THE PINE. 25 



this in such places and at such depths that they could 

 never have been opened since the destruction of this 

 forest till the time of the drainage. Near a large root, 

 in the parish of Hatfield, were found eight or nine coins 

 of some of the Roman emperors, but exceedingly con- 

 sumed and defaced with time ; and it is very observ- 

 able, that on the confines of this low country, between 

 Burningham and Brumby in Lincolnshire, are several 

 great hills of loose sand, under which, as they are 

 yearly worn and blown away, are discovered many 

 roots of large firs, with the marks of the axe as fresh 

 upon them as if they had been cut down only a few 

 weeks. Hazel-nuts and acorns have frequently been 

 found at the bottom of the soil of those levels and 

 moors, and whole bushes of fir-tree apples, or cones, 

 in large quantities together. 



The author of this paper then goes on to shew that 

 the Romans destroyed this immense forest, partly by 

 cutting down the trees, and partly by burning them; 

 and that these fallen trees dammed up the rivers, 

 which, forming a lake, gave origin to the large turf- 

 moors of that part of the country. The Romans 

 themselves mention cutting down the British forests, 

 as well for the purpose of making roads through the 

 country, as to drive the natives out of their fastnesses. 



In the peat-bogs of the bleakest districts of Scot- 

 land, the remains of pine trees are very abundant; and 

 such is their durability, in consequence of the quantity 

 of turpentine they contain, that, where the birch is re- 

 duced to a pulp, and the oak cracks into splinters, as 

 it dries, the heart of the pine remains fresh, and, em- 

 balmed in its own turpentine, is quite elastic, and 

 used by the country people in place of candles. In 

 England, too, subterraneous beds of pines have been 

 found; and though, in consequence of the greater 

 warmth of the climate, these contain less turpentine, 

 and are more decayed, the remains of the cones, or 



VOL. II. 3 



