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I

NECRO CLIMBING THE PALM TREE.

^©RY

(I'IBj

TREEST^HEUBS,

AND

PjLA.NTS.

"And out of the ground, made the Lord (iod to
^row eveiy tree that is pleasuiit to the sight, and
>ood for food.'V

*'Not a tipc,
A plant, a leaf, a blossom, but contains
A folio V'ohnne. — We may read, jnd r*"ad,
And r«M<l a«;;iin ; and still liiul xouM'thiiij^ new,
Somcfhint;' to please, itnd something' lo im»fruct,
li'tn in the humble v\eed."'

IX: ,

PRINT ED BY fc;'^|ft'f Jj*. S*^ 1*^ '' MoS B"s ^H 1 1 1

•^■**->«^;;^'

CONTENTS.

Paub.

1 Rtrodnction.

9

Th« 61ivc Tree,

21

The Banyan TVee,

24

Th« Su^ar Cane,

29

TKe An6har, or Foistc Tree,

36

The Papyrus

iH

The Cork Tree,

m

The Nepenthes,

49

The Baobab,

so

The Aloe,

52

The Bamboo^

55

The Cocoa-Ntft Tree,

59

11ie Bread Fruit Tree,

m

The Banana,

6S

The Palm Tret,

6f>

The Wax Tree,

69

The Fir Tree.

rz

The Sugar Maple,

76

The Laurel,

79

-— — Cianaraeir,

«.

M

-— -Camphor, 83

The Manihot, Sfi

The Betel Tree, 88

The Maiii^nove, 81^

The Poiswn Ash, 91

The Btttter Tiee. 94

The Coffee Tree. 95

The Cotton Tree^ 9»

The Tea Plai*t» 102

The Oak. 108

The Chestnut, 115

The Fountain Tree, IIS

The Dropping- Tree, 121

The Tallow Tree, 123

The Cash cvv-Nut Tree, 124-

The Indian Rubber Tree, 125

The Cloy p Tree, 127

The Palmetto Tree, 129

Tfie White Fig or Plantain Tree, 130

The Mahogany Tree, 132

The Castor Oil Plant, 134

The Sensitive Plant, 13G

The Jake Tree, 138

The Wild Pine, HO

The Water With, 141

The Pepper Plant, ' 142

The Nutmeg Tree. 1*44

The Manna Tree, 145

The White Poppr, HJ

The MagHcy Tree, 148

The Tulip Tree, 191

VII

The Wliite Cedar, or Juniper Trei»» 15l

The Re<l Juniper, or Cedar Tree, 153

Fkx, J 55

HeHip, IGI

The Yam, 164

T\\p Maize, ib.

The Moving Plant, 165

The Tobacco Plant, 167

The Vallisneria, 172

ViHius's Fly Trap, IJi
The Bent Star, ^ 176

INTRODUCTION.

—»©«—•

Hepore we enter upon tho tlesciiption of parti ^
cular Pliuits, it will be interesting to .preface it wltli
a few general observations upon Veg-etables, and
t]icir mode of prodiiction. It will serve, besides, to
call forth our admiration ami gratitude to tlie AN
iniglity, for, in every step of tin; inquiry, wo siiall
trace bis power, wisdom, and goodness.

The ftrst of those contrivances, by which Nature
provides for the safety of tlie future Vegetable, is to
he observed inthe structure of the seed. Everyone
of these, is furnished with a different sheath, which
protects it from injury till it is lodged in the earth.
Thus shut up and secured, the seeds are turned over,
tossed into sacks, measured, and heaped together, and
all without danger. Some of these are placed in
the very heart of the fruit, as in apples; others grow
in shells or pods, su.'^h as peas and beans ; a third,
besides being shutup inthe fruit, is furnished with a
wooden shell, as in the almond, apricot, plum, &c. ^
others, besides their wooden shell, have abitterririd,
which is the. case with the walnut; or a covering of
prickles to defend the seed till ithasj arrived at ma-
turitv like the chcsnut.

10

We may next rcrriarli the mantipr in which these
steeds escape from thpir enclosure : while shut up,
they can be of no service, since the same covering
which guartls tliem from injury, also prevents them
from growing. This dithculty, however, is remcTwed
by tlie power of Nature, and nuts and shells, which
even our teeth cannot penetrate, will gradually divide
and make way for the little tender sprouts which pro-
ceed from the kernel. Another instance of the care
with which nature guards against failure, is to be ob-
served in the mode in which ihe seed strikesinto the
ground. No matter in what direction it fall, the
root will always strike downward, and the bud find
its w ay into the air. From one end of the grain,
issues ;i gre;'n sprout, from the other, a number of
fibrous tt^reads. liow can this be explained? Why
not sprouts to both ends? Why not tibrous threads
from b(»{ii «Mids? 'I'o what is the diHerence to be re-
lerred, but io the wise design of Providence, to the
dirt'erent uses which the parts are thereafter to serve,
and which discover themselves in the sequel of the
process. The sprout struggles into the air, and be-
comes the plant, ot wliich, from the first, it contained
the rudiments; the fibres shoot into the earth, and
thereby both tix the plant to the grouud and col-
h'ct nourishment from the soil forits support. Now,
what is not a little remarkable, the parts issuing from
the seed, take tlieir respective directions, into what-
ever position the seed itself hajjpens to be cast. If
the seed be thrown into theniostunnalural position,
that i^, if the ends point, m the grouud, tJie reverse of

11

what tTicyoHi^'Tit to Jo, every t]un<^ norertliclesx goos
OH ritjht. The sj)raut, after being- pushed down a
IittI(Mvay, nKikrs a bend and turns upwards; the
fibirs% on the contrary, after shootino- at first np-
waidf?,, turn down. Without tliis provision of Pro-'
videncOjthe toil and hibour of the husbandman would
he invaiii; if the harvest were to depend upon the po-
sition in wliich the scattered seed is sown, not one in
a hundred would fall in a right direction. This is most
curious, for though almost all plants rise a little crook-
ed and vvill even go out oi the way to avoid any ob-
stacle in their passage to the surface, and will even
make a second bend or elbow if necessary, yet after-
wards, they will shoot up straight, never kaving tlie
jl^ronndinan inclined direction. This singular cir-
cumstance, like many others, is looked upon, every
clay» without surprize, because we are not accustom-
ed attend to the w^onders of nature.

Many plants are more or less sensible to the touch,
and to the action of heat and light, The Sensitive
Plant, for example, contracts and hangs down its
leaves, when slightly touched ; there is another, which
if a fly perch upon one of its fiowcr leaves, closes in-
stantly, and crushes the insect to death; others are
observed opening and closing their leaves at diirerent
bours of the day, as if poss^^ssed of the instinct of
animals, & tlus singular j)roperty has furnished some
Naturalists with the idea of a time piece whic'i they
CAil Flora's Clock, each plant opening and closinor st>
i-e^iilurly as to indicate the particular period afthe

12

day. Air the different kinds of Clover dr.'nv in tlieir
leavtMj together, on an approaching storm, and lastly*
a plant lias been lately discovered, whose leaves arc
in continual motiof, all day long, but when night ap-
proaches, they fall down, from an erectposture, to rest.

A plant has a power of directing its roots for pro-
curing food, and will even, when in a bad situation,
make an effort to come at better nourishment. Anionff
the ruins of New Abbey in Galloway, a ('ounty in
Scotland, there grows on the top of a wall, a Plane
Tree, about 20 feet high ; straitened for nourishment
in this barren situation, it several years ago directed
roots down the side of the wall, till they reached the
ground 10 feet below; and now, the nourishment it
afforded to those roots during the time of their de-
scending is amply repaid, by its having, every year,
since that time, made vigorous shoots. From the top
of the wall to the surface of the earth, these roots
have not thrown out a single fibre, but are now united
in a single root.

The next circumstance which excites our wonder,
is the manner in which the seeds are dispersed. It
was evidently the intention of the Almighty, that
every partof the earth should be covered with plants;
and for this ])urpose, he has adapted different kinds
lo different climates. Some Avill grow on the high-
est parts of mountains, and bear also the severest
cold, whilst many others will flourish under a burn-
ing sun. If every plant, ho^vcvcr, was confined to

its own (Visti-ict, in a short time, many Icinds xvoiM
perish by not having room for their growtJ), or for
the propagation of their seeds. The Author of na-
tnre has therefore provided for the dispersion of
seed in a most wonderful manner. Some arc fnr-
nished with v/hat we call wings, of which the thistle
and dandelion are examples. These ar« carried by
the wind to a considerable distance from the parent
plant. Every one has seen those little balloons
sailing through the air, but perhaps he has never
remarked that the seed, from its greater weight,
always keeps its under position, and lights first on
the ground, in the direction most favourable for
taking root.

Others are furnished with little hooks, by which
they stick to animals which brush against them, and
carry them to a distance ; whilst more are picked np
by birds, and dispersed in different places, where
they afterwards grow. Lastly, some seed vessels
arc burst by the sun's heat, and throw out their
seeds, with a violent jerk, to some distance.

The re-production of Vegetables, however, is not
accomplished by seeds alone; we see every day, at
the foot of trees, young shoots which prococd-from
the roots; and our forests are not perpetuated other-
M-ise than by the roots of the large trunks which are
left in the giu)und, in order that they may throw olt"
suckers; after a certain time, these are sepjirnted
fiom the trunk which gave them birth, and planted

14

in otlir;r situationg: and sometimes, Plants, as the
JStravvberry, furnish branches which creep along
the surface of the ground to take root at a distance.

We liave already seen the manner in which Nature
provides for the safety and propagation of the seed.
We shall now select the Autumnal Crocus, or Mea-
dow SaiiVon, as an instance of the care witli which
the tender parts of the plant are defended from injury.

*' 1 have pitied," says Dr, Paley, *' this plant, a.
thousand times. Its blossom rises out of the ground
apparently in the most forlorn condition possible;
without a sheath, a fence, a calyx, or even a leaf to
protect it; and that not in the Spring, not to be vi-
sited by Summer suns, but under all the disadvan-
tages of the decliningyear; when wecome, however,
to look more closely into the structure of this plant,
we find, that, instead of itsbeingneglected. Nature
has gone out of her course to provide for its security

*' The seed vessel, which in other plants is situated
within the cup of the flower, or just beneath it, in
this plant lies buried ten or twelve inches under
ground, within the bulbous root. The tube of the
liow er, which is seldom more than a few tenths of
un inch long, in this plant extends dowji to the rout.
The stiles in all cases reach the seed vessel, but it
3s in this, by a length unknown in any other plant.
All these singularities contribute to one end, as this
plant blossoms late in the year, and probably would
not have time to ripen its seeds before the accessor
xyiutey, which would destroy thew.

15

"Provldencp lias contrivt'd its strii*Mar«> surh,
tltHt this iniportiuit oiiico may be pnrfonui'd at n
d<'j)tli in the; cartli, out of reach of tlie usiiul cli'crtsi
of frost; that is to say, the ripening* of the seed*
nhii'hjiiiother plants, proceeds within acase, exposed
to^t ther u'ith the rest of the t^ovvcr, totlic open air,
is here carried on, in the Autumn and during- tlie
whole Winter, within the heart, as wc may say, of tho
earth; that is, out of the reach of the usual effects
of frost. But A new difficulty presents itself; seeds
thou oh perfected, are known not to veg-etate atthiti
depth in the earth ; our seeds, therefore, though so
safely lodg-ed, would, after all, be lost to tlie pur-
pose for which all seeds are intended. Lest this
should be the case, a second admirable provision i:*
made to raise them above the surface when they are
perfected, and to sow them at a proper distance, viz.
the germ grows up in the Spring upon a fruit stalk
accompanied with leaves. Tlie seeds now, in com-
mon Avith those of other plants, have the benefit of
tho Summer, and are sown upon the surface. T\m
order of vegfctation, externally, is this: — ^The plant
produc«$ iti$ flower in September ; its leaves and
fruit in the Spring following."

In the next place, those plants which are to>5
weak to support tlieir own weight, are furnished
with tendrilr, or clampers, by which they are able tt»
tflinar to each other, and thus !• sustain themselves,
or to elasp those whicfe are stronger, la these plants,

16

says Dr. Palcy, from cadi knot oi joint, issue, dose
to eadi otlier, two shoots, one bearing- the flower
and fruit, the other drawn out into a wire, a lon«r
tapering-, spiral tendril that twii^ts itself round any
■^iiing which ilas within its reach. Considering that
in this class, two purposes are to be provided for, and
tog-cthcr (the fruitage of the plant and the support
of its stalk,) wiiat means could be used more effec-
tual or more mechanical than what this structure
picsents to our eyes? Why, or how, without a
view to this double purpose, do two shoots of such
did'erent and appropriate forms, spring from the
same joint, from contiguous points of the same stalk ?
It never happens tlius in robust plants, or in trees;
Me see not (eaysRay) so much as one tree, or shrub
or herb, which hath a firm and strong* stem, and that
is able to mount up and stand, furnished with these
tendrils. Make only so simple a comparison as that
between a pea and a bean; why does the pea put
forth tendrils and the bean not, but becutise the stalk
of the pea cannot support itself; the stalk of the
bean can. We may also add, as a circumstance not
to be overlooked, that in the pea tribe, these clasps
tlo not make their appearance till they are wanted,
till the plant has grown to a height to stand in need
of support.

Lastly, we may observe, that the pkmts wliieh are
ui greater benefit to mankind, are f»>und in tbo
greatest abundance. Jlow soUcitous is Jfrovidcncc

17

to prcsnvc the (lIlTc rout kinds of grassos! Thpy
serve as f(X)d to our most useful aniiuals, they alforcl
nourishment to birds, and their leaves cover the
earth nith a carpet the most refreshing- to the eye ;
tlicy p^rowinany situation, and are calculated to hear
the hardest treatment, without bcino- destroyed ; the
more they are trodden on, the thicker they grow,
and their roots increase as their leaves arc consumed.
Neither the scorchino- heat of the sun, nor the frosts
of winter, destroy them ; for we see them on the first
opcning-of Spring, pushing forth the most delightful
green, and convincing us that the gloom of Winter
is past.

Why docs grass spring up so soft and tender to
the feet, when, if the nourishment of animals were
alone intended, a stronger and more woody stem
i/iight have contained an equal (juantity of juice, —
and why do trees rise to some height from the
eartTi, before they send offside branches? Let us
remark the final cause of these difterencesof growth,
that we may feel a more enlarged gratitude to the
Almighty, whose paternal care is visible in all his
works.

!f the grassos which are so soft to the feet had
l>ecn furnished with a woody stem, we should be
unable to walk on the turf, and deprived of all ap-
proach to the meadows ; and on the other hand, if
the trunks of trees, instead of rising to a certain
height before they send off branches, had produced
B2

18

tliem nearer to the ground, the woods and grores
would have foruicd an impenetrable barrier.

The care of Providence is also particularly re«
niarkable in this, that animals prefer the leaves of
the grasses, and if left at liberty to consult their
choice, will not touch the straws which support the
flowers, and, therefore, are necessary to the ripening
of the seed.

In the desertsof America, a plant is seen growing
like the Misleto, on the tops of trees, and having its
leaves turned, at the base, into the shape of a pitcher j
in this the rain is collected and preserved for the be-
nefit of birds ai>d other animals.. The Water Tree
in Ceylon,, also px-oduces round bladders covered
with a lid, into which the plant itself pumps up a
pure and refreshing water, and there is likewise a
kind of Cuckoo Pint in New France, vv'hich> when
cut,, will afford a pint of excellent water.

In fact, thedifierent vegetable productions are no
less numerous tlian useful. The purposes to which
our native trees are applied, are well known, troni
the Willow that forms the basket, to the Oak, which
forms the ship that is to bring us the produce of the
most distant countries. Each possesses different
qualities, and is applied to different purposes; the
meanest have their use ; even the Thistle is not only
the food of the patient ass, but is serviceable in
making glass. There is scarcely a plant which, aU
though rejected by some aiiiinals, is not preferred

»9

hy athei'K. The horne leave* tKe eomman Wditrr
Hemlock to the ♦foat; and tlu) cow, the long leafed
Wat«r Hemlock to the «heep. The goat, in return,
yields the barn berries to the horse, and even the
8piirge is gradually devoured by some of the insect
tribe. Some plants, as rhubarb and opium, relieve
the pains of disease, and others, like Peruvian Bark,
are g-iven in fever. When the heat of the climate
prevents wheat from g-rowing, its place is well sup-
plied by the Bread Fruit, the Cassavi root, and
Maize, and more particularly by Rice, which is the
eommon food of a great part of the immense popu-
lation of Southern Asia. The wild PineofCampeachy
retains the rain water in its deep leaves, not less for
the refreshment of the tree Itself, than of the thirsty
native. A tree also has lately been discovered in
South America, the juice of which affords anourish-
ing milk, and, from this circumstance, it has been
named the Cow-tree. The travellers who mention
it were informed, that the negroes always acquire
flesh at the season when the Cow-tree yields thcr
greatest quantity of this sap, and prefer it to animal
Biilk,

The Cocoa of the West Indies answers many of the
most useful purposes. The whole of Lapland is too
barren, and the climate too severe for the growth of
corn ; but as a compensation, the surface of the
ground is covered with a low and stunted moss,
wi^ivh t^ie rein deer dij^'s fiom beneath the snow i«

20

winter: and tlius,t]iis animal, wliicli g'ives food and
clotlnng to its owner, is supported. On tlie bleak
mountains of the same country, the Pine, the Fir,
and many resinous trees grow, which shelter man
from the snows by the closeness of their foliage, and
iurnigh him in winter with torches ami fuel.

It is thus we discover the Almighty Creator of all
things in his works. We cannot with our earthly
sight behold his presence, but we can every where
trace his benevolence and wisdom; wherever a plant
takes root, or an animal appears, there we discover
Ills .vorkmanship ; and we should ever recollect, tha't
they were not formed by him to be looked on with
a eareless or inattentive eye; but, that diseoverin»-
the marks of his Almighty power, and of his bene-
volence to man, we should learn from thcni a con-
stant reverence for the Deity, and a steady and
Jiearty obedience to his laws.

^S^£ '

THE

NATURAL HISTORY

OP

REMARKABLE TREES,

THE OUVE TREE.

The Olive Tree deserves to be placed in tlio
first niiik amongst those which are of most use
to mankind, and cannot be too highly valued
lor the oil which is extracted from its fruit.

Considered merely as to its appearance, the
Olive is not striking. It is aa evergreei), with
oval leaves, which have a near resemblance to
those of the willow, and grow opposite to each
other ; of these, the upper side is a pale shining
green, while tfeo under side is whitish. The
rtowers are disposed in bunches, and give an
agreeable smell, but the whole plant is of such
a dull colour, that it would hardly deserve at-
tention, if its fruit did not enrich the inhabit-
ants of the southern countries of Europe, and
benelit so large a portion ot mankind. Consi-
dered in tliis light, it truly deserves the title
which was given to it by ancient writers, who
call it the first of trees.

2%

Tills plant is found on the ntrthern coast of
Africa, and in Asia IMlnor, but it is cultivated
>vit!) most success in the South of France, ia
Italy and In Spain ; in the more northern
]vA.rU of Europe, it will not ^row, being- ex-
tremely sensible to the impression of cold.
0^ this accotuit, even where the climate i*
favourable for their cultivation, the planter's
chief care is to f;;-ive them a southern aspect,
und to supply them with a constant and regu-
lar heat. As a proof that warmth is the
chief source from which these plants derive
their vi<40ur : the Olives planted in India, and
in South America, produce fruit three times as
large, as those cultivated in France, thoug-h
rot so well flavoured, for want of the necessary
c ire. Tlie stem of the Olive is seldom allow-
ed to rise to the heig-ht of twenty feet, in order
that the heat of the sun reflected from the
earth may be strong^er, the fruit sooner ripened,
and the crop collected with more ease. It is
also necessary to scrape the ro'i^^h bark from
the trunk, since it harbours insects during" the
winter, and retains the wet, which renders the
tree more easily affected by cold. It is said to
be by no means rare to find the trunk of the
Olive tree rotten from top to bottom, and
pierced throu[,^h in every direction.

The fruit is applied to two uses. When in-
tended ' for preservation, it is gathered before
it is quite ripe, and put into a pickle of salt
and water, flavoured with arotnatic herbs ; ia
this jstutc^ it is u^ed by the rich merely to sti-

23

mnlaic the appetite, and therefore we shall
pass to its more important and serviceable qua-
lities. When it is intended to extract the oil
which it yields in such abundance, the Olives
are, in November or December, gathered just
at the proper deg-ree of ripeness, for the ex-
treme either way will be prejudicial; the leaves
also are found to g^ivean unpleasant bitterness,
and therefore must be carefully separated ;
tljey are then put into baskets^ or into bag's
liUtde of wool and hair, and pressed immedi'
ately. The oil extracted from the pulp alone,
is the purest that can be obtained. This is
Diuch used throughout Europe, in various pre-
parations of food, and in meuicine is found
iisuful for many complaints ; it will also keep
for several years, but that expressed from both
the pr.lp and the kernel in mills, is always in-
r r'or, aiid is very apt to become rar.cid. —
Where the Olive is over-ripe, it yields a large
Cjiiantity of oil, which, however, isof an indif-
ferent quailty, and is made use of only in soap
irianufactories, and for burning in lamps. In
former times, the luxurious Romans were ac-
customed to rub their bodies over with this oil,
an coming out of tiie warm bath ; Ihey con-
ceived it had the effect of soitening the skin,
and keeping the pores of the body in an open
and proper state. Their wrestlers also used to
anoint themselves with it, befoi-e they con-
tended, m order to make theirlimbs more sup-
ple. From the earliest ages of the vTorld, the
Olive has been the symbol of peace and con-

24

cord, and this usr, is marked, in common speech,
by various exprebsions — lohold out the olive-
branch, si<^nifies peaceful intentions, and a
wish for reconciliation ; and tiiis application
of it is sanctified by an event which is familiar
to most people : When theang^er of God Al-
mifirhtv iiad punished the wickedness of man
by a flood, an olive-branch was the indication
to Noah and those with him in the Ark, that
the waters had decreased from off the face of
the earth, and that the soil was once more per-
mitted to bring- lorth the fruit-bearing tree for
the support of Animals,

THE BANYAM TREE, OR INDIAN FIG.

The r5anyan Tree, or Indian Fig-, is a native
of several parts of the East Indies. It has
a stem, branching to a great height and vast
extent, with heart-shaped entire leaves, ending
in acute points. This tree is beautifully des-
cribed by Milton : —

There soon they choose
The fi(^-trcc: not th.it kind for fruit renowned;
But such as, at this day, to Indians known
In Malabar or Ocean, spreads her arms,
Jirancliin"- so broad and lon^s that in the g-rouud
The bendm^- twigs take root, and daughters grow
About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade
High over arched, and echoing walks between.
'J'herc oft the Indian herdsman, shunning heat,
Shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds
At loo^j)-hL>les cut through thickest shiide.

THE BANYAN TREEi

'^^

^c

Indeed, the Banyan Tree is the most beauti-
ful of iXature's productions, in that<]:enial cli
Jiiate, where she sports with so much proi'iisior
and variety. Some ofthe trees are of amazinf:
size and great extent, as they are continualh
increasin«^, and, contrary to most other t!iin«"
in animal and vcg'etable life, they seem to be ex
empt from decay.

Every branch from the main body throw
out its own roots ; at first in , small tendei
fibres, several yards from the g"round : thes<
coni'inually grow thicker, until they reach th<
surface; and there striking* in, they increust
to lartje trunks, and become Parent trees shoot-
ing- out new branches from the top: these ir
time suspend their roots, which swelling- intc
trunks, produce other branches ; thus continu
ing- in a state of prog-ression, as long* as th(
earth the ^irst parent of them all, contributes
her sustenance.

The Hindoos are pecnliarly fond of the
Banyan Tree. They look upon it as an emblem
ofthe Deity ; from its long- duration, its out-
stretching- arms, and overshadowing- benefi-
cc^nce. Near these trees, the most esteemed
Pa^'odas are g-enerally erected ; under their
shade, tlie Brahmins spend mucli of their time
in relig-ious solitude : and the natives of all
casts and tribes arc fond of recreating- in thei
cool recesses, beautiful walks, ajid lovely open-
in jr^, of thi^ shady cancpy, impervious to the
Iiottest beams of (lie sun. Oneof these tree!
is meiitioned by ati ancient writer, to have c#-

27

veved five acres of gfround and to have extend-
3d its branches so far, that ten thousand men
liight easily have encamped under it.

A remarkably large tree of this kind is dis-
ino^uished by the name ofCiibbeer Burr, which
vas given it in honour of a famous saint. It
vas once much larger than at present ; yet
vhat remains is about 2000 feet in circumfer-
ence, measured round the principal stems ; the
verhang-ing* branches, not yet struck down,
over a much larger space. The chief trunks
if tljis single tree (which in size greatly ex-
eed our English elms and oaks) amount to
50 ; the smaller stems, formed into strong-
upporters, are more than 3000 ; and every
ne of these is castins: out now branches and
lijuging- roots, in lime to form trunks, and be-
ome the parents of a future progeny.
Cubbeer Burr is famed throughout Hindostaa
)r Its great extent and beauty: tlje Indian
nnies generally encamp aroiuul it : and at
laLed reasons, solemn Hindoo festivals are held
here, to which thousands of votaries repair.
I is said that 7000 persons find ample room
0 repose under ifs shade The English gren-
lenien,on their hunting and shooting* parties,
sed to form extensive encampments, and
peiid Weeks together under this delightful
avilion; which is g-enerally filled with green

ood pigeons, doves, peacocks, and a variety
r feathered songsters : crowded with squirrels
lakes, and families of monkeys, performing-
leir antic, tricks : and shaded bv bats of lariie

28

size, many of tliem measuring upwards of six
feet from the extremity of one wing to tlie
other.

This tree not only affords shelter, but stis-
tenance to all its inhabitants ; being covered
amidst its bright foliage with small figs of a
rich scarlet, which are exceedingly pleasant
to the taste-

In the neighbourhood of the tree which we
bave been describing, a certain Indian Chief re-
sided some years ago, who was extremely fond
of field sports. He used frequently to encamp
under it in magnificent style, liaving a saloon,
dining room, drawing room, bed chamber, bath
kitchen, and every other accommodation, all
in separate tents :yetdid this noble tree cover
the whole, together with his carriages, horses,
c<imels, elephants, guards and attendants ;
while its spreading branches afforded sha(,Iy
spots for the tents of his friends, with their
servants and cattle.

I have often (says Mr. Forbes, whose ac-
count we give) admired the parental affection
of those monkeys which fill thebranchesof the
tree, to their young offi^pring. They may be
seen teaching them to select their food, to ex-
ert themselves in jumping from bough to
bough, and then in taking more extensive leaps
from tree to tree ; encouraging them\ by ca-
resses when fearful, and meTiucing and even
beating them, when refractory. Knowing hy
instinct the malignity of the snakes, they are

29

most vig-llanl in their destruction ; they seize
them, when asleep, by the neck, and runninfr
to the nearest tlat stone, kill them by frequently
strikin*;- their heads against it; When con-
vinced that the venomous fang-s are desLro3'ed,
they toss the reptiles to tlieir young ones to
play with, and seem to rejoice in the destruc-
tion of their enemy.
On a shooti-ng: party under this tree a sports-
man, not long' since, killed a female monkey :
and carried it to his tent, which was soon sur-
rounded by 40 or 50 of the tribe, who made a
great noise, and, in a threatening* manner, ad-
vanced towards it. On presenting his fowling-
piece, they retreated and appeared irresolute ;
but one, which from his age and station in the
van, seemed the head of the troop, stood his
ground, chattering and menacing in a furious
manner, nor could any efforts less cruel than
firing, drive him off. He at length approached
the tent door, when finding' his threatenings
were of no avail, he began a lamentable moan-
ing, and by every token of grief seemed to beg
the body of the deceased. On this, it was giv-
en to him, when he embraced it with much
appearance of sorrow, and carried it off with
a sort of triumph to his expecting comrades.

THE SUGAR CANE.

This plant, which has become of such vast
importbince to mankind, is found in several
parts of the world. It has been seen by travel-

«5U

lers in Upper Kofvpt, in Africa, In .Tapi^n, \a
the South Sea Islands, and we are even told
that it g-rows in Sicily.

The account of a plant of such conse-
quence, prodflcing-so much revenue to our
country, and aflbrding- employment, both in its
cultivation and produce, to so many thousands
of our fellow-creatures, must not be slightly
passed over: we shall therefore describe the
different states it g-oes through, from the time
it is planted in the ground till it reaches our
market as sugar.

The Sugar Cane which yields us such an
agreeable juice, is like the reeds wesee in mo-
rasses and on the edges of lakes, except that
the skin of these latter is hard and dry, and
their pith void of juice, whereas the skin of
the Sugar Cane is soft, and the pith veryjuicy,
though in a greater or less degree according
to the goodness of the soil, its exposure to the
sun, the season it is cut in, and its age. It n
topped by a bunch of leaves or blades, sharply
notched at the edges like a saw. The body
of the Cane is strong but brittle, and contains
a soft pithy substance, which affords a large
supply of juice. The joints ot the Cane are ge-
nerally from one lo three inches in length, and
about an inch in diameter; they shoot up
sometimes to the height of seven feet, exclu-
sive of the top which bears the leaves. The
plants when seen collectively, have a very
pretty effect, and a field of them in the month
of November^ in full blossom, is one of the most

31

b^.'^utifiil productions that the pen can describe.
When ripe, tlieir colour is of a brig-ht g^oldea
yellow, and when exposed to the sun, it is in
many parts very beautirully streaked with red.
The top is dark g-reen at lir^t, but at lengtli be-
comes a brownish yellow. From the center
of the leaves, shoots up an arrow hke a silver
w and, from two to six feet in heig-ht, producing*
from its summit, a plume of delicate white fea-
th^'-s, wliich are fringed with yellow.

Wo shal! now proceed to the manner in
which it is cultivated for commercial purposes,
after which, we shall give a short description
of the mode of making- sugar, as it is practised
at present in the West Indies.

The quantity of land intended to be planted,
being cleared of weeds, is divided into plots of
about '20 acres, each of which is subdivided by
means of a line and wooden pegs, into small
squares of three feet and a half, and in every
square, two cuttings are placed at the depth of
six inciics <*nd covered with earth. In twelve
or fourteen days, the young sprouts begin to
appear: and as soon as they rise a few inches
above groinid, should be carefully cleared of
weeds, and earthed. The lateral suckers,
which jipring i]p after the canes begin to joint,
are now rcnioved, as they seldom come to ma-
turity^ ana only serve to draw nourishment
from the original plant.

The best seiuson for phmting' is between the
moiiths of Auj^ust and November, the Canes
bejiig thus less liable to be injured bv the hea-

32

vy rains and hi;irH winds with which the West
India Islands are so iV^quently visited.

All the precautions, however, which c&w
possibly be taken l:»y the most experienced
planter, will rot always secure a crop. The
Suf^l-ar Cane is subject to a disease called a
blast, for which no remedy has hitherto been
found : it consists of millions of little insects,
whose proper food is the juice of the Cano, in
search of which they wound the tender blades,
and consequently destroy the vessels. The
g-rowth of the plant is thus checked, until it
withers or dies in proportion to the degree of
the ravag-e.
These insects are not the only enemies which
the planters have to contend with. The Canes
are likewise much damaged by monkeys and
rats, which however are more easily destroyed.
Tlie former come down from their retreats in
silent parties, during- the nig-ht, and having-
posted sentinels, to give the alarm if any tlung*
approaclies, they destroy incredible quantities
of the Cane by their gambols, as well as by
their g^reediness. It is in vain to lay traps for,
these creatures, however baited, and the onlyj
way to protect the plantations, is to set a nu-
merous watch, well armed with fowling--pieces|
and provided with dog-s. The negroes on the]
different plantation?, who think their lleihj
very g-ood eating, are alxvays ready to per-
form this part of the service.

In the lowland plantations, the rats also del
a vast deal of inischier. They are said to have

33

been introduced from Europe by thesliipping",
and have since multiplied prodig-iously, breed-
ing in the ground under loose stones and bush-
es. These, also are considered by the field
negroes as choice food, and are even said to
be publicly sold in the markets of Jamaica.

The Canes are cut in the British Werft India
Islands, towards the end of February, or in
March and April, as they are then as ripe as
the nature of the soil will allow them to be : at
this season, the nutritive quality of thesug^arat
once becomes apparent among"st the working-
negroes and the different animals employed up-
on the plantations ; such indeed is the pleasure
they derive from it, that the time of crop in
the sug-ar islands, is the season ofg"ladness and
festivity to man and beast ; " so palatable, sa-
lutary, and nourishing", " says Mr. Edwards,
" is the juice of the Cane, that every indivi-
dual of the animal creation, derives health and
vig-our from its use, in a few weeks after the
mill is set in action. The labouring* horses,
oxen and mules, thoug^h almost constantly at
work during this season, yet, being indulged
with plenty of the green tops of this noble
vegetable, and some of the scummings from
the boiling house, improve more than at any
other season of the year."
Tlie Canes being gathered, are carried to the
nnil,where the juice is squeezed out by press-
ing them between huge iron rollers ; it is then
boiled with lime water, which makes a thick
&tum rise to the top ; the clear liquor is allowed

C

u

to tnn o(f bolow, ami after repeated t>oi!ing=s^
which thick(ui it very mncli, it is suffered to
crystallize into the appearance of our brown
sujjf'*!*, by standing" in a vessel, the bottom of
which is (pierced with several holes in order
that the syrup may drain ofl'; What remains i
from this process is called molasses> from
which rum is obtained by distillation,

To form loaf sn^ar, which is only the same^
cleared of its impurities ; the brown sugar is
dissolved in water, and being- mixed with
Vvhites of eg-gs or bullock's blood, is again put
into the boiler ; the liquor thus throws up a
thick scum to the surface, and the clear sub-
stance, rendered tlftck by boiling, is poured
into moulds of the same shape as a tugar-loaf.
An additional process however is required to
whiten it ; for this effect the mould is turned
point downwards, and its broad end covered
with clay, through which water is made to
pass ; the water slowly trickling through the
sugar, unites with and carries off the matter
which discolours it, leaving the whole per-
fectly white.

Sugar Candy is made by allowing the liquor,
which has been thickened by repeated boiling,
to cool slowly, Barley Sugar, is sugar melted
by heat, and afterwards cooled in moulds of a
spiral form.

In several parts of North America, sugar is
obtained from the juice of the maple tree by-
boiling it; it has also been made, in large quan-
tities in Prussia, and France, from an extract
of beet root.

S5

The sngar-hou^e of «a refiner is a larg-e builci-
iig', consisting- of six or seven iloors^ and Ihe
itensils necessary to perform the (JiHerent
>perations, require tlie aid of various workmen;
he pans,cQolers, cisterns, syrup-pipes, busons,
ndles, skimmers, and sometimes the candy pels
.re made of copper : pipes, pumps aud cisterns
iiade of lead are al>o used. The iron founder
iipplies bars of a triang-ular form, to be laid
nder the pans ; also the cocl.e!, wliicli is on
'on trunk, used to dry the g-oods in the stove,
•on d'oors, &c.

The carpenter is required to furnish racks,
roughs, stools, blocks, coolers, oars and tubs ;
nd backs, to hold the lime water, which con-,
lin from thirty to two htmdred barrel^ em-
loy the back maker. The wicker work con-
sts.of reiining" baskets, scum baskets, puiiin^
p baskets, coal and clay baskets, Sic, Thus,,

we consider the numbers employed h^ uiak^
ig- these disrerent utensils, and also in build-*
ig the ships used in bringing over tiie .sugar;
e may suppose that we do not taste a lujup of
igar that is not produced by the iabour ol i\
lousand hands.

And yet we too often use the conveniences

life in a careless, wasteful iiianiar, wilhoui
tfiecting one moment on the trouble jjLce$.'Ui\J(-
I ^)ix;icure tUem.

36

THE ANCHAR, OR POISON TREE OF JAVA.

The Anchar is one of the largest trees in
the forests of Java ; the trunk is circular,
straig-ht, and rises completely naked to the
height of sixty, seventy, or eighty feet ; it is
covered with a whitish bark, which, upon be-
ing wounded, yields plentifully the juice from
wliich the celebrated poison is prepared. An
incision being made into the tree, the sap oozes
out, of a yellowish colour from old trees, but
paler from those that are young; exposed to
the air, its surface becomes brown ; the innev
bark is close and fibrous, resembling when se-
parated and cleansed, a coarse piece of linen ;
it lia^s been worked into ropes which are very
strong, and by the poorer classes woven into
a coarse stuff, which they wear when working
in the fields ; but it requires much bruising and
washing beforeitcaw be used, since, even when
it appears completely purified, persons wear-
ing* this dress, being exposed to rain, are af-
fected with an intolerable itching ; it is occa-
sioned by a small quantity of the gum which
still adheres to the stuff, and produces, when
exposed to wet, this irritating effect.

The stem of the Anchar having risen to the
above mentioned height, sends off some stout
branches, which divide into smaller ones,
forming an irregular crown ; the poisonous
juice is collected from the bark, which when
punctured, will yield a large quantity, so that
a cup full may, in a short time, be collected
from a full sized tree. The inhabitants how-
ever are not easily induced to assist in collect^*

37

i^<; It, as tlie}' fear an eruption of the 5fkfrr>
tliltfi is always the coiiseqncnctj uf tfie i;urii
3iicl)iii^" tlicm. The Aiichar, like the trees in
s nci^'Iibourhood, is on ail sides sniroundedf
y slirubs and plants, and in no instance can it
e oiiserved injurious to veg-etation. One oT
lie larg-est trees of the kind is mentioned as
ein<^ so completely environed by tlie comnion
lirubs of the forest in which it o-,-evv, that it.
v&s with difticnlty approached ; several vines.
nd climbing- plants, also, in perfect health, ad-
ered to it, and asctmded to nearly half its^
eigh t ; this last particular in the history of tlie
ree is interesting*, as it disproves an opiuioii.
k'hich long' prevailed in Europe, that it occasi-
nsa barrenness in the ground for a consider--
i)le di-tance round tlie spot where it grows
s'o plant would flourish, it was said,evenvvith-
1 twelve miles of it ; and even birds had been,
nown to drop dead in their llig"lit, when the
dour of the tree was blown upon thorn by t be-
hind. The account, which was for a long time
lelieved in Europe, is curious, as a proof that
iiankind are easily im[)Osed upon, and may be
iseful to relate, if it teaches us that we should
.Uvays doubt the truth of what appears to be
narvellou.s, unless it is supported by testimony
in which we can rely ; it was drawn up by a
)utch naturalist of the name of Foersch, who.
.retended to have collected the particulafs.
rom persons of veracity.

" 1 must acknowledge,'' says he, " that I
ong doubted the existence of this tree^ until a
)tnctei' miiury coayinceU me of my error. I

38

shall now only relate simple iinadorned facts,
ofvvliicl) 1 liJivebcen an eye witness ; my read-
ers may depend on the fidelity of my account.
In the year 1774, 1 was stationed at Batavia ;
during" my retsidence there, I received several
difl'erent accountsof the Upas tree, and the vi-
olent effects of its poison; they all then seemed
incredihle to me, but raised my curiosity in so
high a decree, that 1 resolved to investig-ate
this subject thoroughly, and to trust only to my
own observation, In consequence of this reso-
lution, 1 applied to the Governor General for
a pass to travel through the country ; my re-
quest was g-ranted,and having* procured every
information, I set out on my expedition ; I had
prooured a recommendation from an old Ma-
layan priest to atjother priest, who lives on the
nenrcst habitable spot to the tree, which is
about 15 or 16 miles distant. The latter proved
orgreatservicetomein my undertaking-, as he
is appointed by the emperor to reside there, in
order to prepare for eternity the souls of those
who, for ditlerent crimes, are sentenced to ap-
proach the tree and to procure the poison.

"The Upas Tree is situated in the island of
Java, about 27 leagues from Batavia ; it is sur-
rounded on all sides by a circle of high hills,
and the country round it, to the distance of 10
or 12 miles from the tree, is entirely barren ;
not a tree nor a shrub nor even the least plant
or grass is to be seen, I have made the tour all
round thisdangerous spot at about 18 miles dis-
tance, and 1 found the aspect o^f the country oa

all sides equally dreary ; the easiest ascent ot"
the hills is from that part where the old eccle-
siastic dwells ; from his house, the criminals
are sent for the poison, into which the tops of
all warlike instruments are dipped ; the ma-
lefactors, who for their crimes are sentenced
to die, are the only persons who fetch the
poison, and this is the only chance they have
of saving- their lives. Alter sentence is pro-
nounced on them by the judge, they are asked
in court, whether they will die by the hands of
the executioner, or go to theUpas Tree for a box
of poison ; they commonly prefer the latter pre-
posal, as there is not only some chance of pre-
serving their lives, but also a certainty, in case
of their return, that a provision will be made
for them in future by the emperor. They are
then provided with a silver or tortoise-shell box
in which they are to put the poisonous gum,
and are properly instructed how to proceed
while they are on their dangerous expedition ;
among other particulars,they are always told to
attend to the direction of the winds, as they are
to go to the tree before the wind so that the
pestilential smeli may be blown from them ;
they are told likewise to travel with the utmost
dispatch, as that is the only method of ensuring
a safe return ; they are afterwards sent to the
house of the priest, to which place they are
commonly attended by their friends and rela-
tions ; here they generally remain for some days
in expectation of a favourable jorceze, duriiig
which Ihe ecclesiastic prepares them for theii
future fate, by prayers and admoniticiis*

40

*'When the hour of their departure arrive?^,
the priest puts on theui along: leather cap, with
two glasses before llseir eye»^ wliich g-enerally
comes down as far as their breaist, and ah^
provides them with a pair of leather gloves ;
they are then conducted by the priest and
llieir friends and relations, about two miles on
their journey. Here the priest repeats his in-
structions, and tells them where they are to
look for the tree; he shews them a hill which
they are to ascend, and tells them, that on the
ether side, they will linda rivulet which they
sre to follow, and which will conduct them di-
rectly to the Upas ; they now take leave of
each otijer, and amidst prayers for their suc-
ce.ss. the delinquents hasten away.

"The worthy old ecclesiastic has assured me,
that during his residence there for upwards of
thirty years, lie had dismissed above 700 cri-
minals in the manner which I have described,
and that scarcely 2 out of ^0 have returned. 1
was also p recent at some of these melancholy
ceremonies, and desired ditlcrent delinquents
to bring with them some pieces of the wood, or
a small branch or some leaves of this wonder-
ful tree ; 1 have also given them silk cords to
measure its thickneiis ; 1 never could procure
more than 2 dry leaves that were picked up hy
one of them on his return : and all I could
It^rn from him concerning the tree itself whs;
that it fetood on the border of a rivulet, that it
was of a middiiny size, that it or (» youn;;: trees
ef the sArne kiiid stood clobe to it ; but that no

1

11

otlicr slirnb or plant could ho srcn ncnr if, and
that the ground was of a brownish sand, lull ol"
stones, almost impracticable for travcHin«\
and covered with dead bodies.

" However incredible it may appear, this
is certain, that from 15 to 18 miles round this
tree, notonly no human creature can exists but
also no living' animal of any kind hasever been
discovered ; I have also been assured by se-
veral persons of veracity, that there are no fi.^li
in the waters, nor has any rat, mouse, or atiy
other kind of vermin been seen there ; and
when any birds fly so near this tree that the
effluvia reaches them, they are immediately
killed by the poison. This circumstance has
been ascertained by different delinquents, who
rn their return, have seen the birds drop down,
and have picked them up dead, and brought
them to the old ecclesiastic, 1 have said that
malefactors arc instructed to go to the tree
with the wind and to return against the wind.
When the wind continues to blow from the
same quarter, while the delinquent travels 30
or 36 miles, if lie be of a good constitution,
he certainly survives ; but what proves most
destructive is, that there is no dependence on
the wind, in that part of the world, for any
length of time ; it never blows a fresh, regular
g-ale, but is commonly a current of light, soft
breezes, which make their way through the
diflbrent openings of the adjoining mountains.

•' In the year 1776, I was present at the ck-
Bcution of thirteen criminals. It was iu thd

42

forenoon 'when they were led into an open
space ; there the judge passed sentence npoa
them, by which Ihey were condemned to suritT
death by a lancet poisoned with Upas. 'J'hir-
teen posts had been previously erected, each
about 5 feet high, to which they were fastened
and their breasts stripped naked ; in this situ-
ation they remained a short time in prayer,
until a sig-nal was given by the judge to the
executioner, on which the latter produced au
instrument, much like the spring-lancet used
by farriers for bleeding horses: with this instru-
ment, it being poisoned with the gum of the
Upas, the unhappy culprits were lanced in the
jniddle of their breast, and the opevjation was
performed on all in less than two minutes. My
iistonishment was raised to the highest degree
when I beheld the sudden effects of the poison.
for in IG minutes by my watch, which 1 held
in my hand, all the criminals were no more ;
their pain began in live minutes after the
wound had been inflicted, and continued in-
creasing' till death released them from suffer-
ing.'^

This account was for thirty years believed
in Europe, for though the whole appeared ex-
traordinary, no sufficient reason could be as-
signed, vvh)' the relator should invent .such ^
falsehood ; we are now convir ecd, from the
statement of more accurate travellers, that a
tree is found in Java, the poison of which i.^ of
the most venemou?; description, but that it
causes no barrenness in ilo vicinity^ since ic»

43

vera! orocpins: plants; are found twlnin^s: tticiiU
ielves found its branches, without experiencing'
i»ny injury IVoni the noxious quality of its sap ;
inJ that the collecting" of the ^um is not at-
tended with the danj^er which is here descri-
l>ed VVlien the poison of the Anchar is ^iven
to the lower animals, its elTects are very rapid,
tho' the force with which it acts, is sometimes
found to vary with the size of the blood vessel
4Vounded,andthe quantity of poison carried in-
to tlie circulation ; in general, it causes death
in 20 minutes, sometimes in half that time. A.
buffalo, one of the largest quadrupeds of tha
Island, died in about two hours. The effects
upon the human system, it is not easy to deter-
mine; the only credible information on the sub-
ject, is given by one who had an opportunity
L)f personally observing* the effect of the poi-
soned darts, which were used by the natives of
Macassar in their attacks on Amboyna in I G50,
Speaking oftheir operation, he says, the poi-
son touching the warm blood is instantly car-
ried through the whole body, so that it may be
reit in all the veins, causing an excessive burn-
i»g, which is followed by fainting and death.
After proving mortal to many of the Dutcli
soldiers at Amboyna, an infallible remedy was
found in a certain root, which,. if timely applied,
counteracted its poisonous effects. This is a
striking proof, that in the wise arrangement
of providence, there is no evil vi^ithout a reme-
dy: the bad passions of mankind have applied
the juice& of this tree to a mischievous purpose,

44

but we find an antidote growing" in the \ev\
nei^hboui-hood. It may also be remarked
that such baneful trees as the Anchar, are nol
commoiily found, whilst on the other hand
Divine g-oodness has produced in the greater
plenty, and in all countries, those which art
useful and beneficial.

PAPYRUS.

Although the Papyrus has long- ceased U
he useful, it still deserves to be noticed, siiict
it was from this plant that the ancients manu
farfurcd their paper; independant of which, i
AvuN ap[jlied by the Egyptians to other usefu
jiurposes: the roots served them for fire wood
and were frequently formed into different do
jiiestic utensils — of the stems plaited tog-ethe
they made a kind of boat ; and from the irme
bark they made their sails, mats, their clothes
cordage, and the coverlets of their beds. Tht
boats made o! the Papyrus were like great bas
kets, covered over with a plaister of resin t
keep out the water : it was probably in a ves
&el of this kind that Moses was exposed, whei
loUnd by Pharaoh's dauj^hter, on the banks c
the Nile. Lastly, the inhabitants of that pai
of Africa which borders on the Nile, were at
customed to eat the lower parts of the sten:
alter baking" it to render it more palatable
and Bruce assures us, that in Abyssinia the
jMirsue the same practice.

45

llie Papyrus is no lonj^-er manufactured into
paper ; that vvliirh is picpared IVoin old linen
being- found better adapted for the purpose of
writing- on : it may bo interesting-, Fiowever, to
know the manner in v/hich it was made,
as it was undoubtedly by far the mo^t useful
application of the plant. For this purpose,
the thick part of the stalk being- cut in (wo,
the thin skin between the pith and the bark
was stripped off by a pointed instrument.
I'hi.N was squared at the sides, so as to be like
a ribband, then laid upon a smooth table, and
cut to the length that the leaf was required to
be, g-enerally about a foot long-, and half a foot
broad ; on both sides of these leaves they wrote
with a reed, as is still practised by the Eg-yp-
tians and Abyssinians, making use of an ink
so durable, that what was written eleven
centuries ago, is still as legible as ever.

Formerly the Papyrus grew to the height of
fifteen feet ; at present none are seen to rise
above ten feet, probably because they are al-
lowed to grow too thick together, without
being weeded, 'i'he stalk is of a deep green,
thickest at the bottonj, and tapering to the top.
Us form is triangular ; and it is observed that
^rowing generally in rivers, where the vio-
lence of the stream would be likely to bear it
iown, the point of the triangle, and not tho
side, always faces the current, (just a^ we coa-
itruct the buttress of a bridge, to dirnirii.>ri> thv3
pressure of the water,) an instaoce of the wii>--
iom and desigrj which are observublo in :dl the

D

40

works of Providence ! The head is composied
of a number of fihmients, like blades of grass,,
each about a foot long-; and the root larg-e and
strong-, tliough not perhaps so much so as when
the plant was fifteen feet hig-h : it is still, how-
ever, hard and solid near the heart, and vvorus
with the turning- loom tolerably well, as it did i
fermerlj?, when they made cups of it.

'.Q« —
THE CORK TREE.

This tree, which is a kind of Oak, is so sen-
sible of cold, that it cannot bear the frosts of
the northern parts of France ; to the south,
however, it flourishes in great perfection, aitd
is also found in Italy and Spain. In the hard
winter of 1709, most of the Cork Trees in
Fr;»iice were destroyed, but the damasre was
in tinie repaired, and they, at length, became as
numerous as before. The various uses to whicti
the baric ofthis tree is applied, are well known.
The acorns, which have a sv^eetish taste, not
only serve to feed hogs and poultry, but are
likevi'ise tiseful to mankind, who, in time of
scarcity, have used them as food. — When the
trees have attained the aire of twelve or
fifteen years, the bark is removed for the first
time ; but the cork, at this time, is only tit
to burn. Seven or eight years after, it is again
removed, but still it is far from being ot .. /."^ d
quality, and is only fit for buoys and other
commorj purposes. Thisoperation isrepeau-d
when tlie trees are about Ihiity years old, and

47

then the bark is found to he of a superior nature,
and fit for all the pinposes to which cork is
applied. It should be remarked, that the best
bark is obtained from the oldest trees, and
that the removal of this substance is far from
proving- injurious to the plant; since a Cork
Tree that is barked every ei^ht or nine years,
will live lor 150 vears, and some times lon«"er.
In July and Aug-ust, the persons employed
upon the Cork Trees beg-in to strip ofl* the
bark. With a small hatchet, they slit the bark
from the top of the tree to the bottom, and then
make an incision round the trunk, at each end
of the slit. After this is done, the bark is well
beaten, in order to loosen it from the tree, and
then raised from the wood. In this part of the
business, the people are careful not to damag-e
the iine skin that adheres to the body of the
tree, lest they should be deprived of a future
harvest; for when this is removed, the cork
ceases to g-row until it is renewed, which does
not happen for many years. The cork is cut
into pieces of four or five feet in leng-th, and
afterwards scrapevl, to render the surface even.
The pieces are then steeped for some time in
water, and covered with heavy stones on pur-
pose to flatten them ; after which they are
placed on burning- coals, which has the effect
of making- the cork closer, and of improving-
its quality.

The bark of cork is of use in medicine, when

burnt and powdered ; butic is chielly employed

in making- soles for shoes, and to stop bottles.

The Spaniards burn it, to make that kind of

4S

li«fht black, called SpaftlsFr black, iKsed by^
painters. The Egyptians us^od to make coffin*
of cork, which^ beiiig- lined with a resinous
substance, preserved the dead bodies for along'
time uncornipted. The Spaniards line the
stone walls oC their houses with cork, which
not only renders them very warm, but correctTs
the dampness of the air.

By far the most useful employment of cork,
has been, within a few year , in theconstructioo
of life-boats, many of which are stationed alony;-
the coasts of our island, to assist ships in dis-
tress. The sides of the life boats are lined
with cork, and the whole is thereby rendered
so li^ht, that even in the most dreadful storm
it will keep afloat. If the waves should upset
it, it rig-hts itself immediately ; and as the in-
trepid sailors, who venture out in it to save the
lives of their fellow creatures, lash themselves
to their seats, there is no dangler of the sea
washing- them overboard ; so secure, therefore,
do they feel themselves, that they consider it
uimecessary to put on the cork jackets whicU
are provided for them.

Should a vessel appear in danger of beings
wrecked, they will row out to her without ap-
prehension, and seldom fail in brin»-ing th^
ciew in safety to shore.

The liri)t life-boat was built in Shields, a
small town in the North Eaait coast of England,
and its usefulness has beeu so great, as to save,
ill thai one place, ru^ny lives in the course of
a few years.
Cork is sometimes prepared without burning:.

49

nnd in tbis case, it is roerely steeped in wnter
to slraig-bten it : but Ibis, wbich is called wbite
cork, is by no means so mucb esteemed as tbe
black. Good cork is supple, and elastic ; neitbe
too woody nor open, and of a reddish colour.
That whicb is ye lo wish is not of so g"ood a
quality ; but the white is far the worst of any.

THE NEPENTHES.

This is a native of India. 1 1 is an herbaceous
plant, with thick roots, and a simple stem.—
crowned with bunches of flowers. The leaves
have no footstalks, but partly embrace the
stem at tbe base, and are terminated by ten-
drils, each of which Supports a hollow vessel of
an oblongs shape, which is covered with a top
like the lid of a box. These are amongst tho
most wonderful of Natiire*s contrivances, and
afford a striking- example of that benevolent
design with which every thing" that the uni-
verse contains, was created. The sing*ular ap-
pendag-es which are continued from the extre-
mities of the leaves, are so many urns, contain-
ing a clear, wholesome, and well tasted water.
In the morning, the lid is closed, but it opens
during the heat of the day, and a portion of
the water evaporates ; this is replenished in
the night, and each morning, the vessel is full,
and the lid shut. The phuit ^ows in sultry
climates, whore the travrlier is Ircqiiently in
\\'Pv\ olrt^rri^shrrent. and gln(ily avnij.^ hin)^elf,
of the water which thi» vegetable allbru*,

50

each of tVie little vessels containing" about the
measure of a wine g"lass. It secni^ ulso to be
desig-ned for the comfort and preservation of
more than the human species, since, from the
marks of teeth upon tlie vessel, it is evident
that beasts often supply their wants at the
same plenteous source.

BAOBAB TREE.

The tree which g-oes by the name of the
Baobab, is one of the larg-est productions of the
vegretable world. It is of African orie-in, and
grows m Senegal, but what is highly re-
markable in this species, is that, notwithstand-
ing- its imn)ense size, a trilling" injury is suffici-
ent to destroy it. We are told it thrives best in
moist and sa'idv situations : thou<rh it is occa-
sionally found in stony districts. If this tree
be wounded in the principal root, (even the
least scratch is pernicious,^ it soon begins to
rot, and the evil spreading to the trunk, quick-
ly destroys the tree. Besides the rot which
attacks the trunk when the root is cut, the
Baobab is subject to another evil, not so com-
mon, indeed, but equally as fatal. This is a
kind of mouldiness which spreads over all the
w oody part and so softens it, th^t the tree no
longer preserves its usual consistence. In tijis
state, the trunk, monstrous as it is, can no lon-
ger resist the violence of the winds, but fails
a sacrifice to the first storm that blowa.

In its native country, the seed of the Baobab,

51

sown in a sandy earth, where there is plenty of
moisture, will vc^utato in the coiuse of seven
or eight days: ami in a month, the youn;^- tree
will be a loot h\*;\\. In the lir.st summer, its
height will be increased to live or six feet, and
its stem to an inch, or an inch and a half in
diameter. In this manner, tlie plant continnes
progressively to increase, till from a slender
stick, it becomes, in time, a most prodigious
tree. Some of those which Adamson saw in
Senegal, measured 27 feet in diameter, and Ray
says that between the rivers Niger and Gam-
bia, their dimensions are so monstrous, that 17
men, joining bands, could hardly surround one
of them : from which we may conclude, that
the largest of these trees was about 85 feet
in circumference. Although the Baobab is
very tender and easily injured, it must survive
a vast number of years, or it could never ar-
rive at the amazing size we have just stated.

The fruit, which is thick and oval, contains
a number of seeds, enclosed within ten separate
chambers, and the white spongy llesh vviiich
surrounds these seeds, is of an acid and agreea-
ble flavour : this, however, is only when it is
eaten fresh, as it loses much of its goothiet^^y
by keeping.

This tree is reckoned one of the most useful
and salutary of any that grow in Senegai.
The Negroes make great use of its leave:^,
which they dry in a shady place, and grind to
a green powder. This powder, which they
nse daily in their food, is not eaten to improve
tlie flavour of their meat, but to moderate ths

5-2

e:?cej:sive prrspiratioii to which they are snb*
jcct in thnt hot country, by lowering- Ihecirni-
lation of thu blood. They also make a drinit
oCthe haveb. to preservefchem from the fevers
which ar« common to the country. The trdit
(00 is much esteemed, and is scarcely less use-
ful than the loaves; since tlie fleshy part of it
serves them tor nourisbment^either eaten alone
or in milk. It is, likewise, an object of some
importnnce when considered in a commercial
ligfht : forthe Mandingroes carry it to the eastern
and central parts of Africa, whilst the Moors
and Arabs trade with it to Morocco. In this
nianner, it has been spread over Eg-ypt, and all
the enstern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

The bark of the husk, and the fruit itself
v;hen spoiled, serve tlse negroes for soap: and
fill the preparation reqi'.ired, is to boil it wilU
Palm oil which is turning- rancid.

THE ALOE.

The fine appearance which this plant makes,
during- the time it is in flower, and the uses it
serves, entitle it to a place among-st the most
remarkable veofetable productions. lis tall
stem and larg-e head of blossom, which, ^rom
the rarity of its appearance, has beeij said to
appear but once in a hundred years, are aK-i
calculated to attract our attention. The Aloe
is a native of the southern parts of Ameri(fa,
and has been introduced into several part* of
Europe : the stem grenerally rises upwards of
twenty feet^ and branches out on every side

53

tf»\vard!; the top, so as to form asu^rar loaf ap-
|>eHiHi»re. '1 he vsleij(lf>r blioots nre ^Hrnisfird
with tiTcenish yellow lowers, which eomc out
in thick cluster* at erery joint, and g-ive a con-
tinnution of flowers for nearly three months,
in favourable seasons, if the plant is protective!
from autumnal colds. When the blossom ap-
pears, the gardener who possesses 1 he plant,
aniiounces it in the newspapers, as an object of
piililic curiosity. The vulg-ar opinion, however,
that it flowers but once in a century, and that
its blooming- is attended with a noise like the
report ot a cannon, are without foundation ;
tiie fact is, that the time which the plant takes
to come to perfection, varies with the climate,
111 hot countries they grow fast, and flower in
a few years : but in colder climates, whero
their growth is slow, it will be much longer
before they arrive at perfection.

The leaves of the American Aloe arc ^vc or
six feet long, from six to nine inches broad,
and three or four inches thick. They contain
a great number of libres, which when sepnraled
and manufactured, serve the purpose of hemp,
being made into cordage and packing cloths,
and have tlie advantage of not rotting vriththe
WHler. '1 o extract the flax, the leaves are
pussed through rollers, and afterwards washed
and combed : they manufacture it, aUo, into
lishing-liiie%, bowstrings, stockings, and ham-
mocks, while another kind has leaves, whici),
like those of the wild pine and banana, bold
rain water, and aiVord a valuable refreshment
to travellers in hot countries.

D 3

54

The American Aloe must not be confounded
wiih the medical Aloe, which is a different
plant : however, as it bears the same name, we
shall describe it here.

The great benelit, which mankind has de-
rived Irojn the medical Aloe, has caused it to
spread from Africa, where it is native, to India,
Persia, Arabia, the southern parts of America,
and the West Indies. In the latter place, they
are planted at any season of the year, in rows,
like cubba^res, and during- iheir growth, are
kept carefully free from weeds.

About twelve months after they are in the
ground, the leaves are cut and placed in tubs,
which receive the jelly like liquor contained
in them : this liquor is boiled till it becomes of
a proper cons'stence, in which it is packed for
exportation. This kind of Aloe is a tree as
tall as that which bears olives, and of the sarnie
shape : under its bark, it contains three sorts of
wood: the first is called eag-le-wood, and is
black, solid, and weig-hty : this they use as
beams for the roofs of their houses. The se-
cond is of a tawny colour, as light as rotten
wood, and is esteemed in Europe an excellent
drug- : it burns like wax, and when thrown
into the fire, spreads a most agreeable perfume.
The leaves of the tree serve instead of slates,
for covering houses ; they are also formed into
the shape of dishes and plates, and when they
liave been well dried, raa.y be used at table.
When they have been stripped of theirnerves
and fibres,these are manufactured into a thread,
which is used in the same manner as h^mp.

55

Tl)e points which rise on the hraiichcs, serve
for nails, darts, and awls. If an incision be
n»ade in the tree, by cutting^ out the bnds, ;i
sweet and strong liquor flows from the woiuid
in great abundance, which proves a very plea-
sant liquor to drink, and, after some time,
changes into an excellent vinegar. I'he wood
oi the branches is good to eat, and has the iVo-
vour of candied cHron. The very roots are
likewise useful, and frequently ropes are niade
of them. In a word, a whole family may be
supplied with food, a habitation, and raiment,
by an Aloe.

THE BAMBOO

Grows in the East Indies; it is the Inrg^est
kind of cane, and tapers gradually to the top,
where it bears a blossom like our reeds, which
it resembles also in the manner of its growth.
Unlike the different kinds of reeds, however,
with which we are acquainted, this grows to
the size of a tree, and has a stem of proportion-
ate thickness. In Malabar, it rises to the height
of 66 feet, attains the age of CO years, and
blows but once in its life. The stems, when
young-, are almost solid, but as they grow el-
der become hollow, except at the joinls.
When whole,they serve for the sides of Jadders,
for the masts and yards of small vessels, for
water pipes, and for the joists and beams of
houses. The use of so much bamboo, however,
in the construction of thei»e labt, Incomes a
great evil in ca!»e of fire, for the air tontained

56

within the liollow part of the stems,when heat-
ed, expands or le^omcs rarefied, and biirsts
with a violent and dang-erous explosion. They
are also used in t-he East as polos to support a
sort of bed or litter, ©ailed a palanquin, which
is carried about by men, and used like sedan
chairs in this country, only that the palanquin
bearers put the poles on their shoulder?, instead
of holding them in their hands like our chair-
men. The natives also make use of the buds
and suckers as an article offood ; they cut about
a foot of the young shoot from near the top,
and having-steeped it in water,they boil it gent-
ly, and then cutting it in slices, preserve it in
vinegar; it is served up with meat, and eaten
as cabbage.

There is another kind of Bamboo growing
in India wfiich rises to the height of 80 feet,
and measures from 12 to 18 incites in diameter.
The wood of this species is so exfren>ely light
and strong, that the Indian wine dressers, who
aro employed to collect tlje palm wine, make
bridges of it from one tree to the other, which
enable them to pass and collect the juice with-
out descending to the ground. I'lie upper joints
of this being open, serve the inhabitants as
measures for their liquors ; whilst the lower be-
ing plain and solid, and very durable, are used
for stakes, of which the Macas^sars form a de-
fensive wall, that answers the purpose of a
rampart, and can even be made proof against
a cannon ball.

The wood of the Bamboo which grows in the
Moluccas, IS so very hard as to throw out

57

sparks of fire when .struck with a steel, os (liin
would. It would b4J endless to mention all tlie
Hscii to which th(i ing^eniiity of the inhai)it,.Hut«
hus applied it ; thev manufacture it into flints,
chairs, walking" sticks, baskets, mats, tobacco-
j)ipes, arrows, and excellent pikes, vvhicli tiiey
fiirowwith so much force, as to pierce throug-li
the body of a man, after the pointed end has
acfjiiired the necessary dej^ree of hardness by
bein^'" g'ently heated in the fire.

Among- the many uses to which the Chinese
apply the Bamboo, by far the most extraordi-
nary is the manufdcture of paper; for this ()nr-
poso, tliey cbuse the shoots of the first year,
and sleep them for some days in a pond of
muddy water, till the hard and firm parts are
separated, and nolhing^ but the fibres remain ,
these, after bein^ bleached and reduced to a
pulp, are boiled in larg-e coppers, and after-
wards beaten with a heavy pestle. After mix-
ing- g-um water, the remainder of the process
resL-m'olps our mode of manufacturing" paper;
the workmen dip their moulds (which however
are not made of wood, butof Bamboo,) into the
vessels containing" the pulp, and raise a thin
plate of the liquor, which almost immediately
becomes paper. When the Chinese wish to
make paper of an extraordinary jiz.e^ they u^e
a vessel and frame in proportion.

THE COCOA-NUT TREE.

i'>0

THE COCOA-NUT TREE.

The Cocoa-nut grows upon a tree whose
trunk rises to the height of 60 feet. This trunk
is nearly of the same thickness from top to
bottom, thoug-h it has been observed of the
form of an apothecary's pestle, smaller at the
middle than at either end. No leaves or
branches grow from it throughout all the
length ; but at the top, there are fastened to t he
trunk, by strong fibrous substances, about 50
leaves, if they may be so called, 14 or 15 feet
long. From these, the larger leaves or rather
branches, smaller leaves strike out, which are
3 or 4 feet in length. The trunk generally
inclines to one side, which is supposed to be
occasioned by the weight of the fruit when
the tree \s young. The fruit grows at the very
top, in clusters of about a dozen nuts in each.
Of the bark of the tree, the Indians make ropes :
the leaves are used for making mats, ba>kets
and brooms, and by the East Indians for writ-
ing on, like paper, while the young and tender
ones at the top, are an excellent substitute for
cabbage.

Many of the trees are not permitted to bear
fruit, but the bud, from which the blossoms and
nuts would spring, is tied up, and a small inci-
sion being made at the end, there oozes out a
cool pleasant liquor, called toddy • this, when
first drawn, is cooling and salutary, but, by
distillatioU; produces an intoxicating liquor.

GO

The nut appears much lar^'-cr than it really
is, being- surrounded by a thick husky coat:
when this is islripped oil', the shell appears,
which is hard, black or dark brovvn,and very
stroniif. The kernel of this nut is of a verv
uncommon form; not roimd and distinct as is
nsual, but attached to the in!<ide of the shell
all round about it, to the thickness of nearly
half an inch, forming- as it were an inside
coat; within this kernel, is a hollow spnce
tilled with a liquid called the milk: lar<4-e nuts
contain of this Uuid nearly three half pints ;
almost all hold more than a pint. The milk
is a little acid, very ag-reeable, coolini^, and
exceeding"ly wliolesome; but if it be pleasing-
to us, when brought to these cold climates by
a tedious voya^i;-e, what must it be to the natives
ol those hot and parched countries where it
g-rows naturally. Exhausted by the heat of
the sun, and vyorn out by fatlg-ue, 'he poor
Negro has but to g"atheroneor twococoa-nut5.
The kernel serves for gfood food, and the milk
for a most delicious and refreshing drink. In
short, there are few of the necessaries and even
conveniencies of life, but are derived from the
different parts of this tree. It supplies the in-
habitants with bread, milk, and oil; it aflbrds
them a strongf spirit, vinegar and barm — tim-
ber toouild their huts, and thatch tocover them;
the shell isauselul article among- their house-
hold vessels, and the coarse fibrous husk sur-
rounding-it, as well as the bark, is made into
mats, cioth, and cordng^e ; which last is of
every deg^rec of nneness, from the smallesc

61

twine lo ihp ^argrest cable, and is fnr more du-
rable tban that made from hemp. We are told
d\' people, w!io, every year, crossover to tb«
Cocoa-nut Islands, and having ciitdown a tree,
with the bark spin a yarn w itli which they sew
ihe plants tog-ether, and so build a ship. Of
the same wood, they cut and round away a
iiast : — of the bark and fibrous covering: of the
ihell, they weave the sails and cordag-e, & hav-
ng thus completed their vessel, they load her
(vith a caro^o of arrack, vineg-ar, oil, coarse su-
jfar, cocoa-nnts. cordag-e, black paint, and so-
fc-eral other inferior articles, all of them the
:)roduce of this tree. During their voyag-e, and
he whole time employed in building- the ship,
he cocoa-nut tree furnishes them with frnit,
nilk, veg-etables and clothing- — and thus the
)0untiful care of Providence is seen every
?vhere, to furnish to man the means of support
ind happiness.

But the d'fliculty is tog-ather the nuts : they
rrow at the top of a tree 60 feet high, whose
runkissmooth, and withouta branch by which
)no mijj^ht climb. The ing-enuity of man has
}0t, however, failed him here ; for the Indian
contrives a mode of g-aining- his prize at any
leight, althoug-h alone. He makes a hoop of
ome very pliable rods, about the tree, wide
?noug-h to contain both the trunk and his own
)ody, and strong- enoug-h to sustain his weig-ht.
^V hen the hoop is finished, he puts himself into
t, go far that it may come below his shoulders;
le then presses against the tree with his hands,
(lis kneei and feet, and consequently presses

m ^

back ag-ainst the hoop : by this means, the
hoop IS kept iirm iu its place, and by moving-
his hands and feet a little, he forces himself
upwards, (like a sweep-chimney) till he gra-
dually reaches the top.

THE BREAD FRUIT.

This invaluable vegetable grows upon a tree
about the size of a middling oak. The leaves
of this tree are from one and a half, to two feet
Jong, about one foot broad in the middle, and
smooth like those of the fig-tree; and the fruit,
which is about the size of a child's head, hangs
fiom the boughs like apples. It does not
grow spontaneously ,but must have been plant-
ed ; the growth is, however, so rapid, as to re-
quire but a few months to bring it to perfec-
tion, and a man might easily plant ten of then
in an ho'ir. Such is the abundance of the pro-
duce, that a man who plants a dozen, may he
almost said to have done his duty to his family
and posterity. The bread -fruit is round, o
nearly so, and between seven and eight inclic
in diameter; itis covered with a thin skin, aiu
has a core within, the size of which is ahon
two inches and a half long, and half an inc!
lliick. Between the skin and the core lies l!i
port of the fruit which is lit for use ; this is u
white as snow when first opened, and is nearl
a* firm as freshly baked bread, having aswet t
ish taste like that of a Jem^aleni artichoke. !
is inseasonfor about seven months i:i the ve> i
and during the whole of that time supplies

I

THE BREAD FRUIT TREE.

kind of food hot,}) whole'somo and plerx'^nnt, to
the inliahitants of the Sonth Sea Islands, who
aliso make cloth of the bark of the tree, and
use the wood in building- their huts and canoes.
It i.s drcAscd in a great variety of modes ; tin*
simplest is that of cutting it into three or four
parts, after the core and skin have been remov-
ed, and roasting- them till they are thoroug-h!y
dry. In this state, it is rather insijtid in ta<.t(',
but is still very eatable. Sometimes it is baked
in an oven ; but then it is soft,, and bears a great
resemblance to a boiled potato. If dressed in
this manner, the natives are obliged to prepj.rti
it from day to day, as it soon becomes har<(i
and dry; this defect, however, is easily reme-
died, by cutting- the fruit into slices, and drying-
them by the sun. When thus prepared, it will
last for a considerable time, and tastes very
much like brown bread. •

But the most useful mode of dressing- it for
keeping-, is to make it into what is called ma-
hie. iViahie is thus made; the fruit being- ga-
thered before it is quite ripe, is laid in heaps
and covered with leaves; it is left in the^e
heaps until it ferments, when it becomes di^a-
g^reeably sweet : the core In then tnken out en-
tire, the skin is stripped off. and the fruit is
thrown into a pit ; the bottom and *>ides of tfii«
pit are carefully covered with line grass. 'J'hd
iruit, being- covered over with leaves, is loadrd
with stones to press it close; it thon underg-o. .^
a second fermentation, and becomes rath r
sour, and very pleasing to tfie palai.e. It is
then bruised, and alter wards rolled up in ballj».

I

65

which being" wrapped closely in leaves, Aviil
:oiilinuu fit tor u^e a lon^- time.

THE BANANA.

This is of the same kind with the fruit we
lave described, but it is smaller in sizef"*^^^'^
iiore pleasant in flavour. This fruit is sh(^"^^^
nd rounder, about four or five inches lon«rr
ike a cucumber. The stalk rises to 12 or 15
eet in heig"ht, and the leaves are about two
ards long- and a foot broad ; if it be cut down,
liere shout up from the root, a great many
uckers, which, in eig-ht months, will them-
tilves produce fruit ; and by reason of this very
seful property, a succession of it may be had
ipe through all the months in the year. I'his
> the more necessary, as the fruit cannot be
sed green. When ripe, it is taken either raw
r roasted in slices, and is relished by all class-
sof people. When the natives in any of the
VeS)t|.i>dia Islands intend to go on a long
)urney or voyage, they generally lay in a stock
f loaves, mad.e from tlie Banana in a peculiar
lanner. 'i'hey squee?,e the fruit when quite
ipe, through a fine sieve, expose it to the sun
ntil it is sutliciently dry, and then wrap it in
eaves. In this state, it has an agreeable acid
^^le,aiid sviU coiiUuuy lit for u^c u long time.

CG

THE PALM TREE.

This tree, called also the date tree, frci

the fruit which it bears, grows in most of t?

countries of the East : it has been also trar*

planted into the West Indies, but rather unstr

cessfnlly, as it does not grow to its usual sis,

„ and its numbers have of late years very mm

but is s* ished. In the islands of the South S(,

in an rtrunk grows to a heig"ht of 50 or 60 fee;

uud in Arabia, where particular attentions

paid to its cultivation, it sometimes reaches »

100 feet. The trunk is round, uprig-ht a I

regular ; except for many lumps which grc

upon it, where old leaves have fallen off" dif

ing- the growth of the tree. When arrived t

^ its full size, there are not any leaves uport

>^. except at top, where they grow in a clust!,

hanging down like an umbrella.

These leaves ought rather to be call!
branches, for they are very strong, and a
from eight to nine feet in length. Besides tj
leaves, there shoot up from the bottom of t3
trunk, suckers which are from 4 to 5 feet lor.
The fruit, called dates, grows like an aco ;
it is solid, tough and firm, and has a kern,
wliich is hard and agreeable to the taste.

The palm tree has a very remarkable p •
pevty, that every part of it is useful. To be^i
with the trunk ; its wood is tough, strong, ti
fit to be made into every instrument of h-
bandry : it lasts a long time, even when ^-
posed to every change of the weather, so tl t
it is often called "incorruptible/' It ser s

67

Iso for fuel; it burns at first slowly, but iU
oa!s last a long- time and are very hot. The
i>ide of the young trees is good food, and i?
ailed the marrow ; the young* leaves also, and
owers, are used for the same purpose, and are
'ery palatable when eaten with lemon juice,
rhe old leaves or branches are dried in the
un, and their fibres, being- taken out, are wo-
^en into mats and other articles of domestic
ise. The Otaheitans make their mats of these
ibres, and it is surprising how serviceable
luch mats ate: though coarse, they make a
A'arm durable clothing for the natives. Some
smaller leaves, or fibres, which grow at the
root, are dried and twisted into mats.

From the trunk, also, is obtained a very
pleasant and wholesome liquor, like milk. To
obtain this, O.te branches at the top are all cut
f>jX, deep cuts are then made in the tree, out
of which the juice drops or distils. This juice
is carefully preserved as it comes out, and hav-
ing had a little time to rest and ferment, is fit
for use.

The fruit is eaten when young and fresh, in
which case it is very good food: '^r, if allowed
to ripen, when it becomes hard it is dried, and
then ground into meal, which lasts for a long
lime without tiirning, and is much relished. —
Thus this vegetable, and the camel, seem
granted by a bountiful Providence to the
Arabs, in place of the many .advantages which
other nations enjoy from their situation. Of
tl!t> caniL'l it is«:aid, that every part of its frame
(it> hair, its bones, its skui, its flesh) is useful,

68

and that even its excrements serve various pur
poses, particalarly in medieine; while we havi
just seen that the date tree supplies meat ant
drink and clothing-, that its very flowers serv
as food, and its leaves answer mauy ends.

There is no tree known which is so durabl
and hardy as the Palm. Braving all the seve
rity of the weather, it preserves its original vi
g"0ur for several centuries ; so that the native
never remember to have seen a Palm Tret
wither, unless it had been injured bj some in
strument. When this happens, the tree is cii
down to the root ; it is then burnt on the spot
and its ashes are covered with a layer of earth
from the middle of which, a new shoot sooi
arises, and becomes strong in the course of i
few years. As the Palm Tree is sometime
called Phoenix in the Scriptures, perhaps iln
fabulous history of the Arabian bird of tha
name reviving from its ashes, is founded or
this circumstance. , '

This tree, as it is well known, is become th<
symbol of every thing great and wonderfu
among men, It signifies victory, triumph, dQ'j
ration, innocence, justice, and particularly th(
fertility of Judea. Wl^en tiie Romans madt
themselves masters of Jerusalem, they struc|'
s*jme medals, on which was represented i
beautiful woman sitting at the bottom ot i
Palm Tree, which she was bedewing with I16I
tears, and below were these words in Latin,
*• Judoa ^jubducd."

I

THE WAX TREE.

This sing^ular shrub, which grows in North
America, produces a berr)' which allords a
Useful kind of wax: the manner of grathering-
and preparing^ which is thus described. To-
wards the endof Autumn, when the berries are
ripe, a man quits his house with his family, and
betakes himself to some island or spot on the
sea coast, where the Wax Tree grows in abun-
dance ; he carries withliim pots lor boiling- the
berries, and a hatchet for building- a cabin to
shelter him during- his residence there, which
usually continues three or lour weeks, then
cuts trees and constructs aliut, whilst his chil-
dren g-ather the berries. A tree tolerably pro-
ductive yields about seven pounds, When a
sufficient quantity of berries is collected, the
family employs itself in extracting- the wax.
A certain portion of the berries is put into the
pot, and a sufficient quantity of water is poured
on them, till it covers them about six inches ;
the whole is then put on the fire and boiled, the
berries being- stirred and pressed from time to
lime against the sides of the vessel, in orderto
detach the wax from them ; soon after, it is
^een floating on the surface, in the form of
grease, which is collected with a spoon, and
>t rained through a coarse cloth to separate ;my
impiuities that may be mixed with it. When
1 liese berries cea.se to yield any more wax, they
; u removed with a ladle, and fresh ones put
i.ito the same water ; tlic same process is thus

£

70

repeated, nnd when a certain quantity of wax
has been obtained, it is put to drain on a piece
of linen, in order to separate the water which
maybe mixed with it; it is then dried and
melted, after which it is strained a second time,
to render it perfectly pure ; and finally, made
into cakes for use.

The Chinese collect wax fronn certain trees,
which is considered fully equal to that made by
bees. This, however, is not the produce of a
veg-etable, but an insect; yet as the wax is al-
ways confined 'to particular trees, which, in the
country, derive their name from the circum-
stance, we shall add a short account of them.

There are two kinds of trees in China which
yield the substance we have mentioned ; one
short and bushy, and growing- in a sandy soil ;
the other rising- much taller, and found in moist
places. It is said that the former, being- of a
shrubby nature, is easily cultivated, so that
walls may be covered with it, or hedg-es formed
of it in the fields; it seems also well calculated
to thrive in any situation, since it is said equally
to endure heat and cold, and to grow with the
least culture in the most barren soil.

According- to the account which has been
given of the wax, the small insects that make
the wax do not naturally frequent the trees
which we have mentioned, but are placed
upon them, and once the tree has been stocked,
it will always retain them. Towards the be-
ginning-of winter, small swellings are perceiv-
ed upon the surface, which coritinually grow
larger, till they become the size of a small

71

walnut; these are tho nests, filled with the
eg-g-s of these little insects. As soon as tho
tree beg-ins to shoot forth its blossoms, tho
insects are excluded from the eg-g-s, and this
is the time to place nests on those trees, that
have none ; the Chinese make small layers of
straw, on each ofwhich they put seven oreig-ht
nests, and tie these to the branches, taking^ care
to place the nests immediately on the bark —
After the insects are hatched, they run upon
the branches, spread themselves over the
leaves, and pierce the bark, under which they
retire, but always issue forth at the proper sea-
son for making- the wax.

It is about the middle of June that this wax
begfins to appear on the branches ; at first, a
few,threads, like'those of soft wool, are percei v-
ed rising from the bark round the body of the
insect ; these, bydegrrees, form a kind ofdown,
which gradually becomes thicker, and increas-
es in size during" the heat of the Summer; the
crust at last entirely covers the insect, defend-
ing- it not only from the heat, but likewise from
the rain and ants.

The Chinese assure ns, that if the wax was
left on the tree, the little injects would not
make their nests; on which account , they are
careful tog-ather it before the frost commences.

The wax thus produced, is carried to Court,
and reserved for the u«e of the Emperor and
hif> chief nobles ; it is considered as a precious
article, esteemed as an excellent remedy in se-
veral diseascJi; and when applied to wounds, is
Pdid to make the flesh heal in a very short time.

72

THE FIR TREE.

This tree is so well known, thr\t w« need
not enter into any description of itsappettfanee;
it is found in most parts ol" Europe, Asia and
America, and being" of a hardy nature, and re-
quiring: but little care during- its growth, is g-e-
nerally planted in exposed situations. In the
Hig-hlandsofScotland.theFirg^rows naturally;
larg^e Forests of it can also be found in Germa-
ny, in the Alps of Switzerland, in the Pyren-
nees which divide France from Spain, and in
the northern parts of Europe and Asia.

The timber of the Fir Tree, which we call
deal, is either red, yellow, or white, and i« said
to afford the best masts for the Eavy..

The people employed for the .purpose of se-
lecting* them, are careful to chuse those trees
which are remarkable for their beauty and
height, and the yellowness of their bark. It i»
not in the mid&t of the forest, but on the shores,
that the finest trees are found ; they are g-ener-
ally observed to g^row in a coarse sandy soil.
Those which ar^from a foot and a b«lf to two
in diameter, are called masts; and under lhos«
dimensions, spars.

It is also the principal timber enspToyed aho«»t
biiilding-s, for flooring-, plank«, beams and Tafl-
er>. It has the advantag^es of feeing cheap,
lig-lit, aRd easily worked, but is apt to split,
and is extremely inflarnmAbl«.

L?irj*e arid extensive woods of thrse tre^i
are ai 60 found in Nontli America, wheires«m«of

T3

them are said to grow to the heig^ht of 200 feet ;
and one is mentioned, as measuriii*; nearly
«ightfeet in diameter at the lower end.

Another kind of Pine Tree is the Larch,
vvhieh is a native of the Swiss and Italian
mountains, but is now become very common
in Great Britain and Ireland. In Switzerland,
the inhabitants cover the roofs of their houses
with shing-les, made of Larch; these are cut
in pieces of a foot square, and joined to the
rafters. At first, the roof appears while, but in
•two or three years, becomes of a jet blacky and
all the joints bein*;- stopped by the rosin which
the sun extracts from tiie wood, the roof is ren-
dered imperviors to the wind and rain.

In Switzerland, great quantities of turpentine
are collected from the dillerent kinds of Fir,
by persons whose employment it is to extrict
this useful commodity, Each provides himself
with a A.o?'?ioftin,ending"in a sharp point, and
a bottle of the same metal, which he fastens to
hisg-irdle. From the nature of his employ-
ment, he acquires a wonderful dexterity in
climbing- ; he will mount in a very short time
to the top of the tallest trees, by cramp irons
fixed to his shoes, which pierce the bark of
the Fir, while he clasps the trunk with his
knees and one hand, the other being- employed
to carry tlie horn.

The turpentine flows from little bladders
or swellings on the bark ot tb» trees which
the people burst withthe sharp end of the horn;
into this vessel, the turpentine is received as
it runs from the wound, and when full, it is

74

'emplied into the bottle, \vhicli hang's ai their

The dhfferent Hi«ds of Pine prodace abiw-
dance of pitch, teur and rosio, and the manner
in which these substances are procured from
k shall now be descriJ^d,

The people employed to collect the turpen-
tine, usually chuse s»K:h trees as are about four
or iive feet in circumference. At the foot of
the tree, they make a hole in the^roumd, lar^e
enougfh to contain nearly a quart of the juice :
an incision is then made with a sharp instru-
ment in the foot of the tree, which is occasi-
onally enlarjsfed to facilitate the dischargee. —
From this, there immediately flows a juice ia
i\\fi form ©f very transparent drops. In the
t<illowinp;' year, another wound is made in a
similar manner, and thus they anniially col-
lect the resin for twelve of fifteen yeara, each
fiucceedino^ wound being- hig'her than the for-
mer, and about a foot dis-tance from the other.

When a sufficient quantity of juice has been
collected in this manner, it is thickened by
boiling-, and afterwards strained to clear it.
The next process it undergoes is distillation,
which separates the turpentine into two sub-
stances-, the part which passes from the still
ina son of stream, and is collected in another
vessel, is the oil of turpentine, which is used
in medicine; the remainderis tlie common rosin
Tar ischiefly obtained from old pieces, by
burning them in a close smothered" iieat : for
the purpose of extracting this useful material. a
lurnace is cou&tructtd in the form of an egi^,

75

and cnpnblrof Tmldingfa considerable quantity
of wood ; the inside is Uien filled with biilets,
rrftof'a proper teng-tli, and placed m rows, one
upon tfie other; the upper layeris covered with
sc^i>; well pressed down, leaving" only oue place
[ipen, by which the iire may bj introduced to
lig-ht (lie wood ; when the billets are lighted,
:lie tur begins to ooze from these, and blowing-
lo tlieboUom of the furnace, is carried from
Lheni <hron;LTh « pipe.into vessels placed to re-
ceive it ; by this simple process, all our (; r,
*'hich is so mi>ch .u«ed for ships and for pre-
ierving" wood 4>om the action of the weather
s prepRred. After ail the tar is rnn off, t)m
iirnace is carefully closed, and the whole left
n this state for some days ; after which it is
)pened, and the wood found in a slate of
jharcoal.

Pitch is nothing but the tar we have been
lescribing, thickened by boiliog^till it becomes
I solid mass.

Having" thus g^iv^en a short account of the
nainierin which these treesare made to yield
heir most ivseful products, we shall conclude
•ur account by describing-, the nourishment
vhich some nations in the north of Europe
erive froiJi them.

We are intbrmed by Linnaeus, that tin? Lap-
inders, during- a great part of the winter, and
ven soujetimes through the whole year, eat

prepare! lion of tlie inner hark of the Fine,
ihich ihcy call bark bread.; this substance i^
lade in ifje fol!ovviug^ maimer : after a helec»
«n»fihe t.illest trtcj^; the dry and scaly ex.

76

crnal bark is taken off, and tlje soft, \vhit<
and juicy coat inside is collected and dried
when the natives are about to use it, it i
slowly roasted on the coals, and then grownc
into powder, which they knead with wate
into cakes, and bake in an oven.

THE SUGAR MAPLE.

The Sugar Maple Tree grows in great qnan
tities, in all the middle and eastern parts o
North America ; but those of New York an
Pensylvania are said to yield the most sugar
they sometimes form thick groves of five or si
acres,but are g-enerally interspersed withsoni
of the common forest trees.

In twenty years, this treels siH)posed to ar
rive at its full growth ; it is then as tall as a
oak, and from six to nine feet in circumference
the beautiful white blossom which it puts furl
before a sing-le leaf makes its appearance, i
sufficient to disting-uish it immediately trom tfi
rest of its companions. The sug-ar with whic
the several branches are impreg-nated, ailbrd
the cattle and sheep a considerable share (
nourishment during- the winter.

It is a happy circumstance, that this Map!
Tree, far from being- injured by tapping-, is im
proved by it, so that a single tree has not onl
??urvived, but flourished after 42 tappings i
the same number of years. The oftener it
tappgfil, the more sug^ar is obtained from it

77

id t!ii$ is proved. fr«m l-hf «nperior eTc?nen'^©
those tree« wliicli have be^n pierced in a
mdrcd places by the bird called the vv(*od-
:>cker, which feed* (ipon tfie juice. 'rhx5snp
lliose treej, also, is much sweeter to the t4is.t(;,
lan that obtained from trees which hav« .uot
?en previously wounded, and aifords more

The season for tapping the trees isin Fehrn-
■y, March and April : and a tree of an ordi-
ary size will yield, in a g-ood season, froru
vent? to thirty gallons of sap, from which are
lade from four to five pounds of sng^ar; un
iig-er hole is bored in the tree to the depth of
ivo inches, and a spout introduced into this,
iroug-h whirh the liquor flows. The Ire* is
rst tapped on the south side, and w:ien th«
ischarg^e of itssap beg"ins to lessen^ an openijag"
f the the same kind is made on the north «ide,
om which an increased discharg-e takes ,plR.ce ;
3 receive the sap, troughs, larsre enough to
ontain three gallons, are placed beneath the
pout, which are carried every day to a large
Bceiver.

The Maple Tree contfnuee to yield ite s«p,
uring the whole of the Summer and part of
he Autumn 5 but what flows after April i* not
it for the manufacture of sug-ar.

It s not, however, without its use, ?i it of-
ords a wholesome drink in harvest, which is
'xtremely grateful to the taste.

The principal method of making eug^nr from
he vsap, is by boiling ; and the A.nioricAus have
bufid from experience, that the snp sTioaid »ie-

78

ver be kept longer than twenty-fours, a(
ler it is colleeted^ before it is put on the lire
Durinn;- the boiling-, they add butter, ho^s-Uir
or tallow, to prevent the pan or kettle fror
boiling- over, and freah eggs or new milk ar
jnixed with the juice, in order to clarify ii
The quantity, however of these ingredients, i
not great, since a spoonful of slacked lime, th
white of one ep-g. ora pint of new milk, wil
be sufficient to clarify fifteen gallons of sap.—
The sugar, after it has been sufficiently boiled
is conducted throug-h the remaining* process
nearly in the same manner as in the West in
dies ; it will therefore be unnecessary in thi
place to repeat what htis been said under thi
description of the sugar cane.

When we consider, that the Sugar MapK
juice is collected at a season when not a sing-k
insect exists to feed upon it, and before any o
the dusts of plants can float in the air and nii.>
with it; that many millions of acres in Nortl
America are covered with it, and that those
trees are improved by repeated tapping-, vvhilt
the process of collecting- the juice and prepa-
ring- the sug-ar is so simple, that any one ma^
carry it on without expense ; we are led to ac-
knowledge, that this tree is the gift of a kind
and bountiful Providence, which in all coun-
tries invites the industry of mankind, and re-
pays him by everything- which can conduce to
his support and comfort.

It may be interesting to state the calculation
given by Dr. Rush, of the quantity of Sugar
which the Uiiited States might produce.

79

til for home roRsnmption and for selling- to
ler countries. There are at least, he says,
I millions of acres in New York and Pens^'l-
lia, which produce the Sugar Maple Tree,
the proportion of thirty trees to one acre ;
w supposing" .one person to attend 150 trees,
i each tree to yield 5lbs of sugar in a season,
) labour of 180,000 persons would produce
5 millions of Ibs.of sugar, which would leave
millions of lbs. or above 100,000 hog^sheads
exportation to foreign countries. Besides
i profit arising- from the sugar, the after-jap
the Maple makes an excellent vinegar ; a
sasant summer beer may likewise be made
m the molasses, and a spirit distilled from
i sap.

he nourishment afforded by sug-ar, is known
be very considerable ; hence it is preferred
the Indians in their excursions from home.
ey are said to mix a certain quantity of Ma-
; Sugar, with an equal quantity of Indiaa
rn, dried and powdered. Thus provided,
J Indians make long- journeys, and when fa-
ued by travelling-, will recruit their strength
th a few spoonfuls of this nutritious food,
xed with about half a pint of spring- water.

THE LAUREL.

This shrub is too common to require a par-
ulur description of its form. It issullicient
sav, that its bark is thin and green, ils wood
ong and pliant^ its flower whitish yellow ;

80

and the fmit an oval berry, of a bluli^ blac
colour wbi'ii ripe.

Eulire foivistb of the Laurel are found
AlViea. In the temperate and cold parts
Europe, it is cultivated as an oruantenl to o
gardens. It flowers in March and April, ai
ripeiss its berries in Autumn. All parts of
have a fragrant smell ; the leaves, bruised bi
tweeu thetingers^haveitina high degree, ai
are &harp and bitter to the taste ; they iikewi
Serve to season our food, and, when distilie
they give a powerful oil. The beirit
which are employed in medicine, have a stroi
Ibut agreeable smell.

Ab the Olive was the sign of peace among

the ancients, the Laurel was the emblem

Aiclory and war. A crown of the leaves w

t!ie reward of their conquerors ; and even tl

arms of the soldiers were ornamented with ti

samo. How much more pleasing it is to thii

oi Ihvi former than the latter. The Olive

niii:ds liii of peace, and gentleness, and hapj

li?: ^ : the Laurel, on the contrary, of war, ai

% ioMjiice, and bloodshed. It has been alreai

n!t:-iiioned, that vi^hen the wickedness of ma

Uiad iiud caused the flood, an olive leaf w

th.e pledge of restored peace and favour wi

God ; for, when the dove returned to Noah

tfie evening , " and lo ! in her mouth was

>< live leaf plucked off;" he then understo

that the waters were abated, and the ear

v.ii!^ again become habitable.

Several species of Laurel are of considei
bic iervice to mankittd, particularly the Cius

mon and Camphor Trees, of wliich we shall
proceed lo^^ive a short account.

Th*; Cinnamon Tree is a native of India,
ind gfrows in yTej»t abundance in the island of
Ceylon ; the principal woo Js or gardens ofthii
)lant lie in the neighbourhood of Coiiimbo,
ind occupy a tract of country from twelve to
ifteen miles in leng^th. Nothing- (says a tra-
veller) can be more delightful to the eye than
he prospect which stretches round Colnmbo;
he low cinnamon trees, which coverthc plain,
Jlow the view to reach the groves of ever-
;Teens.. which are bounded on evefy side by
ixtensive rcing-es of coGoa and other large
rees. The whole is diversilied with snuvli
akes. and gTtr'n marshes, skirted all round
vith.i:ice and pasture fields.

This;^ plant has a large root, afld divides it-
elf into several branches-, covered with a bark,
vhich, oa the outer side, is of a^grayish brown,
ind, on V the inside, has a reddis-li ca«t. The
)ody ofthetree, which grows to the height of
rom fou^r to ten feet, is covered, as well as its
lumerous branches, with abark, which at first
5 green, aiid afterwards red. The leaf is long-
rand narpower than the common bay tree;
ind is three-nerved, the nerves vanishing to-
vards the top. .M^hen first unfolded, it is of

flame.colour: but after it has been for some
ime exposed to the'air, and grows dry, it
hanges to n deep green on the upper siuixice,
nd to a lighter on the lower. The flowers are
mall and white, and grow in large bunches at
he extremity of the branches ; they liave.ai!

82

agreeaV)le smell, somethinfr like that of the
lily of the valley. The fruit is shaped like an
acorn, but is not so larg-e ; it is gathered by
the natives for the purpose of extracting- an oil
from it. This they use for their hair and body,
on great occasions, and, when mixed v/ith
cocoa oil, for burning* in their lamps. When
left to cool, the oil hardens into a white sub-
stance, of which candles are made that have an
agreeable smell, and are burned only by the
chief men in Ceylon

The Cinnamon is the under bark of the tree.
The best season forseparatingit from the outer
bark, which is gray and rugged, isthe Spring,
when the sap flo^ys in the greatest abundance.
It is cut into thin slices, and exposed to the
sun, and curls up in drying:. The old trees
produce a coarse kind of Cinnamon : the spice
is in perfection only when the trees are not
older than three or four years. When the
trunk has been stripped of its bark, it receives
110 farther nourishment: but the root is still
j^Vive, and continues to throw out fresh shoots.
T}>o Cinnamon is not reckoned excellent, un
less it be fine, smooth, briltle,:thin, of a yellow
colour, inclining to red, fragrant, aromatic
andof a poignant, yet agreeable taste. Judires
g"iyethe preference to that, the pieces of whicli
are long, but slender. That whil^h comes to
lis, is generally mixed v\"ii,h the c:issia bail
but this last is easily distinguished. Cinnamon
splinters in breaking, and has a roughness
along with its aromatic il a von r ; while tiie
cassia breaks smooth, and iias a gummy tafst

83

innamon i«< extremely useful in medicifie, and
lore gratofol both to i\w palate and stomach
lan mo»t other e:-.ib$(afjce» of tftis class. T\ e
aves of this tree, either fresfi or dried, are so
ron^rly impregrnated with the flavour, as to
ford a grood substitute for the bark, both in
lokery and medicine. Distilled, they g^iv©
I. excellent simple and spirituous water, and
) ps*!ential oil.

When the bark has b?en stripped from the
innamon tref s, and dri'»d, the next step is to
:amine its quality. This is trie task of (he East
idia Company's sor^eons, and must be an ex-
?nioiy dtsl reccing: office^ for, when continued
r a s'iort time, it strips tlie skin from the
njTJ'e andfinderpartof the mouth, and causes
rh a:i intolerable pain, as renders it impossi-
» to contintm the process above two or three
ivs surcesjively.

The CAMniOR Tree h of a moderate size
'I delicate shape; it hrcs a straig^ht trunk,di-
ied at the fop into many little branches. —
le leaves are oval shaped, and, when rubbed
tween the fing-ers, give a strong- smell of
mphor The white flowers grow in clusters
fiHieen oreijgrhteen on each stalk; they ar«
cceeded by a blackish fruit, above the size of
pen, which both smells and tastes of cam-
lor; it is composed of a soft pulpy substance,
sriiich is purple, and has the taste of cloves
d camphor;) and of a kernel of the size of
f cpper-corn, whicji is without taste.
The Camphor, though solid, i$ the essential
I of this tree, nnd is obtained from it by dii-
ii.^^.«*ij in the Eust Indies.

84

In China, some of these trees are found above
one hundred cubits in heig'hl, and so thick,
that twenty persons cannot enclose them. Tlie
tree is there called tcliani^ : and it is said that
the trunk, when old, emits sparks of fire, but
of so subtle a nature, as not even to injure the
hair of those who are near it. Common Cam-
phor costs only a penny the ounce at Pekin.
The method used by the Chinese for obtaining*
Camphor is as follows: — They take some
branches fresh from the fcliang, chop them
very small, and lay them to steep in spring-
water, for three days and three nights. Alter
they have been soaked in this manner, they are
put into a kettle, where they are boiled for a
certain time, during which they keep constant-
ly stirring then» witli a stick made of willow.
When they perceive that thesap of these small
chips adheres sufficiently to the stick in the
form of a white frost, they strain the whole,
taking care to throw away the dregs and re-
fuse. This juice is afterwards poured gently
into an earthen bason, well varnished, in
which it is suffered to remain one night. Next
morning it is found coagulated, and formed
into a solid mass. To purify this first prepa-
ration, they procure some fine earth, which,
when pounded, and reduced to a very fine
powder, they put into the bottom of a bason
made of copper ; over this layer of earth, they
spread a layer of camphor, and continue thus
until they liave laid four strata. The last,
which is of very fine earth, they cover up with
the leaves of the penny-royal plant ; and over

85

lie ^V^^ole, they place another ba.s(1n,)C(inino;- it
•erv closely to the Cornier, by means of Ji kind
>f red earth that cements their brims tog'etker.
I'he bason, th«i8 prepared, is pnt over a lire,
v}iich must be mana<;-ed so as to keep up an
iqnal heat: experience teaches them to ob«
erve the proper degfree. Bnt above ail, they
iMist be very attentive lest the plaister of fat
larth which keeps the basons ton^ether, shonld
rack orfallotf, othervvise the spirit would eva-
)orate and the whole process be spoiled.-i^
i\'^hen the basons have been exposed to the ne-
lessary heat, they at^e taken off, and left to
ool: alter which they are separated, and the
ubiimated Camphor is found adhering- to the
over. If this operation be repeated two or
hree time«, the Camphor is found purer, and
1 laruer pieces. Whenever it is necessary tO
se tiny quantity of thissubstance, it is put be-
vveen two earthen vessels, the edg*es of which
re surrounded with several bands of wet pa-
er. These vessels are kept for about an hour
ver an equal and moderate fire; and when
hey are cool, the Camphor is found in its ut-
jost perfection, and r^ady for use. This me-
liod of procuring- Camphor, even from thfe
leart of the tree, may be practised in all sea-
9ns of the year: which would not be the cave^
i^ere it extracted like other resinous substances
hat only flow during- a Certain short space of
ime. Besides, by lopping- the brariches of
he Camphor Tree, less hurt is done to it than
»y making- incisions, which are always ha-
iardoua.

«6

THE MAKIHOT.

The Mnnihot grows in South America, am!
is of s]n<;ular importance to the inhahitantii
since its roots, properly prepared, afFord then
a very wholesome and nourishin;»- food. Tbi
usual height of the plant is wboiit six or sevei]
feet; and the stem, which is covered with
shinino- $rreen or reddish bark, is ful! of a sot!
pith. The flowers are of a red or pale yellov
colour; the fruit is smooth, and composed o
three husks, each containini*- a seed of a gra]
colour, marked with little spots.

This useful shrub is cultivated in Asia
Africa and America, particularly in the Wes
Indies. It appears strangle that any plan
should yield a wholesome nourishment and i
mortal poison at the same time ; yet this is th(
case with the Manihot, thou^^h the dififeren
products are separated by a very simple pro-
cess; it is only necessary to press out the poi
sonous juice contained in the roots, and afte^
wards to dry the solid partthat remains in or
der to convert it into tiour, of which the Ne-
groes make their Bread. '1 hou^h a silig'ht mkf
take mig-ht produce fatal consequences, yet sc
certain are they to succeed in extracting the
poisonous juice from this plant, that it nevei
proves injurious to any one. They g-enerallj
form the dry raspings of the root into flal
cakes, called cassavi ; thoug^h in i^everal parti
of America, they bake the rasping's in grains oi
lumps, which are eaten in the same manner u
rice.

87

WFien the plants are sufficiently ripened, the
Negroes cut oflT the stems close to the ground,
and dig- upjthe roots, which are carried to an out-
house, where the bark is pared oif v ith a knife
These paring-s after bcia-^ washed and gT'>ted,
are put into i?acks or mats, and exposed to the
action of a strong" press for several hours. In
this manner, the poisonous juice is sufficiently
2xpre>st3d from the wood, wljich is afterwards
made into cassavi. This process is also very
jimple: the g^rated root, in its prepared i.tate,
i laid over a iire on a plate of iron, to the
ihickness of two fing'ers, and then fattened.
kV'ith a larg-e wooden knife. In this state, it is
eft, till the under side is sufficiently done, when
t is merely turned, that both sides may be
jqually baked. The fiat cake, which is thus
brmed, after being- cooled in the air, acquires
I firm consistence, and tulies the name of cas-
avi bread.

The cassavi is seldom eaten without a se-
iond preparation ; this is merely to dip it in
vater or broth, which causes it to swell consi-
lerably, and in this state, it forms a solid and
vholesome nourishment, which t!ie natives of
Jouth America, and particularly the Negroes,
)refer to other bread.

The juice which is pressed from the root of
he Manihot, carries with it a fine white meak
vhich appears, when dried, like starch. This
;ind of flour is ussd for the most delicate pas-
ry, and answers all the purposes of wbeatcn
louiv

It is in the juice of the Manihot, fresKy^ex-
)ressed, that the poison is found ; and Its na-

88'^

*ure is se deadly, as to destroy life in a verjir?
sViort time, in oi>e instance, vrheu it wast^]
taken accidentally, it produced deatk in slx^
minuter.

THE BETEL TREE.

TfiE Betel is a species of paira, well knowij:'
in India, lor the constant use the people ther*
srtake of the nnt; This tJ-ee, which is tall,
straight^ and slender, hag »ix or eig:ht leaves^
growing- oii^ the top, each about six feet long-,
mid vVinored; the side ofthe leafstalk is ang^ular
and it widens at its base into a toug"h shea&h,
which embraces the trunk of the tree, and is sa-
strong- and close in it^ texture, that the natives-
use it to hold their victuals and dritvk, whidif
it does as effectually as a bladder. The nuts,
as they are called; g•ro^^^ at the t6p in clus-
ters like those o1 the cocoa, but are no lur-
j>er than a &mall heir's egg". Between the out-^^
ward barkand the stone, is found a juiiy pulp*
which they mixoccajiionally with their Betel ;.
but the nut is the principal object of their at-*
tention, and from it^ g-eceral j*.e, forms aa-
important article of traitlc among* them.

'I'he Areca or Betel nut is not chewed
aione, but mixed with the leaf of a kind of pep-
per, Nvhich.fpom being- conj»tantly used for this
purpose, hhs obtained the nameof B«tel Leaf'
aiid ifee natives- are said to prepare their Aieca^

so

by cntt'ng^ It m slices, sprinklinof it with slack-
imJ lime, and wrapping- it up in some of these
leaves. This they chew as we do tobacco,
keeping" it in their mouths till it no long^er re-
tains any flavour. The chewing* of Betel is in
jeneral use among* the Indians, who introduce
t both morning- and evening-. They carry
t with tiiem wlien they g-o abroad, and it is
considered a mark of civility to offer it to those
hey meet. It serves this indolent people, to
ill up an idle hour, like tobacco in Europe ;
ind like others, who are always ready with an
tpolog:y for a favourite indulg-ence, they pre-
end that the stomach is streng-thened, and
he constitution improved by chewing- Betel.
The constant use of this luxury is so hurtful
0 the teeth, that the Indians frequently lose
hem before they are thirty years old. The
vood allords a hig-hly desirable timber, and is
ised for rafters in houses, and for paling- to
ence in their grounds.

THE MANGROVE,

The Mang^rove is a native of the East Indies,
ind always found in moist and marshy places
lear the sea, where the tide can wash its stem,
[t grows to the heig-ht of ten or twelve feet,
mdis divided into a vast number of branches
vhich extend on all sides, and are thickly co-
erod with leaves six inches long" ; the trunk
lud lower branches send out several p\m\t

F 2

90

shoots, which descend to the groiwid, and then
take root; these become in lime so interlaced
as to form a thick gTove,somcwhat resembiing"
the banyan tree.

The manner in which Nature conducts the
seed of theMangrove to the earth, is exceediiso:-
ly carious: the fruit produces a single seed,
enclosed in an oval case, which, when ripe, be-
gins to sprout without falling- from the tree;
a little root appears from the top of the case,
from whence it proceeds in the form of a woody
thread, till it is about a foot long- ; in this state
the seed hangs, till, by its weight, added to tlic
continual moving of the branches, which are
shaken by the slightest breath of air, it is dis-
engaged, and falls to the ground: the seeds are
said to fall in the most favourable position for
taking root, which may easily be the case,
when the ground is constantly moist and soft
enough to receive any impression, which is the
case where these trees are found.

The bark, which the Chinese employ to
strike a black die, gives out a strong smell of
sulphur ; and the wood, which has the same
odour, burns very briskly, and with a bright
flame.

In consequence of the Mangrove Trees
growing, as it were, in the water, they become
the retreat of fishes, and especially of oysters;
these last deposit their spawn upon the stems
and branches, which, in time, become loaded
with them; and the oysters, gathered from such
situations, may be readily known by pieces ol

m

Ihe wood which are generally attached to the
si^ells.

THE POISON ASH.

The Poison Ash grows naturally in Virgi-
nia, Pennsylvania, Carolina, and Japan, rising
twenty feet and upwards. The bark is brown,
ixiclining to gray. The footstalks become of
a bright purple before they fall off. Professor
Kalm says, " an incision being made into the
tree, a whitish yellow juice, which has a nau-
seous smell, conjes out between the bark and
the wood. This tree is not known for its good
qualities, but greatly so for the effect of its
poison ; which, though it is noxious to some
people, yet does not in the least aifect others;
and, therefore, one person can handle the tree
as he pleases, cut it, peel oif its bark, rub it, or
the wood, upon his hands, smell it, spread the
juice upon his skin, and make more experi-
ments, with no inconvenience to himself. —
Another person, on the contrary, dares not
meddle with the tree, while its wood is fresh,
nor even expose himself to the smoko of a fire
which is made of this wood, without soon
feeling its bad effects ; for the face, the hands,
and frequently the whole body, swell excess-
ively, and are affected with very acute pain.
Sometimes bladders, or blisters, arise in great
plenty, and make the sick person look as if he
was infected with the leprosy. In some peo-
ple, the external thin skin peels off in a few

O'l

d'^yS', us is the case when apersoTi has scaicie^t
or burnt any part of the body. Nay, the iia-
lUre of some persons will not even allow them
t6 approach the place where the tree grrovvs,,
or to expose themselv^ to the wind when it
«»arrie« the etUovia, or exhalation^ of this tree
^ith it, without letting- them feel the inconve-
nience of the swelling- just described. Their
eyes are sometimes shut up for one, or two, or
more days together, by the swelling. 1 know-
(s^ays the Frotessor) two brothers, one of whom
could not comer near it without swelling-, i-
Have known old people who w©re more afraid
of this tree than of a viper, and I was acquaint*
&d with a person, who,merely by^ the noxious
exhalations of it, was swelled to such a degree,
that he was as stiff as a Jog'of>yood, an^d could
only be turned about in sheets." In some pla-
ces, this tree is rooted out, on purpose tliat its-^
poison may not allect the workmen. The na-
tives are said to distinguish it in the dark, by^
its ex trt?ji;e coldness^ to the touch; and tho-
thickened juice of this tree is >aid to be the
fine varnish of Jftpan, with which they black-
en their diHerent utensils.

But the Japan Varnish is very infarior to
what the Chinese obtain from a tree known^
m the country by the name of ki-chn. As thi*-
k> po^se:i^ed of similar properties with the pre-
cf ing, it will not be improper to describe it
uniier the same head, 'l He bark and leaves*
o! lie ki-thu resemble those of the ash ; and
tti<>ifynk, which, wheu full g.iown, U about

93

two feet in circumference, seldom exceeds^
twelve or thirteen feet in height.

Tiie Chinese do not procure varnish froni'^
the tree, until its trunk is about five inches in
diameter, which it seldom attains before seven
or eight years. To causa the gum to flow,
they makesevaral rows of incisions round the
trunk ; these they make with one hand, and
with the other, hold a shell, the edges of which
they insert into the opening, where it remains
without any support. This is alway-s done to-
wards evening, and, inthe morning, they col-
lect the varnish that has flowed during the
Might; tlie followirg evening, the shells are
again inserted, and the operation is continued-
to the end of summer^

Whiile ttiig varnish distils^it gives out ama«
lignant vapour;,, the bad effects of which can-
only be prevented by great precaution ^ when
tlie workmen are going to fix- their shells to
the trees, they rub their- faoes-and hands witlr
rape-oil,, whicli^tliey dowith &till greater care,
when they collect in.the morning what has*
distilled during the nig.ht; They cover their
faces with a mai^k, in v\hich there are holes to
see througji ; they have also separate coverings
for the rest of their body. The labourer, who
sliould attempt to collect-varnish witlieut using:
tliese precautions, would soon be punished^
for his rashness, and tiie mo^^t drcadlul effects'
ensue. The disorder shews itself by blisters
of a bright red colour, which spread in a very,
short time; the skin bursts, and the whols-'
Wdy appears coveredwith a leprosy.

94

When the labourers collect this g\im, they
carry, suspended from their girdles, a vessel
nirtde of leather ; with one hand, they detach
the shells, and scrape them with a small iron
instrument, which they hold in the other ; it
is then purified by strainin^" throug-h a cloth,
and sold to the drug-g-ist for the purposes to
which it is applied.

BUTTER TREE.

This singular tree is as yet but imperfectly
known; all the informjation we have hitherto
obtained respecting it, being from the account
of Mungo Park, who mentions it in his travels
into the interior of Africa. It appears that
the tree is of moderate size, and produces a
fruit, which ranks it amongst the first of African
vegetables, in point of utility.

When Park had reached the district of Bam-
barra, in the interior of Africa, he found the
people busily employed in collecting the fruit
of the Shea Tree, from which the vegetable
butter is prepared. It is not cultivated by the
natives, but is found growing- naturally in the
woods: its usefulness, however, isacknowled^-
ed by the natives, since in clearing- ground for
cultivation, every tree is cut down but the
shea. The tree itself, says Park, very much
resembles the American Oak; and the fruit,
(from the kernel of which, beings fir:jt dried
in the sun, the butter is prepared by boiling-

95

it in watrr.) has somewhat the appearance
of a Spanish Olivti.

The kernel is shut up in a sweet pulp, under
a thin trreen rind; and the butler produced
from it, besides the advantage oC keeping- the
Avlioleyear without salt, is whiter, tirnier, and
of a richer flavour, than tlie best butter I ever
tasted I'rorn cow's milk ; the preparation of
tfiis commodity seems to be among* the first
objects of AlVican industry in tliis and the
iieig'hbouring- states, and it constitutes the
main article of tiieir inland commerce.

THE COFFEE TREE.

The CofreeTree,whose seeds or berries aflbrd
a well-known and ag-rceable liquor, is a native
of Arabia b'elix, wher it g-enerally rises to
the heig-ht of seven or eight, and sometimes
twelve feet, with a trunk from ten to lifteeii
inches in circumference.

it is covered with a gray smooth bark, and
shoots out, throng-h the whole leng-th of its
stem, a g-rowth of branches, which are always
opposite to each other ; and the leaves, which
resemble those of the bay tree, arrangfed in
pairs in the same manner. From the bottom
of the leaves spring- fragrant white llowers,
\ery much like those of the jasmine; and when
these ttovvers,or blossoms, drop off, they leave
a small fruit behind, which is green at llrst,
but reddens as it ripens, and is like a cherry

96

both in shape and colour. Two, three, or moors'
of these berries grow tog'cther, on the same
part of the twig ; each eo;ited with a busk or
tegument, enclosing" another and finer skin, ir>
which two seeds or kernels are con.taincd>
"which are what we call coffee.

The drink made of coffee-berries has beenj
common in Europe above a hundred years^
and much longer among the Turks.

The Cofifee plaiat was lirst brouglit int®»
France from Batavia, by the famous traveller
M.Thevenot, about the begirrning of the cen-
tury before last ; and a Greek, called Pasqua>
who was brought to England as a servant m
1652, first set up the profession ol a coffee-
house keeper, and introduced Mie use of the li-
quor into these countries.

When the coffee plant that we have men^
tioned, arrived in Paris, the King of France
caused it to be carefully nursed in the royal
gardens at Paris,and that one maybe considered
the parent of all those that were afterwards
planted in the French West India Islands. It
was carried thereby a gentleman who, during
a long passage, in which water fell so short as
to be given out in daify portions to each of the
passengers, shared his allowance with the
plant which was under his care, and by this,
jneans succeeded in bringing it alive to its des-
tination ; there the rnost favourable soil and
situation was chosen, the tree was carefully
attended till it bore fruit, and the seeds given
to the different inhabitants of the place,, with
directions tot its cultivation^

t*ormer1y, g*r*eat qiiautities of Coflee vvf^rte'
iTuiually iinported into Kmope from Arabia ;
Hi present', |jo\vev4>r, tliat of the West |[idies
is considered nearly as «2;'ood, and being- coMfei-
[ierably cheaper in price, ithas entirely sup-
platnted the other.

it is principaUy in the district of Mocha, in
Arabia, that the Coffee plant is cultivated on a
large scale; the principal care required to en-
sure the success of a cofllee plantation beiiig"^
K) supply a sufficient quantity of water ; and
for this purpose, the Arabians are in the habit'
of throwing stones into the trenches which are
dug" for the plants, probably to prevent Ihs
moisture from evaporating*. When tfje season-
for g-athering" the fruit (which is in May,) ar-
rives, they spread pieces of cloth under ths
Colfee tree*, in order to c€ttch the fruit, which?
readily falls to the ground when t-he tiree is
shaken. The oropis then placed on a mat ta
[ilry, and the pods forced open by passing: over
them a heavy roller of wood. The seeds are
tlieu stripped of their covering- and separated"
mta winnowing- fans, and finally dried ag-ain;
l^ may alsa be remarked, that it matters little
whether the Gotfae be eld or new, provided it-
has been g-at^jered when perfectly ripe, and
16 used soon after being roastt^d.

The inha'jitants of the East are so fond of
Coffee, that, with them it is considered tlie'
principal beverage-; they' are in^ the habit of
taking three or four ounces a day without ei**
ther milk or sugar, but perfumed with cloves^V
sinnamofl^ and other fragrant spioeg. Thd

98

Arabs roast tlie huslis as we do the berries ;
iuni the drink made of them, having a little
tartness, is cooling- and pleasant In the heat
oi StiniMier.

— »<!5)=$<—
THE COTTON TREE.

There are three sorts of Cotton Tree«; one
creeps on the earth, like a vine; the second is
thick, like a bushy dvvArl tree ; and the tfiird,
\a as tall as an oak. A.11 the three, after they
haveprodiiced very beautiful flowers, are load-
ed with a fruit as larg-e as a walnut, whose out-
ward coat is entirely black. This fruit, when
it is fully ripe, opds, and discovers a dowa
extremely white, and which is called Cotton.

The tree which produces this useful and va-
luable merchandize, grows commonly in seve-
ral places in tlie Levant, and of the East and
West Indies. Its fruit is of an oval form, about
the size of a nu^, which throag^h the heat oi
the sun, opens in several plfices, and discovers
the Cotton throui^-h tlie clefts. The Cotton
of the first sort of plant, which creeps on the
ground, is esteemed the best ; its produce near
Smyrna is greater than any where else, tho'
its quality is inferior: they sow the seeds'
(which arc little beans, and fotind in each of
the j>ods) in June, and gather it in October ;
and the soil is so favourable, that they can
have three crops in a year.

The Cotton is separated from the seeds by
means of aiills, which pull out and loosen the

99

do'.vn ; it IS then in a ^t«te fit to be sent from
the planter to the manufacturer. The farthep
operations it undergoes, arc picking", cleanin;^,
cardin:^ and roviiiir, which last brini»'8 off the
fibres lontritudinally in a continued loose linr?.
These are next twisted and drawn OMt, so as to
make thread or yarn, and the njaterial is then
consiii-ned to tiie weaver. The vast extension
of the cotton manufacture in this country, has
caused the^o preparatory operations to be per-
♦brnu'd by a sy>tenj of complex machinery, the
invention of w hich has exercised all the in^enu-
•ity of J he ai»lest mechanics. The f.ibricsmade
from Cotton, are probably more various and
jnnnerous than from any other material: they
coiiipreliend stockings, waistcoats, calicos,
muslins, velvets, thicksets, &c. in short .stuffs of
all degrees of fineness, from the transparent
mjisliii of a robe or a turban, to the thick plush
and warm bed quilt. The commerce of Great
Kritain has of late years been peculiarly in-
debted to the cotton manufactory, which pro-
duces clothino; for people of all ranks, from
Russia to Guinea, and unites eleg-ance with
cheaf)ness, in an unrivalled de«^ree. Great
quantitiesofthe native fabricsofthe Eastare al-
so imported into Europe; some of these, by the
advantag-eof an excellent material and incom-
parabl' manufacture, dexterity and patience in
the workmen, thoug'h made with very simple
machinery, surpass in fineness and beauty, any
thing- of European manufacture. The natives
are said to perform their finest work in moist
cool places, under ground, wliich makes the
cotton hold together, so as to draw out to the

fViinnest threads; arKl the soft and deh'cato tifh-
g'ers of the Indian women *^ive them the sense'
of feeling-, to a degree of niceness much beyoiwl
that of our ccvmnr/onpeop^e. Ifcis propahle that
cotton, at present, clotl^es moi»e people in the*
world than a^ny other substance ; its peculiar-
Ad vantag-es, besides cbsapnes*. are the unit>n o^
warmth with lightness, whence it is Hited fora
great variety of climates ; to the hotit is bettor
adapted than linen, on accoiiit ofils absorbings
quality, which keeps the skin- dry and conifort-
able. The woolliness of cotton g-ives a kind of
nap to the clothes made of it, which render*
them soft to the touch, Out apt to attract dust ;
iti the fine muslins this i& burned off, by pass-
ing them between red-hot cylinders with such
velocity as not to take lire ; which, we may
conceive^consideringthe combustibility of cot-
ton, to be a very nice operation ; a readiness
to catch fire is indeed a dangerous quality of*
this material, aad many fatal accidents have-
arisen from it, since the prevailinii: use of mus-
lins iri' women's dress. Much mischief has also*
proceeded from colds taken in these delicate
g-arments,^ which are by no means fitted to
protect the wearers from the incleraenches of
«ur variable climate.

The downy matter surrounding" the Reeds in
some other plants, has been employed for the
same purpose as cotton, and by proper pitepara-
lion, has, in some instances, succeeded very
well ;but in some case, t is too brittle orof to©
short astaple,to be usea vvithadvanlage. in th«
form of thread ; it has, however, allbrded &

J-Ol

i!»efKl wTrterial for stuffing- beds and pfilows,
4ind for quilting- ; in this way the down of a
^lant g^rowing- copiously upon soniu of our
bog's, called cotton ijrass, has been employed
by the neig^fabouring- poor.

Having- thus g-iven the natural history of tlie
Cotton plant, and briefly described the changes
at «nderg-oes in its passag-e throug-h the hands
-of llie nlanl^factu^e^,as well as the various uses
to which his ing-enuity and industry have ea-
abled It to be applied; we shall now add the
XriweUoJ a.Pouiid ofCottojiyasihe best meanj
♦of showing- 4 he prodigious advantages of comr
'ij.erce and manufactures. If many of the im-
4)rovenients of niodorn life are so meny ways
.«f providing luxtiries or ev^n supertluities to
vtlie rich, we must always, at the same time,
jTt'Collect, that the preparation of these articles
^ives employment and support to the Indus-
.trious artisan, and furnishes tiim also with a^
^ibundaxice of additional employmeats.

There was sent oflf for London lateiy, from
f*aisley,in Scotland, a small piece of muslin,
/■about one pound weigbt, the history of which
iis as follows: — The cotton came from the East
Indies to London ; from London it went into
Lancashire, where it was manufactured into
fyarn ; from Manchester it was sent to Paisley,
where it was woven ; it was sent into Ayr-
«hiiie«eKt, where it was tamboured ; afteward^
St was conveyed to Dumbarton, where it was
liandsewed, and again returned to Paisley,
^vhenceit was sent to a distant part of the coun*
ty of Renfrew to be bleached, and was rcturp-

102

ed to Paisley ; it \Yas tlien sent to Glnsjrow to
be /iaished, and from G!asg-ovv was sent by the
coach to London. It is difticult to ascertain
the time precisely, which was necessarv to
brin^ this article to market; but it may be pret-
ty near the truth to reckon it three years from
the time it was packed in India, till it w^as fit
for sale as cloth in the merclianl's warehouse
in London, It must have travelled f>(>00 n?iles
by sea and 900 by land, and perhaps was af-
tervvards shipped for some part of South Ann -
rica, which woidd add about 6000 nule* more
to these distances. It contributed tothesnpport
of at least 150 difft- rent people, whose services
were employed in the carryings and manufac-
ture of this small quantity of cotton, and by
which the value was increased 2000 times.

THE TEA PLANT.

Of all the vefietable productions of Chin?,
the Tea Plant deserves particular notice, as its
leaves afibrd, by infusion, a favourite liquor
which is used daily among- us, by people of
almost all ranks and conditions.

This shrub, wliich seems to be a species of
myrtle, seldom grows beyond the size of a rose-
bush, or at most, six or seven feet in height.
it thrives best in a gravelly soil, and is usually
planted in rows upon little hills, about three or
four feet distant from each other. The larger
loaves are about two inches long and one
"broad; from a small beginning, they becone
round and broad^ and then tapijr to a point ,

THE TEA PLANT.

104

tihey are notclied at tlie cdgei like rose or swee
brijir leaves, the teeth bein*^ close together, l>«
of (iiiiereni sizes. Each leaf has one very con
spicuoiis nerve in tho middle,^which is answer-
ed by a deep furrow on the other side, ant
branches into flve,six or seven cross ribs; whei
of the full size, they.resemble the leaves of th(
black cherry-tree, both in fig-ure and colour
but w'len youn^, and before they are fit to b«
g'atheied,'they are not unlike the leaves of the
comiiion spindle-tree, except in colour. The
shrub is an everg"reen, and bears a small fruf'
.corriaining- several ronnd blackish seeds, abou
the bi^'uess of a lar^^e pea, but scarcely abovt
/Ciie ill ler. comes too perfeciion. By these seed ,
tlie plant is propagated, nine or ten of then
being" put into a holertof^ether,; and theshru'4
Vthence arising- are aftervva.rds transplanted iri-
to proper g-round. 'V\\ey thrive best wher
exposed to the south sun, and yield the best
Tea ; but there is a sort that grows withou'
cultivation, which, though less valuable, oftei
serves the poorer class of peqple.

vlt was formecly supposed that the, varieties
of Tea which are sold in Europe were frorr
different kiiids. of the plant; this, however,4J
a mi-vtalie ; the product of the&ame plaa-t dif-
fering-in colour and fragrance according to the
.di lie re nee of soil, the time of gathering, ano
^the method of preparation.

The lirst gathering is in March, when the

plant has sent forth but few of its leaves, and

rthen but two.or three days old : at this time

itheyare small, green and tender; the Tea!

10,1

hich is made from them, is reckoned Iho
.'tit, and from its scarcity, is reserveii lor
rinces and rich people : for this reason it i*
died Imperial Tea.

The greatest care, is taken, in Japan, topre-
;rve this precious shrub; the care of these
lants is entrusted to people who are ordered
) guard the leaves from dust, and to defend
lem from the severity of the weather ; they
atiier them with the greatest nicety and nevtT-
)uch them but with very fine gloves. When
lis choice Tea has undergone the process
ecessary for its preparation, it is escorted by
strong guard to tlie Emperor's Court, and
ept for the use of the Emperor's family. Tfie
opular opinion, that the green colour of this
ne sort of Tea is occasioned by the use of coj -
er plates, is altogether unfounded; every leaf,
iys Sir George Staunton, pas>es through the
ngers of a female, who rolls it up almost to
he form it had assumed when first budding on
he branch It is afterwards placed on thin
ilates of earthenware or iron. It is confidentiy
aid in the country, that thin plates of copper
re even used for thnt purpose. The colour of
he green Tea is thought to be derived from
he early period at which the 'eaves are pluck-
d, when, like unripe fiuit, they are generally
^reen and sharp. The second gathering is
nade about the end of March : the leaves, in
his season, are large, without having lost any
)f their flavour ; they, however, difi'er with re-
rard to their ripeness, some being arrived at
Dcrfcction; while others have not attaincJ^

106

^hojrfiiH grovVth. Nevertheless they are g^a-
<i!iereLi proiiiiisciioii.sly :. but sorted ufterwards
3P.cc(3rdirinf to their size and quality; the young*-
est. pMrticularly, are carefully separated, and
are o ten sold for -the first g^alhering-, or
"^.•rjperial Te^^.

The third gathei'inaf takes place in June,
nvhen the leaves have ^'^.cqriired their full size
<ui'l thickness. Tiiis-is the most ahundant crop,
but at the same time, it is the co&rsest tea,€i.i)d
is chiefly consumed by the common 4)eople.
Alter she le;3.ve> are gvithered, they are carried
to the dryin:^ houses to be prepared for use.
These are building";* which have been erected
i-at the public expanse, and thither every pri-
vate ptM>on. who has no convenience of hi«
^o^v^ tor curing- tlie frc^h g-athercd Tea, m»y
<ciirry them to be dried : they contain a great
?4r)umber of stoves, each having at the top, an
4iron plate, into wiiich, w lien heated i,o a pro-
sper degree, the leaves are thrown. During* the
•^operation, the roaster keeps them continually
■stirring with his hands, that they may be tho-
rou^liiy and equally dried. He-then takes them
<>y\t with a shovel like a fan, and hands them
to tlie rollers, who roll them in the f)alm of
'::^[jeir hands in onedircction till they are cool-
»fe3<{. They are now fit lor use, and being- pack-
«d in chests lined with lead, and covered over
Vv ith large leaves, they are sent into Europe
.for sale.

Tea was introduced into Europe In the year
1010, by the Dutch East Indian Company. In
i26.66, it was iold in London foraixty ihiilifi^<$

107

a pound, aii'J continued atlhat price till 170~
Tho 'lea leaf, as vvellas that of tobacco, aC-
fords a striking: example of the povver of habit'
over mankind. About two hundred years a<j:o,,.
the Europeans used neither ; to-dav. tliere i^
scarcely a poor tradesman but prefers the liquor
procured from the Tea phmt, which a/lord^'
no nourishment whatever, to tho bounteous
supply which is furnished by the cow. it is
not to be wondered at that the inliabitants ol>
China should indulgie in it ; the plant grows iii^
their country, and indeed,, when we consider-
one circumstance in their s.ituation, we must
acknowledge,, that Providence has displayed
much goodness iascatteringthis plant with so
mnch prp fusion amongst them. The water of
tho country is said to be unwholesome and
nauseoDS, and therefore, without some cor-3c-
five, would be unfit for domestic purposes.

But it appears singularly absurd that so
many working" people, living at a. distance of.
five or six thousand miles from Pekin, should
spend a considerable part of their earnings to-
procure a plant, which, as it is sold to them,,
is often mixed with very injurious substances,
and is no nourishment to the body, but rathes
hurts the constitution, if freely indulged iu.

108

THE OAK;

TuF Oak stands nt the hnnrl of dnr «ntive
timber trees, as well on account ot its utility,
ns of the {i-iandciir of its fio^nre : it reaches a
bulk scarcely inferior to the Baobab, which is
the larjjost tree in the forest ; and by its vast
arms, which it throws out on every side, it
forms a mass, which impresses the spectator
with the ideas of stren^^fth artd durability.

Some centuries agfo, there were g"reat forests
of Oak in dillerent parts of Ireland, and the
timber was .<o much esteemed, as to be sent
into other countries, where it was employed
in building-s. In proportion, however, as the
fcountry became more peopled, and the arts of
a^ricultnro advanced , these have disappeared :
the natural consequence of such improvements,
being" to clear the g-round for the purpose ©f
drawing" more land into cultivation. We may
follow up this observation by remarking-, that
man is not the being- to whom the plantation
of forests was consig-ned ; corn, indeed, and
veg-etables, and a few low trees, have been
subjected to his industry, in order to exercise
and occupy him in a useful manner; but let us
turn our attention to those extensive forests
which cover the face of uninhabited countries;
who planted those mig"hty Oaks which g-roNv,
without number, where man has not yet been
ftble to penetrate ? Who conducted them to
perfection ? What g-ardener, but God, was
competent to prune their redundant growth,
and to afford them their stated refreshment of

K)0

fvater ? The Almighty has ^ven existence and
;^rowth to everv other plant, but the forest
ilone may be considered as his g^arden ; he dif-
iises their minute seeds over the surface of a-
rt^hole country r his wise precaution has fur-
iished various means, by which they are con-
hicted to a soil favourable for their growth;-
rle alone draws from them those vast bodies,
«rhich rise to such a heig-ht in the air, fastens
:hem with so much strength in their several
(ituations, and enables them to resist the winds;,
tie alone selects genial dews and ample rains,
;o array his trees with verdure, and to impart
»o them strength and durability.

The uses of the Oak Tree are very various,,
ind comprehend almost every part of it ; the
icorns, which, in common with the nuts of other
:rees, are called mast, are said to have been the
earliest food of mankind ; and in some of the
warm climates, they are in use for that pur-
pose. In England, they are valued as the food
>f swine, of which large droves are sent to fat-
ten in the oak woods during the weeks in Au-
tumn, when the ripe acorns begin to faliv

lu JMr. Gilpin's remarks on forest scenery,
Ihere is a very entertaining account of the
management of the hogs, during their autum-
nal visit to the woods, from which the foUow-^
ing account is extracted :. —

'* The lirst step the swineherd takes, is, to
look out for some close sheltered part of the
Corest, where there is a conveniency of water^.
and plenty of oak or beech mast, the former
of u hieh he prefers, >vhen he can have it m

110

abundance. He next fixes on some spreading^
tree, round the bole of which, he wattles a
slig-ht circular fence of the dimensions he wants;
and, covering- it roughly with boug-lis andsods^
he fills it plentifully with straw or fern.

*' Having- made this preparation, he collects
his little colony among- the farmer- , with whom
he commonly agrees for a shilling- a head, and
will g-et tog-ether a herd of five or six hundred
hogs. Having- driven them to their destined
habitation, he g-ives them a plentiful supper
of acorns or beech mast, which he had already
provided, sounding- his horn during the repast.
He then turns them into the litter, where,
after a long- journey and a hearty meal, they
sleep most deliciously.

*' The next morning-, he lets them look a
little around them, shews them the pool or
stream where they may occasionally drink,
leaves them to pick up the offals ot the last
nig-ht's meal, and, as evening- draws on, gives
them another plentiful repast under the neig-h-
bouring- trees, which rain acorns upon them
for an hour tog-ether, at the sound of his horn.
He then sends them ag-ain to sleep.

" The following- day, he is, perhaps, at the
pains of procuring- them another meal, with
music playing- as usual He then leaves them
a little more to themselves, having an eye,
however, on their evening- hours. But as their
bellies are full, they seldom w ander far from
home, retiring, commonly, very orderly and
early to bed.

*' After this, he throws his sty open, and

i

Ill

loaves tliem to provide for themselves ; and
henceforward has little more trouble with
them, during" the whole time of their migra-
tion. Now and then in calm weather, when
masts fall sparing-ly, he calls them together,
perhaps by the music of his horn, to a meal
which he g^athers for them ; but in g-eneral
they need little attention, retun-.ig reg-ularly
home at nig^ht, thougfh they often wander in
the day,tw© or three miles from their sty. —
There are experienced leaders in all herds,
which have spent this roving- life before ; and
can instruct their juniors in the method of it. —
By this management, the herd is carried home
to their respective owners in such condition,
that a little dry meal will soon fatten them."

Every part of the Oak abounds in a juica
which is applied to various purposes. The
aark is particularly valuable on this account,
fvhich renders it so useful for tanning leather ;
he small twigs, and even the leaves of the Oak
nay be applied to a similar purpose. Galls,
vhichare a swelling, formed in warm countries
)n the Oak by means of an insect, are much
ised in dying, on account of their property iu
triking a deep black, with the addition of vi-
riol of iron. The Oak apples, as they are im-
)roperly called, formed in the same manneron
>ur trees, possess a similar property in a less
legree. Oak saw-dustis the principal material
ised in dying fustians. It gives all the varie-
ies of drab colours, and shades of brown, ac-
:ording as it is managed and compounded.

But it is by the us3 of its wood, that the Oak

11

c?.-

bas acr^nired its chief fame, and cspecrall}'" for
tlie inipGTtani purposes of ship building". It is
to this tree we are indebted for those mighty
vesisels which resemble floating* cities, and
hear the produce of our country from one end
of the Globe to the other.

Lpt India boast her plants, nor envy we
The weeping- amber and tlie bahny tree,
Wiiile by our Oaks the preciouS' loads areborne»
And realms commanded which those trees adorn.

Oak timber is best fitted for shipss of war,
on accountof its strength and durability, and
also by the property of not readily splintering-,
a circumstance of much consequence since the
invention of eztnnon. If not entirely built of
Oak, therefore,which,from the present scarcity
of that timber, is seldom done, ships have al-
ways their sides planked with it. Oak timber
h likewise preferred for many other services.
in house building it is used for> doors and
window frames. When more plentiful, floors
and staircases, were also made of it. In ma-
chinery, no other wood is equal to it, where a
^reut stress is to be borne, as in mill work,
steam engines, &c. It is used for the bodies of
carts and waggons; also for gates, posts, and
iitdders. In the country, it is a common ma-
Ic^rial lor furniture, its durability being thought
h. sufticient compensation for the diflicuity of
working it. Coopersalsoemployit for their liir-
gest vessels, and for well-buckets^ and vvatir
paila.

We shall conclude our history of this noble
tree, by mentioning a few instances of I he great
si36c and y^e wliich it i;i capable of attaining.

113

Close by the g'ate of the wator-walk. at
Ma;:!fdalon colleg-ejOxford, grew an oak.wliich
porliaps stood there a suplin, when All'red the
Great founded the University. This period only
inuhides aspaeeofnine hundred years, which
is no great ag-e for an oak. It is indeed, a dif-
ficult matter to ascertain the ag-e of a tree.

But this tree, can ahnost produce historical
evidence for the age assisfned to it. About
five htindred years after the time of Alfred,
WiUiam of Wainfleet, Dr. Stnkely tells us,
expressly ordered his colkge to be founded
n«ar the ^reat oak : and an oak could not, he
thinks, be less than five hundred years of age,
to merit that title, together with the honour of
lixing the scite of a coMee-e. It was after-
wards much injured in Charles the Second's
time, when the present walks were laid out,
its roots were disturbed, and from that period
It declined fast, and became rfuluced, by de-
g"rees, to little more than a mere trunk. The
oldest members of the University can scarcely
recollect it in better plight. But the faithful re-
eords of history have handed down its ancient
dimensions. Through a space of sixteen yards,
on every side from its trunk, it once fiung its
boug'hs, and under its magnificent pavilion,
could sholter with ease three thousaad meo,
though, in its decayed state, it could for many
years, do little more than shelter some luck-
less iwdividual, wh®m thediiving shower hud
overtaken in his evening walk. In the summer
of the year 1788, this magnificent ruin fell to
the ground, alarming" the college with its

J44-

rtisliino^ sound, it then appeared how preca-
riously it'had stood for many years, its grand
tap root was decayed, and it had hold of the
earth only by two or three roots, of whichj
none was more than a couple of inches in
diameter. From a part of its ruins a chair haa
been made for the president of the colJeg:.e,
which will long- continue its memory.

In a park, near Deal, in the county of Kent
in Eng-land, are oak trees, the most remarkable
for height, and size in the kingdom. They
are disting-nished by appropriate names, but
the most remarkable of them are those called
Mqjcstij , Staldij ,&nd Beauty. — Beauty issix-
t^r-three feet from the ground, whilst the uni-
formity of its branches, and the regularity 6^
its bark are beautiful beyond conception. The
circumference of this tree, five feet from the
giound, is fifteen feet, nine inches: its solid
contents, bark not included, twelve ton, twen-
ty five feet! Stately, at four feet from the
ground, measures in circumference, eighteen
feet, and its solid contents, twelve ton, lliirty-
Ihree feet; one inch, bark not included! Bui
M({jesfy the most wonderful of all these trees;
has, eight feet from the ground, a circumfe-
rence of twenty-eight feet, four inches ; and^
at twenty-eight from the ground, fifteen feet,
six inches. It has one arm which contains six-
ty-eight feet, eleven inches ; another, sixty-
four feet, tv^o inches^ a third, sixty feet, nine
inc}le^ , and several othersof nearly equal di-
mensions. The total contents of this huge
bulk of timber are thirt\-6ix tons, twenty-
eight feet, four inches, bar not included

J15

THE CHESTNUT.

TmsTree is called i\\e Spanish Chestnut,
as g^rowing: in the greatest perfection in Spuin^
where the climate is warmer than with us. It
flourij>l»es also in other parts of the South of
Europe, and-awbrds a wholesome and nutritive
food. The appearance of an aged Chestnut -is
striking- and majestic. It throws out arms
equal in size to those of the oak, and they of-
ten shoot across each other, so as to produce
an uncommon effect ; the deep furrows of the
rug-ged trunk, sometimes form a kind of net-
work by interlacing. The branche&are richly
clothed with long jag-ged leaves, of a pleasant
green, and the head is tufted and spread {««•.
In Autumn, the leaves fade to a gold yellow,
affording a conspicuous v-rriety of tinge in the
■woods. In Italy, an ordinary sized Chesnut
will measure twenty-five feet in circumference,
at the distance of three feet from the ground.

Among the mast bearing trees> this may be
reckoned the mos-t valuable, since its nuts are
excellent food for man, as well as for other
animals. In many parts of the South of Eu-
rope, they afford as much support to thie poor,
as the potato does in Ireland : like that use-
ful and nourishing root, the chesnut yields a
fine mealy substance, of which broad is made,
j In this country, the fruit seldoui comes to
maturity.

The wood of theSchestnut is strong- aad dura-
ble, and is used for most of tho purposes in
^vhich oak is employed. It is preferable to

116

any for making tubs and vessel* to hold li-
quors, as not being liable to shrink after being-
once seasoned.

Few trees arrire at a greater age than the
Chestnut. At Tortworth, in Gloucestershire ,
one of the counties iri England, there is one,
fifty-two feet round, which is proved ta have
stood ever since the year 1150, and it was then
so remarkable, that it was called the great
Chestnut of Tortworth. It fixes the boun-
dary of the manor, and is probably nearly
one tiionsand years old. As an ornamei»tal
tree, the Chestnut, though unequal to the oak,
the beech, and the esculus, has a degree of
greatness belonging to it, which recommends
jtsironglyto the gardener's attention. Its uses
have been highly extolled, and it may deserve
a considerable share of the praise which has
been given to it. As si substitute for the oak, it
is preferable to the elm: for door-jambs, win-
dow-frames, and some other purposes of the
hou83-carpenter, it is nearly equal to the oak
itself; but is very 5ipt to be shakey, and there
is a deceitful brittleness in it, which renders
it unsafe to be used as beams, or in any other
situation where an uncertain load is required
to be borne. It is universally allowed to be ex-
cellent for liquor casks, as not being liable to
shrink, nor to change the colour of the liquor
it contains: it is also strongly recommended
ns an underwood for hop poles, ^talies, &:c,
Its fruit too is valuable, not only for swine and
deer, but as human food, bread is said to havef
been made of ;t. Upon the whole>theChettnul

117

^fliotlicr ill tho li-rht of ornament or iiso, is most
undoubtodly an object of g^reat admiration.

But the size of tlie Tortvvorth C-he.-tjuit, is
aot to be compared with that to vvhij li this
:ree grows on Mount Etna in Sicily. One of
:hese is of snch extraordinary dimensions, ps
Lo excite the admiration of every traveller
who visits that part of the world.

This tree is reported to be one hundred and
sixty feet in eirciimference, but quite hollow
svithin, which however affects not its verdure :
for tlie Chestnut Tree, like the willo\v,depcnds
upon its bark for subsistence, and by ag-e
loses its internal part. As the cavity of this
enormous mass is very considerable, the peo-
ple have built a house in it, where they have
an oven for drying- nuts, almonds, chcalnuts,
&c. of which they make conserves. Tl)ey
frequently supply themselves with woodlrjni
rhe tree which encircles their house, so that
it seems likely, in a short time, to ^o to ruin
through the ingratitude and thoughtlessness
of its inhabitants.

Besides this, there are abundance of other
trees of the same species in the neighbour-
liood, very remarkable lor their size, all very
beautiful aud straight, and almost as smooth
as polished marble. One of these measured
thirty-eight feet in circumference, and therc^
were a number of others nearly of the same
size. Among these, there were seven si aridJiig"
together, which have received the name <i
[the .s-trt>i 6>-i//<rc/j .• another is denominated
! F 3

lis

Ike fihij), from the g-eneral %nre of Hs t<j|
wlncli has some sli^lit resemblance to a shij
Its dibiiieter is nverity-five feet, so that t^i
eircu reference cannot be less than sevent^^-tiv
feet. 'I'he Chestnut Trees thrive very we
in this country, and are carefully cultivate
by the inhabittnts. They are worked int
hoops for casks, and a considerable trade
earned on iu this article.

THE FOtTNTAIN TREE^

In Glass's history of the Canary I^l'and
there is tie fallowing" account of atree, vvhic
;sinpplies water in su9ici«nt abundance for th
eoiiMimption of the people, oh the Islan
where it grows^

The district in which this tree stands is n;
nied Tigulaire, near to whicli, and in the eli
or steep rocky ascent surrounding the who!
island, is a narrovs^ gutter or gulley, whic|
commences at the sea, and continues to tb
sunimitof the clili", where it joins orcoincid*
with a valley which ist-erniinated by the stee
front of a rt^ck.

** Uh the top of this roek, grows a tre.
called, in the UiU'^uage of the ancient inhabi
»nts,Garse, (^sa^red or holj tree) wliich f<
fiiany years has been preserved sou 'id, eutii
fcind Iresh. Its- heaves constf^itly cjfslil such
<;ua5)tily of water, as is sullicicnt to funiii
islriuk ito every liv?f»jj creatiire iu Liierro ; c;

THE FOUNTAIN TREE.

» 120

tnre having" provided this remedy for the
drouorhl of the island. It is situated about a
leasfue and a half from the sea. It is distmct
from other trees, and stands by itself. The
circumference of its trunk isabouttwelvespansj
the diameter four, and in heig^ht from the
ground to the top of the highest branch forty
spans: the circumference of all the branches
tog-ether, is one hundred and twenty feet —
The branches are thick and extended ; the
lowest commence aboutan ell from the g^roum^.
Its fruit resembles the acorn, and tastes some-
thing like the kernel of a pine apple, but is
softer and more aromatic. The leaves of this
tree resemble those of the laurel, but are larg-
er, wider, and more curved ; they come forth
in perpetual succession, so that the tree al-
ways remains green. On the north side of the
trunk, are two larg-e tanks, or cisterns, of roug-h
stone, or rather one cistern divided, each half
being- twenty teet square, and sixteen spans
in depth. One of these contains water for the
drinking of the inhabitants ; and the other
that which they use for their cattle, washing",
and such like purposes. Every morning, near
this part of the island a cloud or mist arises
from the sea, which the south and easterly
winds force against the fore-mentioned steep
cliff, so that the cloud, having no vent but by
the gutter, gradually ascends it, and from
thence advances slowly to the extremity ol
the valley, where it is stopped and checked
by the front of the rock, which terminates
tiie valley, and then rests upon the th^ek leavei

121

find wide-spTcading: branches of the tree, Crom
ivheijce it distils in drops, during tlie remain-
ler of the day,iintil it is at len<j^th exhausted,
n the same manner that we see wattr drip
from the leaves of trees after a heavy sliower
)frain. This tree yields most water in those
years when theLevant or easterly winds have
prevailed for a continuance, for by these winds
>nly,the clouds or mists are di-awn thither from
he 8ea.

** A person lives on the spot near where this
iree grows, who is nppointed by the Council
o take care of it, and its water; and is allowed
i house to live in, with a certain salary.
le every day distributes to each family of the
iistrict, seven pots or vessels fnil of water, be-
ides what he ^ives to the principal people
n the island.

TREE YIELDING WATER, IN AMERICA,

In Cockbourn's Voyages, we find the follow-
i>g account of a dropping tree, near the
liountains of Vera Paz, in America.

*♦ On the morning of the fourth day, we
:;»me out on a large plain, where were numbers
>f fine deer, and in the middle slood a tree of
in unusual size, spreading its branches over a
ast compass of ground. Curiosity led us up
o it : wo had perceived at some distance off,
he ground about it to be wet, at which we
>eg!in to be sonievvfiat surprised, as well
mowing there had no rain :allen for nearly six

122

months past, according to the certain coT^rs
of the reason in that latitude : that it ^vas iin
possible to be occasioned by the fall ofdev
on the tree, we were convinced, by the Mm"
having- power to exhale all moisture of tha
nature, a lew minutes after its risin^r. At last
tr our g-reat amazement, as well as joy, wm
saw water dropping", or, as it were, distilling
fast from the end of every leaf of this wonder
ful tree; and it may well be ^^^pposed how
thankfully we partook of this refreshifig- ^upj^
ply; having- for four days suHcred much, froa
want of water,

" We could not help looking: on this as li-
quor sent from heaven to comfort us under oun
gfreal extremity. We catched what we coul<J
of it in our hands, and drank very plentiluUj
of it, liking" it so well, that we could hardlj
prevail witli ourselves to g^ive it over,

" A matterol this nature could not but ex-
cite us to make the strictest observations con-
cerninrr it : and according-lv we staid under the
tree nearly three hours, and found we could nol
fathom its body in five times. We observe<4
the soil where it g"rew to ho very stony : and
upon the nicest inquiry we could aiterwardti
make, hothfroutthe native:>Dfthe country, i\ud
the Spanish inhabitants, we could not lenrn
that tfjere was any such tree known throughout
New Spaio, nor perhaps all Aaierlca over.

»'

123

THK TA^LO\V TREE.

Trk Tallo.v Tree ^rows in i^reat pleii^v in
fiiiia, ami productifi a substance mticlj like
ir tallow, aud serving" for the same pmposes,

it is about t(ie height of a cherry tree ; its
aves in form of a heart, of a deep shinio^ red
►lour, and its bark very smooth. Its fruit is
iclosed in a kind of pod or cover, like a
ie.stnut, and consists of three raaiid white
'ains, of tiie size and form of a small nut, eacli
iving- its peculiar chamber, and within that,
little stone. — This stone is encompassed with
white pulp, which has all the properties of
ue talJGvv, as lo consistence, colour and evocj
neil ; and according-ly the Chinese make their
indies of it, which would doubtless be as
3©d as those in Europe, if they knew how t&
jrify their veg*etable, as well as we do our
limal tallow, and make their wick as tine.
II the preparation they g*ive it, is to melt it
)w.n, and mix a little oil with it, to make it
ifter and more pliant. It is true, the candles
ade of it, yield a thicker smoke, and g-ive a
immer lig-ht than our's ; but these defects are
iving-in a great measure to the wicks, whicli
•Q not of cotton, but only a little rod or
vitcli of dry lig-lrt wood, covered with the
ithofarush, wound round it, which being-
3ry porous, serves to tiltrate the minute
arts of the tallow, attracted bv the burninir
ick, and which by this means is kept burning.

Another method of extracting the tallow,
, to bruise the husk and seeds together, and

124

boil tlieni in water, the tat or ^ailovv rises to
the surface and is skiHrjmed otr. and tins, when
cool coudensies into t^low, and being* nii«ed
with a little linseed oil and a bmai! portion of
wax, is made into candWs.

THE CASHEW-NUT TREE.

This tree gfows naturally in the West fa-
dies, and arrives at tlvi height of twenty feet,
in tho^e places of which it is a native, but can-
not bo preserved in Britain without the g"rea-
tei^t diiilcnlty. Its fruit is as lar^e as an
oiang-e ; and is fall of an acid juice, which
makes an ngreeablo and refreshing- drin n whea
mixed with water. At tlie end of this fruit
/j»-ows a nut, of the size and shape of a hare's
Kldrjey, The shell fs very hard; and the ke»-
ijo), \>hi<;h is sweet and pleasant, is covered
with a tiiin film. Between this and the shell,
is lodg-edja thick, black, iallaajmable liquor, of
siich a burning- nature in the fresh nuts, that
if the lips chance to touch it,, blisters will ini-
niediately lollow. The kernels are eaten raw,
roasted, or pickled. The liquor, just mention-
ed, is much used by the West-India young- la-
dies, but they g-ive us a very inditlerent opinion
of their jifood sense, when, for the »oko of a
mf^re outside, they can endure such acnte pum
as they suffer in applying it to theh- ftir^Ki —
Wlien t!iey fancy themselves too much tanmxi,
by the scorching rays of the sun, they gen41y
scrape off the thin outside of the nut, and then

125

rub their faces nil oier witli the stone. Their
l;jcoi> iiumediatcly .swell ami ^tow black : and
IIh) skin beiivg- poit^oiied by tlie can.stic oil
above mentioned, will, iu tl)e space ol live or
six dnys, come entirely oil" in l;ir«^u Hakes, bo
that they cannot appear in public in less than
a fortnig^lit; by which lime, the new skin looks
as lair as tFiat of a new born child. The ne-
groes of Brazil cure themselves effectually of
di.sorders in the stomach, by eating the yelJovir
fruit olthis tree ; tiie juice of which jwomotes
llie irve circulation ol the blood, and thus re-
moves the complaint. The milky juice of this
tree, will stain linen of a ^^ood black, which
cannot be wu^jhed out.

TKIi CAOUTCHOUC, INDIA RUBBER, OR
SYRINGE TREE.

In Cayenne, and other parts of South Ame-.
rica, the Syringe Tree is a native, and pos-
sesses the most sing-ular properties. — No sub^
stance is yet known which is so pliable, and at
the same time so elastic. This substance
ooAcs out, under the form of a vegretable milk,
from incisions made in the tree, and is chiefly
gathered in time of rain, because, though it
may be collected at all times, it flows then
most abundantly. The means employed to
make it such as we see it in the shops are kept
a profound secret ; but it is atlirmed, that it
thickens and hardens gradually, by being- ex-
posed to the air ; and as soon as it acquires a

1*2 G

solid consistence, it maniTestsa very e.xtrnor-
diiiJiry degree ornexibility and elasticity. Ac-
coiriiiigSy, the Indians maUe boots of i%
\vhicli vvaier cannot pcnetrnte, and whici ,
when smoked, have tlie appearance oC reai
leather, t^otties are al^o made of it, to the
Decks of whic[) are fastened fioliow reeds, so
tliat the liquor contained in them may be
squirted throu^-h the reeds, or pipes, by pres^-
nre, whence it obtained the r:ime of Syring't)
Tree. One of these, filled with water, is al-
ways presented to each of the guests, at
their entertainments, vvho never fail to n)ake
use of it before eating. Flambeaux, an incli
and a half in diameter, and two feet lon^, are
likevvise made of this resin, which «j;ive a
beautiful light, have Lio bad smell, and Luf'ii
for twelve hours. A kind of cloth is also prepa-
red from it, which the inljabitants of Qiiito
apply to the same purposes as our oil cloth
and sail cloth. It is formed by means of
moulds, into a variety of ligures for use and
ornament; and the process is said to be
thus: — Tliejuice, which Ij: obtained by incision,
is spread over pieces of clay formed into the
de^ired shape ; and as fast as one layer is dry,
another is added, till the vessel be of proper
thickness: the whole is then held over a
strong" smoke of veg-e tables on fire, where by-
it is hardened into the texture and appearance
of leather ; and before the finishing-, while
yet soft, is capable of having- any impression
made on the outside, which remains ever after.
When the whole is done, the inside mould la
picked out. ^

Among" lis it is made ^reat use of by paint
ers Hiid ©thers, for rnbbin;^- out black lead
pencil marks; it is also maJc into tnbes and
enaployed iu various complaiuls by Surg-eouji

THE CLOVE TREE.

The Clove Tree resembles, in its bark, tlie
olive; and is about the heig-btof the laurel,
which it also resembles in its leaves. No ver-
dure is ever seen under it. It has a great num-
ber of branches, at the extremities of which
are produced vast quantities of tlovvers, that
are first white, then g-reen, and at last pretty
red and hard. When they arrive at this de-
cree of maturity, they are, properly speaking-,
claves. As they dry, they assume a dark yel-
lowish cast, and^wheng-atheredjthey become
af a deep brown. The season forgathering^
the cloves is from October to February. The
boughs af the tree are then strongly shaken,
or the cloves beat down with lon<r reeds.
Large cloths are spread to receive them, and
they are afterwards either dried in the sun, or
in the smoke of the bamboo cane. The cloves
which escape the notice of those who gather
them, or are purposely left on the tree, conti-
nue to grow till theyare about an inch in thick-
ness ; and these falling off, produce new plant5,
which do not bear in less than eight or tew
years. Those, Nyhich are called niolhcr dovca^
are inferior to the common sort ; but are p^e*

128

served in su^ar by the Dutch; and, in lonjj
voyages, eaten alter their meaKs, to promote
di^esti()>n.

The Ciovc, to be in perfection, must be fnll
sized, lieavy, oily, and easily broken; olafine
*iiiell, andol'a hot aromatic ta^te, so as almost
to burn the throat. It should make the fingers
smart, when handled, and leave an oily moiti-
lure upon them, when pressed. In theEr.st-ln-
dies, and in some parts of Europe, it is so n»ucb
ud mired, as to be thought an indij-pensibie iri-
«;rcdieiit in almost every dish. It is put into
their food, liqaors, wines, and enters likewise
into the composition of their perfume.''. Con-
sidered as a medicine, cloves are very hot, sti-
mulating aromatics,and post>oss,in an eminent
degree, the general virtues of substances of
this class. No plant, or part of any plant, con-
tains such a quantity of oil as cloves do. From
sixteen ounces, Newman obtained by distilla-
tion, two ounces and two drachms; and lioiT-?
man obtained an ounce and a half of oil from
two ounces of the spice. The oil is specifi-
cally heavier than water. Cloves acquire
weight by imbibing water; and this they will
do at a considerable distance. The Dutch,
who trade in cloves, make a considerable ad-
vantage by knowing- this secret. They sell
them always by weight; and when a bag of
cloves is ordered, they hang it for several
«>iours before it is sent in, over a vessel of water,
fet about two feet distance from the surface.
This will add many pounds to their weight,
which the uu^wary purchaser pa js for on th^

120

spot. Tliis dishonesty rs sorKtliirics practised in
1mumjj»o, as well a»> ui Iho spico Ulaiids: bvit
the degree ol'moiotuie must be more curelully
W'ulclied in the latter; lor there a bu;; of
cloves will ill one ni^ht'ig time, attract so inuch
V ater, that it niay be presi)ed out o! them by
^queez.ing■ them with the hand.

The clove tree is a native of the Molucca
islands, particularly of Amboyna, where it is
principally cultivated It is never propag-ated
in tliuropo. At Amboyna, the Conipany have
allotted to the inhabitants 4Ui;0 parcels of land,
on each of vviiich they were allowed to dwell;
and about the year 1720, compelled to plant
about VZd trees, amounting" in all to yGO,000.
Each of these trees, prodiices ainiually, on an
averag"e, two poonds of cloves; and conse-
quently the collective produce must weigh
more than a njillion. The cultivator is paid
with the species that is constaiitly returned to
the company, and receives some unbleached
cottons, which arc broug^ht from Coromaiidel.

THE PALMETTO TREE.

There are two species of this tree, the most
remarkable of which, is that which is a native
of the West Indies, and warm parts of Ameri-
ca, also of the corresponding" latitudes of Asia
and Africa. — It never rises with a tall stem ;
but when the plants are old, their leaves are
live or six feet long-, and upwards of two feet
broad: these spread open like a fan, ha^-ing*
many folding-s, ^od at the top are deeply di-

130

vided, like the finnfcrs of a hand. This plant
the Americans call fhritck, from the use to
whiclii the leaves are appHed. Mr. Adarason
describes a species of this tree, which grows
iiHturailv at feJeneg-al, whose trunk ri*€s from
tidy to sixty feet in height; from the upper
end of the trunk issnes a bundle of leaves,
^vhid^, in turning- off, form a round head; each
Ic^uf represe^nts a fan, of five or six feet in ex-
pansion,supported by a tail of the sameleng-th.
Some of tlicse trees are loaded with fruit,
which succeed each other uninterriiptedly al-
most the wliole year round. It is said to be
of the bigness of an ordinary melon, but
rotuider. It is enveloped in two skins, as tough
as leather, and as thick as strong- parchment :
AvithJn, the fruit is yellowish, and full of fila-
ments, fastened to three large kernels in the
middle. The negroes are very fond of this
fruit, which, when baked under the ashes, is
said to taste like a quince.

The little palmetto may be easily raised in
this country from seeds brought from Ameri-
ca; but, as the plants are tender, they must
be constantly kept in a bark stove,

THE WHITE FIG, OR PLANTAIN TREE

The delicious figs, which the inhabitants of
Ceylon are so tbnd of seeing grow round
about iheir cottages, are in high estimation
wiHi them. These tigs are not of the same
sort as those that are natives of Portugal, and

131

are cnltirafod m Germany, but differ from
them totally. Of thesethere are above twenty
(iUrerent species, all of which have an a^ree-
:il)k^&weet taste. Tliey differ much, however,
a5v welt in decrees ofiiweetness as in ma«rQi-
t«de. The finit of some are nine inches long",
some six, others a«ain but half that length ;
st the same time, they areas thick as the arm
of a child that is twelve months old. The
s^k'in is vellowthronghoutthe wholesubstance;
the inner part, which partakes more of a mea-
ly, than of a watery nature, is perfectly white.
About lift} of these fig-s, more or less, in pro-
l>ortion as they are of a largeror smaller sort,
i):a.r><^ on one stalk. Tlie tree that bears them
jsi not of a woody nature, but consists rather
of a !;pung-y substance, and must be watered
constantly, and, indeed, the best sort is always
found near spring's. It bears (igs on one stalk
oufV; after which it dies. But in the mean
V. hi[e,thestem produces so many young-shoots,
that you may well afford to give it respite, and
in a 5«iort time, you will have more tigs from
its new offspring. The leaves of this tree
Lave a beautiful appearance, and are of a very
fcoft texture and substance. They are often
above four feet long*, and more than two feet
m breadth, and serve the country people for
plates and dishes at their meals. The inhabit-
ants coHjtider these fig;s as a capital present, as
they are well apprized that the Europeans are
very fond of them. The Rollnwei is very apt
to tail foul oil these ligs, whilst the country
peo|»lc are asleep m ttieir beds ; on which t^o-

132

count the\ arc oliligrcd tog-atlicr tlicm, almost
LhroUjir!i Ujc whoio country, bcCore t!icy are
quite lipe. 'Vhe Iruit, wiien ripe find t(>n(jer,
i:, ii'^ed as a nicdicirse l)y the black doctors, and
is found verv excel lent and eiiicacioiis in many
disorders, 'i'lie blossom is also eatable, and is
fre^{iiently pickled. All parts of this tree are
u>(.'iid : gfood and pleasant wine is made of its
IViiit, and its leaves are put to various Uie^i:

THE MAHOGANY TREE.

Is a native of the warnust parts of AiJioricn,
and <^rows also in tiie ii<l;ind ofCuba. JaH?a!ca,
Hispaniohi, and the l]ahama Islands. It
abonnded fornierly in the low lands of Jamai-
ca ; bnt it is now fontid only oii hiils, and pla-
ces diiiicult of access, Thij trcegTOVvs tail and
slrai.'^'-ht, risin^^- often sixty feet from the s])nr
to the limbs ; and is about lour feet in dian^'ter.
The foliage is a beautiful deep green, and the
appearance made by the vvhole tree is very
eleg-ant. The iiowers are of a reddish or saff-
ron colour, and tiie fiuit of an oval form, about
the size of a turhey's eg"g-. Some of them
have reached to a monstrous size, exceeding"
one hundred feet in heit'ht. In felling- these
trees, the most beautiful partis commonly left
behind. The negro workmen raise a scaffold-
ing of four or five feet from the ground, and
hack up the trunk, which they cut into blocks.
The part UcIo^% extendio^ to the root, is not

133

>iily of lang-erdiameter^but of a closer texture
hiiM the other parts, moiit eleirantly divorsKied
kvith shades or cioudvs, or dotted liUe erritiiie
with spots ; it takes the hi'ifhcst polish, with a
iinf^'ular lustre. This part is only to be coine
it by di^rg-lng- below the spur, to the depth of
two or three feet, and cutting" it through ;
^Inch is so laborious an operation, that few
itteinpt it, except they are cnrious in the choice
)f their wood, or to serve a particular purpose.
File mahog"any ti*ee thrives in most soils ; but
iraries in texture and g-rain, according- to the
:jatijre of the soil. On rocks it is of a smaller
jize, but very hard and weig^hty, and of a
Jose grain, and beautifully shaded ; while the
produce of the low and richer lands is observed
;o be more light and porous, of a paler colour,
mdopen grain ; and that of mixed soils, to
hold a medium between both. This consti-
tutes the difference between the Jamaica wood
and that which is collected from the coast of
Cuba, and the Spanish main: the former is
found M)ostly on rocky eminences ; the latter
is cut in swampy soils near the sea coast. —
rhe superior value of the Jamaica wood, for
beauty of colouring-, firmness, and durability,
may therefore be easily accounted for. This
wood is generally hard, takes a Mne polij^h,
iud is found to answer better tlusin any other
sort, in all kinds of Cabinet ware. It is very
strong timber, and was frequently uscii for
ouildiug, in Jamaica, informer times. It is
iiaid to bo used sometimes in ship buildii>g; a
iaurpose for which it would be remarkably

134

adapted, if not too costly ; beingcvery durable,
capable of resisting g-iin-shots, and buryin<j
the shots without splintering-.

THE CASTOR OIL PLANT

Tmj? plant is anativeof America, and of such
speedy gio vth, that in one year it arrives at
its full heig-ht, which seldonn exceeds twenty
feet. The trunk is rather woodv ; the pith is
larg'e,the leaves broad, and shaped likea hand;
the llower-spike is simple, and thickly set with
yellow blossoms, in the shape of a cone ; the
capsules are triangfular and prici\ly, containing-
three smooth, g-ray, mottled seeds. When the
bunches begin to turn black, they are gather-
ed, dried in the sun, and the seeds picked out.
They are afterwards put up for use, as wanted,
or for exportation.

Castor Oil is obtained either by expression or
by boiiin'T. The Hrst method fs practised in
England : the latter in Jamaica. It is common
lirst to parch the nuts or seeds in an iron pot
over the fire ; but this g-ives the oil a burnt
taste, smell, and colour : it is therefore best
prepared in tlie following- manner : A larg-e
iron pot or boiler is first made ready, and half
filled with water. 'I'he nuts are then beaten,
in parcels, in deep wooden mortars, and after a
quantity is beaten, it is thrown into the iron
vessel. The fire is then lighted, and the li-
quor <rently boiled for two hours, and kept
constantly stirred. About this time, the oil be-

U5

^ins to separate, and swims on the top, mixed
with a white froth, and is skimaied oiT till no
more rises. Tiie skimmings are heated iu a
»mn\\ iron pot, and strained throa<»"h a cloth.
When cold it is put up in jars, or bottles, for
use.

Castor oil, thus made, is clear and well fla-
voured, and, if put into proper bottles, will
keep sweet for years. The expressed castor ail
*oon turns rancid, because the ^ummy and
sour parts of the nut are squeezed out with the
oil. On this account, the preference ispven to
well-prepared oil by boiiing". An english gal-
lon of the seeds yields about two pounds of
oil, wliich is a g-ieat proportion.

About 40 years a<:-o, the planters in America,
imported train oil for lamps, and otlier purpo-
ses about su^ar works. It is, however, now
found» that the castor oil can be procured as
cheap as the fish oil of America ; and it burns
clearer, and has not any offensive smell. This
oil, too, is lit for all the purposes of the pain-
ter, or for the apothecary, in ointments and
plaisters, and as a medicine for many internal
complaints it is hig-bly valuable, and used with
remarkable success. All oils are noxious to
insects, hut the castor oil kills and expels them,
almost immcdiatelv.

136

THE MIMOSA; OR SENSITIVE PLANT.

TfiB Sons'rtive Plants are so oallod. beca^vc
they possess a kind of motion, by which tim*
leaves and stalks are contracted and tall dow.i
upon being- slig-htly touclied, or shaken witli
sa«ie decree of violence.

The contraction of the leaves and branches
of the sensitive plant, when touched, is a very
extraordinary appearance. Different reasons
has been g-iven for it by botanists ; but since
none of them are satibfactory, we shall couteut
ourselves with describingrthis sing-nlar property

It is difficalt to tonch the leaf of a healthy
sensitive plant so delicately that it will not
immediately collapse, the smaller leaves mo-
ving at their base, till they come in contact,
and then applying- themselves close tog-ether.
If the leaf be touclied with a little more force,
the opposite leaf will exhibitthe same appear-
ance. If a little more force be applied, tlia
partial footstalks bend dovs^n towards the com-
mon footstalk, from which they issue, malvin^
v/ithit, a more acute an^cle than before, if the
tQ»nc?» be more violent still, all the leaves situ-
ated < n I lie same i^ide with t!ie one that Iihs
been touched, will instnntly collapse, and the
partial footstalk will approach the corumon
footstalk tx> which it is attaclied, in the same
manner as the partial footstalk of tiie leaf ap-
prou<!heR the stem or branch frofw which it is-
MVCiJ ; .so tliat tljo whole [tUint, frou! having- its
branohti* extended, will immediately aj<poaf
like a wee]jing- birch.

1.37

Winds and heavy rains nnakc the leaves of
the sensitive plant contract and close ; but na
huc\\ effect is produced from slight showers.

At night, or vvhen exposed to much cold in
the day, the leaves meet and close in the same
manner as vvhen touched, folding their upper
jurfaces together, and, in part, overeach other,
like scales or tiles, so as to expose as little as
po:<sil)le of the upper surface to the air. The
opposite sides of the small leaves do not come
do^e together in the night: for, vvhen touched,
they apply themselves closer together. Dr.
Darwin kept a sensitive plant in a dark place
lor sonie hours after day-break : the leaves and
foot-sialks were collapsed as in its most pro-
found sleep ; and, on exposing it to the light,
above twenty minutes passed before it was
expanded.

The leaves onjy of the sensitive plant shut
Xip ill the night, not the branches ; and if it be
touched at this time, the branches are affected
in the same manner as in the da}-, shutting up
or approaching to the stalk of the trunk, in
the same manner, and often with more force-
It is of no consequence what the substance is
with which the plant is touched, it answers
alike to all ; but there may be observed a lit-
tle spot, distinguishable by its paler colour, in
the articulations of its leaves, where the great'
est and nicest sensibility is evidently placed.

The parlsofthe plant which have collapsed.,
afterwards unfold themselves, and return to
their former exj)andcdstate. The time requi-
red lor that purpose varies, according to tie

138

vigrour of the plant, the season of the year, the
hoar of the day, and the state of the atmos-
phere. Sometimes half an hour is requisite,
sometimes only ten minutes. The order in
which the parts recover themselves varies in
like manner; sometimes it is the common foot-
stalk, sometimes the rib to which the leaves
are attached, and sometimes the leaves them-
selves are expanded, before (he other parts
have made any attempt to be re-instated ia
their former position.

THE JAKE TREE.

The Jake Tree, or Saner Sack, is chiefly
found in the island and g-ardens of Ceylon.
The fruit grows on a tolerably large tree, to
the thickness of a stout lusty man, hanging- on
it like a welliituffed sack. It is green, and
divided into a number of partitions ; in
each of which there is a kernel in colour and
taste perfectly resembling the chestnut. The
fruit itself is agreeably sweet, and grows to
the size of a large water-bucket, weighing,
perhaps, twenty poiinds. The Dutch have gi-
ven it the name of ^our sadk^ to signify, that
on account of its great size, it must be sour
isauce for the tree to bear the weight of it, and
the Engli.sh seamen, by a corruption of the
term have called it tour jack.

THE JAKE TREE.

140

THE WILD PINE.

This curious plant is a native of Jamaica,
and is so contrived, by the great Author of na-
ture, as to be of thegreatestuseto the inhabil-
auts of that hot climate, where there is a scar-
city of water; for its leaves are channelled, so
as to catch and convey water down into their
rescrvatories, which reservatories are so made
as to hold much water, and to close at top,
when full, to hinder its evaporation. And in
scarcity of water these reservatories are not
only sufficient for the plants themselves, but
li^fiewise are very useful to men, birds, and in-
sects, which come in troops to them, and sel-
dom g-o away without refreshment. Dampier,
in his Voyage, says," The wild pine is a plant
so called, because it somewhat resembles tiie
bush that bears the pinc^ ; they are commonly
supported, or grow fromsome bunch, knot, or
excre>cence of the tree, where they take root,
and g-row upright. The root is short and
thick, from whence the leaves rise up in folds,
one within another, spreading olf to the top.
They are of a good thick substance, ten or
twelve inches long ; the outside leaves are so
compact, as to contain the rain water, as it
falls; they will hold a pint and a half, or a
quart, and this water refreshes the leaves, and
nourishes the root. When we find these pines
(says ou*" traveller) we stick our knives into
the leaves, just above the roots, and that lets
out the water, which we catch in our hat.?, o'.9
/ have done aiitiy Itmts, to my ^t e-.d lelicj,"

Ml

One contrivance of nature in this veg^etable
very admirable. The seed has many long*
ireads of tomentum, not only that it
lay be carried every where by the wind, but
Iso, that it may, by those threads, when dri-
2n throng-hthe boug'hs,beheld fast, and stick
► the arms, and outstretching- parts of trees.
0 soon as it sprouts, although it be on the
Qder part of a bough, its leaves and stalk rise
erpendicularly, or straight up ; because, if it
ad any other position, the cistern, or reserva-
)ry (before mentioned, by which it is chiefly
ojirished) made of the hollow leaves, could
ot hold water, which is necessary for the
ourishment, and life of the plant. Many
ves, in dearth of water, are preserved by
leans of this plant.

THE WATER WITH.

The Water With is also a native of Jamaica.
, has a trunk as thick as a man's leg", and in
lost respects, resembles the common vine, —
nt what renders it remarkable is, thatgrow-
g on dry hills, in the vvoods, where no water
to be round, its trunk, if cut in pieces, two
• three yards long-, and held by either end to
10 uiouth, att'ords so plentifully, a limpid, in-
>oe)it water, or sap, as tog-ivenew life to the
irsty traveller, or hunter. For tl)e*^e vaiua-
e piopeities, it is very much. celebrated by
e inhabitants of the i>land.

142

A similar plant, discovered in the wood* of
Amboyna, is tlius described by a celebrated
traveller. ** 1 saw in the woods of this island,
a plant, or tree, in substance much like the
body ofour ivy — bare, without sprig* or sprout;
the one end fast in the g-round, the other
fixed to the limb of a great tree. This rope
is of firm, solid wood, without any concavity,
and yet yieldeth excellent, g'ood, fair, and
sweet water, and as fresh as from the foun-
tain ; nor doth it herein admit of any distinc-
tion or difference, unless that it is more deli-
cate. According- to your companies, cut more
or less thereof, distributing- to every one the
quantity oi'tvvo foot, or thereabouts, and they
will have sufficient; for every piece will run
to the value ot a pint, or nearly, and that in an
instant, allbrding- an admirable refreshment to
those that travel those high tmd dry mo\jntains,
as 1 myself did hud by g-ood experience.''

THE PEPPER PLANT.

The chief sorts of pepper are two, the one
round, and the other long*. The round pepper
grows chieHy in some of the Molrcca islands,
and in Java and Sumatra shooting- up high, audi j.
is supported as hops are in Europe. The out-| i(
side of the leaves is of a deep, but the inside
of a more pale, g-reen colour. The fruit hang}
like currants, only the branches are much big*
g-er and longfer. The berries, or pepper-corn;
ULC at first g-reen, but g-row black in colour

146

as they grow ripe, vvliiclj Is kf tlio feummer
mouths. The berries are gnthered ami dried
in the sun, wliich makes the outward shell so
shrivelled. But when this black shejl is taken
off, before it is dried in the sun, it makes ano-
ther sort of pepper, called white pepper;
which is sharper, and also pleasanter of t^iste,
than the black, and often used in India, by
persons of quality, instead of salt, with their
meat. The peeling" of j-his outer black skin is
done when the pepper is over ripe, and after
it has been steeped in salt water ; for, by this
infusion, the outward skin aforesaid, svvells,so
that the white pepper-corns withiii may be
taken out with little or no trouble, which are
afterwards dried ag-ain in the sun. Not only
the berries, which are properly crdled Pepper,
have a fjery, hot taste, but also the leaves, and
the whole growth, have the same virtue.

Besides these plants just mentioned, there
g"rowsin India a sort of long- pepper, called,
by the Indians, pinipikm, which h never used
in meats, but only in medicine, especially in
treacle, and other antidotes ag-ainst poison ;
and this appears to be done not vyitbout great
reason, in consequence of its very great
strength, which single quality makes it sell at
a dearer rate than the other. This pepper
g'»ov\s in great abundance in Bengal, a. id is
transported from thence to Europe. In shjipe,
(except in the fruit) this plant is like untothat
of the round pepper, only it creeps along upon
tli« gTound, or runs up against lower poles
than those of the other pepper. The leaves

144

of it are also more tender than the other, of
a darker green, and have longer stalks.

THE NUTMJEG TREE.

The trees tha4; hear nutmegs are natives of
Ceylon, in the Ea«t Indies; they also grow in
the Indian seas. They are in shape something-
like our pear trees, and have an ash-coloured
bark, with a spongy wood. The flowers, or
blossoms, are yellow, with five leaves, not
nnlike those of cherries ; to these succeed the
fruit, hanging to a stalk. It is sometimes
like a walnut, and the kernel, or nutmeg, is
covered with three coals, the first of which
is fleshy, soft, and juicy; about as thick as a
man's linger, but downy and red, and varie-
gated with yellow, gold colour, and purple
spots, like a peach. When it is ripe, it gapes
spontaneously, and is of an austere tfiste. The
nutmeg is very firm and compact, arid yet is
very easily pounded in a mortar. It is wrin-
kled witliout, and is somewhat of an ash co-
lour, but within is variegated with a whitii-h
yellow and a bay colour, running in veins
without any regularity. Under the first coat,
or cover, there is another covering, like net-
work, or rather divided into several parts,
vvhieh is of an oily clammy consistence, and as
it were cartilaginous, but thin, of an agreeable
aromatic smell, and of an acrid aromatic taste,
w^ith a sort of bitterness. It is of a salfron co-
lour, and is what we call mace. Between tlio

145

clefts of this. lliQre is seen a third coverino^
which is a hard, woody, tliin sht'li. of a duifky
reddish colour, and brittle, and in this the nnt-
meg-is contained. It is soft at first, but <rrow8
dry and hard in time. The taste and sniel! are
too well known to need a description. Nut-
ii)e;2:s abound with essential oil, whicli may be
gained by distillation, and every pound will
yield an ounce: besideswhich, there is another
O'l, vvhich will swim on thesurfnce of the wa-^
ter, and is thick, like suet, but has little virtiie.
Every sixteen ounces of nutmeg- will yield
three ounces and two drachms of oil, by ex-r
pression,of the cons stence of suet, wiiich has
both the smell and taste of the nutmeg*. The
principal use of nutmeg's is as a spice. They
are, however, sometimes used with success to
promote digestion, or to remove llatulency,
and other conjphiints : but the immoderate u>e
of them is very bad, for they will atl'ect the
head, and producesleepy diseases, which have
been found i)y experience in the East Indies tq
cause death.

THE MANNA TREE.

In Calabria and Sicily are two sorts ot ash
trees, on the bougrhs and leaves ot which,
manna is found in the Summer months, unless
prevented by rain. When the weather is dry,
it flows from the trunk and larg-e boughs of
these trees spontaneously, from about the
twentieth of June to the endof Ju^y, and from

146

noon till evening-, in the form of a limpid fluid,
wIjic!) Iianieiis into various gTHmes, and ^rows I
white and dry. Tliey g-ather it the next da)%
sarapin::^ it oO'vvith wooden knires,if the wea-
ther is lair; but if it should chance to rain, the
manna is lost. When July is paSt, they make
inci.sions in the bark of these trees, and from
noon till e vening-, a liquid Hows out, which har-
dens into thick hnnips, which aresometimes very n
lar^^e, and require a day or two to bring- them js
tea proper consistence ; tins is redder than the
former, and is sometimes blackish, on account
of the earth and other filth mixed therewith.

The Calabrian manna is sometimes in grains,
sometimes in tears, and sometimes in small
lujnps; it is briltle and whitish, while fresh,
and somewhat transparent; but in timeg-rows
reddish, and in moist weather turns to the con-
sistence of honey ; it is a* sweetassugar, witU
a kind of acidity. That is the best which
is white or yellowish, light and concreted into
grumes, in the shape of icicles; but that which
is fat, like honey, or blackish and dirty, is not
good ; for sometimes this is counterfeited with
coarse sugar, honey, and a little scammony ;
likewise that which is whit», opaque, solid,
ijeavy, and not in the shape of icicles, is bad,
because it is nothing but sugar and maniia
boiled together. This counterfeit sort may
easily be distinguished from the true, by its
dcnt^ity, weight, opacity and taste.

The virtues of this valuable g*imi are well
known from its various uses in medicine,
which are too numerous to be here inseiied.

147

It is very scarce, on account of tlie diiTicultv of
^ajtherin^- it, and is licld iupreat t^timation,
iK)rt only by the CaliibriiiDs, but by moa civi-
lized naiioii2i.

THE WHITE POPPY.

Opium is tlie juice of the White Poppy, with
which the tields of Asia Minor ara in rrnxny
places sown, as ours are u ith corn. When tha
Leads are ripening", they wor.iid them with an
instrument that has live edg-es, which, on be-
ing" struck into Uie head, makes at once five
lon^ cuts in it ; and from these wounds the
opium flows, and is next day taken Oif by a
person whog-oes round the licld, and put up
in a vessel, which he carries, fastened to hfs
g:irdle At the same time that this opium is
<;oIlected, the opposite side of thepoppy-head
is wounded, And the opium collected fiom it
the next day. They disting-uish, however, the
produce of the lirst wounds from that of the
succeeding- ones ; for the first juice afforded
by the plant is greatly superior to what is ob-
tained afterwards. After they have collected
the opium, they moisten it with a small quan-
tity of water, or honey, and work it a \cn^
time upon a flat, hard, and smooth board, with
a thick and strong- instrununt of the same
wood, till it becomes of the consistence oi"
pitch; and then work it up with their hands,
and form it into cako«, er rolls, for sale, Ojji-
iim is at present in great eiteeni; and isoii^

148

of the most valual)leofall the simple medicines.
The best opium in the worliTis said to come
from Patna, on the river Gauges, where, at
leasttheg:reatesttrafficof it is made, and from
whenceit'is exported allover India ; though in
fcome parts, especially on the Malay coasts, rt is
prohibited under pain^of death, on accoun
of the madness, which is sometimes occasi-
oned by it; notwithstanding" which severe
prohibition, however, it is plentifully smug--
^'led into all those countries. The soil about
the Ganges is accounted the best for produ-
cing the strongest kind of opium ; of wliicji
the following remarkable instance is related. |
"A nabob of these parts, having invited an \
English factory to an entertainment, a young
gentleman, a writer to the Company's service,
sauntering about the garden, plucked a pop-
py, and sucked the head of it. In consequence
of this, he fell into a profound sleep, of which
the nabob being appri.-ed, and likewise in-
formed of the particular bed out of whioh he
had taken the flower, expressed his sorrow;
acquainting his friends at the same time, that
the poison was too strong to admit of any re-
inedy ; which accordingly proved true, and
the unfoFt^jnate gentleman never awoke.''

\

THE MAGNEY, OR MATI TREE.

This tree yields to none in point of utility,
It grows copiously in New Spain, and affords
water, wine, oil, vinegar, honey, syrup, thread,
needles, &c. The inhabitants plant more or

149

Ie.<s of them next to every lionse; it grows jis
vvelli II the fields, providiMl it fias proper alton-
dance aiki care. It has hroad am^ thick U uves,
with isharp points, which serve lor lu^edhv^s :
imd th« point;* beins: torn o<t', there rollowis
out of the leaf, a tongh kind of hair jfit for
sewing-. The brapches are cut oii" when stiii
younc: and tender, and a cavity bein^ le't i«
the tree, aiiqiior comes out like water, frt)sh
and sweet: if boiled, it acquires the quality of
wme ; in leng-thof time it turns to viiieirar,
and if continued lon<,^ei' boiling, arid strained,
it resembles honey ; but if only half-boiled, it
is not unlike a syrup. In short, there are nirie-
teen several services which this tree, thoug-U
but small, yields to the inhabitants. The
leavos serve for covering- their houses, atjd a
iine yarn may be spun out of them for the r
vestments. Out of its roots, stroiig-and thick
ropes are rEade, and it is further remarkable,
that each plant, thougfh small, (beings cut oil"
very young") produces several barrels ofliii nor,
each containing" two Spanish arobes, or about
eig-ht <:allons of our measure.

THE TULIP TREK.

This tree is a native of most parts of Ame-
dca. It rises with a largfe uprig-ht trunk,
branching- Corty or fifty feet hlg-h. flio trunk,
which often attains lo a circumference of th' <y
feet, is covcretl with a g-ray bark. The branch-
es, which arc not very numei-ous; of the two

l50

years old wood, are «rnooth and brown ; while
the bark of the summer's shoots iu smoother
sbipinjr, af»d ol" a bUii:ih colour, Thtjy are
very pithy; their youxiir wood is gTycen, and,
when broken, omits a strong-scent. The leaves
grow irregularly on the branches, on long" foot-
stalks. They are of a particular structure, being-
composed of three lobes, the middlemost of
which is shortened in such a manner that it ap-
pears as if it had been cut off and hollowed at
the middle. The two others are rounded off. —
They are about four or five inches long, and
as many broad ; they are of two colours; their
upper surface is smooth, and of a stronger green
than the lower. They fall off pretty early in
autumn, and the buds for the next year's shoots
soon after begin to swell, and become dilated,
insomuch, that by the end of December, those
attheendsofthe branches will become nearly
an inch long, and half an inch broad. The
flowers are produced in July, at the ends of
the branches ; they somewhat resemble the
tulip, which occasions its being called the
tulip tree. The flowers are succeeded by
large cones, which never ripen in England.

The tulip tree, in those parts of America'
where it g-rows common, affords excellent
timber for many uses; particularly the trunk,
which is frequently hollowed, and mf^de into
a canoe sufficient to carry many people ; rind
for this purpose no tree is thought more pro-
per by the inhabitants of those parts. With
us, it may be stationed among- trees of forty
feet grow til.

151

A remarkably fine tree of the above de-.
scription is now in a flounsbin^ state at Wal-
tham Abbey, in Essex, and is mncli resorted
lo by curious visitants, during- the time it is in
blossom.

THE WHITE CEDAR. OR JUNIPER TAER.

This tree g-rows in the swamps and other
parts of America, and vvht)n left to g"row up,
is as tall and thick as the larg-est Mr-trees ;
they preserve tlieir g-reen leaves both in win-
ter and summer, and the tall ones have no
branches on the lower part of the stem.

The white juniper, or cedar, as it is called
by many, is one of the trees which most re-
sist putrefaction. When it is made use of above
ground, it will last long-er than underground,
therefore it is employed for many purposes : it
makes good fences, and posts which are to be
put into the ground. It likewise makes good
canoes. The young- trees are made use of for
hoops, round barrels, tuns, &c. because they
are thin and pliable; the thick and tall trees
afford timber and wood for coopers' work. — -
The houses which are built of it surpass, in
duration, those which are built of American
oak. This tree aflords the best kind of shing-les,
which are preferred to all others for several
reasons. First, they are more duiable than
any others made of American wood, (the red
species of this tree excepted.) Secondly, they
are very lig^ht; so that no strong beam^j arere^

152

qni.^ite to support the roof. For the same rea-
s(i!», it is miiiecessary to build thick walls, be-
«Miise they are not pressed by heavy roots. —
When tires break out, it is less dang-erous to
go under, or along- the roofs, because the
shindies, beiryg- very ii^ht, can do little hurt
by taliiijji: ; and they suck the water, being-
soniKwhat .spongy, so that the roofs can be
easily wetted in ca:^e of (ire, and their latness
prevents the water from injuriiig" them, by its
S|>eedy evaporation. When they burn and are
carried about with the wind, they have com-
monly whut is called a dead coal, which does
not eaivjiy set fire where it ali^'hts. The roofs
njade of these shingles- can easily be cut
Ihsou^h, if required, because they are thin,
suid not very hard ; for these qualities, the
peopic in the country, and in the towns, are
very desirous of having- their houses covered
w'yib white cedar shirij^les, if the wood can be
v:ol. Tijcrciore, all churches, and the houses
of t'tie rnurfc substantial inhabitants of the
lowiis, have ahii^<_;le roofs, in many of the
provinces of New York, (where the white
cedar does nol ,i;;row) the inhabitants have
their liouscjij rooUni with it, and for this pur-
pose, great quanliiies of shin'j'-les are annually
«.\poried fioui many parU of New Jersey, to
the town ol New i'oik. Worn whence they
iire (tisli iimed throu<4MOul the whole province.
A ijouiiniv of ihib wood is likewise exported
ewfs yuv to the \Ve.>t Indies, for srhii)«fles.

All Uit! juhabituuis are of opinion, that the

153

water in tbecedarswamps.is wholcsomer than
any other drink ; it creates a great appetite,
which they end2avoiirto prove bymany exanfi-
pies. They ascribe this quality to the water
itself, which is filled with the rosin of the
trees, and to the exhalations which come from
the trees, and can easily be smelled. They
likewise affirm that this water is always very
cold, in the hottest seasons ; this may be partly
owing- to the continual shade it is in, and
many people go to these cedar swamps, and
use the waters for the recovery of their appetite^

THE RED JUNIPER, OR CEDAR TREE.

This tree is also frequently found in Ame-
rica, Canada, and other parts. It is so called
from its wood bein^ very fihe and red within.
The Swedes call it red juniper; the English,
red cedar. At its first growth, it bears great
similarity to the white cedar tree before de-
scribed; but after itis grown up, it gets quite
diiferent leaves. The berries exactly resemble
that of the white, both in colour and shape,
but are not so big, though the red grows very
tall. They are likewise found on the same
ground as the others ; sometimes they are stand-
ing together in clusters, especially on the ri-
sing banks of rivers, and are sometimes met
with on poor, dry, and sandy heaths. Towards
Canada, they are seen on the steep sides of the
mountains, where they grow promiscuonsly
with the common juniper. Of all the woods

in America, this is, without exception, tho
u

154

most durable, and it is therefore made use of m
all cases wliere other timber rots. Some peo-
ple say, tliat jl iron be put into the ground
aloii^ wiih a pole of cedar, the iron would be
hall c9rrod(^d by rust, in the same time that
she wood would be rotten, it is, like the white
eedar, made use of for shingles, canoes, yachts,
and various other purposes. The heart of this
tree is of a very line red colour, and whatever
is made of it looks very line, and has a very
agreeable and wholesome smell ; but the eo-
iour fades oy degrees, otherwise the wood
would be more frequently made use of by ca-
binetmakers. Its very pleasant smell, parti-
cularly when fresh, iuuuces many people to
put the shavings and chips of it among their
linen, to i»ecureit against being worm-eaten,
and from many noxioNS insects. Many also get
desks, &c. made of it, with the same view ;
but it is only useful for this purpose as long as
it is fresh, for it loses its smell after sometime,
and is then no longer good for keepii»g oH' in-
sects. '1 he seats of the gentry, in many parts
of Philadelphia, have frequently an avenue,
with a row of these trees planted on both sides,
leading from the high road to their houses,
which has a very grand effect. 'Ihe lower
branches are generally cut, and only a fine
crown ielt, which in winter, when most other
trees have lost their leaves, adds greatly to
their Lt-auiy, and ruakes them look very fine.
'J'tiis tree is ot very siovv^ growth, and isprupa-
jfc? itted eliieily by biiJs, which eat the berries,
ai>a void me seeds entire.

155

FLAX.

In n (Jescriplion of those plants, which.by the
g-ooilricss olan all bouutifnl Providence, sup-
ply food, clothing and medicine, to man, every
thing- in short, which is necessary for health
and enjoyment, it would be improper to omit
the Flax. It is true but little can be said upon
the appearance of a production, which "-rows
in moai parts of the king-dom, which shall be
now to the young- reader; but there are few,
perhaps, so well acquainted with its hi#tory
and usefulness,as to know all the different pur-
poses to which it is applied. In its first stage,
it gives employment to the husbandman ; it
next aftords a profitable employment to his
AVife and female children, and afterwards to
the manufacturer and the merchant ; it is pe-
culiarly the manufacture of Ireland, procuring-
for u'*, in exchange, the produce of otiier coun-
Irie.x, and at last, when it has been worn to
shreds, and is no longer fit lor clothing, the
\e\'y raii-s are converted into the paper on which
we write. The seeds, w4ien pressed in a mill,
yield linseed oil, so much used by painters,
and the refuse forms what are called oil cakes^
with which cattle are fattened.

Flax is an annual plant, rising on a single
st-tlU to a moderate heig-ht.aud crowned with
hand-ome bine Howers, succeeded by globu-
lar seed-vessels: it is cultivated more or less ifi
most of the countries in Europe, and succeeds
best in astrong loamy soil with a g-ood deal
ol^ moisture •, it is suffered to grow till Uie seeds

156

are ripe, ami is Wen plucked up by the hand,
laid in little bundles to dry, deprived of its
seed vessels, and then put into pits of water to
rot ; the purpose of this part ot the process is
to (lissoive a gummy matter which holds the
Hbres to^j^ether ; it is the most disa^ree&hio
thing" beion^riDg" to the managfement of the
Flax, since the smell arising^ from itwhire rot-
ting, is extremely offeosive, and prej«dicial to
tfcie health, and the infected water always kitU
the dsh xrfiich swim in it. Indeed it is much
to be wished, that some other mode of loose-
ningf the fibres from the other parts of the
stalk, wore invented. It should be remembered,
however, that the steeping- of Flax in running-
water, is far more dang^erous than the way
above mentioned ; tlie smell which rises from
the Flax lefl to steep in stanrnant pools, suHi-
ciently indicates how much the water is alfect-
ed by it ; how dang^erous then mustit be to
soak the bundles in a stream or rivulet, which
carries o(f the noxious parts, and mix js them
with the water which is to be used for drink-
ing". When the Flax has lain long- enough, it
is taken out, washed, dried, then beaten with
mallets, combed, and by various other opera-
tions so prepared, that the long* fibres are g^ot
by themselves, clean and loose, in which state,
they are shining-, soft to the touch, and yet
strong- : it is this which the manufacturers call
Flax ; the shorter and coarser fibres, separated
by the comb, dre called toV. The staple of
Flax Is fong-er or shorter, coarser or finer, ac-
corUiQg to the soil in which it is g^rown^ and

157

the methods used in dressing" it, The opera»
tfon or«pinnin«r. which it next undert^-oes,
nrisist* in dtawiny out with the finders save-
r il of the fibres log^elher, and twisting- ihemi
Ulis wai orijrinally done by means of a dfstafl*,
on wliich the flax was fastened, and which
>vas «tijck in the girdle, while oneshand of the
E )inner was employed in drawing out and
twisting- the thread, and the other in winding-
it npon a reed or spmdle ; but this nwthod
l«as lono: g^iven way to the use of a simple ma-
chine, (called a spinning: wheel,) in which the
lwi>tingand winding ore performed by means
of a wheel turned by i treadle. Of late, aUo,
fi double wheel has been used, which gives
i^mploymenl to both hands, enabling^ the spin-
ijt*r 1o draw out two threads instead of one^
and thus increasing the pro6t. Spinning hAs
been a part of the domestic occupation of wo-
men from the earliest ages, and notwithstand-
ing Che modern use of compound mach'nery*
Vi^ spinning of Flax is usually performed by
tbem at hom^ in the old way ; the spinning
wlieel is a pleasing object in cottage scenery,
and it is desirable that some employment
should be reserved in a simple state, which
may fill up the vacant hours of rural life, and
offer some reward to humble industry. The
product of spinning is thread, which is more
or less fine according to tli*^ dexterity of the
spinner and the nature of the material, Some
thread, closer twi.Ued than the rest, is kept for
iM-edle-work ; but the greater part is madejip
in bundles, called |iueo yurpt aod comniiltted
to the weaver.

158

To perform Oie procos of wcarin^r, tbe
threads wfiicli form tl)c IcMig-tlj of a piece of
cloth are first clii5po>ed m order, and f^trainoiJ
by weights to a proper tightnei:**, and tliis i»
caUed the warp,

Theso threads are divided by an instrument,
called a reed, into two sets, each conlpo^ed of
every alterriatothread,and while, by the work-
ing" of a treadle each 8et is alternately throAvu
up and down, the cross lhre;»di>, called the
woof or we!t, are inserted between them, by
means of a little instrumentsharpat both ends,
called a shnttle, which is briskly shot from
one of the weaver's hfUK'.s to the other, nnd
carries the thread with it; this is thes'!rnple>t
kind of weaviniT- But numberless ace tha ad-
ditional contrivances made for all the cnrjouK
works wrouf^fht in the loom, which have been
the objectsof human intrcnnily for many a;tres»

The linen fabrics are of all deg-pees of
fineness, from coarse sheeting" to cambric,
almost emulating" a spider's web. I'hey are
broiiii^ht to thatextreme whiteness, whicij we
so mfich admire, by the process of bleacliing;
this consists in their exposure to llie action of
the sun ajul air, with frequent watering, and
olten vilh the helj) of some acid liquor, which
(juickens the operation, but is af>t to injure
the cloth, if not applied with grent caution. —
'1 he value that can be given to a raw material
by manufacturing-, is, in U \\ instances, n'o'e
strikingly exen)j;liJj('d than in the conv.r^ifij
of Flav, which misfit have been bought lor a
lew pence, into Point or Brusfcula luce, boiiu

m

t)f which sells for several guineas a yhrd. In-
deed if yon look at a plant ef FIhx g^rowinji^,
and then at the linen of your shirt, yo" cannot
fail to be struck with admiration »f human
skiil and industry.

Linen is one of the comforts of civilized life.
It is cooler and more cleanly than any other
wearing- material, as it is free from downiness,
and presents a smooth surface.

We therefore prefer linen for our under
garment, but it would be too cold for our cli-
mate, did we not cov^r it with others of a
warmer nature.

When Linen is so much worn as to be no
lender fit for clothing ; when it has passed
from one poor person to another, till at length
it has dropped in tatters, it by no mean* cea-,
ses to be useful. Every good housewife should
have a bfcof expressly for keepifig" old rags iii ;
they will be bought from her, by the rag ga-
4herer, who sells them aga'n at the paper
mills, when<they are converted into that beau-
tiful and valuable substance called paper.

The paper maker gives them first to women
t© sort, according to their different degrees of
fineness, who also cArefullycut out the seunis,
which they throw into a basket for other pur-
poses; they then put them into the dusting
engine, a large,circularwire sieve, from which
they receive some degiree of cleaning.

The rags are ne^t conveyed into a large
trough, or cistern, into wfcich a stream ol cleac
spring water is constantly flowing, In this n^-
lern is placed a cylinder about two feet long,

160

set thickly round with rows of iron spikes,
standing as near as they can to one another
without touching : at the bottom of the trough
are corresponding rows of spikes. The cylin-
der is made to whirl round with inconceivable
rapidity, and thus these iron teeth tear the
cloth in every possible direction ; till by the
assistance of the water/ which continually
flows through the cistern, it is reduced to a
fine pulp ; and by the same process all its im-
purities are cleansed away, and it is restored
to its original whiteness. This process takes
about six hours.

This fine pulp they next put into a copper,
of warm water. It is already the substance of
paper, and the form must now be given to it :
fpr this purpose, they use a mould made of
wire, strong one way, and crossed with finer.
This mould they just dip horizontally into the
copper, and take it out again. It has a little
wooden frame On the edge, by means of which
it retains as much of the pulp as is waoted for
the thickness of a sheet, and the snperlluity
runs off through the interstices of the wires.

Another workman receives it, opens the
frame, and turns out the thin sheet (which has
no'w shape, but not consistence) upon soft felt
placed upon the ground ready to receive it : on
tfmt are placed, another piece of felt, and then
another Jshect of paper, and so on till they
have made a pile of forty or fifty. They are
then pressed with a large screwrpress, which,
forcibly s<^ueezing the water eut, immediately
|;;^ives them consistence.

lOl

Much, however, 8till remains to be done.—
The fells are remoTt'd, and the paper dexter-
ously taken up with an instrument in the form
of a T, three sheets at a time, and hung" on
liufs to dry. Alter hang^ing" a week or ten
6u\s, any knotsor roughness it may still have,
are c.arefnlly picked ott', and it is then sized.

Size is a kind of glue, made from the skfns
of animals, and without the application of this
fuhstance, the paper would not bear ink, but
would run and blot, as is the case on common
red paper. The sheets are then hung up to
dry, and when dry, taken to the finishing room,
where they are examined again, pressed in dry
presHOs, (which give them their gloss and
bmoothne^s,) counted into reams, and sent to
the stationer ; from whom we have it, after
}}& ha*< again folded it, and cut the edges. The
whole process of making paper takes about
three weeks* '

HEMP.

Hemp is a much taller and stronger plant
tlinn flax. It has a square rough stalk, rising
to the height of five or six feet, and sending off
l^ranches. Like flax, it is an annual plant,
produced from seed. It thrives best in a rich
moist soil, especially on the banks of rivers,
Slid it prefers the temperate climates to the
hot. When come to maturity, it is plucked
up, and made to rot like Jlax. It^ fibrous part
consists in the bark surrounding the main stalky

1G2

within wliic.liiK a fiurcl woody pnrt, of no me.
It IS therefore necessary, either to tlrip oil the
bark, or, by hard l)eat!!t;.,^, to convert the nnter
riiiilter to a dnst, whieh may ily awoy. The
bcatin;;rof Mernp with beetles, is a vtTV h*-
borions employment; and is .Nometirnes a pu-
nisfiment t'or idle and t/ad people, who arc
conlined in prison for small crimes. Hemp
uiderg-oes the same g"eneral preparation as
llax, before it is coniii^'-ned to t!ie weaver;
but, bein^ cff a stron;j:er anci coarser texttire. it
is difficult "to g^el the line (ibros separate from
the rest. Hence it 's commonly en)j>!oyed in
.the more homely ma nuractiirer-, amJ hempen
cloth is seldo'Vi mruie finer thnn to .serve lor
sheeting, and thirts, for the poorer clasves. It
is the principal material orsail-ciolh, a labiic,
the stren«"th of which i- required to be propor-
tional to the violence it has to lUKier^o from
storms and tempests. Hc^ni]) is rendered s-till
more important to navi<»-alion, from its n.se in
making cordai^e. For this pnr|-)ose,it is taken
nearly in a raw state, and twisted tirst into
coarse twine, which is afterwards united to
make rope; and several ropes twisted to«^e-
ther form a cable, of strength and thickness
sufflcient to bold thelarg:est man of war at her
anchors. The consumption of hemp, in a ma-
ritime nation like this, i* prodigious ; on which
account, vast stores of it are constantly laid up
in our naval arsenals.

Suppose, (says an ingenioiis autlior. who
lias described the hemp and flax plants
wl)ich he ranks together,) suppose you
were a Chinese, should you not feel

163

the g^reatest astonishment, were I lo inform
von that our Europe produces a little plant,
whose fruit is an excellent Douristinient to se-
veral birds, affords a kind of bread, good to
fatten large cattle, and produces an oil tlial il-
luminates innumerable families in the ni^^it ,
that, instead of the men, the European women
generally work off' the bark of this plant, and
iuiannfacture it into those spreadiDg sails, by
the aid of wljich, our ships transport their
merchandize to tl>e remotest part of the world,
and convey to us whatever we want ; that
the same bark is worked into cables, strong-
enough to bear the weight and force of an-
chors.; and that ropes, tpack-thread and girths
are likewise made of its materials: that all
these are of con^staut and universal use, in na-
vigation, commerce, luisbandry, and domestic
iillairs ; that with this very bark, houses are
made to shelter OUT soldiers^ that it likewise
aifords us the iines^t ornaments for our tables;
that we also form it into a4ress, which accom-
n)odates us day and night, and contributes as
juuch to the health of our bodies as the bath
itself, to which it now succeeds, and from the
trouble and preparation of which it entirely
discharges us. In a word, that this bark, ac-
cording to the different forms given it by
Europeans, becomes the most ornamental habit
for kings, and furnishes the husbandman and
shepherd with a decent attire, at a very incon-
siderable expense. These, however,' are the
i)eofefils we receive from these plants.

164

THE YAM.

This is a large bulbous root, like the polato,
but of a much ^res^terstze, the common weight
being two or three pounds, and some have
been found not less than forty- tive pounds. It
grows upon a long trailftig stalk, which
{spreads or extendi along the ground a great
way, is jointed in some measure like a cane,
and, at the joints, strikes roots into the earth.
These roots are at first fibrous, and Very thin
and small,but as they fasten themselves into the
soil, we soon perceive them to enlarge and to
produce the yam. They are propagated very
much like a potato, by cutting the root into
pieces ; but care must be taken, as in the po-
tato, to preserve an eye in each. The skin is
thick and rough, of a violet colour, but sq
dark as to appear almost black; but the inside
is perfectly white, firm and mealy as that of
the potato, but much firmer and closer in the
texture. Tiiis mealiness does not shew ilsolf
at first, but appears upon boiling or being
roasted, when it becomes dry and exceedingly
nourishing, and much, to be preferred to any
similar sqbstauce in common u.se. It is there-
tore never eaten raw^ but it may be prepared
even by being cut into slices and exposed to
^he sun.

MAIZE, OR THE INDIAN CORN.

This grain grows upon strong upright stalks,
much taller than those of any European corn.
Tlie h'Ghd or ear is also much larger than that

105

of our wht at or barley, beings jieven or e'^j^ht
inches lon«rc_iiH<i nearly un Inch and a half
thick. There are frcnerally upon it, ei*rht rows
of^ rains, very rejjnlarly disposed, and in each of
th( se row s, about thirty ^fniins, every one of
which is larj.'^er than two of the linest wheal.
The {stalk of the maize is jointed like the sug-ar-
cane, and contains a juice, from vvhi<'h aj«iiop,
like that of su^far, is rnat'e. It is planted in
rows. distant fioni each other every way, tWD
or three feet: the seed is put into holes
where the rovvsicrojseach other ; two or thri e
or more g:rains into each, lest some should fall
or be carried off by birds. If one of the jL'-rains
succeed, it is sufficient. As it g-rows up, the
earth \$ heaped about it to furnish it with nou-
rishment ; and when this has been twice done,
the plant is lelt toitstlf. Yv'iien reaped, it ou^ltt
to be threshed, well dried, then covered up
in pits, with hay, dry ^Tass, &:c. Thi-> grain is
of very general u.^^e, and is prepared in many
ways ; but, being ol it>elf very dry.itis mo^(^y,
Avhen ground into liour, mixed with other sub-
stances^ as rice.

THE MOVING PLANT.

This singular plant is a native of Bengal in
the Kast Indies — The stem is round, smooth,
and branching ; the leaves grow three toge-
ther on the same leaf-stalk, and consist of two
jmall ones, with a third of considt^rable size
in the micidle, w hich is long and tapering to

16C

a point ; the flowers are of the same shape as
tho.-^e of the sweet pe^, and^row in clusteis at
the end of tl»e stalk.

'i he mostextraordinary circumstance in the
history ol this plant, is the ino4,iofl which is
cointdJinlly kept up among- its leaves. — It is
priucipaily, however, observed in the side
leaves. Oiie of these \Till be frequently ai^i-
tjted , wliile its opposite coiTipaiiion remains
ptrfecily quiet; sorjie will move but little,
while otiiers are almost turned round. In llie
dy\ t, me, the inldulc leaf is stretched out in a
ho'izout::! direction; but at ni^lit it droops,
aiui lies close to the brauch'es. When it is in
tu!i \ in^oiir, all th».' leaves are in motion at th«
fcanie lime ; but iu cdIhcos, where it does not
enjoy the .»auie ad vai»ta;^esof soil and air, the
luotion is CO. 1 lined, &3 w6 have mentioned, to
the side leaves.

The cjiu^io of this e:^traordinary prof>erty,
still rernait s to be discovered. It seems ne-
ccs.'^ary to the very existence of the plant,
since the leaves are alwa\sin the^rreatest nyfi-
tatioi] uheii the phmtis in full bloom, and this
isobrerved to diminish in proportion as it
d;oo[)s or becomes sickly. That the air does
not cause it by .strikiufr ag-ainst the branches,
and tlius communicating- a movement to the
leaves, as is .-een in the aspen tree, is evident
Ironi thi* circunjslance, that t'.ie plant cotJti-
liUts to move, whether exposed to the open
nif.or shut up from its iniiuence, in llie green-
house.

The power which actuates this plant is not

167

e-Rsily destroyt'cl, from whatever cause it m^^y
{>n)cee(l : since tlio l»»avt'S of a branch, which
li;«s been separMled froni the pnrunt stern, will
coiifiniie tonjove for some da^^s, provided it
be kept ill waltT.

THE TOBACCO PLANT.

Tm« pbnt was first discovered in America,
by Ihe Spaniards, ^.bout the year I/iOO, and by
(hi in iiDporUfi in.to I'jHrop«\ It had been used
f>y tlie inhabitants of Amcrici ion^ before. It
was sci.'l i ito Spnin from Tfiboco, a provirice
of Vuciit.ijj, where it waslirjit discovered, and
Ui-iii w^itnce it lakes its common name. Sir
Walter Ridei^^'h is generally .vaid to have been
the first tljat iiitrodiiced it in Eng-land, about
liie year 1585, and tauirht his countrymen
|)i)w to snio^^e it.

There are two species of this plant, which
are cultivated for common y\>Q, and which are
di>tinjirnished by the names of Ormioko, and
nwri't scented tobacco. They differ from each
ot]»er only in the fig-iire of their leaves; tho>e
o! the former beings longer and narrower than
the latter. They are tall, herbaceous plants,
^ro\^ i rig' erect, with tine foliage, and rising-,
with a strong stem, from six to nine feet high,
't he stem and branches are terminated by
lirire imnclies of llowers, collected into cln.-<-
ler* ota <leiicate red; the edges, when full
blown, iiio.lining to a pale purple. They con-
iiuuc ui iuccti::diua till liie end of the ^uauu^r

168

hen they aresuccet'ded by seeds of a brown
(lour, and kidney-shaped. ri»e*e are vt-ry
iiall, tarticnp^ule containing: ahout one (hou-
nd; and the wliole produce of a ^in;^le phmt,
reckoned at about three hundred and Inly
l0U^and.

Tobacco is an annual plant, and tho'«e vho
itend to cnltixate it outfit to be as careful as
3ssible in the choice ol the seeds; in which,
ovvever, with all tlieir care, they may he
)n»etiines deceived. The s< eds are to be
Dwn about the middle of, April, or ralhi r
)oner, in a forward season, in a warm, kindly,
ch soil, that is not subject to l.e over-nyi
k'ith weeds. The southern declivity of a hill,
r a s<pot sheltered from the north winds, is
he best for tobacco ; but, at the same time,
he plants must enjoy a free air ; for without
hat, they will not prosper.

Tobacco is subject to be destroyed by a
vorm, and, without proper care to exterminate
his enemy, a whole field of plants may soon
)e lost. 1 his animal is of Ihe horned species,
md appears to be peculiar to the Tobacco
^\m\\, so that, in many parts of America, it is
libting^uished by the name of the tobacco
kvorm : it is produced from an €g:g, but is not
liscernible, till the plants have attained about
naif their height, when it appears to be near-
ly as large as agnat. Soon alter this, itlength-
:ns into a worm, and by degrees jncrea:*es to
the bigness of a man's finger. Its body is
marked by a number of rings nearly a quarter
}f an inch abuuder^ and baving^ at each a pair

169

of feet or claws, by wbicli it fai^ten.s itself to
the pknt. Its mouth, like that of the catterr
pillar, is placed iirioer the fore-part of the
bead, in the situation most favourable forg^navv-
ing the leaves. Oji the top of the head, ber
tween the eyes, grows a horn, about half aa
inch long, extremely firm and sharp pointed.
These worms are found in great numbers in
July and.Augu^t, at which time, if a wound
is discovered, the leaf must be carefully
searched for the cause of it ; it is easily crush-
ed, being to appearance, only a collection of
green juice, but the be, t method is to pull it
away by the horn, before it is destroyed.

Among all the productions of foreign climes,
introduced into these kingdoms, scarcely any
has been held in higher estimation, by persons
of every rank, than tobacco. In the countries
of which it is a native, it is considered by the
Indians as the most valuable oft'ering that chh
be made to the beings they worship. They
use it in all their civil and religions ceremonies.
When once the spiral wreaths of its smoke »s-
cend from the feathered pipe of peace, the
compact that has been just made, is considered
so sacred and inviolable, that few instnuces
have occurred in which it has been violated.

Tobacco is made up into rolls by the inha-
bitants of the interior parts of Aiuerca« ly
means of a machine, called a tvbitcHt iffitvl.
With this machine, they spin Ibe leavers, after
they are cured, into a twist of any sitfur they
think lit: and having folded it into rolls, ol
about twenty pounds each, they lay it by tor

no

Use. In this state it will lieep for several
veurs, and be continually improving-, as it al-
ways gi\3\v8 4nil(Jer. The lUinoig usually form
it into carrots; which is done by laying* a
nnmber of leaves, when ccyed, on each other,
after the ribs have been taken out, and roUing"
them round with packthread, till they become
cemented togpether. These rolls commonly
ineaj^ure about eig-hteen or twenty inches in
length, and nine round in the middle part.

Tobacco has been used as a medicine, thoug-h
it is always applied with caution, on account of
i\\e great violence with which it &cts on the
system. Its more common use, however, is to
supply an artificial want, whi-ch the force of
i*;abit in some people, has rendered it almost
impossiWe to resist, although it may be ques-
tioned, whether in the state of snutt", or pre-*
pared for chew in^f or smokin*r, it be not al-
ways (unless used medicinally) productive of
illeflectsto the constitution. The Indians,
po son their arrows with the oil of tobacco,
which infused into a fresh wound, occasions
sickness, convulsions and death: with what
safety, there lore, may the fine powder of the
s»me phsni be applied to the internal tender
KiirCrife ot the iio>e, which is endured with
exquisite feelinj^, and from the delicacy of its
structure is exceedingly liable to injury.

fiv the imrt>oueratt use of snuff, the organs
ofsnieirmjjT ire rendered callous and insensible,
and therefore unable to [>erform their functions.
To this \>h(\ effect, may be added the stupify-
itig quiiliiy of tobacco, by whicli, not only

171

the brain and nerves are injnrerl, but nlno the
siirht; whilst, from the force with which sniifV
is iisuullv drawn up the nose, its passage be-
rometi obstructed, and the voice loses its
i;I<'arr)ess arjd distinct articulation.

Besidc's those pernicious qualities, snuff often
descends involuntarily into the stomach, cre-
.r.tiritr iiauaea, los>. ol appetite, and vonnitin;:?.
The only advantage indeed of taking snuff, is
that of sneezing, which in sluggish habits,
will give a powerful concu^sion to the body,
and promote, for the moment, a more free
•circulation of the blood. But of this benefit,
^^M^l-takers are deprived, from being familiar
vvi(h its me.

It has been said, thnt tobacco, when chew-
ed, >8 a pres^^rvation ag-ainst hunger, but this
is a vulgnr error, for it may, more properly be
said to destroy appetite. by promoting thedis-
chargeof that lluid. which is essential to tlie
f.roper digestion of our food, in smoking, al-
s^>, the fumes of tobacco induce a kind of in-
s-ensibility not easily described. It is produc-
tive, however, of many disorders of the head
and stomach, particularly the last, as may be
observed in the erj'ect it has on a person who
tries it for the (jr>t time.

To conclude, let us remark, in the words o
a j'uiicious author, the loss both of time and
ni(>n(\v orca-.i(»!iC(l by aw Indulgence in tliij
iu^eier's and iiurtfu! propensity. ** Every pro-
frsj.ed and incurable snulV taker, at a moderate
«'al( iiliii «n takes ono pinch in t(-n niinutes.—
t^verv pinch with the disugreeable ceremoa;;

of blowing and wiping the nose, and oUier
incidental circumslariGes, consumes a minute
and a half. One minute and a half out of
every ten, allowin*- sixteen hours to a fnuH"-
taking" day, amounts to two hour> and twenty-
fottr minutes out of every day of twenty-four
hours, or to one day out of ten ; and one day
out of every ten, will cimount to thirty-six
and a half days in the year, or to seven year*
of wasted time, out of that short life which is
allowed us for far other purposes. Compute
now theexpence, and it will be fotmd Ihai
I his luxury encroaches as much on the incomio
of the snuff taker, as it does on his time, and,
Ihatthe time and money thus lost, would have
L nabled the tradesman to enjoy many real
comforts in his family, and perhaps to save up 4
little store, against a time of ^ickue»5 Of dt$^
ress.'

THE TAtU8NJERT4.

This plant consists of a small root, with a
lew long- leaves rising" from it, and in themicfct
of tliem, one sing^le flower, in some deg^ree r©^
;emblin^astalk of two or three feet in length,
tjut-^o weak, that it is by no nu-aris able to
jiipport itself erect. On the top of each stalk
s a bunch of jessamine. It appears lo l>e tho
purpose of nature, and it is ab^ohltely neces-
jary to the well-being of the plnnt, (hat every
part of ii should be under water, except Just
Ifio flower at the top of each j»talk. liul Ihoe
[lowers must be always kept above the water;

173

and tliebertt oftliesiinis reqtiisite totheopen-
in;^^ ot the St eds coiituiiicMi in a cup at the base
ol Ihein. Now the Uhone, wherein thi» plant
i^rovvs in «»reat abundance, is a river of very
uncertain depth, and that in |)Iace.H very near
One another. If the seeds, of this plant, or thci
fcide-shoots from the root, produce new one*
ftt dirterenl depths, liow is the flower to be
carried to the lop, and onlyjnst to the top, of
the water in each i Tlie Rhone is also, of ail
rivers, the mo^t apt to be swelled by sudden
tloods ; in this case, how is the plant that was
just flowering" in its proper maiuier, at four
IV'Ct depth, to be kept in the necessary state
of having the flower above water, when the
depth is increased to six i Or how is it to be
kept from fallin^jj^ on the surface of the water,
and rotting, when the depth decreases, and
leaves a foot or two of a naked stalk, which i*
luiaoie to support itself / All this is provided
for by liaiure, or rathor by God the Creator,
who, with apparent wisdom and intention, has
nmde the stalk which supports the flower of
this plant of such a form and texture, that at
ull limes, it suits itself to the depth of the wa-
ter it is in ; for the stalks are notstraig-ht, but
twisted in a spiral form, in the manner of a
cork-screw, or rather in the manner of those
spring's of wire, which we see made by wrap-
pings the wire round a small stick. By this for-
ni.ition, the stalks of this plant have a power of
extending- or contracting" themselves in leiig^tb,
and this so suddenly, that let tha rit^e or fali
bj over ^o quic'*, and the variation in Ihe depth.

174

verso great, theleng-theninp: or sViorteni^n2r of
lestalhs accompanies it. 'I'Ims the f^o\v(^r oC
le Valitfueria (for so this sing-ular vo^^etable
i called) iskept justat the surface of tfic wri-
ter, be the depth what it will, or the chanties
1 depth ever so sudden. By this means, the
iin has power to ripen the flower, till the
eedg are scattered on the surface of the water
[) perfect ripeness, where they iloat a litll^
vhile; but when thoroug-hly wetted, sink and
ake root at the bottom. To prove to ocular
lemonstration, what is said of this plant, seve-
al of them have been put into vessels of wa-
er. some of them with stalks so long", that
►ne half of them was above the surface of the
vater; others with them so short, that they
vere immersed several inches under it ; but \n
I few hours they had each adapted the length
>f their stalks to the depth, and the fiower of
jvery one was floating- just on the surlace.

VENUS'S FLY TRAP.

This is a newly discovered sensitive plant.
We haveslready mentioned that the mimosa?
arsensitivc plants, close their leaves, and bend
their joints, upon the least touch. This is as-
tonishing;but no end or design of nature ha^ yet
appeared from these surprising motions: tliey
soon recover themselves again,and their leaves
are expanded as before. But the plant we are
now going to describe, shews that nature may

175 .

have some view towards its notirishment, in*
forming- the upper joint of its leaf, like a ma-
chine to catch food. Upon the middle of this,
lies the bait for the insect that becomes its
prey. Many minute red glands, that cover
its inner surface, and which discharge some
sweet liquor, tempt the poor animal to taste
them ; and tlte instant these tender plants are
irritated by its feet, the two lobes rise up,
grasp it fast, lock the two rows of spines to-
gether, and squeeze it to death. And further,
lest the strong ertorts for life, in the creature
just taken, should serve to disengage it, three
small erect spines are fixed near the middle of
each lobe among the glands, that effectually
put an end to aU its struggles. Nor do the
lobes ever open again, while the dead animal
continues there. The plant however does not
distinguiiih between an animal and any other
siib:staiice ; for it* wo introduce a straw or a
pin, between the lobes, it will grasp it fuil as
last as if it vvere*in insect. This plant grows
ill America, in w<jt shady places, and liovvers
in July and August. The largest leaves are
aboui three inches long, and an inch and a
half across the lobes : the glands of those ex-
posed to the sun, are of a beautiful red coiour;
but those in the shade are pale, and inclining
to green. The roots are scaly, sending fortn
but few libres, and are perennial. The leaves
are numerous, inclining to bend dowpwards,
and'jrre plj'.ced in a circular order; they are
jointed and full of sap ; the lower joint which
IS a kind of stulK,is Hat, lonj^ishj tv\u-cciged,

17C>

and inclining' to heart-shaped. In sohne vari-
eties, they are notched on the edg^es near the
top. The upper joint consists of two lobes,
each lobe is of a semi-oval form, with their
margfins furnished with stiff hairs, like eye-
brows, which embrace or lock in each other
when they close: this they do when they are
inwardly irritated. If when the lobes have
enclosed any siibstance, it can be shoved out,
so as not to stctin them, they expand ag-ain;
but if lorce is u$ed to open them, so strong* has
nature formed the springs of their libres^, that
one of the lobes will g^enerally snap off, ra-
ther than yield.

THE BKNT STAli^

This plant g-rows in most places near the
sea, and is known to tlie Eiig^lish by the
name of bent ular, or mat grt/*^. It has
stiff and sharp pointed leaves, growing" like a
rush, a foot and a half long* : the roots both
creep and penetrate deeply into their sandy
beds : the stalk bears an ear five or six inches
long-, not unlike rye, the seeds are small, brown
and roundish. By good fortune, no cattle will
eat or touch this vegetable, allotted for other
purposes, subservient to the use of mankind;
It has been recommended to sow this plant
on the sandy wilds of Norfolk, that its matted
roots migfht prevent the deluges of sand which
that country experiences. Wheresover this

177

p'ont i*^rQNvs, the i.alutary effects are soon ob-
served to follow. A >»iii;L;le plant will lix tlie
sand, and •;:atherit into a hillock ; these hill-
ocks, by the increase of vegetation, are form-
ed into iarg-er, till by .decrees, a barrier is often
made aj^-ainiit the encroachments of tfie sea,
and mij^ht often prever)t similar c;ilamilies, by
the growth being enconrag-ed, as appears from
the following- melancholy instance,

The estate of Conbin, near Fort s, in Scot-
land, was once worth three hundred pounds
a year, but at this time is overwelmed with
sand. This strange inundation was still in mo-
tion in 1769, chiefly wlien a strong^wind pre-
vailed. Its motion is so rapid, that we arc as-
v+med, nn apple tree has been so covered with
it in one season, that only the very summit ap-»
peared. This distress was brougljt on about
ninety years ago, and was occasioned by
the cutting" dowir so'ne trees, and pulling*'
up the hcnt or sUir, which grew on the sand
hills ; w'hich at laotgave rise to an act o( par-
liament to prohibit the destruction of this use-
ful plant Near Dunsanag-hy, in the county of
Ponegal also, the sand is every year advanc-
ing" npon the cultivated ground, and can only
be checked by this little plant. The remedy
for such an evil is at least simple, and well de-
serving o( the experiment; but it has al^o
been always found e(VectuaI,so that to neglect
it would be in the highest degree culpable.

Providence lias kindly formed thir; plant (o
grow only in pure sand. Mankind was left to
niake^io after times, an opplicutipn of ii suit^

m

able to their wants. The sand Irills, on a por-
tion of the Flintshire .chores, in the parish of
IJanasa, » re covered with it natnralty, and
i%ept firm in their place, and the Dutch pei-
haps owe the existence ol part at leiist of their
country, to the sowio^ of it OQ their saad
banks.

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Iff^iversity of British Columbia Library

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DRM No 310

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