Part of a Letter from Dr. Richardson, Containing a Relation of Subterraneous Trees, Dug up at Youle in Yorkshire

ter subservient to the viewing both near and distinct Objects, with the Description of a Natural reflecting Microscope. VII. Extract of Two Letters, the one to Dr. William Gibbons, Fellow of the College of Physicians, London; the other to Mr. Nicholas Staphorst, Operator in Chymistry at Apothecaries-Hall, from Mr. Edward Coles, giving an Account of a Red Colour produced by Mixture of a Sulphureous Spirit, with a Volatile Alkali. VIII. A Note Communicated by Mr Hill, confirming the great Age of Henry Jenkins, mentioned Numb. 221. p. 265. of these Transactions. VIII. An Account of the making Pitch, Tar, and Oyl, out of a blackish Stone in Shropshire, Communicated by Mr. Martin Ele, the Inventor of it. IX. Account of a Book. Marcelli Malpighii Philosophi & Medici Bononiensis è Regia Soc. Lond. Opera Posthuma Fig. æneis illustrata quibus praæixa est ejusdem Vita à seipso Scripta Lond. Impensis A. & J. Churchill, ad Insigne nigri cygni in Vico dicto Pater-noster-row, 1697. in Fol. I. Part of a Letter from Dr. Richardson, containing a Relation of Subterraneous Trees, Dug up at Youle in Yorkshire. I have had the opportunity since I was with you last, to see several Subterraneous Trees, dug up at a place called Toule, about Twelve Miles below Tork, upon the River Humber. There are several Persons there which are called Tryers, who, with a long piece of of Iron, search in the soft and boggy Ground for these Trees; and by this way of Tryal, can, in a great Measure, discover the length and thickness of these Trees, and get a Lively hood by it. Some are so large, that they are used for Timber in building Houses, which is said to be more durable than Oak itself; others are split into Lathes, others are cut into long Chips, and tied up in Bundles, and sent to the Market Towns several Miles off to light Tobacco. Those that I viewed, were all broken off from the Roots; I suppose by violence of Storm or Water, or both; and upon Enquiry do find, that they are all after the same manner. These Tryers do affirm, that at three or four Yards depth they find stumps of Trees broken off; some two, three or four Foot from the Ground, and to be exactly the same Wood with the Subterraneous Trees. Upon the first sight of these, I was induced to embrace an Opinion that I had long ago laid aside, (viz.) that these are really Firr-trees or Pine-trees; the Country People hereabout call them Firr-wood. The bate or texture of this Wood is the same with Firr, easily splitting: If burnt, it sends out the same Rosinous Smell, and it affords the same Coale. The Branches generally grow in Circles, as the Knots do yet testify: The Knots do easily part from the rest of the Wood, as is usual in Firr-Wood. The streightness and length of these Trees, are also a presumption, that they must be such; if one consider that some of these are nigh a Hundred Foot long; and at the bottom, not much above a Foot in Diameter. They affirmed to me, that their tops lay all one way, (viz.) with the Current of the Water. There are also Oaks found there, though not in so great quantity. The Vitriolick parts of the Earth (in which they have lain, hath given them a black Tincture quite through, through, which (when wrought and polish'd fine) is not much inferior to Ebony. This Wood doth not emit the same smell when burnt, with that called Firwood; therefore I hope the smell of that Wood will not be attributed to the Bituminous parts of the Earth in which it hath lain. About Sixty or Seventy Years ago, several Dutch Men undertook to dreyn a large Marsh in that place; and in cutting a Channel in the dry Ground betwixt the Fen and the River. At the first threw up a rich and firm Soil, afterwards they met with a Stratum of Sand, under that a Stratum of Boggy Ground, in which they found of these Subterraneous Trees, and under that firm Ground; and as a Gentleman attested to me, who had it from several Persons then living, that were Eye-witnesses, that the firm Ground in some places lay ridge and furrow. There are several of these Roots of Trees to be seen in the Channel at low Water, to this day. That these Trees are Natives of this place, and not brought hither by a Foreign Deluge, I presume almost demonstrable, though now there are neither Fir nor Pine growing naturally here, nor have been in the Memory of any Man; neither doth there remain any Tradition of the growth of such. The place (where these Trees are found) is a long flat on the one side, bounded by the (raging) River Humber, which often breaks its Banks. Nigh this place the Dun empties itself into the River Humber. II. Part