i 1 4 Natural Hiflory !Part 11^ 



that they are at this day found very 

 feldom unlefs in this Peat-Earth , is 

 meerly accidental ; this Earth being of 

 a bituminous and mild Nature ^ that 

 the Trees lay all this while, as it vyere, 

 embalmed in it, and were by tligit 

 means prefer ved down to our times, j 

 whilft thofe which chanced to be load- 

 ed in other Earth, that was mor4/Ta^ 

 and pervious, decayed in trafifc of dipe, 

 and rotted at length, and therefore ^o 

 not now appear at all^when we dig aaq 

 fearch into thofe Earths; or if ^jptpy 

 thing of them do appear, 'tis only 

 Ruins, or fome flight llemains pf t||en;^ 

 there being very rarely fqund it;ny 

 Trunks of Frees, in thefe laxer Eai^t^hs^ 

 that are intire, or tolerably firm^ and 

 found. To conclude, from ieverai^^ 

 the afbreiaid Circumftances ,T ;|jh^ 

 evince that thefe Trees could ne\;er 

 poffibiy have been reppfed thus by any 

 other means than the pfeluge: neither 

 by Men : nor by Inuodatiojis-; nof: by 

 ""corfer. Detcratious : nor by violent an^ inif 

 cZfe^,2, P^^^^^'^^> Winds: nor by Earthquakesf 

 whkch are ti)e ftveral ways wheipeby 

 Learned Men have thonght they were 

 thus buried. 



/ 



