624 VHILOSOl'HICAI, TKANSACTIONS. [anNO I7OI. 



the alps, in later ages. And something of the Hke nature it is known, has 

 happened in Jamaica, in Sicily, and other places. 



Concerning Trees found under Ground in Hatfield Chace. By the Rev. Mr. 

 Abraham De la Pnjme. N° 275, p. 98O. 



The famous levels of Hatfield Chace in Yorkshire were the largest chace of 

 red deer that King Charles the first had in all England, containing in all above 

 180,000 acres of land, about half of which was yearly drowned by vast quan- 

 tities of water. This being sold to one Sir Cornelius Vermuiden, a Dutchman, 

 he at length effectually dischased, drained, and reduced it to constant arable 

 and pasture grounds, and at the immense labour and expence of above 400,0001. 

 In the soil of all, or most of the said 180,000 acres of land, of which 90,000 

 were drained, even in the bottom of the river Ouse, and in the bottom of the 

 adventitious soil of all Marshland, and round about by the skirts of the Lin- 

 colnshire Woulds unto Gainsburg, Bautry, Doncaster, Bain, Snaith, and Holden, 

 are found vast multitudes of the roots and trunks of trees of all sizes, great 

 and small, and of most of the sorts that this island either formerly did, or that 

 at present it does produce ; as firs, oaks, birch, beech, yew, thorn, willow, ash, 

 &c. the roots of all or most of which, stand in the soil in their natural position, 

 as thick as ever they could grow, as the trunks of most of them lye by their 

 proper roots. Most of the large trees lie along about a yard from iheir roots 

 (to which they evidently belonged, both by their situation, and the sameness 

 of the wood) with their tops commonly north-east ; though indeed the smaller 

 trees lie almost every way, across the former, som.e over, and others under 

 them ; a 3d part of all being pitch trees, or firs, some of which are 30 yards in 

 length and upwards, and sold for masts and keels for ships. Oaks have been 

 found of 20, 30, and 35 yards long, yet wanting many yards at the small end ; 

 some of which have been sold for 4, 8, 10 and 15l. a piece; they are as black 

 as ebony, and very durable in any service they are put to. As for the ashes, it 

 is commonly observed, that the constituent parts of their texture are so dis- 

 solved, that they become as soft as earth, and are commonly cut in pieces by 

 the workmen's spades, which, as soon as flung up into the open air, crumble 

 into dust ; but all the rest, even the willows themselves, which are softer than 

 ash, preserve their substance and texture entire to this day. I have seen some 

 fir trees, that as they have laid all along, after they were fallen, have shot 

 up large branches from their sides, which have grown up to the bulk and height 

 of considerable trees. 



