22121 SUBMERGED FORESTS. 



the sea^ appear to have been once covered with 

 mighty forests of pine and other trees. In 

 Yorkshire, an extensive district, called Hatfield 

 Chase, was, nearly half of it, annually drowned 

 with water. This land was sold to one Ver- 

 muiden, a rich and enterprising Dutchman, 

 who, at the expense of about 400,000/. drained 

 it, and made it fit for pasturage. Deep in 

 this long-soaked soil are found vast remains of 

 every variety of timber native with us. Oaks 

 of very large size, as black as ebony, and 

 almost as hard as iron, were found, and sold 

 for ship timber. Many of these trees have the 

 evident marks of human labour upon them ; 

 and not a few wedges and axe-heads have 

 been there picked up." 



But, I think I have understood," said 

 Mrs. Heathfield, that coals are the remains 

 of timber-forests, changed, by the lapse of 



