ij6 May 1749. 



gles excepted ; fecondly, they are very ligfefc 

 fo that no ftrong beams are requifite to fttp^ 8 

 port the roof. For the fame reafon it is im- 

 neceflary to build thick walls, becaufe they are 

 not preffed by heavy roofs. When fires break 

 out, it is lefs dangerous to go under or along 

 the roofs, becaufethe fhingles being very light 

 can do little hurt by falling ; they fuck the 

 water, being fomewhat fpungy, fo that the 1 

 roofs can eafily be wetted in cafe of a fire : 

 however, their fatnefsoccafions that the water 

 does not hurt them, but evaporates eafily* 

 When they burn and are carried about by the 

 wind, they have commonly what is called 

 a dead coal, which does not eafily fet fire 

 where it alights. The roofs made of thefe 

 fhingles can eafily be cut through, if re- 

 quired, becaufe they are thin, and not very 

 hard; for thefe qualities the people in the 

 country, and in the towns, are very defirous- 

 of having their houfes covered with white; 

 cedar fhingles, if the wood can be gorv 

 Therefore all churches, and the houfes of 

 the more fubftantial inhabitants of the 1 

 towns, have fhingle roofs. In many parts 

 of New York province, where the white 

 cedar does not grow, the people, however, 

 have their houfes roofed with cedar fhingles, 

 which they get from other parts. To that 

 purpofe great quantities of fhingles are 

 annually ex-ported from Eggbarbour and 



other ! 



