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bably fee many a grand production of the fir 

 kind, which is hitherto little known ; or if 

 known, would appear there in fo improved 

 a character, as to feem wholly new. In the 

 northern parts of Afia alfo, and in the fouthern 

 parts of Africa, I doubt not, but the fir may 

 be found in great variety, and perfection. In 

 Philip's voyage to Botany-bay we are told of 

 pines in Norfolk-ifland of an immenfe fize. 

 Later accounts make fome of thefe pines, 

 which have been meafured by a quadrant, to 

 have attained the wonderful height of two 

 hundred, and thirty feet. They bear cones ; 

 but the wood, from a fample brought into 

 England (in the poiTeflion of Sir Jofeph Banks) 

 does not appear like deal ; but is much 

 heavier -, the grain confiderably clofer ; and 

 the colour browner. The girth of the tree, 

 from which this fample was cut, was eighteen 

 feet. The firft branches were at the ele- 

 vation of thirty yards : but I could not 

 learn, whether this circumftance was a 

 general character of the tree, or peculiar 

 only to that individual. Strabo indeed tells us, 

 that the fir is wholly a European plant that 

 it is never to be met with in any part of 

 Afia and that it may even be confidered, in 



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