New Jerfey, Raccoon. 289 



gerous ? In the Eng/t/h North American colonies, 

 every countryman plants a number of water me- 

 lons, which are eaten whilft the people make hay, 

 or during the harveft, when they have nothing up- 

 on their ftomachs, in order to cool them during 

 the great heat, as that juicy fruit feems very pro- 

 per to give refrefhment. In the fame manner 

 melons, cucumbers, gourds, fquafhes, mulber- 

 ries, apples, peaches, cherries, and fuch like fruit 

 are eaten here in fummer, and all together contri- 

 bute to the attacks of the ague. 



BUT that the manner of living contributes 

 greatly towards it, may be concluded from the 

 unanimous accounts of old people, concerning 

 the times of their childhood ; according to which, 

 the inhabitants of thefe parts, were at that time 

 not fubjedl to fo many difeafes as they are at pre- 

 fent, and people were feldom fick. All the old 

 Swedes likewife agreed, that their countrymen, 

 who firft came into North America, attained to a 

 great age, and their children nearly to the fame ; 

 but that their grand children, and great grand chil- 

 dren did not reach the age of their anceftors, and 

 their health was not near fo vigorous and durable. 

 But the Swedes who firft fettled in America, lived 

 very frugally ; they were poor, and could not 

 buy rum, brandy, or other tirong liquors, which 

 they feldom diftilled themfelves, as few of them 

 had a diftilling veflel. However they fometimes 

 had a good ftrong beer. They did not underfland 

 the art of making cyder, which is now fo com- 

 mon in the country: tea, coffee, chocolate, which 

 are at prcient even the country people's daily 

 breakfaft, were wholly unknown to them : mo;'t 



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