[ 3°8 ] 
-their real Petrification, as he was by the Bulk of 
thofe Trees of their being Oak, and not Holly $ “ be* 
“ caufe, fays he, no other Tree in that Country, 
u thefe excepted, grows to that prodigious Bignefs; 
“ at lead it is certain, that Holly never grows to 
“ that Bignefs.” 
But how Mr. Smyth came to be convinced, 
that thefe Trees were Oak, and not Holly, and yet 
was not convinced of the petrific Quality in fome 
Parts of the Lough, tho' thefe Trees were found 
petrified in its Mud, is amazing to me : For, if a 
Team of Oxen could fcarcely draw them from 
thence, it was as hard, in my Opinion, to draw 
them from any adjacent Ground (where they muft 
have grown, lain, and be petrified) into the Mud of 
the Lake, where they were afterwards found : For it 
muft be fuppofed, that either thefe Trees grew on 
the Banks of the Lake, and, thro’ Age, or any other 
Accident, fell into the Water or Mud, and were there 
petrified ; or that, with great Labour and Expence, 
they were brought into it from fome adjacent 
Ground, after their actual Petrification, which is 
hardly to be fuppofed. 
Mr .Smyth (a) tells you farther, that*' TwoGentle- 
“ men of the North (of Ireland where this Lough lies) 
et had told him, that they had feen the fame Body, 
u partly Wood, and partly Stone 5 but the only Rea- 
“ fon for thinking fo, being the Diverfity of Co- 
lours, which might well enough proceed from fe- 
“ veral Degrees of Petrification, we may properly 
“ think 
( a ) Ibid . ut fapra. 
