63 
believes it to be other than a firm and solid piece of wood. With 
this, he adds, I struck fire to light the candle whereby I write this*. 
Dr. Plott takes notice, also, in his natural history of Staffordshire, 
of similar roots and trunks of trees being found in Shibben Pool, and 
at Layton, and in many other places in that county. 
Dr. Stukeleyf relates, that at Aukborough, in the north-west angle 
of Lincolnshire, they discover the subterraneous trees, lodged here 
at the deluge, in great abundance, along the banks of all the three 
rivers : the wood is hard and black, and sinks like a stone. 
There is a wonderful appearance in nature, he says, all over this 
country, and which is -common to all such like upon the globe, as far 
as my informations reach ; that is, the infinite quantities of subter- 
ranean trees, lying three or four feet deep ; of vast bulk and different 
species, chiefly fir and oak, exceeding hard, heavy, and black. 
Many times the branches reach so near day, as to break their 
ploughs. After quoting what Pausanias relates, that ebony bears 
no leaves, nor fruit, nor has any stock exposed to the sun. Dr. 
Stukeley says, I doubt not but our author speaks of subterranean 
trees ; and that our people might put this timber to better use than 
burning it. 
Rowlands, whose observations have a strong claim to our atten- 
tion, says. We have many strong inducements to affirm, that this 
island (Anglesey) was never under any water, except that of the 
flood ; for, as on the one hand, we find no symptoms of such a sub- 
mersion ; no indication of so long steeping under water ; and as a 
necessary consequence of that, no marine remains, properly such, in- 
terspersed in our inward soil ; so, on the other hand, we find, in many 
places of it, some evidences of its having been land, before the de- 
luge. We find great bulky trees buried in slutch and mud, which in 
* The Natural History of Oxfordshire, by Dr. Plott, p. 35 and 63. 
t Itinerarium Curiosum, Gul. Stukeley, M. D. 1724. 
