38 



leaving ashes, it remains a strong black coal, 

 apparently well adapted to the purposes of the 

 arts. 



These various strata are the production of a 

 long succession of ages, and, in my opinion, 

 have been formed over the bones. In two of 

 the morasses there was not depth sufficient to 

 have bemired an animal of such magnitude and 

 strength ; and in the third the bones were lying 

 near the sloping edge, from which some of them 

 had already been washed fafther in : The ani- 

 mals have either died or been destroyed generally 

 over the country, and only in these situations 

 have been preserved ; or they have sought these 

 cool places to die in; or perhaps both. 



No calculation can be made of the length of 

 time necessary to have formed these morasses, 

 although Y/e are certain that, as in fifty years 

 past scarcely any change appears, it must have 

 been proportionally slower in the commence- 

 ment; and a period has elapsed in which all ac- 

 counts of this animal have dwindled into obli- 

 vion, except a confused Indian tradition. 



In the neighbourhood of these morasses are 

 found an infinite number of petrifactions, a few 



