STUDY XI. 3O3 



other fpecies of timber which floats in thofe feas, 

 that it devours whole fquadrons in a very little 

 time, and, in order to preferve them, lays us under 

 the neceffity, thefe many years paft, of Iheathing 

 their bottoms with copper. But this beautiful 

 tree has found enemies more dreadful than the 

 worm, in the European inhabitants of thofe Iflands, 

 who have almofl extirpated the whole race of 

 them. 



The manner in which Providence has contrived 

 a fupply for the thirft of Man, in fultry places, is no 

 lefs worthy of admiration. Nature has placed, amidft 

 the burning fands of Africa, a plant whofe leaf, 

 twifted round like a cruet, is always filled with a 

 large glafs-full of frefh-water ; the gullet of this 

 cruet is fhut by the extremity of the leaf itfelf, fo 

 as to prevent the water from evaporating. She 

 has planted on fome parched diftricts of the fame 

 country, a great tree, called by the Negroes Boa. 

 the trunk of which, of a prodigious bulk, is natu- 

 rally hollowed like a ciftern. In the rainy feafon it 

 receives it's fill of water, which continues frefh and 

 cool, in the greateft heats, by means of the tufted 

 foliage which crowns it's fummit. Finally, me 

 has placed vegetable fountains on the parched 

 rocks of the Antilles. There is commonly found 

 there a lianne, called the water lianne, fo full of 

 fap, that if you cut a fingle branch of it, as much 



water 



