P'etifyfoania, Philadelphia. 151 



common tallow only came to half that money, 

 and wax cofts as much again. From this tallow 

 they make candles in many parts of this province, 

 but they ufually mix fome common tallow with 

 it. Candles of this kind do not eafily bend, nor 

 melt in fummer as common candles do ; they 

 burn better and flower, nor do they caufe any 

 fmoke, but rather yield an agreeable fmell, when 

 they are extinguiflied. An old Swede of ninety- 

 one years of age told me, that this fort of candles 

 had formerly been much in ufe with his coun- 

 trymen. At prefent they do not make fo many 

 candles of this kind, if they can get the tallow of 

 animals > it being too troublefome to gather the 

 berries. However thefe candles are made ufe of by 

 poor people, who live in the neighbourhood of a 

 place where the bufhes grow, and have not cat- 

 tle enough to kill, in order to fupply them with 

 a fufficient quantity of tallow. From the wax of 

 the candleberry tree they like wife make a foap 

 here, which has an agreeable fcent, and is the 

 beft for {having. This wax is likewife ufed by 

 doctors and furgeons, who reckon it exceeding 

 good for plafters upon wounds. A merchant 

 of this town once fent a quantity of thefe candles 

 to thofe American provinces which had Roman 

 Catholic inhabitants, thinking he would be well 

 paid, fmce wax candles are made ufe of in the 

 Roman Catholic churches 5 but the clergy would 

 not take them. Aa old Swede mentioned that 

 the root of the candleberry tree was formerly 

 made ufe of by the Indians, as a remedy againft 

 the tooth -ach, and that he himfelf having had the 

 tooth- ach very violently, had cut the root in 



L 4 piece* 



