New Jerfey, Raccoon. 353 



go with eafe through thefe woods, as there 

 are few bufhes (or under-wood) and ftones 

 to be met with. It was not only eafy to 

 ride in every part of the wood on horfe- 

 back, but even in moft places there was 

 fufficient room for a fmall coach or a cart. 

 Sometimes a few lying trees which had 

 been thrown on the ground by a hurricane, 

 or had fallen down through great age, cauf- 

 ed fome hindrance. 



November the 25 th. During my ft ay at 

 Raccoon, ^X. this time and all the enfuing win- 

 ter, I endeavoured to get the moft informa- 

 tion from the old Swedes relating to the in- 

 creafe of land, and the decreafe of water in 

 thefe parts ; 1 fhall therefore infert the an- 

 fwers here, which I have received to my 

 queftions. They are as I got them, and I 

 Ihall only throw in a few remarks which 

 may ferve to explain things : the reader 

 therefore is left at liberty to draw his own 

 inferences and conclufions. 



One of the Swedes, called King, who 

 was above fifty years of age, was convinced, 

 that about this time the little lakes, brooks, 

 fprings and rivers had much lefs water, 

 than they had when he was a boy. He 

 could mention feveral lakes on which the 

 people went in large boats in his youth, 

 and had fufficient water even in the hotteft 

 Z fummersj 



