35^ November, 1748. 



of large fhells, which are found In bays, 

 and of which the Indians make their mo-' 

 ney. In many places, on digging wells a 

 quantity of rufhes and reeds have been found 

 almoft wholly undamaged; and once on 

 fuch an occafion a whole bundle of flax was 

 brought up, found between twenty and 

 thirty feet under ground j it feemed as lit- 

 tle damaged as if it had been lately put 

 under ground ; all looked at it with afto- 

 nifliment, as it was beyond conception how 

 it could get there i but I believe the good 

 people faw fome American plants, fuch as j 

 the wild Virginian flax, or Linum Virginia- ' 

 num, Sind the Antirrhinum CanaJenJe, which 

 look very like common flax, yet it is re- 

 markable that the bundle was really tied 

 together. The Europeans on their arrival | 

 in America, found our common flax neither * 

 growing wild nor cultivated by the Indians, 

 how then could this bundle get into the ; 

 ground ? Can it be fuppofed, that paft \ 

 ages have feen a nation here, fo early ac- 

 quainted with the ufe of flax ? I would ra- 

 ther abide by the opinion, that the above 

 American plants, or other flmilar ones, have 

 been taken for flax. Charcoal and fire- 

 brands have often been found under ground: 

 The Swedijh churchwarden, Eric Ragnilfon, 

 told me that he had feen a quantity of them, 



which 



