New Jefey, Raccoon. 339 



and often fall fo lick, that they feem to be 

 at the point of death, but the people, who 

 have eaten the venifon, have not felt the 

 leaft indifpofition. The leaves of the Kal- 

 mia are likewife the winter food of thofe 

 birds, which the Swedes in North America 

 call Hazel-hensy and which ftay here all 

 winter, for when they are killed, their 

 crop is found quite filled with them. 



The wood of the Kalmia is very hard, 

 and fome people on that account, make the 

 axis of their pullies of it. Weavers fhuttles 

 are chiefly made of it, and the weavers are 

 of opinion, that no wood in this country is 

 better for this purpofe, for it is compadt, 

 may be made very fmooth, and does not 

 eafily crack, or burft. The joiners and 

 turners here, employ it in making all kinds 

 of work, which requires the beft wood ; 

 they chiefly ufe the root becaufe it is quite 

 yellow J the wood has a very fuitable hard- 

 nefs and finenefs, and from the center, fpread 

 as it were fmall rays, which are at fome 

 diftance from each other. When the leaves 

 of the Kalmia are thrown into the fire, they 

 make a crackling like fait. The chimney 

 fweepers make brooms in winter of the 

 branches with the leaves on them, fince 

 they cannot get others in that feafon. In 

 the fummer of the year 1750, a certain 

 Y 2 kind 



