20 December 1748. 



tullp-lree (Liriodendron), and the fweet 

 gum-tree ( Liquidambar ) ', became rotten 

 in a mort time. The hiccory did not 

 take much time, and the black oak fell 

 fooner to pieces than the white oak ; but 

 this was owing to circumftances. If the 

 bark remained on the wood, it was for 

 the greater): part rotten, and entirely eaten 

 by worms within, in the fpace of fix, 

 eight, or ten years, fo that nothing was to 

 be found but a reddiih brown dult. But 

 if the bark was taken off, they would often 

 lie twenty vears before they were entirely 

 rotten. The fuddennefs of a tree's growth, 

 the bignefs of its pores, and the frequent 

 changes of heat and wet in fummer, caufe 

 it to rot fooner. To this it mufr, be added, 

 that all forts of infects make holes into the 

 items of the fallen trees, and by that means 

 the moifture and the air get into the tree, 

 which muft of courfe forward putrefaction. 

 Moft of he trees here have deciduous or 

 annual leaves. Many of them begin to 

 rot whilft they are yet {landing and bloom- 

 ing. This forms the hollow trees, in 

 which many animals make their nefts and 

 places uf refuge. 



The breadth of the Delaware directly 

 oppofite Wilmington is reckon ^d an Englijh 

 mile and a half 5 yet to look at it, it did 



not 



