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readily thrust into it, in the same manner as into a 

 piece of turf bog. Occasionally on breaking off a 

 piece of the earthy matter, various strata of vegetable 

 deposit appeared, like the marks that so frequently 

 show themselves in coal, or like the leaves -winch appear 

 in the fractures of various kinds of rock. Sometimes 

 the wood was not in such a state of decomposi- 

 tion, but on the contrary, comparatively fresh and strong ; 

 and several specimens of it in this state were gathered by 

 the gentlemen present. Some was evidently birch ; and 

 some was evidently oak ; perhaps there were other kinds 

 also. In some instances it retained the bark, in others this 

 was wanting. A few of the speeimens, instead of giving 

 evidence of rotteness, exhibited marks of partial petrifac- 

 tion ; as minute portions of fine sand had been infiltrated 

 into the substance of the wood, occasioning in it a shorter 

 breakage, and rendering it almost impossible to cut it with a 

 knife. 



It would be giving a very erroneous impression, 

 however, of the interest felt in the excursion if it were 

 suggested that the relics of a forest were the only objects of 

 interest that presented themselves along the shore. Nature 

 presents various fields for the contemplation of inquirers ; 

 and it is only the man of barren intellect who can regard 

 any department of creation as destitute of interest. It is 

 not a mere poetical idea, but the record, of frequent and 

 interesting experience, that any one who pleases to search, 

 can find 



" Tongues iu trees, books in the running brooks, 

 Sermons in stones, and good in every thing." 



In Geology, for example, the stratification of the 

 district was explained, the progressive changes were pointed 

 out, and the peculiarities of quicksand were noticed. The 

 phenomena of ripple marks were carefully noticed and ex- 

 plained, and were considered particularly interesting ; for 



