Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1853).djvu/287

Rh often with difficulty distinguished from a real tree. I regretted much not to be able to take with me one of these apparent trees which I had found in a ravine between Guanaca and La Plata, at the foot of a hill, called La Subida del Frayle. This was a piece of marble, 20 inches long, by 17 or 18 diameter; the surface presented a kind of knots of various forms, and something like wood fibres was visible; even the outline of the trunk was calculated to deceive me. There was an indentation on one side, and a projection on the opposite side, which remained equally inexplicable to myself, and to those who accompanied me. I was only decided by noticing other pieces of schist, lying near, which began to assume the same appearance, but were not yet sufficiently changed to deceive one, and which, on the contrary, enlightened me as to the nature of the piece of marble. It is said that among various kinds of wood the gayac is the one which is most readily petrified, and I was assured that I would see below Mompox a cross, the upper part of which was still of this wood, whilst the lower part was actually flint. Several persons assured me they had drawn sparks from it. When I came to the spot several persons confirmed the report, but added that, six or seven years ago, an unusually high flood had caused the cross to fall into the river.”—Page 93.

“Here one observes no trace of those vast inundations which have left so many marks in all other countries. I made every effort to find some shell, but always in vain. It seems as if the mountains of Peru had been too high.”—Bouguer, (&c.)

“In our times it has been seen in Italy for the first time.” “It has its origin in the hot countries of America.”—Zoologiè, Géographique.—Page 74.

“Potatoes are indigenous in Guyana.”—Zimmerman Zool. Geogr. 26. “The Papa was brought to Mexico from South America, its native country.” — 1. Clavigero, 58.

“The maize came from America to Spain, and thence to other European countries.” “The Spaniards in Europe and in America call