i 4 4 
Naked Oats, 1 there called Silpee, an excellent grain ufed 
infteed of Oat Meal, they dry it in an Oven, or in a Pan 
upon the fire, then beat it fmall in a Morter. 
And when the Milk is ready to boil, they put into a 
pottle of Milk about ten or twelve fpoonfuls of this Meal, 
fo boil it leafurely, ftirring of it every foot, leaft it burn 
too ; when it is almoft boiled enough, they hang the Kettle 
up higher, and let it ftew only, in fhort time it will thicken 
like a Cuftard; they feafon it [89] with a little Sugar and 
Spice, and fo ferve it to the Table in deep Bafons, and it is 
altogether as good as a White-pot. 
It exceedingly nourifheth and ftrengthens people weak- 
ned with long Sicknefs. 
Sometimes they make Water Gruel with it, and fome- 
1 Gerard, p. 75, — Avena nuda, L. ; derived from common oats (A. saiiva, 
L.) according to Link; and also (in Gerard's time, and even later) in cultivation. 
It was called pillcorn, or peelcorn, because the grains, when ripe, drop naked 
from the husks. But is it not possible that our author's Silpce (comparable with 
apee, a leaf; ioopce, a root; ah fee, a bow, in the Micmac language, — Mass. 
Hist. Coll., vol. vi., pp. 20, 24) was really the American name of the well-known 
water-oats, or Canada rice, — Zizatiia aquatica, L. ; the deciduous grains of 
which are said to afford " a very good meal" (Loudon, Encycl., p. 7S8), with the 
qualities of rice? — See Eiffel., Fl. Bost., edit. 3, p. 369. This has long been used 
by our savages; but I have not met with any mention of it in the early writers. 
The " standing dish in New England" has its interest, if it were really made of 
Canada rice. 
Another /landing DiJJi in New-England. 
For People weakned with long 
