pudenda of a man and woman lovingly joined in one. Not long after I
had discovered this rarity, and while it was still in bloom, I drew a
grave gentleman, about an hundred yards out of his way, to see this
curiosity, not telling him anything more than that it was a rarity, and
such perhaps as he had never seen nor heard of. When we arrived at the
place, I gathered one of them, and put it into his hand, which he had no
sooner cast his eye upon, but he threw it away with indignation, as
being ashamed of this waggery of nature. It was impossible to persuade
him to touch it again, or so much as to squint towards so immodest a
representation. Neither would I presume to mention such an indecency,
but that I thought it unpardonable to omit a production so
extraordinary.

There is also found the fine tulip-bearing laurel tree, which has the
pleasantest smell in the world, and keeps blossoming and seeding several
months together. It delights much in gravelly branches of chrystal
streams, and perfumes the very woods with its odor. So also do the large
tulip tree, which we call a poplar, the locust, which resembles much
the jasmine, and the perfuming crab tree, during their season. With one
sort or other of these, as well as many other sweet-flowering trees not
named, the vales are almost everywhere adorned, and yield a surprising
variety to divert the traveler.

They find a world of medicinal plants likewise in that country, and
amongst the rest the planters pretend to have a swamp-root, which
infallibly cures all fevers and agues. The bark of the sassafras tree
and wild cherry tree have been experimented to partake very much of the
virtue of the cortex peruviana. The bark of the root, of that which we
call the prickly ash, being dried and powdered, has been found to be a
specific in old ulcers and long running sores. Infinite is the number of
other valuable vegetables of every kind; but natural history not having
been my study, I am unwilling to do wrong to my subject by an unskillful
description.

Sec. 19. Several kinds of the creeping vines bearing fruit, the Indians
planted in their gardens or fields, because they would have plenty of
them always at hand; such as muskmelons, watermelons, pompions, cushaws,
macocks and gourds.

1. Their muskmelons resemble the large Italian kind, and generally
fill four or five quarts.

2. Their watermelons were much more large, and of several kinds,
distinguished by the color o