144 $kfo=(£ncjlantis Parities. 



Naked Oats, 1 there called Silpee, an excellent grain ufed 

 infteed of Oat Meal, they dry it in an Oven, or in a Pan 

 upon the fire, then beat it fmall in a Morter. 



Another Jlaiiding DiJJi in New-England. 



And when the Milk is ready to boil, they put into a 

 pottle of Milk about ten or twelve fpoonfuls of this Meal, 

 fo boil it leafurely, ftirring of it every foot, leaft it burn 

 too; when it is almoft boiled enough, they hang the Kettle 

 up higher, and let it ftew only, in fhort time it will thicken 

 like a Cuftard; they feafon it [89] with a little Sugar and 

 Spice, and fo ferve it to the Table in deep Bafons, and it is 

 altogether as good as a White-pot. 



For People weakned with long Sicknefs. 



It exceedingly nourifheth and ftrengthens people weak- 

 ned with long Sicknefs. 



Sometimes they make Water Gruel with it, and fome- 



1 Gerard, p. 75, — Avena nuda, L. ; derived from common oats (A. saliva, 

 L.) according to Link; and also (in Gerard's time, and even later) in cultivation. 

 It was called pillcorn, or peelcorn, because the grains, when ripe, drop naked 

 from the husks. But is it not possible that our author's Silfee (comparable with 

 apee, a leaf; toopee, a root ; ahfiee, a bow, in the Micmac language, — Mass. 

 Hist. Coll., vol. vi., pp. 20, 24) was really the American name of the well-known 

 water-oats, or Canada rice, — Zizania aquatica, L. ; the deciduous grains of 

 which are said to afford " a very good meal" (Loudon, Encycl., p. 7SS), with the 

 qualities of rice? — See Bigel., Fl. Bost., edit. 3, p. 369. This has long been used 

 by our savages ; but I have not met with any mention of it in the early writers. 

 The " standing dish in New England " has its interest, if it were really made of 

 Canada rice. 



