( -1 ) 



particle of wood here fliewn, in which are to be feen about eleven 

 hundred perpendicular veflels, is not larger than can be covered by 

 a common grain of fand. I did, at firll, delign to have made a 

 drawing of a larger portion of this wood, with intent to fliew the 

 decreafe of the growth in autumn, and its renewal in the fpring; but 

 on reflection I found that fuch an attempt would be fruitlefs, foraf- 

 much as this wood grew in a climate where vegetation never ceafes; 

 the ifland ISIauritius being lituated a few degrees to the north v/ard 

 of the Tropick of Capricorn. 



In this wood there are four forts of perpendicular veflels ; G G G 

 are the largell of them ; fome of which feem to have had in them a 

 kind of fluid fubflance, which in drying coagulated in federal places, 

 as may be feen in Jig. 1 1 , at K K, where one of thefe largell veflels is 

 Ihewn cut longitudinally. 



Fig. 12, is alfo one of thofe larger vefl'els (drawn from a micro- 

 fcope of flill greater magnifying power), much more tranfparent 

 than the former one, and likewife with inconceivably minute par- 

 ticles. 



The fecond fort of perpendicular velTels, which generally are litu- 

 ated between the horizontal ones, are fliewn lengthwife at A B C 

 and H 11 ; thefe, in many places, feem partly filled with a black 

 fubflancc. 



The third fort of perpendicular vefl^els lie in the fame direction 

 with the circvmiference of the tree, and are reprefented at B E or 

 CD. 



The fourth fort of perpendicular veflels, w^hich are fliaped fome- 

 w hat like a lozenge, and are placed among the larger perpendicular 

 veflels, are compofed of a much more folid wood or fubflance than 

 the veflels in the other woods ; for the fmall round cavity which 

 appears in the face of each veflel, cut tranlverfely, as appears in the 

 figure, is the only aperture in each veflel, and the remainder of fuch 

 veflel furrounding this cavity is folid wood, conftituting the fub- 

 flance of the veflel ; and this fourth fort of veflels are fo clofely 



