CHAP, in S Y L V A 245 



beneficial trees, l Mr. Winthorp presents the Royal 

 Society with the process of making the tar and pitch 

 in New-England, which we thus abbreviate. Tar is 

 made out of that sort of pine-tree, from which 

 naturally turpentine extilleth ; and which at its first 

 flowing out, is liquid and clear ; but being hardned 

 by the air, either on the tree, or where-ever it falls, is 

 not much unlike the Burgundy pitch ; and we call 

 them pitch-pines out of which this gummy substance 

 transudes : They grow upon the most barren plains, 

 on rocks also, and hills rising amongst those plains, 

 where several are found blown down, and have lain 

 so many ages, as that the whole bodies, branches, and 

 roots of the trees being perished, some certain knots 

 only of the boughs have been left remaining intire, 

 (these knots are that part where the bough is joyn'd 

 to the body of the tree) lying at the same distance 

 and posture, as they grew upon the tree for its whole 

 length. The bodies of some of these trees are not 

 corrupted through age, but quite consum'd, and 

 reduc'd to ashes, by the annual burnings of the 

 Indians, when they set their grounds on fire ; which 

 yet has, it seems, no power over these hard knots, 

 beyond a black scorching ; although being laid on 

 heaps, they are apt enough to burn. It is of these 

 knots they make their tar in New-England, and the 

 country adjacent, whilst they are well impregnated 

 with that terebinthine, and resinous matter, which 

 like a balsom, preserves them so long from putre- 

 faction. The rest of the tree does indeed contain 

 the like terebinthine sap, as appears (upon any slight 

 incision of bark on the stem, or boughs) by a small 



1 See Plin. Nat. Hist, lib. 16. cap. n. or rather Theophrastus Hist. lib. 9. 

 cap. 2, 3. & lib. 14. cap. 20. lib. 23. c. i. lib. 24. c. 6. 



