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[Page 199]

Streights of La Maire

Janry, 1769

may be but probably they are not less than one half longer than the depth of the water which gives their lengh to be 126 feet a wonderfull lengh for a stalk not thicker than a mans thumb.

Among other things the bay affords there is plenty of winters bark easy to be known by its broad leaf like a laurel of a light green colour & blueish underneath the bark is easily stripd off with a bone or stick as ours are barkd in England its virtues are so well known that I shall say little except that it may be us'd as a spice even in culinary matters & is found to be very wholesome here is also plenty of wild celery apium antescorbuticum scurvy grass cardamine antescorbutica both which are as pleasant to the taste as any herbs of the kind found in Europe & I beleive possess as much virtue in curing the scurvy.

The trees here are cheifly of one sort a Kind of Birch Betula antarctica with very small leaves it is a light white wood & cleaves very straight sometimes the trees are 2 or 3 feet in diameter & run 30 or 40 feet in the bole possibly they might in cases of nescessity supply topmasts here are also great plenty of cranberries both white & red Arbutus rigida

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