J4 2 Wtfiorlcal Journal of 



fick if they went without it, and it is faid the Spaniards havé 

 f île fame Notion. 



Half an Hour after they have taken it, it begins to pafs ofF^ 

 and this lafts an Hour. It is hard to conceive how a Drink, 

 which paiTes fo foon through the Body, can be fo nourifhing as 

 they fay it is : It is eafier to coniprehend that it may cleanfc 

 away whatever hinders the PafTage of the Urine^ and câufes 

 Difeafes of the Reins. When the Savages v^ould purge them- 

 felves, they mix Sea Water with it, and this produces great Eva- 

 cuations ; but if the Dofe of Sea Water is too ftrong, it may kill 

 them ; and this is not without Example. I have feen it taken in 

 France without fo much ado in preparing it, and in thè Man- 

 îier one makes Tea, but only doubling the Quantity, and mak«- 

 îng it boil near half an Quarter of an Hour ; and I make no 

 Doubt but that it has then a js^reat Effect. 



They find here alfo a Kind of Myrtle with large Leaves^ 



Of the M rîle ^^^^^ •'^ knew already was very common on 

 Wax ^ '^^ Coaft of Jcadiay and of the Englijh^ Colo^ 



nies on this Continent, Some give it the 

 Name of Laurel^ but they are miilaken : Its Leaves have the 

 Smell of Myrtle, and the EngUjh always call it the Candle Myrtle^ 

 This Shrub bears a little Grain, which being thrown into boil- 

 ing Water, fwims upon it, and becomes a gfeen Wax, fefs fat 

 and more brittle than that of Bees, but as good to burn. The on- 

 ly Inconvenience they have found in it is, that it breaks too eafily,. 

 But they might mix it with another Wax extremely liquid, which 

 they get in the Woods of the Iflands of America | which 

 however is not necelTary, unlefs they want to make large Ta- 

 pers. I have feen Candles made of it, which gave as good a 

 Light, and which lafted as long as our's. Our Miffionaries of the^ 

 Neighbourhood of Acadia mix Suet with it, which makes them 

 apt to run, becaufe the Suet does not mix well with this Wax. 



The Sieur Alexandre^ who is here in the Service of the Compa- 

 îîy in the Quality of Surgeon and Botanift, mixes nothing wfth 

 it, and his Candles have not this Fault ; their Light is foft and 

 very clear, and the Smoke they make when they are blown out, 

 has a Smell of Myrtle very agreeable. He is in Hopes of finding 

 a Way to blanch them, and he fhewed me a Mafs of it, which 

 was above half blanched (a). He fays, that if they would al- 

 low him five or fix of thofe Slaves^ who are leaft fit for the com-^ 

 mon Labours, to gather the Grain in the Seafon ; he could make 

 Wax enough to load a Ship every Year. 



(a) This has not been follovv'ed^ as -is faid,- becaufe this Wax is confidè- 

 ^bly altered in blanching. 



