63 



believes it to be other than a firm and solid piece of wood. With 

 this, he adds, I struck fire to light the candle whereby I write this*. 

 Dr. Plott takes notice, also, in his Natural History of Stafford- 

 shire, of similar roots and trunks of trees being found in Shibben 



o 



Pool, and at Lay ton, and in many other places in that county. 



Dr. Stukeley -j~ relates, that at Aukborough, in the north-west angle 

 of Lincolnshire, they discover the subterraneous trees, lodged here 

 at the deluge, in great abundance, along the banks of all the three 

 rivers ; the wood is hard and black, and sinks like a stone. 



There is a wonderful appearance in nature, he says, all over this 

 country, and which is common to all such like upon the globe, as far 

 as my informations reach ; that is, the infinite quantities of subterra- 

 nean trees, lying three or four feet deep ; of vast bulk and different 

 species, chiefly fir and oak, exceeding hard, heavy, and black. 

 Many times the branches, reach so near day, as to break their 

 ploughs. After quoting what Pausanias relates, that ebony bears 

 no leaves, nor fruit, nor has any stock exposed to the sun, Dr. 

 Stukeley says, I doubt not but our author speaks of subterranean 

 trees ; and that our people might put this timber to better use than 

 burning it. 



Rowlands, whose observations have a strong claim to our atten- 

 tion, says, We have many strong inducements to affirm, that this 

 island (Anglesey) was never under any water, except that of the 

 flood; for, as on the one hand, we find no symptoms of such a sub- 

 mersion ; no indication of so long steeping under water; and as a ne- 

 cessary consequence of that, no marine remains, properly such, in- 

 terspersed in our inland soil ; so, on the other hand, we find, in many 

 places of it, some evidences of its having been land, before the de- 

 luge. We find great bulky trees buried in slutch and mud, which in 



* The Natural History of Oxfordshire, by Dr. Plott, p. 35 and 63. 

 t Itinerarium Curiosum, Gul. Stukeley, M. D. 1724. 



