Putrefaction found at Bail Lothian* 41 
num (c> and on e oy fter ; and they were all fo thoroughly and 
ftrongly fixed thereto, and themfelves alfo converted into 
luch an hard fubftance, that it required as much force to 
feparate or break them, as to break a fragment off any 
hard rock; and in colour and appearance, they much 
refembled fome of the mafles of foffil bodies found near 
Chippenham in Wiltfhire. 
This remarkable incruftation, therefore, thus confined 
to the parts of the gun adjoining to the iron, and appear- 
ing no where elfe upon it, plainly indicates, that the iron 
was, by fome means or other, the more immediate caufe 
thereof : and yet it is to be obferved, that in this inftance 
the iron was very little diflolved; for although it is ma- 
nifeft, from fome circumftances in its hiftory, that the 
gun muft have remained in the fea above two hundred 
years, and probably a great deal longer, yet the greater 
part of the handle and of the fwivel remained entire, and 
even the point of the pivot was undiflolved, and very 
vifible. 
Another curious appearance alfo, of a fimilar nature, 
will tend further to confirm the obfervations here made. 
This is found in a fpeeimen (now in my poffeflion) of a 
moil remarkable incruftation, that was formed in the 
fpace of three years only, within a fquare wooden pipe, 
in a Coal Mine in Somerfetlhire. I gave a very particu- 
(c) See the figure marked G 41. 
G . 
Vol. LXIX. 
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