152 
RURAL HOURS. 
the grasses, wears her crystals as prettily as the queen of the 
garden. Of course, it is the different texture of the leaves which 
produces this very pleasing effect. 
Friday, 29th. — Very pleasant. Sunshine, with a warm mist 
on the hills ; most beautiful effects of light and shade playing 
about the valley. 
The SAveet-briar is now in full blossom. It is one of the pleas- 
antest shrubs in the Avhole wide world. With us it is not so 
very common as in most of the older counties, growing chiefly 
at intervals along the road-side, and in fields which border the 
highways. One never sees it in the woods, with the wild roses, 
and other brambles. The question as to its origin is considered 
as settled, I believe, by botanists, and, although thoroughly natru- 
ralized in most parts of the country, we cannot claim it as a 
native. 
That old worthy. Captain Gosnold, the first Englishman who 
set foot in New England, landed on Cape Cod, as far back as 
1602 ; he then proceeded to Buzzard Bay, and took up his quar- 
ters, for a time, in the largest of the Elizabeth Islands, Avhere the 
first building, raised by English hands in that part of the conti- 
nent, Avas put together. The object of his voyage was to procure 
a cargo of the sassafras root, which, at that time, was in high 
repute for medicinal purposes, and a valuable article of com- 
merce. In relating his voyage, besides the sassafras Avhich he 
found there in abundance, he mentions other plants Avhicli he 
had obserA^ed : the thorn, honeysuckle, wild pea, straAvberries, 
raspberries, and grape-vines, all undoubtedly natives ; but he also 
names the eglantine, or sweet-briar, and the tansy, both of which 
are generally looked upon as natm'alized on this continent. Per- 
