58 



tried this matter; but several affirmed, that it had been done by 

 others of their acquaintance *. 



Mr. Wm. Molyneux, secretary to the society of Dublin, for pro- 

 moting researches in natural philosophy, believed in the petrifying 

 power of Lough Neagh, in opposition to those who asserted, that 

 the petrified wood is found in the sand hills near the lough. He 

 also thought this power was chiefly exerted on the holly ; but he 

 never obtained any positive proof of this property existing in the 

 waters of the lough ; nor could he procure a piece of petrified wood, 

 with unchanged wood adhering to it. He observes, that when 

 briskly calcined, the ashes of this petrified wood were affected by 

 the magnet (-. 



But Mr. W. Smith, whose opportunities of observation were fre- 

 quent, says, in answer to some queries proposed to him on this sub- 

 ject by Mr. Molyneux, that he thinks the petrifying power of 

 the waters of the lake .to be fabulous ; and believes, that the petri- 

 fied wood is found, only in the earth which surrounds, or which 

 forms the bed of the lake, at the sides. He remarks, that none of 

 the pieces he saw, were partly wood, and partly stone ; nor did he 

 ever see the bark petrified. 



This wood is described, by Dr. Barton :f, as existing in two dif- 

 ferent states. In the one kind, there is still an exact resemblance 

 to wood, although it is now really stone. This is, generally, in small 

 pieces, which are of a whitish colour, porous, and comparatively 

 lighter than other stones; cleaving easily lengthways, grinding 

 to a smooth surface, so as to be fit to whet knives; and have 

 never yet been found with any wood contiguous to them. The 

 other sort is found in much larger, harder, and more weighty pieces, 



* The Natural History of Ireland, by Dr. Gerard Boate, published by Hartlib, in 

 1652, and republished in 1755. 



t Philos. Trans. No. 158, p. 554. 



% Lectures in Natural Philosophy, &c. by Richard Barton, B. D. Dublin, 1151. 



