CHAP, vi SYLVA 149 



distance and number near the seas, or navigable rivers; 

 and what if some of them were even remov'd into 

 another world ? the Holy-Land of New-England, 

 (there to build ships, erect saw-mills, near their noble 

 rivers) for they will else ruin Old-England : Twere 

 better to purchase all our iron out of America, than 

 thus to exhaust our woods at home, although (I doubt 

 not) they might be so order'd, as to be rather a means 

 of conserving them. There was a statute made by 

 Queen Eliz. to prohibit the converting of timber- 

 trees to coal, or other fuel for the use of iron-mills ; 

 if the tree were of one foot square, and growing within 

 fourteen miles of the sea, or the greater rivers, &c. 

 'Tis pity some of those places in Kent, Sussex and 

 Surrey were excepted in the proviso, for the reason 

 express'd in a statute made 23 Eliz. by which even 

 the employing of any under-wood, as well as great 

 trees, was prohibited within 22 miles of London, and 

 many other navigable rivers, creeks and other lesser 

 distances from some parts of Sussex-downs, Cinque- 

 ports, havens, Gfc. 



One Simon Sturtivant had a patent fromK . James i. 

 1612. pretending to save 300000 /. a year, by melt- 

 ing iron ore, and other metals, with pit-coal, sea-coal, 

 and brush-fuel ; 'tis pity it did not succeed. 



There are several acres of wood-land, of no mean 

 circuit near Rochester, in the county of Kent, extend- 

 ing as far as Bexley, and indeed, for many miles about 

 Shooter's Hill, near the river of Thames, which, 

 were his Majesty owner of, might in few years be of 

 an unvaluable improvement and benefit, considering 

 how apt they are to grow forest, and how opportune 

 they lie for the use of the Royal Navy at Chatham. 



12. But yet to prove what it is to manage woods 



