Myfirstinstinctwastosetuptheusual——NOTICE:\"We，theundersigned，claimfiveclaimsoftwohundredfeeteach，（andonefordiscovery，）onthisledgeorlodeofoyster—shells，withallitsdips，spurs，angles，variationsandsinuosities，andfiftyfeetoneachsideofthesame，toworkit，etc。，etc。，accordingtothemininglawsofSmyrna。\"Theyweresuchperfectlynatural—lookingleadsthatIcouldhardlykeepfrom\"takingthemup。\"Amongtheoyster—shellsweremixedmanyfragmentsofancient，brokencrockeryware。Nowhowdidthosemassesofoyster—shellsgetthere？Icannotdetermine。Brokencrockeryandoyster—shellsaresuggestiveofrestaurants——butthentheycouldhavehadnosuchplacesawayupthereonthatmountainsideinourtime，becausenobodyhaslivedupthere。A
restaurantwouldnotpayinsuchastony，forbidding，desolateplace。Andbesides，therewerenochampagnecorksamongtheshells。Ifthereeverwasarestaurantthere，itmusthavebeeninSmyrna\'spalmydays，whenthehillswerecoveredwithpalaces。Icouldbelieveinonerestaurant，onthoseterms;butthenhowaboutthethree？Didtheyhaverestaurantsthereatthreedifferentperiodsoftheworld？——becausetherearetwoorthreefeetofsolidearthbetweentheoysterleads。Evidently，therestaurantsolutionwillnotanswer。
Thehillmighthavebeenthebottomofthesea，once，andbeenliftedup，withitsoyster—beds，byanearthquake——but，then，howaboutthecrockery？
Andmoreover，howaboutthreeoysterbeds，oneaboveanother，andthickstrataofgoodhonestearthbetween？
Thattheorywillnotdo。ItisjustpossiblethatthishillisMountArarat，andthatNoah\'sArkrestedhere，andheateoystersandthrewtheshellsoverboard。Butthatwillnotdo，either。Therearethethreelayersagainandthesolidearthbetween——and，besides，therewereonlyeightinNoah\'sfamily，andtheycouldnothaveeatenalltheseoystersinthetwoorthreemonthstheystaidontopofthatmountain。Thebeasts——however，itissimplyabsurdtosupposehedidnotknowanymorethantofeedthebeastsonoystersuppers。