Return from Wilmington. 131 



funities of obferving this in feveral places where 

 the trees were dug up ; for I feldom faw one 

 whofe roots went above a foot deep into the 

 ground, though it was a loofe foil. 



ABOUT two 'ngli/h miles behind Chejler, I 

 paffed by an iron forge, which was to the right 

 hand by the road fide. It belonged to two bro- 

 thers, as I was told. The ore however is not 

 dug here, but thirty or forty miles from hence, 

 where it is firft melted in the oven, and then car- 

 ried to this place. The bellows were made of 

 leather, and both they and the hammers, and 

 even the hearth, but fmall in proportion to ours* 

 All the machines were worked by water. The 

 iron was wrought into bars. 



To-day 1 remarked, as I have fines frequently 

 feen orr my travels in this country, that horfes 

 are very greedy of apples. When they are let 

 into an orchard to feed upon the grafs, if there 

 are any apples on the ground, they frequently 

 leave the frefh green grafs, and eat the apples, 

 which, however, are not reckoned a good food 

 for them ; and, befides that, it is too expenfive. 



THE red Maple, or Acer rubrum, is plentiful 

 in thefe places. Its proper fituations are chiefly 

 fwampy, wet places, in which the alder com- 

 monly is its companion. Out of its wood they 

 make plates, fpinning-wheels, rolls, feet for 

 chairs and beds, and all forts of work. With 

 the bark they dye both worfted and linen, giving 

 it a dark^ blue colour. For that purpofe it is 

 firfl boiled in water ; and fome copperas, fuch as 

 the hat-makers and fhoe-makers commonly 

 make ufe of, is added, before the fluff (which is 



K 2 to 



