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dlre^lly back from the fea, it is found more or left 

 all through the country, as far as the latitudes I have 

 mentioned, and I believe, to a greater extent both 

 to the northward and fouthward, and as far to the 

 weftward as the country has yet been fettled. 



Sugar has been made from the trees for 30 or 

 40 ye^s paftj but the country where thofe trees 

 abound being but thinly fettled, until very lately, 

 it has not been attended to farther than for a few fa- 

 milies, to make fufficient for their own ufe, and 

 until within thefe three or four years fcarce any has 

 been made for fale. 



In the fummer of 1788 I was in America, and 

 made an excurfion into the northweft parts of Penn- 

 fylvania; at the diftance of about 100 miles from 

 Philadelphia I firft met with Maple Sugar, and 

 from that time until within about the fame diftance 

 at my return, the country people made ufe of no 

 other. My curiofity was excited by finding it fo 

 fimilar to the Weft-India fugar, and led me to 

 make many enquiries as to the manner of their 

 making it, the quantity of fap collefted from each 

 tree, the weight of fugar it yielded, and various 

 other particulars refpe6ting it. The farmers being 

 moftly poor people, new fettlcrs, and not much 



accuftomcd 



