( 5°5 ) 
the Grafs, which grew over i: being, in a very dry Sunr 
mtr. of a yeliow-fh co’jur. 
The Reverend Mr. de la Pry me feet me forae of the 
Cones tonnd with this Timber in the great Fenns of 
Lincolnjhire, which differed in nothing from thofe of 
the Scotch Firr, which your Lordftwp has fo plentifully 
growing in Scotland at this Day, and which home Years 
fince were judged fo proper by fome to afford Mafts 
for the Navy Royal, that I think fome Perfons were 
Tent thither for that pnrpofe. But they were not 
able to bring about what chey intended., by reafon of 
the Difficulties in the Roads by which they were to 
be conveyed to the Sea 5 which in Norveay [ have 
heard is in a great meafure effected by the Rivers. 
Cafar , indeed, in his Commentaries fays, that the forts 
of Timber in this Iflmd are the fame as in France, 
prater fagum & abietem , except Beach and Firr. Your 
Lordfhip is a fufficientWitnefs of his miftake as to one fort 
of thefe Trees, and the Beaches in the Chiltern Coun- 
tries near London, prove the fame as to the other. For 
the ufes of this under-ground Timber, befides thofe of 
other Wood, it is fplit into pieces ; and being lighted, 
fupplies the ufe of Candles. It is aifo nude into 
Ropes 5 as may be feen in the Mufattm of the Royal 
Society, by a long piece of fuch Rope, bought 
by the Honourable Edward Southwell Efq, in Newry 
Market in Ireland , and prefented by him to the 
Royal Society 5 the long foaking in Water having 
render’d the Wood of thofe Trees fit to be made 
into Ropes. This feems to prove, that as the foaking 
of Hemp, Flax, Aloe Leaves, <&c. in Water, diflolves the 
pulpy part, and leaves the fibrous fit for making into 
Threads and Ropes, fo the long foaking of Trees may 
make in length of Time the fame, or an analogous 
change in thofe of Wood and Timber. There are fome 
things remarkable which I wdl beg. leave to acquaint 
Y y 2 your 
