358 November, 1748. 



of large (hells, which are found in bays, 

 and of which the Indians make their mo- 

 ney. In many places, on digging wells a 

 quantity of rufhes and reeds have been found 

 almoft wholly undamaged -, and once on 

 fuch an occafion a whole bundle of flax was 

 brought up, found between twenty and 

 thirty feet under ground ; it feemed as lit- 

 tle damaged as if it had been lately put 

 under ground ; all looked at it with afto- 

 nifhment, as it was beyond conception how 

 it could get there ; but I believe the good 

 people faw fome American plants, fuch as 

 the wild Virgi?iian flax, or Linum Virginia- 

 num, and the Antirrhinum Canadenfe, which 

 look very like common flax, yet it is re- 

 markable that the bundle was really tied 

 together. The Europeans on their arrival 

 in America, found our common flax neither 

 growing wild nor cultivated by the Indians, 

 how then could this bundle get into the 

 ground ? Can it be fuppofed, that paft 

 ages have feen a nation here, fo early ac- 

 quainted with the ufe of flax ? I would ra- 

 ther abide by the opinion, that the above 

 American plants, or other fimilar ones, have 

 been taken for flax. Charcoal and fire- 

 brands have often been found under ground: 

 The Swedift churchwarden, Eric Ragni/fon, 

 told me that he had feen a quantity of them, 



which 



