The Acorns Thereof Are As Sweet
As Chesnuts, And The Indians Draw An Oil From Them, As Sweet As That
From The Olive, Tho' Of An Amber-Colour.
With these Nuts, or Acorns,
some have counterfeited the Cocoa, whereof they have made Chocolate,
not to be distinguish'd by a good Palate.
Window-Frames, Mallets,
and Pins for Blocks, are made thereof, to an excellent Purpose.
I knew two Trees of this Wood among the Indians, which were planted
from the Acorn, and grew in the Freshes, and never saw any thing
more beautiful of that kind. They are of an indifferent quick Growth;
of which there are two sorts. The Acorns make very fine Pork.
{Willow Oak.}
Willow-Oak is a sort of Water-Oak. It grows in Ponds and Branches,
and is useful for many things. It is so call'd, from the Leaf,
which very much resembles a Willow.
{Fresh-water Oak.}
The Live Oak grows in the fresh Water Ponds and Swamps, by the River sides,
and in low Ground overflown with Water; and is a perennial Green.
{Ash.}
Of Ash we have two sorts, agreeing nearly with the English in the Grain.
One of our sorts is tough, like the English, but differs something
in the Leaf, and much more in the Bark. Neither of them bears Keys.
The Water-Ash is brittle. The Bark is Food for the Bevers.
{Elm.}
There are two sorts of Elm; the first grows on our High-Land,
and approaches our English. The Indians take the Bark of its Root,
and beat it, whilst green, to a Pulp; and then dry it in the Chimney,
where it becomes of a reddish Colour. This they use as a Sovereign Remedy
to heal a Cut or green Wound, or any thing that is not corrupted.
It is of a very glutinous Quality. The other Elm grows in low Ground,
of whose Bark the English and Indians make Ropes; for as soon
as the Sap rises, it strips off, with the greatest ease imaginable.
It runs in March, or thereabouts.
{Tulip-Tree.}
The Tulip-Trees, which are, by the Planters, call'd Poplars,
as nearest approaching that Wood in Grain, grow to a prodigious Bigness,
some of them having been found One and twenty Foot in Circumference.
I have been inform'd of a Tulip-Tree, that was ten Foot Diameter;
and another, wherein a lusty Man had his Bed and Houshold Furniture,
and liv'd in it, till his Labour got him a more fashionable Mansion.
He afterwards became a noted Man, in his Country, for Wealth and Conduct.
One of these sorts bears a white Tulip; the other a party-colour'd,
mottled one. The Wood makes very pretty Wainscot, Shingles for Houses,
and Planks for several Uses. It is reckon'd very lasting;
especially, under Ground, for Mill-Work. The Buds, made into an Ointment,
cure Scalds, Inflammations, and Burns. I saw several Bushels thereon.
The Cattle are apt to eat of these Buds, which give a very odd Taste
to the Milk.
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