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I don't know, Madam, whither I ought to en- 

 tertain you with an account of the fore its of Ca- 

 nada. We are here furrounded with the vaftett 

 woods in the whole world ; in all appearance, they 

 are as ancient as the world itfelf, and were never 

 planted by the hand of man. Nothing can prefent 

 a nobler or more magnificent profpect to the eyes, 

 the trees hide their tops in the clouds, and the va- 

 riety of different fpecies of them is fo prodigious, 

 that even amongft all thofe who have mod applied 

 themfelves to the knowledge of them, there is not 

 perhaps one who is not ignorant of at lead one 

 half of them. As to their quality, and the ufes 

 to which they may be applied, their fentiments are 

 fo different, both in the country in which we now 

 are, as well as in that where your grace is, that I 

 defpair of being ever able to give you the infor- 

 mation I could defire on this head. At prefent, at 

 leaft I ought to confine myfelf to fome observations 

 on what I have myfelf feen, and on what I have 

 heard people who have more experience fay, and 

 who are greater adepts in this fcience. 



What moft ftruck my eyes on my firft arrival 

 in this country, was, the pines, fir-trees, and cedars, 

 which are of a height and thicknefs perfectly aftonifh- 

 ing. There are two forts of pines in this country, all 

 of them yielding a refinous fubftance very fit for 

 making pitch and tar. The white pines, at leaft 

 fome of them, fhoot out at the upper extremity a 

 kind of mufhroom, which the inhabitants call 

 Guarigue, and which the Indians ufe with fuc- 

 cefs againft diforders in the breafl and in the 

 dyfentery. The red pines are more gummy and 

 heavier, but do not grow to fuch a thicknefs. The 

 lands which produce both are not the moft proper 



0^3 for 



