The reception at Memphis was in accordance with the enthusiasm of the excursionists and Paul resumed the voyage Monday afternoon with the well wishes of the populace.
That night another terrific storm almost overwhelmed him.

Huge trees were borne to the earth on either side of him as though they were reeds.

Rain turned to hail and the river was whitened by the icy stones.
So great was their forge that he was compelled to stand up in the stream to shield his head and face with the broad blade of his paddle and his knuckles were badly bruised.

In a short time he experienced a sensation of leaking.

He thought the hail stones had cut his dress; but next morning, landing on a sandbar, he found himself as dry as a pebble, the leaking sensation having been caused by the sudden change in the temperature of the water owing to the melting of the hail stones.