Lfnl 
For I am certainly informed, that a Gentleman of th^Country a- 
bout this Lough a little before the Rebellion cut down fome 
Timber for building, and amongft others cut down a large 
HoU] Tree^ but being diverted by the Rebellion from buildings 
his Timher lay on the ground in the place where it was fell d, 
upon the banks of the Lough^ all the miferable time of the 
War 5 tillatlaft, the Kmgdom hdngktltd, the Gmkman went 
to look for his T'^^^^^, and found the other Timber overgrown 
with mofs, and the HoUj petrified, tho the Water of the Lough 
had never reached it. 
2.. I Query whether theH<?i^ it felf, that grows upon the 
Banks of this Lough ^ may not be more apt to be petrifi'd, 
then the fame wood growing otlier where, and brought thi- 
ther, and put into the Lough^ for certainly if the ground has 
this Quality, this is very likely to follow. 
3. That what we call Lough Neagh fionewas once Wood^is ixioft 
probable on thefe accounts, firft it will not Btr with Actds^ 
which is a property obferved by Dr. Grew on fome fetnfyed 
Woods^in the Mujmm R.S^p. 270. tho the Dr. does there make 
it an Argument for his fufpeiting they are Lapides fui generu. 
Secondly, th.i^,hough Neagh will burn and flame ; and the 
i fmoak of it fmells like the fmoak of wood. Thirdly, when 
{ burnt it betrays the very Grain of W(^od^ with the other vef- 
fels belonging to i^egetables. But that which confirms me a- 
bove all, that thefe StcneswQVC once Wood \s, becaufel have 
many of them by me of various Degrees of FetnficatiGn^ I fup- 
pofe according to the time they remained in the Water, which 
I could never hear juftly determined ; fome that have clearly 
loft the colour of IVood^and are become perfeitly black, and ve- 
ry hard ; Others that are not fo black nor hard ; But one more 
efpecially was fent me about a year ago, which is a Parailele- 
fipcd of about four Inches long and an Inch thick, cut I fup- 
pofe whilft/^Winto that ihape purpofely, whole outward 
coat is very black and fmooth, but this is meerly faperficial, 
i for being cleft longwife through the middle (which it fuffer'd 
I far more eafily then that which is more throughly petrifyed) 
-I there difcovered the whole body perfectly of the colour 
j and grain of HoUj, for I can fcrape it with my nail 3 but what 
j was moft furprifing in it v/as the difcovery of th© P^^h, as plain- 
ly and as perfedlly diftind: in colour and texture from the reft 
(but it alfo was Petrifjd) as it could poilibly have been feen 
in the natural JVcod'^ That this piece when wood was cut in- 
0^2 to 
