e6 A Difcottrfe of Foreft-Trees. 



finifti'd, they pile the kpots one upon another, after the very lame 

 manner as our Colliers do their rpood for Char-ioal ^ and of a 

 height proportionable to the breadth of the Hearth ; and then 

 cover them over with a coat of loam or clay (which is beft) or in 

 defedt of thofc, with the beft, and moft tenacious earth the place 

 will afford j leaving only a imzW j^iracle at the top whereat to 

 put the /re in 5 and making fome little holes round about at feveral 

 heights , for the admiiuon of fo much air as is requifite to 

 keep it burning, and to regulate the /re by opening, and flopping 

 them at pleafure. The procef is almoft the lame with that of ma- 

 king char-coal, as will appear in due place -, for when it is well 

 on fire, that middle ^<?/e is alfo ftopp'd, and the reft oftheiSe^i- 

 ^erj- fo govern'd as the kpots may keep burning and not be fuifo- 

 cated with too mnch fmoal^, whiles all being now through-heated, 

 the Tar runs down to the Hearth together with fome of the 

 more watry jrfp, which hafting from all p<ir?x towards the middle 

 is convey a by the foremention'd gutter into the Barrel, or l^effel 

 placed to receive it : Thus the whole Art of Tar-making is no 

 other then a kind of rude diftillation per defcenfum, and might 

 therefore be as well done in Furnaces of large capacity, were it 

 worth the expence. When the Tlirisnow all melted out, and 

 run , they ftop up all the vents very clofe 5 and afterwards find 

 the k*iots made into excellent Char-coal preferr'd by the Smiths 

 before any other whatfoever which is made of wood 5 and no- 

 thing fo apt to burn out when their blaU ceafeth ; neither do they 

 jparkle in the fire as many other forts of Co^i/ do; foas, in defed 

 o£ Sea-coal, they niake choice of this as beft for their ufe, and give 

 greater />r/Ve/ for it. 



Of thefe k»ots likewife do the Planters fplit out fmall firvers 

 about the thicknefs of ones finger, or fomewhat thinner, which 

 ferve themto burnin fteadof C^»^/ej5 giving a very good light. 

 This they call Candle-vpood, and it is in much ufe both in Nevo Eng- 

 land, Virginia, and amongft the Dutch-planters in their Villages 5 

 but for that it is fomething offenfive by reafon of the much fuligi- 

 nous Jmoak which comes from it, they commonly burn it in the 

 chimney-corner upon a flat fione , or Iron ; except , occafionally, 

 they carry a iin^e Jiickjn their hand, as there is need of light to 

 go about the houfe. 



It muft not be conceiv'd,by what we have mention'd in the for- 

 mer defcription of the kfiots, that they are only to be feparated 

 from the bodies of the trees by devouring time ; or that they are 

 the only materials out of which Tar can be extrafted : For there 

 are in thefe TraEts millions of Trees which abound with the fame 

 fort of knots, and full of Terpentine fit to make Tar : But the la- 

 bour oi felling thefe Trees, and of cutting out their k"<'ts, would 

 far exceed the value of the Tar 5 efpecially in Countries where 

 Workjften are fo very dear .* But thofe kpot^, above mention'd, 

 are provided to hand, without any other labour then the gather- 

 ing only. 



There are fometimes found of thofe fort of Tine-trees the 



loweft 



