[ I I I o 3 
woods to be petrified befide for H^lly never growf 
to that bignefs i the largeft trees being fcarcely by a 
third part fobig; io that allowing for the unexadtnefs 
and unfaithfulluefs of the Filhermens relation j we have 
grounds to believe this wood was other then Holly ^ my 
cheii: reafon for guefling it ^^/^ is the bulkj no trees in 
that country, thefe excepted, growing to that prodi* 
gious bignefs : befides there is much timber found in the 
mud, on fand on the banks, fuch as Deal, &c. but no 
Oak, fo that I believe what Oa,k was undermined by 
the water, was covered with mud, and fo petrified into 
Stone, and of this fort might that be which theFiflier* 
men founds for if fome part of that ground which is now 
covered by the water , was formerly wood, as is on good 
grounds believed by thofe that live therabouts, as it is 
probable there was much OaJ^ in the wood, fo it is pro* 
bable there is much buried in the Lough £ Deal, and o- 
ther trees are found here without any alteration, but; 
what they might fuffer in any other water. 
4. IFhethef' the wood or Holly^ brought from other pla* 
ces^ be as apt to he petrified, as n^hatgroms in the grounds 
adja,ce7it to the luo\xg]\ ? If, as I fhall make out in my 
anfwer to the laft Qu^ry, this ycrtut ot petrifying do's 
certainly, if not folely refide in the foil contiguous to 
this Lough, moft certainly trees that imbibe fome of this 
petrifying Vertue, or thefe Lapideous particles with 
their nourifliment, as being already difposd for it, will 
be more eafily altered into ftone. 
What time is requifite to petrifie a piece of a determi^ 
nate bignefs, I heard of no experiment which can refolve 
this Qusery, but what report tells us of feven years is 
certainly a fable as to the water, I know of nobody who 
has made tryall of the foil. 
(J. Whether ajiy has feen the fame body partly wood afid 
partly Stone > I was informed by two Gentlemen of the 
North; that this may be fr,equen,tly feen, who alledged 
they 
