as we were under way, I had a chance to look over our large
number of passengers. Three-quarters of them were negroes, mostly
house-servants. I was told that the field hands had escaped in another
direction before the water rose high enough to prevent it. The
inundation was only partly due to the crevasse, for the water had
broken in at some unknown point in the rear of the plantations.

We had taken off the four families that occupied the mansion houses.
They were all highly cultivated people, ladies and gentlemen in the
highest sense of the words. I had conducted them all to the main cabin;
but they were not disposed to remain there. They wanted to see how the
Sylvania was to return to the Mississippi River, and expressed many
doubts as to her being able to make her way through the crevasse
against the strong current. I had some painful doubts myself in this
direction. I had told the engineer about them, and hinted that we
should want all the steam he could carry. But it was only a question of
the power of the engine to force the vessel against the current. There
would be no pitching and plunging, such as we had experienced in coming
the other way.

We had not long to deliberate upon the matter of our exit from the
fields over which we had been sailing. As the water had risen about a
foot inside of the levee, I considered our chances good of going
through without much difficulty. I went to the wheel, and took a place
by the pilot. I saw that several steamers had arrived during our
absence, and the pilot said they were attached to the levee force, and
had come to close the breach. I could not see how it was to be done,
but I had no time to think of the matter.