vertues, may stand in Competition with the plants of any Countrey
in Europe. _Johnson_ hath added to _Gerard’s_ Herbal 300. and
_Parkinson_ mentioneth many more; had they been in _New-England_
they might have found 1000 at least never heard of nor seen by any
_Englishman_ before: ’Tis true, the Countrie hath no _Bonerets_,
or _Tartarlambs_, no glittering coloured _Tuleps_; but here you
have the _American Mary-Gold_, the _Earth-nut_ bearing a princely
Flower, the beautiful leaved _Pirola_, the honied _Colibry_, &c.
They are generally of (somewhat) a more masculine vertue, than
any of the same species in _England_, but not in so terrible a
degree, as to be mischievous or ineffectual to our _English_
bodies. _It is affirmed by some that no forraign Drugg or Simple
can be so proper to Englishmen as their own, for the quantity of_
Opium _which Turks do safely take will kill four Englishmen, and
that which will_ [p. 60.] _salve their wounds within a day, will
not recure an Englishman in three._ To which I answer that it is
custom that brings the _Turks_ to the familiar use of _Opium_.
You may have heard of a _Taylor_ in _Kent_, who being afflicted
with want of sleep ventured upon _Opium_, taking at first a grain,
and increasing of it till it came to an ounce, which quantitie he
took as familiarly as a _Turk_, without any harm, more than that
he could not sleep without it. The _English_ in _New-England_
take white _Hellebore_, which operates as fairly with them, as
with the _Indians_, who steeping of it in water sometime, give it
to young lads gathered together a purpose to drink, if it come up
they force them to drink again their vomit, (which they save in a
Birchen-dish) till it stayes with them, & he that gets the victory
of it is made Captain of the other lads for that year. There is a
plant likewise, called for want of a name _Clownes wound wort_ by
the _English_, though it be not the same, that will heal a green
wound in 24 hours, if a wise man have the ordering of it. Thus much
for the general, I shall now begin to discover unto you the plants
more particularly, and I shall first begin with Trees, and of them,
first with such as are called in Scripture Trees of God, that is
great [p. 61.] Trees, that grow of themselves without planting.
Psal. 104. 16, 17. _Satiantur arbores Jehovæ_, _cedri Libani quas
plantavit_; (_ubi aviculæ nidificent_) _abietes domicilia ciconiæ_.
The Herons take great delight to sit basking upon the tops of these
Trees. And I shall not be over large in any, having written of them
in my Treatise of the rarities of _New-England_, to which I refer
you.
The _Oake_ I have given you an account of, and the kinds; I shall
add the ordering of Red _Oake_ for Wainscot. When they have cut
it down and clear’d it from the branches, they pitch the body of
the Tree in a muddy place in a River, with the head downward for
some time, afterwards they draw it out, and when it is seasoned
sufficiently, they saw it into boards for Wainscot, and it will
branch out into curious works.
There is an admirable rare Creature in shape like a _Buck_, with
Horns, of a gummy substance, which I have often found in the fall
of the leaf upon the ground amongst the withered leaves; a living
Creature I cannot call it; having only the sign of a mouth and
eyes: seldom or never shall you meet with any of them whole, but
the head and horns, or the hinder parts, broken off from the rest;
the _Indians_ call them Tree _Bucks_, and have a superstitious
saying (for I believe [p. 62.] they never see any of them living)
that if they can see a Tree-_Buck_ walking upon the branches of an
_Oake_ when they go out in a morning to hunt, they shall have good
luck that day. What they are good for I know not, but certainly
there is some more than ordinary vertue in them. It is true that
nothing in nature is superfluous, and we have the Scripture to
back it, that God created nothing in vain. The like Creatures they
_have at the_ Barbadoes _which they call_ Negroes _heads, found
in the Sands, about two inches long, with forehead, eyes, nose,
mouth, chin, and part of the neck, they are alwayes found loose in
the Sands without any root, it is as black as Jet, but whence it
comes they know not. I have read likewise, that in the_ Canaries
_or_ Fortunate-Islands, _there is found a certain Creature, which
Boys bring home from the mountains as oft as they would, and named
them_ Tudesquels, _or little_ Germans: _for they were dry’d dead
Carcases, almost three footed, which any boy did easily carry in
one of the palms of his hand, and they were of an humane shape; but
the whole dead Carcase was clearly like unto Parchment, and their
bones were flexible, as it were gristles: against the Sun, also,
their bowels and intestines were seen. Surely (saith my Authour)
the destroyed race of the_ Pigmies _was there_. There is [p. 63.]
also many times found upon the leaves of the _Oake_ a Creature
like a _Frog_, being as thin as a leaf, and transparent, as yellow
as Gold, with little fiery red eyes, the _English_ call them
Tree-frogs or Tree-toads (but of Tree-toads I shall have occasion
to speak in another place) they are said to be venemous, but may be
safely used, being admirable to stop womens over-flowing courses
hung about their necks in a Taffetie bag.
_Captain_ Smith _writes that in_ New-England _there growes a
certain berry called_ Kermes, _worth_ 10 _shillings a pound,
and had been formerly sold for_ 30 _or_ 40 _shillings a pound,
which may yearly be gathered in good quantity._ I have sought for
this berry, he speaks of, as a man should seek for a needle in a
bottle of Hay, but could never light upon it; unless that kind
of _Solomon-seal_ called by the _English_ Treacle-berry be it.
_Gerard_ our famous Herbalist _writes that they grow upon a little
Tree called_ Scarlet-Oake, _the leaves have one sharp prickle at
the end of it; it beareth small_ Acorns: _But the grain or berry
growes out of the woody branches, like an excrescence of the
substance of the_ Oake-Apple, _and of the bigness of Pease, at
first white, when ripe of an_ Ash-colour, _which ingenders little
Maggots, which when it begins_ [p. 64.] _to have wings are put
into a bag and boulted up and down till dead, and then made up
into lumps, the Maggot as most do deem is_ Cutchenele; _So that_
Chermes _is_ Cutchenele: _the berries dye scarlet. Mr._ George
Sands _in his Travels saith (much to the same purpose) that scarlet
dye growes like a blister on the leaf of the Holy_ Oake, _a little
shrub, yet producing_ Acorns, _being gathered they rub out of it
a certain red dust, that converteth after a while into worms,
which they kill with Wine, when they begin to quicken. See farther
concerning Treacle-berries and_ Cutchinele _in the rarities of_
New-England.
The Pine-Tree challengeth the next place, and that sort which is
called Board-pine is the principal, it is a stately large Tree,
very tall, and sometimes two or three fadom about: of the body the
_English_ make large _Canows_ of 20 foot long, and two foot and
a half over, hollowing of them with an Adds, and shaping of the
outside like a Boat. Some conceive that the wood called _Gopher_ in
Scripture, of which _Noah_ made the Ark, was no other than Pine,
_Gen._ 6. 14. The bark thereof is good for Ulcers in tender persons
that refuse sharp medicines. The inner bark of young board-pine
cut small and stampt and boiled in a Gallon of water is a very
soveraign medicine for burn [p. 65.] or scald, washing the sore
with some of the decoction, and then laying on the bark stampt
very soft: or for frozen limbs, to take out the fire and to heal
them, take the bark of Board-pine-Tree, cut it small and stamp it
and boil it in a gallon of water to Gelly, wash the sore with the
liquor, stamp the bark again till it be very soft and bind it on.
The Turpentine is excellent to heal wounds and cuts, and hath all
the properties of _Venice_ Turpentine, the Rosen is as good as
Frankincense, and the powder of the dryed leaves generateth flesh;
the distilled water of the green Cones taketh away wrinkles in the
face being laid on with Cloths.
The Firr-tree is a large Tree too, but seldom so big as the Pine,
the bark is smooth, with knobs or blisters, in which lyeth clear
liquid Turpentine very good to be put into salves and oyntments,
the leaves or Cones boiled in Beer are good for the Scurvie, the
young buds are excellent to put into Epithemes for Warts and
Corns, the Rosen is altogether as good as Frankincense; out of this
Tree the Poleakers draw Pitch and Tarr; the manner I shall give
you, for that it may (with many other things contained in this
Treatise) be beneficial to my Countrymen, either there already
seated, or that [p. 66.] may happen to go thither hereafter. Out
of the fattest wood changed into Torch-wood, which is a disease in
that Tree, they draw Tarr, first a place must be paved with stone
or the like, a little higher in the middle, about which there must
be made gutters, into which the liquor falls, then out from them
other gutters are to be drawn, by which it may be received, then
is it put into barrels. The place thus prepared, the cloven wood
must be set upright, then must it be covered with a great number of
firr and pitch bowes; and on every part all about with much lome
and sods of earth, and great heed must be taken, lest there be
any cleft or chink remaining, only a hole left in the top of the
furnace, through which the fire may be put in, and the flame and
smoak to pass out: when the fire burneth, the Pitch or Tarr runneth
forth first thin and then thicker; of which when it is boiled is
made Pitch: the powder of dried Pitch is used to generate flesh in
wounds and sores. The knots of this Tree and fat-pine are used by
the _English_ instead of Candles, and it will burn a long time, but
it makes the people pale.
The Spruce-tree I have given you an account of in my _New-England_
rarities. In the North-east of _Scotland_ upon the banks [p. 67.]
of _Lough-argick_, there hath been formerly of these Trees 28
handful about at the Root, and their bodies mounted to 90 foot of
height, bearing at the length 20 inches diameter. At _Pascataway_
there is now a Spruce-tree brought down to the water-side by our
Mass-men of an incredible bigness, and so long that no Skipper
durst ever yet adventure to ship it, but there it lyes and Rots.
The Hemlock-tree is a kind of spruce or pine; the bark boiled and
stampt till it be very soft is excellent for to heal wounds, and so
is the Turpentine thereof, and the Turpentine that issueth from the
Cones of the Larch-tree, (which comes nearest of any to the right
Turpentine) is singularly good to heal wounds, and to draw out the
malice (or Thorn, as _Helmont_ phrases it) of any Ach, rubbing the
place therewith, and strowing upon it the powder of _Sage_-leaves.
The white Cedar is a stately Tree, and is taken by some to be
_Tamarisk_, this Tree the _English_ saw into boards to floor their
Rooms, for which purpose it is excellent, long lasting, and wears
very smooth and white; likewise they make shingles to cover their
houses with instead of tyle, it will never warp. This Tree, the
Oak and the [p. 68.] Larch-tree are best for building. Groundsels
made of Larch-tree will never rot, and the longer it lyes the
harder it growes, that you may almost drive a nail into a bar of
Iron as easily as into that. Oh, that my Countreymen might obtain
that blessing with their buildings, which _Esay_ prophesied to
the _Jewes_ in the 65 Chapter and 22 verse. _Non ædificabunt &
alius inhabitabit, non plantabunt & alius comedet: sed ut sunt
dies Arboris, dies erunt populi mei, & opus manuum suarum deterent
electi mei._
The Sassafras-tree is no great Tree, I have met with some as big as
my middle, the rind is tawny and upon that a thin colour of Ashes,
the inner part is white, of an excellent smell like Fennel, of a
sweet tast with some bitterness; the leaves are like Fig-leaves of
a dark green. A decoction of the Roots and bark thereof sweetned
with Sugar, and drunk in the morning fasting will open the body
and procure a stool or two, it is good for the Scurvie taken
some time together, and laying upon the legs the green leaves of
white _Hellebore_. They give it to Cows that have newly calved
to make them cast their Cleanings. This Tree growes not beyond
_Black-point_ Eastward: it is observed, that there is no province
but produces Trees and plants not growing in other Regions.
[p. 69.] _Non omnis fert omnia tellus._
The Walnut which is divers, some bearing square nuts, others like
ours, but smaller: there is likewise black Walnut of precious
use for Tables, Cabinets and the like. The Walnut-tree is the
toughest wood in the Countrie, and therefore made use of for Hoops
and Bowes, there being no Yew there growing; In _England_ they
made their Bowes usually of Witch Hasel, Ash, Yew, the best of
outlandish Elm, but the _Indians_ make theirs of Walnut.
The Line-tree with long nuts, the other kind I could never find:
the wood of this Tree, Laurel, Rhamnus, Holly and Ivy are accounted
for woods that cause fire by attrition; Laurel and Ivy are not
growing in _New-England_: the _Indians_ will rub two sear’d sticks
of any sort of wood, and kindle a fire with them presently.
The Maple-tree, on the boughs of this Tree I have often found a
jellied substance like _Jewes-Ears_, which I found upon tryal to be
as good for sore throats _&c._
The Birch-tree is of two kinds, ordinary Birch, and black Birch,
many of these Trees are stript of their bark by the _Indians_, who
make of it their Canows, Kettles, [p. 70.] and Birchen-dishes:
there is an excrescence growing out of the body of the Tree called
spunck, or dead mens Caps, it growes at the Roots of Ash, or Beech,
or Elm; but the best is that which growes upon the black Birch,
this boiled and beaten, and then dried in an Oven maketh excellent
Touch-wood, and Balls to play with.
Alder, of which wood there is abundance in the wet swamps: the bark
thereof with the yolke of an Egg is good for a strain; an _Indian_
bruising of his knee, chew’d the bark of Alder fasting and laid
it to, which quickly helped him. The wives of our West-Countrey
English make a drink with the seeds of Alder, giving it to their
Children troubled with the _Alloes_. I have talk’d with many of
them, but could never apprehend what disease it should be they so
name, these Trees are called by some Sullinges.
The _Indians_ tell of a Tree that growes far up in the land,
that is as big as an Oake, that will cure the falling-sickness
infallibly, what part thereof they use, Bark, Wood, leaves or
fruit, I could never learn; they promised often to bring of it to
me, but did not. I have seen a stately Tree growing here and there
in valleys, not like to any Trees in Europe, having a smooth bark
of [p. 71.] a dark brown colour, the leaves like great Maple, in
_England_ called Sycamor, but larger, it may be this is the Tree
they brag of.
Thus much concerning Trees, now I shall present to your view the
Shrubs; and first of the Sumach Shrub, which as I have told
you in _New-Englands_ rarities, differeth from all the kinds
set down in our _English_ Herbals; the root dyeth wool or cloth
reddish, the decoction of the leaves in wine drunk, is good for
all Fluxes of the belly in man or woman, the whites, _&c._ For
galled places stamp the leaves with honey, and apply it, nothing
so soon healeth a wound in the head as Sumach stampt and applyed
once in three dayes, the powder strewed in stayeth the bleeding of
wounds: The seed of Sumach pounded and mixt with honey, healeth the
Hemorrhoids, the gum put into a hollow tooth asswageth the pain,
the bark or berries in the fall of the leaf, is as good as galls to
make Ink of.
Elder in _New-England_ is shrubbie, & dies once in two years: there
is a sort of dwarf-Elder that growes by the Sea-side that hath a
red pith, the berries of both are smaller than _English_-Elder, not
round but corner’d, neither of them smell so strong as ours.
Juniper growes for the most part by the Sea-side, it bears
abundance of skie-coloured [p. 72.] berries fed upon by Partridges,
and hath a woodie root, which induceth me to believe that the plant
mention’d in Job 30. 4. _Qui decerpebant herbas é salsilagine cum
stirpibus: etiam radices Juniperorum cibo erant illis_, was our
_Indian_ plant _Cassava_. They write that _Juniper_-coals preserve
fire longest of any, keeping fire a whole year without supply, yet
the _Indian_ never burns of it.
Sweet fern, see the rarities of _New England_, the tops and
nucaments of sweet fern boiled in water or milk and drunk helpeth
all manner of Fluxes, being boiled in water it makes an excellent
liquor for Inck.
Current-bushes are of two kinds red and black, the black currents
which are larger than the red smell like cats piss, yet are
reasonable pleasant in eating.
The Gooseberry-bush, the berry of which is called Grosers or thorn
Grapes, grow all over the Countrie, the berry is but small, of a
red or purple colour when ripe.
There is a small shrub which is very common, growing sometimes to
the height of Elder, bearing a berry like in shape to the fruit
of the white thorn, of a pale yellow colour at first, then red,
when it is ripe of a deep purple, of a delicate Aromatical tast,
somewhat stiptick: to conclude, [p. 73.] alwayes observe this rule
in taking or refusing unknown fruit: if you find them eaten of the
fowl or beast, you may boldly venture to eat of them, otherwise do
not touch them.
_Maze_, otherwise called _Turkie_-wheat, or rather _Indian_-wheat,
because it came first from thence; the leaves boiled and drunk
helpeth pain in the back; of the stalks when they are green you may
make _Beverage_, as they do with _Calamels_, or Sugar-canes. The
raw Corn chewed ripens felons or Cats hairs, or you may lay Samp
to it: The _Indians_ before it be thorow ripe eat of it parched.
Certainly the parched corn that _Abigail_ brought to _David_ was
of this kind of grain, 1 Sam. 25. 18. _The Jewes manner was (as it
is delivered to us by a learned Divine) first to parch their Corn,
then they fryed it, and lastly they boiled it to a paste, and then
tempered it with water, Cheese-Curds, Honey and Eggs, this they
carried drye with them to the Camp, and so wet the Cakes in Wine or
milk; such was the pulse too of_ Africa.
_French_-beans, or rather _American_-beans, the Herbalists
call them kidney-beans from their shape and effects, for they
strengthen the kidneys; they are variegated much, some being bigger
a great deal than others; some [p. 74.] white, black, red, yellow,
blew, spotted; besides your _Bonivis_ and _Calavances_ and the
kidney-bean, that is proper to _Ronoake_, but these are brought
into the Countrie, the other are natural to the climate. So the
_Mexico_ pompion which is flat and deeply camphered, the flesh
laid to, asswageth pain of the eyes. The water-mellon is proper to
the Countrie, the flesh of it is of a flesh colour, a rare cooler
of Feavers, and excellent against the stone. _Pomum spinosum_ and
_palma-Christi_ too growes not here, unless planted, brought from
_Peru_; the later is thought to be the plant, that shaded Jonah
_the Prophet_, Jonas 4. 6. _Paraverat enim_ Jehova _Deus ricinum
qui ascenderet supra_ Jonam, _ut esset umbra super caput ejus
ereptura eum à malo ipsius; lætabaturque_ Jonas _de ricino illo
lætitia magna_. _Ricinum_, that is _palma Christi_, called also
_cucurbita_, and therefore translated a Gourd.
Tobacco, or _Tabacca_ so called from _Tabaco_ or _Tabago_, one of
the _Caribbe_-Islands about 50 _English_ miles from _Trinidad_.
The right name, according to _Monardus_, is _picielte_, as others
will _petum_, _nicotian_ from _Nicot_, a Portingal, to whom it was
presented for a raritie in _Anno Dom._ 1559. by one that brought
it from _Florida_. Great contest there is about the time when it
was first [p. 75.] brought into _England_, some will have Sir
_John Hawkins_ the first, others Sir _Francis Drake’s_ Mariners;
others again say that one Mr. _Lane_ imployed by Sir _Walter
Rawleigh_ brought it first into England; all conclude that Sir
_Walter Rawleigh_ brought it first in use. _It is observed that no
one kind of forraign Commodity yieldeth greater advantage to the
publick than Tobacco, it is generally made the complement of our
entertainment, and hath made more slaves than_ Mahomet. There is
three sorts of it Marchantable, the first horse Tobacco, having a
broad long leaf piked at the end; the second round pointed Tobacco;
third sweet scented Tobacco. These are made up into Cane, leaf or
ball; there is little of it planted in _New-England_, neither have
they learned the right way of curing of it. It is sowen in _April_
upon a bed of rich mould sifted, they make a bed about three yards
long, or more according to the ground they intend to plant, and
a yard and a half over; this they tread down hard, then they sow
their seed upon it as thick as may be, and sift fine earth upon it,
then tread it down again as hard as possible they can, when it hath
gotten four or six leaves, they remove it into the planting ground;
when it begins to bud towards flowring, they crop off the [p. 76.]
top, for the Flower drawes away the strength of the leaf. For the
rest I refer you to the Planter, being not willing to discover
their mysteries. The _Indians_ in _New-England_ use a small round
leafed Tobacco, called by them, or the Fishermen Poke. _It is
odious to the_ English. _The vertues of Tobacco are these, it helps
digestion, the Gout, the Tooth-ach, prevents infection by scents,
it heats the cold, and cools them that sweat, feedeth the hungry,
spent spirits restoreth, purgeth the stomach, killeth nits and
lice; the juice of the green leaf healeth green wounds, although
poysoned; the Syrup for many diseases, the smoak for the Phthisick,
cough of the lungs, distillations of Rheume, and all diseases of
a cold and moist cause, good for all bodies cold and moist taken
upon an emptie stomach, taken upon a full stomach it precipitates
digestion, immoderately taken it dryeth the body, enflameth the
bloud, hurteth the brain, weakens the eyes and the sinews._
White _Hellebore_ is used for the Scurvie by the _English_.
A friend of mine gave them first a purge, then conserve of
Bear-berries, then fumed their leggs with vinegar, sprinkled upon
a piece of mill-stone made hot, and applied to the sores white
_Hellebore_ leaves; drink made of _Orpine_ and _sorrel_ were given
likewise with it, and [p. 77.] Sea-scurvie-grass. To kill lice,
boil the roots of _Hellebore_ in milk, and anoint the hair of the
head therewith or other places.
_Mandrake_, is a very rare plant, the _Indians_ know it not, it
is found in the woods about _Pascataway_, they do in plain terms
stink, therefore _Reubens_ Flowers that he brought home were
not _Mandrakes_, Gen. 30. 14, 15, 16. _They are rendered in the
Latine_ Amabiles flores, _the same word say our Divines is used in_
Canticles, 7. 4. Amabiles istos flores edentes odorem, & secundum
ostia nostra omnes pretiosos fructus, recentes simulac veteres,
dilecte mi, repono tibi. _So that the right translation is_, Reuben
_brought home amiable and sweet smelling Flowers; this in the_
Canticles (_say they_) _expounding the other_.
_Calamus Aromaticus_, or the sweet smelling reed, it Flowers in
_July_; see _New-Englands_ rarities.
_Sarsaparilla_ or roughbind-weed (as some describe it) the leaves
and whole bind set with thorns, of this there is store growing upon
the banks of Ponds. See the rarities of _New-England_. The leaves
of the _Sarsaparilla_ there described pounded with Hogs grease and
boiled to an unguent, is excellent in the curing of wounds.
Live for ever, it is a kind of _Cud-weed_, [p. 78.] flourisheth all
summer long till cold weather comes in, it growes now plentifully
in our _English_ Gardens, it is good for cough of the lungs, and
to cleanse the breast taken as you do Tobacco; and for pain in the
head the decoction, or the juice strained and drunk in Bear, Wine,
or Aqua vitæ, killeth worms. The Fishermen when they want Tobacco
take this herb being cut and dryed.
_Lysimachus_ or Loose-strife: there are several kinds, but the
most noted is the yellow _Lysimachus_ of _Virginia_, the root
is longish and white, as thick as ones thumb, the stalkes of an
overworn colour, and a little hairie, the middle vein of the leaf
whitish, the Flower yellow and like Primroses, and therefore
called Tree-primrose, growes upon seedie vessels, _&c._ The first
year it growes not up to a stalke, but sends up many large leaves
handsomely lying one upon another, Rose fashion, Flowers in _June_,
the seed is ripe in _August_, this as I have said is taken by the
_English_ for Scabious.
St. _John’s_ wort, it preserveth Cheese made up in it, at Sea.
Spurge or Wolfes milch there are several sorts.