New Jerfty, Raccoon, 341 



throwing fome of the wood into the fire, 

 it caufes a crackling as fait does. The wood 

 is made ufe of for pofts belonging to the 

 enclofures, for it is faid to lafl a long time 

 in the ground : but it is likewife faid, that 

 there is hardly any kind of wood, which is 

 more attacked by worms than this, when it 

 is expofed to the air without cover, and 

 that in a fhort time it is quite worm-eaten 

 through and through. The Swedes related, 

 that the Indians who formerly inhabited 

 thefe parts, made bowls of it. On cutting 

 fome part of the faffafras tree, or its (hoots, 

 and holding it to the nofe, it has a flrong 

 but pleafant fmell. Some people peel the 

 root, and boil the peel with the beer which 

 they are brewing, becaufe they believe it 

 wholefome for the fame reafon. The peel 

 is put into brandy, either whilft it is diftil- 

 ling, or after it is made. 



An old Swede remembered that his mo- 

 ther cured many people of the dropfy, by 

 a decodtion of the root of faffafras in water 

 drank every morning : but fhe ufed, at the 

 fame time to cup the patient on the feet. 

 The old man affured me, he had often 

 feen people cured by this means, who had 

 been brought to his mother wrapped up in 

 flieets. 



Y 3 When 



