356 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



growing so generally in all the forests might yield a 

 fruit quite as useful for the whole of America. It is 

 known that in certain parts of Europe the chesnut is 

 of almost as important a use as the jaka, or breadfruit- 

 tree. The native chesnut-tree is found everywhere in 

 America but is not regarded except as furnishing good 

 timber for fence-rails. Its fruit is indeed small, dry, 

 and inferior in taste to the European great-chesnuts, 

 but in Italy these are had only from inoculated trees, 

 the fruit of the wild chesnut there, as in America, be- 

 ing neither large nor agreeable in taste. By inocula- 

 tion, then, there could be had quite as fine great-ches- 

 nuts here. But without that, on account of its great 

 usefulness this fruit has received some attention 

 from the Americans who eat it boiled and roasted, con- 

 vert it into meal and bread, and fresh-shelled and 

 ground use it as a kind of soap with plenty of water. 



Unfavorable weather and the hope of finding in the 

 swamps along the several branches of the Potowmack 

 certain other particular seeds or plants made our stay 

 here also a few days longer. But we found very little 

 we had not seen. However we were fortunate enough 

 here to obtain a stock of acorns and nuts which else- 

 where had failed. These with some other seeds we 

 shipped on board a brigantine bound from George- 

 town to London, but which never came to port. 



The family with which we put up at Bladensburgh 

 was quite American in its system, according to which 

 everything is managed regardless. When it was dark 

 they began to bring in lights ; when it was time for 

 breakfast or dinner the blacks were chased about for 

 wood, and bread was baked. In no item is there any 

 concern except for the next and momentary wants. 



