New Jerfey, Raccoon. 359 



which had been brought up at the digging 

 of a well : on fuch occafions, people have 

 often found (at the depth of between twen- 

 ty and fifty feet) great branches and blocks. 

 There were fome fpots where twenty feet 

 under the furface of the earth, the people 

 had found fuch trowels as the Indians uie : 

 from thefe obfervations they all concluded, 

 that this tra6t of land had formerly been 

 the bottom of the fea. It is to be obferved, 

 that moft of the wells which have hitherto 

 been made, have been dug in new fettle- 

 ments, where the wood was yet (landing, 

 and had probably flood for centuries toge- 

 ther. From the obfervations which have 

 hitherto been mentioned, and to which I 

 fhall add fimilar ones in the fequel, we 

 may, with a confiderable degree of certain- 

 ty conclude, that a great part of the pro- 

 vince of New Jerfeyj in ages unknown to 

 poflerity, was part of the bottom of the 

 fea, and was afterwards formed by the 

 flime and mud, and the many other things 

 which the river Delaware carries down 

 along with it, from the upper parts of the 

 country : however Cape May feems to give 

 fome occafion for doubts, of which I fhall 

 fpeak in the fequel. 



Z 4 Novem-^ 



