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thicknefs of the forefts, which prevents the earth 

 from being warmed by the fun foon enough to caufe 

 the fap to afcend. 



On the 1 2th, after having advanced two leagues, 

 I paired Cape St. Anthony on the left hand. Here 

 the firft canes are feen ; thefe bear a great refem- 

 blance to thofe growing in Europe, but are taller 

 and ftronger. It is pretended they never appear 

 but in good lands ; but thefe lands muft be very 

 moift and wet, and confequently fitter to bear rice 

 than wheat. When the cane lands are to be clear- 

 ed, the canes are not to be plucked up by the 

 roots; this would be a very difficult talk, their 

 knotty roots lying very deep, and being twined or 

 linked together by a great number of fibres, which 

 extend very far. Thefe roots have naturally a 

 beautiful varnifh, not a little refembling thofe of 

 the bamboos of Japan, of which thofe fine canes 

 are made, which are fold by the Dutch under 

 the name of rattans. 



When a field overgrown with thefe canes is to 

 be cultivated, it is fufficient to cut them clofe to 

 the ground : they are afterwards left to dry, 

 and are then fet on fire, the afhes ferving for 

 manure, and the fire for opening the pores of the 

 earth, which is afterwards tilled up, and fown with 

 rice, maiz, water-melons, and in a word, with all 

 forts of grain and pulfe, excepting wheat, which 

 in thefe fat lands exhaufts itfelf by running up into 

 ftraw, and produces no grain, This defect might 

 be eafily remedied, by ftrewing the ground with 

 fand, and lowing it for fome years with maiz or' 

 Indian corn. 



The 



