104 September 1748. 



2. A- VAST quantity of petrified fbells are 

 found in limeftone, flint, and fandftone, on the 

 fame mountains. Mr. Ear tram affured me at the 

 fame time, that it was incredible what quantities 

 of them there were in the different kinds of ftones 

 of which the mountains confift. 



3. THE fame fhells are likewife dug in great 

 quantity, quite entire and not mouldered, in the 

 provinces of Virginia and Maryland, as alfo in 

 Philadelphia and in New Tork, 



4. ON digging wells (not only in Philadel- 

 phia, but likewife in other places) the people 

 have met with trees, roots, and leaves of oak, 

 for the greatf ft part not yet rotten, at the depth 

 of eighteen feet. 



5. THE beft foil and the richeft mould is to 

 be met with in the vallies hereabouts. Thefe 

 valliesare commonly croffed by a rivulet or brook. 

 And on their declivity, a mountain commonly 

 rifes, which in thofe places, where the brook 

 paffes clofe to it, locks as if it were cut on pur- 

 pofe. Mr. Ear tram believed, that all thefe val- 

 lies formerly were lakes; that the water had, 

 by degrees, hollowed out the mountain, and 

 opened a paflage for itfelf through it; and that 

 the great quantity of flime which is contained in 

 the water, and which had fubfided to the bottom 

 of the lake, was the rich foil which is at prefent 

 in the vallies, and the caufe of their great ferti- 

 lity. But fuch vallies and cloven mountains are 

 very frequent in the country, and of this kind is 

 the peculiar gap between two mountains, through 

 which a river takes its courfe, en the boundaries 

 f i\e-w Tork and Penfyhania. The people, in a 



jeft, 



