II. A Letter from Mr Anthony Van Lceuwenhock, 
K ^ S. concerning the ^arks of Trees. 
Delft Holland, March 27, 170$. 
A Ltlio I have been many years fully convincd in my 
£\ own particular^ that the Bark of Tre^s was produced 
from the Wood, and not the Wood from the Bark, as 
many have aflSrmed 5 yet I find that fome, and thofe per- 
ns of good Learning, do maintain the fame HypotheGs 5 
d fo efpecially did a certain Gentleman, that was lately 
at my Houfe. This induced mc to make a nicer Enquiry in- 
to the Barks of Trees, in order,if it were poffible,more fully 
to convince the World than I hate yet done, that the Bark 
of Trees docs al ways proceed from the Wood. I had a 
piece of Cinnamon Wood, about the bignefs of a Quill 
that $ ufed for writing, which had its Bark ftill upon it ^ 
I judged that this piece of Cinnamon Wood would be the 
moft proper to prove that the Bark is made out of the 
Wood, becaufe that the Horizontal VefTels of that Wood 
were of the fame Colour with the Cinnamon itfelf. Buc 
as nicely as I dealt with this Wood, I could nat cat it in. 
to pieces acrofs, fo as to keep the Bark and the Wood 
united, but the Birk would always be feparated from the 
Wood, of which I could not underftand the me.ining, 
till I caird to mind that the Ifland of Ceylon is iieuated be- 
tween the 5th and loth Deg, of Northern Latitude 5 fo 
. that the Fruits, Wood and Bark are of a continued vvhole 
■years Growth, whereby new Saps and Juices are always 
;carricd up between the Wood and the Bark, in order 
'to make the new Wood and the new Bark. For this is 
the reafon that the Bark of Cinnamon is foeafily feparated 
Fffffffffft from 
