WOOD. 



outfide branches after tliey were fallen, which have grown 

 into large trees. Many of thefe foflil-trees appear plainly to 

 have been burnt ; the fir-trees are particularly very common 

 in this ftate : and of thefe fome are burnt quite through, 

 others only on one fide. Some of thefe alfo have been found 

 with the plain marks of human work upon them ; many 

 with their branches chopt off, and their trunks cut into two 

 or three pieces. Some fquared and others in part cleft, and 

 the wooden wedges ufed in cleaving them are ftill found re- 

 maining in the cracks. Stones are found in fome of them 

 in the place of wooden wedges, but in none iron ones. The 

 heads of axes are alfo fometimes found ; they are of a ftrange 

 form, and fomewhat reprefent the facrificing axes of the an- 

 cients. Thefe are found at fuch depths, that it is impoflible 

 they fliould have ever been lodged there fince the time of 

 this place's being a foreft ; nor ever could have been found, 

 but by means of the ground's being drained by a late inven- 

 tion. The general opinion as to thefe trees is, that they 

 were buried in this manner at the time of the univerfal De- 

 luge ; but they are plainly of later origin as foffils, the 

 coins of fome of the Roman emperors having been found 

 buried under them. 



The earth of bogs is not the only foil that preferves thefe 

 trees ; for in the low parts of Lincolnfhire, between the 

 towns of Bumingham and Brumley, there are feveral large 

 hills compofed only of loofe fand, and as this blows away 

 there are continually difcorered whole trees, or parts of 

 trees, and particularly the roots and flumps of firs, and 

 fome other kinds, all with the marks of the axe upon them, 

 and looking as frefh as if done but yefterday. Under thefe 

 hills, and in the bogs before-mentioned, not only the wood 

 of the fir-tree, but its cones are found in immenfe number ; 

 many bufhels being often laid in a heap together. In cut- 

 ting a drain for a river of a confiderable depth, there were 

 found at the very bottom feveral parcels of cut wood, in 

 poles, beams, and the like ; the head of an axe was alfo found 

 fomewhat refembhng the ancient battle-axe, and a coin 

 of the Roman emperor Vefpafian ; but what was yet more 

 remarkable was, that what they were now funk to feemed 

 to be the original furface, the ground not being loofe, like 

 all above it, but found and firm, and lying in ridges and 

 furrows, with the evident marks of having formerly been 

 ploughed. So that all the bog-earth above feems plainly 

 to have been added fince ; and that the foflil wood, fuppofed 

 of antediluvian origin, is but of the time of the ancient 

 Romans, or lefs than that. 



All the bogs in this kingdom afford in like manner foffil- 

 trecs ; and not only thofe, but other places, have at all 

 times accidentally difcovered them. Giraldus Cambrenfis 

 tells us, that fo long fince as in king Henry the Second's 

 time, the fands on the fliores of Pembrokefhire were driven 

 off by pecuhar florms and tempefts, and that deep under 

 thofe fands there were then difcovered great numbers of the 

 roots and bodies of trees in their natural poftures ; and many 

 of thefe had the flrokes of the axe upon them, the marks 

 at that time remaining as plain as when firfl made. Some 

 of thefe refembled ebony ; and many other fuch trees were 

 difcovered at Neugall in the fame county, in the year 1590. 

 Camden tells us of fuch wood found in the bogs in Somerfet- 

 (hire, Chefhire, Lancafhire, Weftmoreland, Yorkfhire, Staf- 

 fordfhire, and Lincolnfhire ; and fince his time many other 

 counties have been found to be as fruitful in it. Dr. Plot 

 mentions them in many parts of his Hiflory of Stafford- 

 fhire, and by their Handing in their natural poftures, as to 

 the roots at leaft, properly concludes, that they certainly 

 once grew there, and were not brought from elfewhere. 



Vot. XXXVIII. 



Dr. Leigh, in his Hiftory of Lancafhire, gives an ac- 

 count of the fame fort of trees found in the draining of the 

 boggy lands at Martin-Meer ; and determines them not to 

 have been of the ancient date many pretend, in referring 

 them to the Deluge. 



He obferves, that they are plainly of no older date than 

 the time of the favage inhabitants of England, about the 

 time of the Roman conquefts ; for in this place, befide the 

 roots and bodies of trees and their fruit, there were found 

 eight canoes, or fmall boats, fuch as the wild inhabitants 

 ufed at that time. And in another moor in the fame county, 

 a brafs kettle, with a fmall mill-ftone, and fome beads of 

 wrought amber. In the fame place were alfo found feveral 

 human bodies whole and entire, at leaft to outward appear- 

 ance, and the whole head of an hippopotamus, or river-horfe. 

 This is perhaps the hardeft thing to be accounted for of the 

 whole fet, as to its coming there. The boggy places in 

 Anglefea, and the Ifle of Man, are all full of buried trees 

 of the fame kind ; and the bogs of Ireland abound no lefs 

 with them. England, and its adjacent iflands, are not the 

 only places where this buried wood is found ; for Verftegan 

 tells us, that the moors in the Netherlands abound with 

 them ; they all lie north-eaft, as our's do. Helmont alfo 

 mentions the Peel there, a morafs of eight or nine miles 

 broad, which is full of them. The French naturaUfls tell 

 us of foflil-trees alfo in their country ; and in Switzerland 

 and Savoy ; but all in the low grounds. 



Ramazzini tells us, that in the territories of Modena, 

 which are now a dry and fruitful country, yet in the time 

 of the Caefars were only a great lake, there are found at 

 the depth of thirty, forty, and even fifty feet, the foil of a 

 low marfhy country, with fedges, water-grafs, and other 

 marfh-weeds ; and under this there lie the trunks of trees, and 

 their roots ftand near them in as natural a pofture as when 

 growing. Many old coins of the Roman emperors are alfo 

 found there ; as alfo feveral bufts, wrought marble, and 

 fquared ftones, evidently fhewing the work of fuch tools as 

 the Romans have been known to ufe. Some of the trees 

 in thefe places ftand upright. See more on this fubjeft 

 under the article Morass. 



Wood, Cutting of. See Cutting. 



Wood, Meafure of. See Measure. 



Wood, Stack of. See Stack. 



Wood, Staining of. See Dyeing of Wood, &c. 



Wood may be ftained yellow, by brufhing it over fe»eral 

 times with the tlnfture of turmeric root, made by putting 

 an ounce of the powdered root to a pint of fpirit, and after 

 it has ftood fome days, ftraining off the tinfture. A redder 

 caft maybe given to the colour by adding a little dragon's 

 blood. A cheaper, and lefs bright and ftrong yellow 

 may be given to wood by rubbing it over feveral times 

 with the tinfture of French berries, made boiling hot ; 

 and when the wood is dry, brufhing it over with a weak 

 alum-water ufed cold. 



In order to render thefe ftains more beautiful and du- 

 rable, the wood fhould be bruftied after it is coloured, and 

 then varnifhed with the feed-lac varnifh, or with three or 

 four coats of fhell-Iac varnifh. 



For a bright red ftain for wood, make a ftrong infufion 

 of Brafil in ftale urine, or water impregnated vrith pearl- 

 afhes in the proportion of an ounce to a gallon ; to a 

 gallon of either of which add a pound of the Brafii 

 wood. With this infufion, after it has ftood, with fre- 

 quent ftirring, two or three days, ftrained and made 

 boiling hot, brufh the wood over till it appears ftrongly 

 coloured ; and while it is wet, brufh it over with alum- 

 ^ G water 



