j 32 September 174b. 



I asked Mr. Bartram, whether he had 

 obferved in his travels, that the water was 

 fallen, and that the fea had formerly cover- 

 ed any places which were now land. He 

 told me, that from what he had experienc- 

 ed, he was convinced that the greateft. part 

 of this country, even for feveral miles to- 

 gether, had formerly been under water. 

 The reafons which led him to give credit 

 to this opinion, were the following. 



1. On digging in the blue mountain? 

 which are above three hundred Engli^ 

 miles diftant from the fea, you find looi 

 oyfter and other forts of fhells, and thei 

 are alfo likewife to be met with in th 

 vallies formed by thefe mountains. 



2. A vast quantity of petrified fhells 

 are found in limeftone, Hint, and iandftone, 

 on the fame mountains. Mr. Bartram af- 

 fured me at the fame time, that it was in- 

 credible what quantities of them there 

 were in the different kinds of ftones of 

 which the mountains coniiftoirlw j rjoirfj 



3. The fame fhells are likewife dug in 

 great quantity, quite entire and not moul- 

 dered,, in the provinces of Virginia and 

 Maryland^ as alfo in Philadelphia and in 1 

 New Tork. 



4. On digging wells (not only in Phila* 

 bia 3 but likewife in other places) the 



people 



