Î78 An Hijiofkd Journaî of 



The Strait is one of the Countries of Canada where â Ëo- 

 tanift might make the moft Difcoveries. I have already ob- 

 ferved, that all Canada produces a great many Simples which 

 have great Virtues^ There is no Doubt that the Snow contri- 

 butes greatly to it : But there is in this PlaCe a Variety of Soil 1 

 which, joined to the Mildnefs of the Climate, and the Liberty 

 which the Sun kas to warm the Earth more than iri other Placesj^ 

 becaufe the Country is more open, gives Room to beliéve that 

 the Plants have more Virtue here than in any other Plaicei 



One of my Canoe Men lately proved the Force of a Plahfp 

 Of the Flea which we meet with every where, and the 

 nduanditsE/. Ç"°wlfge of which is very neceffary for 

 ' Travellers ; not for Its good Qualities, fori 



^' never yet heard it had any, but becaufe we 



cannot take too much Care to ihun it. They call it the Flea- 

 Plant ; but this Name does not fufficiently exprefs the Effeds it 

 produces. Its Effedls are more ot lefs fenfible, according to the 

 Conftitution of thofe who touch it. There are fome Perfons on 

 whom it has no EfFeél at all ; but others, only by looking on it^ 

 are feized with a violent Fever, which lafls above fifteen Days, 

 and which is accompanied with a very troublefome Itch on the 

 Hands, and a great Itching all over the Body* It has an Èifedl 

 on others only when they touch it, and then the Party afFeéled ap- 



})ears all over like a Leper. Some have been known to have 

 oft the Ufe of their Hands by it. We know no other Remedy 

 for it as yet but Patience. After fome Time all the Symptoms 

 difappear* 



There grow alfo in the Strait Lemon-Trees in the natural 

 nr L T ^^^^f ^^^^ Fruit of v/hich have the Shape and 



' Colour of thofe of Portugal, but they arô 



the biratt. fmaller, and of a flat Tafte. They are ex- 



cellentin Conferve* The Root of this Tree is a deadly and 

 Very fubtile Poifon, and at the fame Time a fovereign Antidote 

 againft the Bite of Serpents. It muft be pounded, and applied 

 direélly to the Wound. This Remedy takes Effefl inftantly, 

 and never fails. On both Sides the Strait the Country, as they 

 fay, preferves all its Beauty for about ten Leagues within Land ; 

 after which they find fewer Fruit-Trees, and not fo many Mea- 

 dows. But at the End of five or fix Leagues, inclining towards 

 the Lake Èr^éto the South Weft, one fees vaft Meadows which 

 extend above a hundred Leagues every Way, and which feed a 

 prodigious Number of thofe Cattle which I have already mention-* 

 «d feveral Times. 



/ am, &c. 



L-ETTEK 



