of the Ifthnms 'of America. 317 



rtego's : And their Plenty you may judge of by 

 this, shat if the Indians want to cut one for a Ca- 

 noa, they will not trouble themfelves about any a 

 Furlong off, tho 5 never fo fine ; having enough u- 

 fually to fell by the Side of the River into which 

 they intend to launch it. 



There are on the Continent feveral Trees of the Maaaw* 

 Palm-kind^ of which fort we may reckon the Mac- tree * 

 caw-tree. It grows in great Plenty in fwampy or 

 moift Grounds ; and I remember not that I faw 

 them any where but on the South-fide of the l(lh- 

 mus, which is moftly of fuch a Soil. It is not very 

 tall, the Body rifing ftreight up to about 10 Foot or 

 more, furrounded with protuberant Rings at cer- 

 tain Diftances, and thofe thick-fet with long Prickles. 

 The Middle of the Tree is a Pith like Elder, taking 

 up aboye half the Diameter of the Body. The Bo- 

 dy is naked without Branches till towards the Top 1 

 but there it puts out Leaves or Branches 12 or 14 

 Foot long, and a Foot and an half wide, leffening 

 gradually towards the Extremity. The Rib or 

 Seam of this Leaf is befet all along with Prickles, 

 on the Out-fide ; and the Leaf it felf is jagged a- 

 bout the Edges and as thick as one's Hand, at the 

 broader End of it. At the Top of the Tree, and 

 amidft the Roots of thefe Leaves grows the Fruit, 

 a Sort of Berries fprouting up in Clufters, each a- 

 bout the Size of a fmall Pear, but many Score of 

 them together. They incline to an Oval Figure, 

 and are of a yellow or reddifh Colour when ripe. 

 There is a Stone in the Middle, and the Out-fide 

 is ftringy, and (limy when ripe ; of a tart Tafte, 

 harfh in the Mouth, yet not unpleafant : And the 

 way of eating the Fruit is to bite the flefliy Part 

 from the Stone, and having chew'd it, to fpit out 

 the remaining ftringy Subftance. The Indians fre- 

 quently cut down the Tree only to get the Berries ; 

 but fuch of them as are moil low and flender, you 



may 



