176 May 1749. 



gles excepted ; fecondly, they are very light,- 

 fo mat no ftrong beams are requifite to flip-* 

 port the roof. For the fame reafon it is un- 

 necefiarv to build thick walls, becaufe they are 

 not prefted by heavy roofs. When fires break 

 out, it islefs dangerous to go under or along 

 the roofs, becaufethe fhinglesbeing very light 

 can do little hurt by falling ; they fuck the 

 water, being fomewhat fpungy, fo that the 

 roofs can eafily be wetted in cafe of a fire : 

 however, their fatnefsoccafions that the water 

 does not hurt them, but evaporates eafily. 

 When they burn and are carried about by the 

 wind, they have commonly what is called 

 a dead coal, which does not eafily fet fire 

 where it alights. The roo*" made of^ thefe 

 mingles can eafily be cni through, if re- 

 quired, becaufe they are thin, and not very 

 hard; for thefe qualities the people in the 

 country, and in the towns, are very defirous 

 of having their houfes covered with white 

 cedar filing 1 es, if the wood can be got. 

 Therefore all churches, and the houfes of 

 the more fubftantial inhabitants of the 

 towns, have mingle roofs. In many parts 

 of New Torh province, where the white 

 cedar does not grow, the people, however, 

 have their houfes roofed with cedar mingles, 

 which they get from other parts. To that 

 purpofe great quantities of mingles are 

 annually exported from Eggharbour and 



other 



