64 September 174?. 



time, I had fpread the juice of the tree very thick 

 upon my hand. Three days after they occafion- 

 ed blifters, which foon went off without affed> 

 ing me much. 1 have not experienced any thing 

 more of the effects of this plant, nor had I arty 

 defire fo to do. However, I found that it could 

 not exert its power upon me, when I was not 

 perfpiring. 



I HAVE never heard that the poifon of this Su* 

 mach has been mortal ; but the pain ceafes after 

 a few days duration. The natives formerly made 

 their flutes of this tree, becaufe it has a great deal 

 of pith. Some people affured me, that a perfon 

 fuffering from its noifbme exhalations, would ea- 

 iily recover by fpreading a mixture of the wood, 

 burnt to charcoal, and hog's lard, upon the 

 fwelled parts. Some afferted that they had really 

 tried this remedy. In fome places this tree is 

 rooted out on purpofe, that its poifon may not 

 affeft the workmen. 



Ireceived,asaprefent, feveral curiofities belong- 

 ing to the mineral kingdom, which were collected 

 in the country. The following were thofe which 

 were moft worth attentioa- The firft was a white, 

 and quite tranfparent cryftal. * Many of this 

 kind are found in Penfyfoama> in feveral kinds of 

 Hone, efpecially in a pale-grey limeftone. The 

 pieces are of the thicknefs and length of the little 

 finger, and commonly as tranfparent as poffible. 

 But I have likewife got cryftals here, of the 



* Nitrum Cryftallus montana* Linn. Syft. nat. 3. p. 84. Cry- 

 fallus hcxagona pellucida non colorata, Walhriufs Mineralogy, p. 

 100. Cryjiailus mofttana, colouilefs cryftal. farftgrs Introd. to 

 Miaeralogy, p. 13. 



length 



