Many kinds of wood are harder, as box and 

 ebony -, many kinds are tougher, as yew and 

 afh : but it is fuppofed that no fpecies of wood, 

 at leafl no fpecies of timber, is pofleffed of 

 both thefe qualities together in fo great a 

 degree, as Britifh oak. Almofl all arts and 

 manufactures are indebted to it ; but in Ship- 

 building, and bearing burdens, its elafticity, 

 and Strength are applied to moil advantage. 

 I mention thefe mechanic ufes only becaufe fome 

 of it's chief beauties are connected with them. 

 Thus it is not the erect, flately tree, that is 

 always the mofl ufeful in Ship-building ; but 

 more often the crooked one, forming fhort 

 turns, and elbows, which the Shipwrights and 

 carpenters commonly call knee-timber. This 

 too is generally the mofl picturefque. Nor is it 

 the Strait, tall Stem, whofe fibres run in pa- 

 rallel lines, that is the mofl ufeful in bearing 

 burdens : but that whofe (mews are twifled, 

 and fpirally combined. This too is the mofl 

 picturefque. Trees under thefe circumflances, 

 generally take the mofl pleafing forms. 



Now the oak perhaps acquires thefe dif- 

 ferent modes of growth from the different 

 flrata, through which it pafTes. In deep rich 

 foils, where the root meets no obstruction, the 



flem, 



