( 294. ) 



And in this root, I perceived feme wonderfully minute vefTels, 

 furrounding, as it in were, many places, the larger tubes of the wood, 

 and tln-ough which, as I fuppofe, the tree receives nourifliment in 

 its growth. 



In order, as cxadlly as pofTiblc, to exhibit to view the wood, or 

 rather the root of the Nutmeg-tree, which bears liich a precious and 

 highly valued fruit, I havp given the figure of a circle, which wc 

 muft fuppofe to be a branch of the tree, or of its root, fawcd off 

 tranfverfely, as is to be fecn Vitfig. 4, ABCDEF. From the ccntcr 

 of this figure are drawn many very fmall lines, as appears between 

 CDF A, and thefe we arc to fuppofe are thofe veflels which fervc 

 for the increafeof the tree or root, and, by means of which, there 

 is every year a new fubflance formed about the tree, as I have often 

 heretofore mentioned. 



Now, in order to inveftigate accurately, the true formation of this 

 wood, we muft not examine merely the extremity of it, which would 

 prefent an cbfcure obje6l to the eye, but we muft cut off a fmall 

 piece or particle of the wood, as from E to the circumference, after 

 we have, with a very thin and fharp knife, cut or pared the extre- 

 " mity as fmooth as poffible. In this manner I cut off a piece or par- 

 ticle of the wood, not fo large as is Ihewn 'dtfg. 5. This piece of 

 wood, placed before the mJcrofcope, and copied as exat^lly as the 

 limner was able to reprefent it in his drawing, is fliewn at /Ig. 6, 

 ABCDEFGH, and in it are to be fcen, many of the veilels or 

 tubes of which the wood confifts, fome of the larger ones of wliich, 

 I have exhibited at I, I, I. 



Amonsf thefe larger tubes of the wood are to be feen a great 

 number of fmaller ones, and niany of thefe fmaller tubes are again 

 furrounded by other exceflively minute veflels, through which latter 

 ved'els, for the moft part, the nourifliment is conveyed Upwards in 

 the tree, as I fuppofe. 



