20 



dred men were actively engaged, encouraged 

 by several gentlemen, chiefly physicians, of 

 the neighbourhood, and success the most san- 

 guine attended their labours : but, unfortu- 

 nately, the habits of the men requiring the 

 use of spirits, it was afforded them in too great 

 profusion, and they quickly became so impa- 

 tient and unruly, that they had nearly destroy- 

 ed the skeleton j and, in one or two instances, 

 using oxen and chains to drag them from the 

 clay and marie, the head, hips, and tusks 

 were much broken ; some parts being drawn 

 out, and others left behind. So great a quan- 

 tity of water, from copious springs, bursting 

 from the bottom, rose upon the men, that it 

 required several score of hands to lade it out 

 with all the milk-pails, buckets, and bowls, 

 they could collect in the neighbourhood. All 

 their ingenuity was exerted to conquer diffi- 

 culties that every hour increased upon their 

 hands : they even made and sunk a large cof- 

 ferdam, and within it found many valuable 

 fmall bones. The fourth day so much water 

 had risen in the pit, that they had not courage 

 to attack it again. In this state we found it in 

 1801. 3 



