Supposed Petrifymg Quality qftJie Irawadi 69 



teak pillars of all buildings, more than ten years old, that arc 

 within the flood-level of the Irawadi, will also be converted into 

 stone. It will be therefore easy to procure from Prome and 

 send to London a portion of such a pillar, which would be de- 

 cisive of the point at issue ; but, as the country abounds in pe- 

 trified trees, it should be remembered that no specimen will be 

 satisfactory, unless it is taken from a building, the age of which 

 is ascertained ; and unless it also bears a form and marks that 

 are unquestionably artificial, and the effect of tools antecedently 

 to the process of petrifaction. 



I have mentioned this subject to Dr Wallich, and learn from 

 him, that, when he was at Rangoon with Mr Crawford, they 

 were informed, by a British General Officer, that there was at 

 Prome an elephant-shed, the pillars of which were converted 

 to stone at their base, and which they were advised, on no ac- 

 count, to omit seeing. On arriving at Prome, they visited this 

 shed, accompanied by the other gentlemen of the mission, and 

 found its position to be above the flood-level of the Irawadi ; 

 and that not one of its pillars had in any part undergone the 

 smallest change from the natural state of wood. 



In this case, therefore, as in that reported by Lieutenant 

 Alexander, it is probable that the officer had received, without 

 suspicion, the current opinion of the natives, the universality of 

 which may be referred to the constant use they make of fossil 

 wood, on account of its hardness and durability, for weights and 

 lagding-steps from the river, &c. But the investigations of Mr 

 Crawford and Dr Wallich seem decisive upon the subject ; they 

 were fully aware of the popular belief that the soil of the coun- 

 try, as well as the waters of Irawadi, have the property of ra^ 

 pidly converting wood to stone ; and, during the whole journey, 

 their attention was awake to every opportunity of verifying or 

 refuting this opinion. 



Now, I am informed by Dr Wallich, that the bed of the Ira- 

 wadi, all the way from Rangoon to Ava, was so thickly set with 

 piles of wood, that had formed the foundations of ancient tem- 

 ples, pagodas and sheds, that once, at least, and sometimes 

 more than once, in every day, they were found to afford a more 

 ready supply of substantial fuel than could be obtained from 

 the shore ; in one case, they were taken from water so deep, that 



