Of These Trees
Curious Boats For Pleasure May Be Made, And Other Necessary Craft.
Some Years Ago, A Foolish Man
In Albemarl and his Son,
had got one of these Canoes deck'd. She held, as I take it, sixteen Barrels.
He brought her to the Collectors, to be clear'd for Barbados;
but the Officer took him for a Man that had lost his Senses,
and argu'd the Danger and Impossibility of performing such a Voyage,
in a hollow Tree; but the Fellow would hearken to no Advice of that kind,
till the Gentleman told him, if he did not value his own Life,
he valu'd his Reputation and Honesty, and so flatly refus'd clearing him;
Upon which, the Canoe was sold, and, I think, remains in being still.
This Wood is very lasting, and free from the Rot. A Canoe of it
will outlast four Boats, and seldom wants Repair. They say,
that a Chest made of this Wood, will suffer no Moth, or Vermine,
to abide therein.
{Two sorts of Locust white and yellow, is rare if varnish'd.}
The Locust, for its enduring the Weather, is chosen for all sorts of Works
that are exposed thereto. It bears a Leaf nearest the Liquorice-Plant.
'Tis a pretty tall Tree. Of this the Indians make their choicest Bows,
it being very tough and flexible. We have little or none of this Wood
in Pampticough.
{Honey Tree a Locust.}
The Honey-Tree bears as great a Resemblance to the Locust,
as a Shallot does to an Onion. It is of that Species, but more prickly.
They bear a Cod, one side whereof contains the Seed, the other the Honey;
They will bear in five Years, from the Kernel. They were first brought
(by the Indian Traders) and propagated, by their Seed,
at the Apamaticks in Virginia. Last Year, I planted the Seed,
and had them sprung up before I came from thence, which was in August.
Of the Honey, very good Metheglin is made, there being Orchards
planted in Virginia for that intent.
{Sowr Wood.}
The Sorrel, or Sowr-Wood-Tree, is so call'd, because the Leaves
taste like Sorrel. Some are about a Foot or ten Inches Diameter.
I am unacquainted with its Vertues at present.
{Pine.}
Of Pines, there are, in Carolina, at least, four sorts. The Pitch-Pine,
growing to a great Bigness, most commonly has but a short Leaf.
Its Wood (being replete with abundance of Bitumen) is so durable,
that it seems to suffer no Decay, tho' exposed to all Weathers, for many Ages;
and is used in several Domestick and Plantation Uses. This Tree affords
the four great Necessaries, Pitch, Tar, Rozin, and Turpentine;
which two last are extracted by tapping, and the Heat of the Sun,
the other two by the Heat of the Fire.
The white and yellow Pines are saw'd into Planks for several Uses.
They make Masts, Yards, and a great many other Necessaries therewith,
the Pine being the most useful Tree in the Woods.
The Almond-Pine serves for Masts very well. As for the Dwarf-Pine,
it is for Shew alone, being an Ever-green, as they all are.
{Hiccory the best Fire-wood.}
The Hiccory is of the Walnut-kind, and bears a Nut as they do,
of which there are found three sorts. The first is that
which we call the common white Hiccory. It is not a durable Wood;
for if cut down, and exposed to the Weather, it will be quite rotten,
and spoil'd in three Years; as will likewise the Beech of this Country.
Hiccory Nuts have very hard Shells, but excellent sweet Kernels,
with which, in a plentiful Year, the old Hogs, that can crack them,
fatten themselves, and make excellent Pork. These Nuts are gotten,
in great Quantities, by the Savages, and laid up for Stores,
of which they make several Dishes and Banquets. One of these
I cannot forbear mentioning; it is this: They take these Nuts,
and break them very small betwixt two Stones, till the Shells and Kernels
are indifferent small; And this Powder you are presented withal
in their Cabins, in little wooden Dishes; the Kernel dissolves in your Mouth,
and the Shell is spit out. This tastes as well as any Almond.
Another Dish is the Soup which they make of these Nuts, beaten,
and put into Venison-Broth, which dissolves the Nut, and thickens,
whilst the Shell precipitates, and remains at the bottom.
This Broth tastes very rich. {Red Hiccory.} There is another sort,
which we call red Hiccory, the Heart thereof being very red,
firm and durable; of which Walking-Sticks, Mortars, Pestils,
and several other fine Turnery-wares are made. The third is call'd
the Flying-bark'd Hiccory, from its brittle and scaly Bark.
It bears a Nut with a bitter Kernel and a soft Shell, like a French Walnut.
Of this Wood, Coggs for Mills are made, &c. The Leaves smell very fragrant.
{Walnut.}
The Walnut-Tree of America is call'd Black Walnut. I suppose,
that Name was, at first, to distinguish it from the Hiccories,
it having a blacker Bark. This Tree grows, in good Land,
to a prodigious Bigness. The Wood is very firm and durable,
of which Tables and Chests of Drawers are made, and prove very well.
Some of this is very knotty, which would make the best Returns for England,
tho' the Masters of Vessels refuse it, not understanding its Goodness.
'Tis a very good and durable Wood, to bottom Vessels for the Sea withal;
and they say, that it is never eaten by the Worm. The Nuts have
a large Kernel, which is very oily, except lain by, a long time, to mellow.
The Shell is very thick, as all the native Nuts of America are.
When it has its yellow outward Coat on, it looks and smells much like a Lemon.
{Maple.}
The Maple, of which we have two sorts, is used to make Trenchers,
Spinning-wheels, &c. withal.
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