Penfylvania, Philadelphia^ 14^ 



much more numerous -, that even at prefent 

 they fwarmed in vaft quantities on the fea; 

 fhore near the fait water, and that thofe 

 which troubled us this autumn in Phila- 

 delphia were of a more venomous kind, 

 than they commonly ufed to be. This laft 

 quality appeared from the biifters, which 

 were formed on the fpots,- where the gnats 

 j had inferted their fting. In Sweden I never 

 felt any other inconvenience from theit* 

 fting, than a little itching, whilfl they 

 fucked. But when they ftung me here at 

 night, my face was fo disfigured by littld 

 red fpots and blifters, that 1 was almoft a- 

 fhamed to {hew myfelf. 



I HAVE already mentioned fomewhat 

 about the enclofures ufual here ; I now add, 

 that moft of the planks which are put ho- 

 rizontally, and of which the enclofures in 

 the environs of Philadelphia chiefly confift, 

 are of the red cedar wood, which is here 

 reckoned more durable than any other. But 

 v/here this eould not be got, either white 

 or black oak fupplied its place. The peo- 

 ple were likewife very glad if they could 

 get cedar wood for the pofts, ot elfe they 

 took white oak, or chefnut, as I v^ras told 

 by Mr. Bartram, But it feems that that 

 kind of wood in general does not keep well 

 in the ground- fbt' a eonfiderable time. I 

 K faw 



