318 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK I. vvell done in furnaces of large capacity, were it worth the expense. 



-'^'^-v'^ When the tar is now all melted out and run, they stop up all the vents 

 very close, and afterwards find the knots made into excellent charcoal, 

 preferred hy the smiths before any other whatsoever which is made of 

 wood, and nothing so apt to burn out when their blast ceaseth ; neither 

 do they sparkle in the fire as many other sorts of coal do ; so as, in defect 

 of sea-coal, they make choice of this as best for their use^ and give 

 greater prices for it. Of these knots likewise do the planters split out 

 small slivers about the thickness of one's finger, or somewhat thinner, 

 which serve them to burn instead of candles, giving a very good light. 

 This they call candle-wood, and it is in much use in New-England and 

 Virginia, and amongst the Dutch planters in their villages ; but for that 

 it is something offensive, by reason of the much fuliginous smoke which 

 cojnes from it, they commonly burn it in the chimney-corner, upon a flat 

 stone or iron, except, occasionally, they carry a single stick in their hand 

 as there is need of light to go about the house. It must not be conceived, 

 by what we have mentioned in the former description of the knots, that 

 they are only to be separated from the bodies of the trees by devouring 

 time, or that they are the only materials out of which tar can be ex- 

 tracted ; for there are in these tracts millions of trees which abound with 

 the same sorts of knots, and full of tui-pentine fit to make tar : But the 

 labour of felling these trees, and of cutting out their knots, would far 

 ^ exceed the value of the tar, especially in countries where workmen are so 



very dear : But those knots above-mentioned are provided to hand, with- 

 out any other labour than the gathering only. There are sometimes 

 found of those sort of Pine-trees, the lowest part of Avhose stems towards 

 the root is as full of turpentine as the knots : and of these also may tar 

 be made. But such trees being rarely found, are commonly preserved to 

 split into candle-wood, because they will be easily riven out into any 

 lengths and scantings desired, much better than the knots. There be, 

 who pretend an art of fully impregnating the body of any living Pine- 

 tree, for six or eight feet high ; and some have reported that such an art 

 is practised in Norway. But, upon several experiments, by girdling the 

 tree, as they call it, and cutting some of the bark round, and a little into 

 the wood of the tree, six or eight feet distant from the ground, it has 

 never yet succeeded. Whether the just season of the year was not ob- 

 served, or what else omitted, were worth the disquisition, if at least there 

 be any such secret amongst the Norwegians, Swedes, or any other nation. 



