of the Jfthmus of Anierica. 73 



.or Vines. Of thefe alfo there are two 

 Sor% a Sweet and a Bitter : The Sweet 

 eatable, but not defireable 5 the Bitter me- 

 dicinal in the Pajjio Iliaca, Tertian's, Co- 

 ftivenefs, &c. taken in a Clyfter. But the 

 Indians value both forts chiefly for their 

 Shells $ and the larger fort of thefe ferve 

 them by way of Pails and Buckets, as Ca- 

 Jabaflies do for Dimes, Cups and Drinking- 

 Veffels. ' 



They have a Plant alfo which is of good sn^grajto 

 ufe to them, call'd by us Silk-Grafs 3 tho* 

 'tis indeed a kind of Flag. It grows in 

 great quantities in moift Places on the fides 

 of Hills. The Roots are knobbed, and 

 fhoot out into Leaves like a Sword Blade, 

 as thick as ones Hand in the middle of the 

 Leaf towards the Root, thinner towards ♦ 

 the Edges and the top 5 where it ends in 

 a (harp Point, altogether like our Flags, 

 fave that the Leaf is much broader, and 

 a Yard or two in length, and jagged at 

 the Edges like a Saw or fome Reap-hooks. 

 The Indians cut thefe Leaves when of a 

 convenient Growth, and having dried 

 them well in the Sun, they beat them into 

 Strings like fine Flax, extraordinary ftrong, 

 beyond any of our Flax or Hemp : For 

 the Leaf it felf feems to be nothing but a 

 Congeries of Strings inclos'd with a Skin 

 on each fide. They twift thefe Strings as 

 .they dp thofe of the Maho-tvee, and make 



