ii8 Augiifi 1749. 



north of Montreal. The fuperlor of the 

 clergy, here and feveral other people, affbred 

 me that the Chinefe value the Canada Gin- 

 feng as much as the Tartariafi^ -, and that no 

 one ever had been entirely acquainted witli 

 the Chinefe method of preparing it. However 

 it is thought that amongft; other prepa- 

 rations they dip the roots in a decoction of 

 the leaves of Ginfeng. The roots prepared 

 by the Chinefe are almoft tranfparent, and 

 look like horn in the inlide j and the roots 

 which are fit for ufe, muft be heavy and 

 compacft in the infide. 



The plant which throughout Canada 

 bears the name of Herba capillaris is like- 

 wife one of thofe with which a great trade 

 is carried on in Canada. The Englifi in 

 their plantations call it Maiden- hair -, it 

 grows in all their North- American colonies, 

 which I travelled through, and likewife in 

 the fouthern parts of Canada -, but I never 

 found it near ^ebec. It grows in the 

 woods in fhady places and in a good foil '\, 

 Several people in Albany and Canada, alTured 

 me that its leaves were very much ufed in- 



* This is direaiy oppofite to Mr. OJheck's affertion. See 

 the preceding page, 114. note f. F. 



f It is the Adiantum pedatum of Linn, fp, pi. p. 1557- 

 Co^mdiiSy in his Canadenf. plant, hijicria, p. 7. calls it Jdii 

 antum Jmcricanum, and gives together with the defcription, 

 a figure of it, p. 6. 



Ilea4 



