176 May 1749. 



gles excepted \ fecondly, they are very light,- 

 fo that no ftrong beams are requifite to iup- 

 port the roof. For the fame reafon it is un- 

 necefiary to build thick walls, becaufe they are 

 not preffed by heavy roofs. When fires break 

 out, it is lefs dangerous to. go under or along 

 the roofs, becaufe the fhingles being very light 

 can do little hurt by falling ; they fuck the 

 water, being fomewhat fpungy, fo that the 

 roofs can eafily be wetted in cafe of a fire : 

 however, their fatnefs occaiions that the water 

 does not hurt them, but evaporates eafily. 

 When they burn and are carried about by the 

 wind, they have commonly what is called 

 a dead coal, which does not eafily fet fire 

 where it alights, The roofs made of thefe 

 mingles can eafily be cut through, if re- 

 quired, becaufe they are thin, and not very 

 hard; for thefe qualities the people in the 

 country, and in the towns, are very defirous 

 of having their houfes covered with white 

 cedar mingles, if the wood can be got* 

 Therefore all churches, and the hcufes of 

 the more fubfrantial inhabitants of the 

 towns, have mingle roofs. In many parts 

 of New York province, where the white 

 cedar does not grow, the people, however, 

 have their houfes roofed with cedar mingles, 

 which they get from other parts. To that 

 purpofe great quantities of fhingles are 

 annually exported from Egghnrkcur and 



other 



