174 JOHN BARTRAM TO [1745. 



I have received the nails, calico, Russia linen, and the clothes 

 for my boys : all which are very good and well chosen, and give 

 great satisfaction. The only thing that gives me any uneasiness, 

 is, that thee hath sent more than what is my due. 



Now, though oracles be ceased, and thee hath not the spirit of 

 divination, yet, according to our friend Doctor Witt, we friends 

 that love one another sincerely, may, by an extraordinary spirit of 

 sympathy, not only know each other's desires, but may have a 

 spiritual conversation at great distances one from another. Now, 

 if this be truly so, if I love thee sincerely and thy love and 

 friendship be so to me thee must have a spiritual feeling and sense 

 of what particular sorts of things will give satisfaction; and doth 

 not thy actions make it manifest ? for, what I send to thee for, thee 

 hath chosen of just such sorts and colours as I wanted. Nay, as 

 my wife and I are one, so she is initiated into this spiritual union ; 

 for thee has sent her a piece of calico so directly to her mind, that 

 she saith that if she had been there herself, she could not have 

 pleased her fancy better. * * * 



In opening those fine cones of Cluster Pine, I observed how close 

 the scales adhered, which is contrary to all our Pines and Firs 

 (except one species of the three-leaved Pine) ; which, before they 

 are well dried, spring open and shed all the seed out, which makes 

 them the difficultest to gather. One may, in the beginning of the 

 week, see the cones green and before the latter end, all the seed 

 that is good will be shed out, especially the five-leaved, which you 

 are so fond of and which it is not possible for me to gather any 

 great quantities thereof, as I wrote to thee, last year. I design to 

 get what I can, yearly ; but, as I can't be in three or four hundred 

 distant places in three or four days' time, I can't procure great 

 quantities ; and if I depend upon others' assistance, I am sure of 

 being deceived. 



As our friend Miller seems to question my account of our Pines, 

 I now tell thee I generally take care to speak truth even to those 

 that I think will bestow no more pains of examination, than to tell 

 me it is not so, to whom silence suits better than arguments as 

 ignorance doth to their capacity ; but, as I have a great opinion of 

 Miller's learning and judgment, I am engaged in duty and friend- 

 ship to inform him the best I can, at present. 



All our Pine cones are two summers and one winter, from their 

 first appearance to their perfecting and casting their seed, but this 



