I 3 r H- 3 
out of the Cliffs of a Mountain, of the Sides of a 
River, or of the Lake in Quefiion j or whether it 
rifes under Water, in the middle of fuch a River or 
Lake in any particular Place, and in its Courfe meets 
with Wood, Vegetables, or any other lax Bodies 
(lodged in the Mud or Gravel), whofe Pores, by the 
natural Heat of the mineral Steams, or any other 
Accident, being open and duly prepared, thefe me- 
tallic Molecule and faline Particles will penetrate 
thro', infinuate and lodge themfelves in the Pores 
and Veffels of fuch Wood, &c. fill them up, and, 
by degrees, turn them into Stone ; ( a ) “ There 
iC being fome of thefe 'Juices lapidefeent of fo fine a 
“ Subftance, yet of fo petrifying a Virtue, that they 
u will penetrate and petrify Bodies of very different 
cc Kinds, and yet fcarce, if at all, vifibly increafe 
“ their Bulk, or change their Shape and Colour/' 
That fuch Springs there are, hidden under the 
Water or Mud of this Lake, I hope will appear pro- 
bable, from what has been Laid, and perhaps evi- 
dent, from the Account I have fince received, that, 
in the great Froft of 1740, the Lake was frozen 
over fo as to bear Men on Horfeback, yet feveral 
circular Spaces continued unfrozen. But how the 
feveral Attempts, made, as mentioned, by Meffieurs 
Molineux , Nevil , and Smyth, to procure Wood 
half-petrified (by fixing'Stakes of Holly in the Lake, 
which received no Alteration) proved unfuccefsful, 
the Rcafon I think is plain, hecaufe they were not 
fixed in the properPlace, viz. the Courfe or Vein of 
{a) Rob. Doyle , of Gems, p. 124.. 8 vo. 
