86 SYLVA BOOK m 



air. But though lime be so destructive whilst timber 

 lies thus dry, it seems they mingle it with hair, to 

 keep the worm out of ships which they sheath for 

 southern voyages ; though it is held much to retard 

 their course : Wherefore the Portugals scorch them 

 with fire, which often proves very dangerous ; and 

 indeed their timber being harder, is not so easily 

 penetrable ; and therefore have some been thinking 

 of finding out some tougher sorts of materials, especi- 

 ally of a bitter sap ; such as is reported to be the 

 wood of a certain Indian-pear : And some talk of a 

 lixivium to do the feat ; others of a pitchy substance 

 to be extracted out of sea-coal ; but nothing has yet 

 been found more expedient, than the late application 

 of thin lamins of sheet-lead, if that also be no impedi- 

 ment to their sailing : However, there are many 

 kind of woods in the Western-Indies (besides the 

 acajou) that breed no worms, and such is the white 

 wood of Jamaica, proper enough to build ships. In 

 the mean time, let me not omit what the learned 

 Dr. Lister in his Notes upon Godariius of Insects, says, 

 that he is persuaded there could not be a more prob- 

 able expedient to discover what kind of timber were 

 best for sheathing, than to tye certain polished pieces 

 of wood (cut like tallies) to a buoy, in some waters 

 and streams much infested with the worms ; for that 

 sort of wood which the worm should refuse, would 

 in all reason be chosen for the use desir'd. The 

 Indies being stor'd with greater varieties of timber 

 than Europe, it were probable there might some be 

 found, which that kind of river-worm will never 

 attack. 



9. For all uses, that timber is esteem'd the best, 

 which is the most ponderous, and which lying long 



