59 



which are black, both externally and internally. This sort is fre- 

 quently found with much wood on the surface of the stones ; and, 

 most frequenlty, the internal parts of the stone are found to con- 

 lain wood still existing in a soft state. Of this kind, two very large 

 pieces are mentioned. The one was a stone, weighing 700 pounds, 

 which was found two miles from Lough Neagh, on the side towards 

 the river Camlin. This specimen appears to have been, externally, 

 complete stone ; but internally, evidently woody. The other speci- 

 men was as heavy as two men could lift, and the reverse of the for- 

 mer : the outer coat being of a woody nature, and the internal part 

 entirely stone. The woody coat of this stone, when first found, was 

 at least a foot thick, except at the ends. The stony parts of these 

 masses are of a dark grey, approaching, in some parts, to a blue co- 

 lour ; but are generally stained yellow on the outside, from their 

 laying in a bed of gravel. 



These stones are chiefly found at a point called Ahaness, in the 

 county of Antrim ; half a mile south of the mouth of the river Glen- 

 evey. The bank at Ahaness is twelve feet high ; between the bottom 

 of which and the lowest water-mark in summer, there is a space of 

 about ninety feet; which space, in winter, is sometimes covered with 

 water.' Upon digging a pit in this place, it appeared that the 

 upper stratum is of red clay, four feet deep ; the second stratum is 

 of stiff blue clay, four feet deep ; the third stratum is formed by a 

 black wood, lying in flakes four feet deep; and under this is clay 

 again. From the top of the stratum of wood to the surface, is a 

 depth of seven feet ; and before the water of the lake encroached so 

 far on the land, it appears to have been nineteen feet. 



In a paper of Mr. James Simons, contained in the Transactions 

 of the Royal Society*, it is asserted, that the white wood-stones 

 are generally found in the ground ; at from about two to six 

 miles distance from the lake, and sometimes very deep in the earth. 



*Vol. xliv. No. 481. 



