OBSERVATIONS ON THE MAMMOTH^ 359 



of half mafticated reeds, twigs, and grafs, or leaves. There 

 could be DO deception ; the fubftances were defignated by ob- 

 vious cbara6lers which could not be miflaken, and of w4iich 

 every one could judge; befides, the bones of the animal lay 

 around, and added a filent, but fure confirmation. The whole 

 refted upon a lime-ftone rock. I have not feen, as yet, any 

 part of thofe contents ; for, ihough I was within two (Jays* 

 journey of the place where they were found, I was fo well 

 fatisfied with the narration of gentlemen who had feen 

 them, and upon whofe veracity, as well as accuracy, I could 

 rely, that I thought the journey unnecelTary; efpecially as I 

 took meafures to enfure the tranfmiffion of a fufficient quantity 

 of the contents, together with ail the bones, to Williamfburgh. 

 When the contents arrive^ a part (hall be forwarded to you. 

 I hope to form a complete flceleton of this vaft animal, having 

 given dire6lions to fpare no labour, in digging up every 

 bone. 



We (liould not be furprifed, that thefe fubftances fliould be Remarks on the 



thus preferved, when we> recollea the ftate of the rhinoceros, prejervation of 



\ , thofe bodies, 



mentioned by Pallas. Blumenbach, in his Manuel d'Hifioirc 



Naturelle, vol. II. p. 398, (traduit par Artaud), has a note, 



which is very applicable to the prefent fubjecl. He fays, 



^' Quelquefols on trouve encore des pieces animales qui ont 



conferve, fans alteration, leurs parties rnoUes; mais, cepen- 



dant, comme elles se trouvent auffi enfouies dans la terre par la 



iuite de ces grandes cataftrophes des temps anl^rieurs, on doit 



les ranger parmi les corps petrifies, dans le fens le plus etendu, 



Je citerai, par exemple, le rhinoceros deterr^ pres de Wiloi, 



en Siberie, qui offroit encore des reftes tres-reconnoiflables, 



meme ayant encore Todeur animal de mufcles, de chair, de 



peau, & de poils. Pallas I'a d^crit tres-exa6lement dans les 



Nov. Comment. Petropolit., tome 13. p. 58.5." 



Whether this firfl: kind of petrifa(5tion, of which Blumen- —probably from 



bach fpeaks, and which he ca\h /implement calcines, has been """''"^ ^*'^ 



thecaufe of the prefervation of thefe fubftances, or whether 



it be the effc£l of the marine fait, with which the earth, where 



they were buried, has been conftantly charged, muft be left 



to future inveftigation. I pretend not to decide. Had they 



been buried deep in the eaflli, that circum (lance alone might 



have prevented a decompofition ; but the depth of fiveor fix 



feet feems infufficicnt to'arreft that chemical adion, which 



C c 2 changes 



