B2 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



curiosity, to see this remarkable theatre of a decisive 

 military event, as well as by the wish to examine the 

 great shell-banks there. + which are an object of cu- 

 riosity to every stranger. From Williamsburg the 

 road, 12 miles, lies over sand-flats and through woods 

 almost the whole way. Two and three-blade pines, 

 (Piuus foliis getninis, & Pinus foliis terms. Gron.), 

 with a few Virginia juniper trees, almost entirely com- 

 pose the forests of this and the remaining lower coast 

 country. Leaf-wood is rare; but now and again we 

 saw a few holly-trees (Agrifolium vulgarc Gron.), with 

 their pomp of red berries, the American thorn, the wax- 

 shrub, and the sour-berry (Galicarpa americana L.). 



Half way on the road we passed a mill, of which the 

 race had laid bare a great shell-bank. Here lay in con- 

 fusion millions of muscle and cockle-shells, intermixed 

 with somewhat of sand and clay. These are not petri- 

 fied ; on the contrary, many of them are in a soft, 

 weathered condition, many as well preserved as if just 

 come from the ocean, others broken and crushed. 

 Some of them, especially the thicker clam-shells, had 

 been touched by time in a very delicate way, skele- 

 toned, so to speak ; their larger and stronger ribs or 

 veins, forming a net-work lengthwise and across, were 

 exposed, the interstitial filling of lime having been con- 

 sumed; one could thus discern the actual plan and 

 structure of a muscle-shell, not easily done otherwise. 

 A number of the muscle-shells lay fast locked, but 

 filled with shell-sand, or sand and clay, which had 

 taken on completely the figure of the matrix, and one 

 had only to let the mass harden to get a most beautiful 

 replica of the shell. In many cases, this core was al- 

 ready so much hardened as to admit of handling; and 



