LOUISIANA. 351 



There is a fhrub which we call drier, or the 

 wax-tree, and it refembles an olive-tree. It 

 bears little berries like juniper, they are melted 

 in water *, and give a kind of wax for candles ; 

 this wax is of a fine green, and has an aromatic 

 fmell. The Sieur Alexandre^ a furgeon and che- 

 mift, is the firil that difcovered it here. The 

 academy of fciences gave him a penfion for this 

 dilcovery. He has likewife found the method 

 of bleaching it, as we do bees wax in Europe, 



Whilft I was in Louifiana^ the inhabitants got 

 from 6"/. Domingo plants of fugar-canes, in order 

 to make plantations of them. M. Dubretiil, who 

 commands the militia of citizens, was the firll 

 planter that built a fugar-mill at New Orleans. 



It is known, that fugar is made of the juice 

 of a reed or cane, which is propagated by lay- 

 ers ; it grows tall and thick, in proportion to the 

 goodnefs of the foil. The canes have joints at 

 certain di (lances •, when thefe are ripe, which is 

 eafily known by the yellow hue which they get, 

 they are cut above the firft joint, which has no 

 juice •, the. leaves on both fides are plucked off; 



the 



* Boiling water. The tree is the candleberry myrtle, 

 mjrica ccrifcra. Linn. F. 



