]C)2 I'HILOSOi'HlCAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO \6Q7- 



wards, and the numerous colonies planted Ly them in Italy, Sicily, and other 

 parts of the world. Then having related from their first original the causes of 

 the continual quarrels between Europe and Asia, and described the memorable 

 occurrences in Xerxes's famous invasion of Greece, she draws out the thread 

 of her discourse as far as the successors of Alexander the Great, in a most 

 natural, yet artful method. All these narrations are embellished with 

 many pleasant episodes, and so great variety of poetical histories, that by a 

 thorough understanding of this single poem, the reader will be furnished 

 with a competent knowledge of the greatest part of the ancient mytho- 

 logy : and the words and phrases, in which all these are expressed, are such, 

 that whoever has made him'ielf master of them, can scarcely be at a loss in any 

 the most obscure passages of other authors, especially the poets : so that a care- 

 ful perusal of this book will be a considerable .step to a perfect understanding 

 of the Greek language. 



Ok Fuisil JFooddug up at Youle in Yorkshire. By Richard Richardson, M. D. 



N° 128, p. 526. 



At Youle, about 12 miles below York, near the place where the Dun runs 

 into the Humber, there are several persons, called tryers, who, with a long 

 piece of iron, search in the soft and boggy ground for subterraneous trees ; and 

 by this means they can in a great measure discover the length and thickness of 

 these trees, and get a livelihood by it. Some are so large, that they ^re used 

 for timber in building houses, which is said to be more durable than oak itself ; 

 others are split into laths; others again are cut into long splinters, and tied up 

 in bundles, and sent to the market towns, several miles off', to light tobacco. 

 These trees, when found, are all broken off from the roots; I suppose by vio- 

 lence of storm or water, or both. The tryers affirm, that at 3 or 4 yards depth 

 they find stumps of trees broken otF; some 2, 3, or 4 feet from the ground, and 

 to be exactly the same wood with the subterraneous trees. The bate or texture 

 of this wood is the same with fir, splitting easily ; when burnt, it emits the 

 same resinous smell, and it affords the same coal. The branches generally 

 grow in circles, as appears by the knots, which easily part from the rest of the 

 wood, as is usual in fir-wood. The straightness and length of these trees 

 are also a presumption, that they must be such; if one consider that some of 

 these are near 100 feet long ; and at the bottom, not much above a foot in 

 diameter. It is affirmed, that their tops lie all one way, viz. with the current 

 of the water. Oaks are also found there, though not in so great quantity. 

 The vitriolic parts of the earth, in which they have lain, has given them a 

 black tincture quite through, which, when wrought and polished fine, is but 



