51 
of steel, sparks were produced, exceeding in number and brilliancy, 
those which proceed from ordinary gun-flint. Another piece pos- 
sessed the blackness of ebony, and had as high a degree of polish as 
the smoothest glass. Another specimen was almost entirely invested 
with a crust of most brilliant crystals. Another ^but I must not 
pretend to describe the various beautiful and astonishing objects I 
beheld. So great was the variety which passed before my eyes, and 
so much was my mind engaged in forming fruitless conjectures, 
respecting the ambiguous nature of these wonderful bodies, that my 
recollection of them is rendered confused, and my total ignorance 
respecting them,, prevents my possessing appropriate words to form 
their description. 
I was mortified to find that Mr. Inman, himself, was not able to 
furnish me with any real information respecting them : he merely 
stated it to be his opinion, that they had been buried ever since the 
days of Noah ; and had, by the great length of continuance under 
ground, suffered this surprising change. 
On a subject so exceedingly interesting, the mind, not satisfied 
with vague conjecture, seeks for somewhat like explicit information : 
or is, at least, anxious to ascertain, how far investigation has been 
succesfully employed, on such questions as may tend to explain, 
how vegetables could thus be converted into the hardest stone ; or 
by what means they could be preserved, during so long a period, 
as that which must have existed between the time of their com- 
mitment to the earth, and of their transmutation. 
On the following morning, our kind host conducted us up the 
mountain, and showed us the spot where, on the day before, he 
had found the pieces of wood we had seen. We, therefore, eagerly 
set to work, here, with a small mattock, which he had purposely 
provided, and were so fortunate as to find two or three good spe- 
cimens, which, I assure you, we carefully preserve, purposing to add 
