Submarine Forests. 



117 



marshes. The Marshes in the vicinity of Boston consist chiefly of a 

 clayey loam, with vegetables more or less decayed, forming in fact an 

 imperfect deposit of peat. The depth of the peculiar pulpy soil of 

 these marshes is rarely more than 6 or 8 feet. In the southeastern 

 part of the State, the salt marshes are much more sandy. In fact, 

 their character depends very much upon the nature of the soil on the . 

 coast, since this is carried by the sea into the marshes and deposited. 

 Though salt marshes are numerous along the coast, this kind of allu- 

 vium is marked on the map in only two places, viz, in Charlestown 

 and Chelsea. 



Submarine Forests. 



Though these have not hitherto been noticed in this country, I am 

 inclined to believe that they are not uncommon in the southeast part 

 of the state, and probably all along the Atlantic coast. They consist 

 of the remains of ancient forests, now submerged a few feet below 

 the sea, though sometimes laid bare at low water. The vegetables 

 found in them are generally such as grow in low land; and, indeed, 

 peat not unfrequently occurs. This is the case in the harbor of 

 Nantucket, as I am informed by Lt. Jonathan Prescott, of the U. 

 States army. This gentleman, while superintending the dredging 

 of that harbor, found portions of cedar, maple, oak, and beach trees, 

 some of them in an erect position and accompanied by peat of an 

 imperfect character. All the wood, except the cedar, (Cuprcssus 

 thuyoides,) which was nearly as sound as ever, was very much de- 

 cayed. These relics were buried by four feet of sand, and were 

 about eight feet below low water mark. 



Another submarine forest exists at Holme's Hole, on Martha's Vine- 

 yard. It is on the west side of the harbor, and was described by the 

 pilot as having the appearance of a marsh at low water. Stumps 

 have been found there in considerable quantity; of the cedar at least. 



Near the southwest extremity of the Vineyard, on the north shore, 

 I was informed that another forest of a similar description may be 

 seen. On the north side of Cape Cod, also, opposite Yarmouth, ce- 

 dar stumps may be found (as I was informed by the Captain of the 

 Falmouth packet,) extending more than three miles into Barnstable 

 Bay. And Mr. Henry Wilder, of Lancaster, who first directed my 

 attention to this subject, says that the same thing occurs in the bay of 

 Provincetown, on the side opposite to the village. Farther enquiries 

 will no doubt bring to light many more instances of a similar char- 



