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timber is generally of little confideration. 

 This wood is of great weight, hardnefs, 

 and folidity, having a fine even grain, of 

 a beautiful deep reddifh colour, variega- 

 ted, in every part of its whole fubftance, 

 with black fpots and figures, which have 

 been tortured into a fancied refemblance 

 of letters, from whence the European 

 nations have diftinguifhed it by the 

 name of Letter Wood.* It is fufceptible 

 of a moft elegant polifli, which refle£ts 

 a luftre almoft equal to a mirror, or 

 at leaft fuperior to any other ligneous 

 fubftance hitherto difcovered ; but the 

 fmallnefs of its fize feldom admits of 

 its being ufed, except for walking- 

 fticks, and fome very fmall pieces of 

 furniture. The Indians, indeed, form 

 it into bows, which they keep rather 

 for their beauty than ufe. There is 

 like wife adjacent to thefe rivers, a great 

 plenty of ebony, fuftic, and Spanijh 

 cedars, together with many other lpecies 



of 



