The strawberries were now ripe on the hills. [[214]]
The country people already brought ripe cherries up to town; but they were only a few to satisfy curiosity, yet we may form a judgment of the climate from hence.
May the 26th. A peculiar kind of storm called a Travat, or Travado, happened to-day. In the evening about ten o’clock, when the sky was quite clear, a thick, black cloud came rushing from the south-west, with a wind. The air was quite calm, and we could not feel any breeze. But the approach of this cloud was perceived from the strong rushing noise in the woods to the south-west, and which encreased in proportion as the cloud came nearer. As soon as it was come up to us, it was attended by a violent gust of wind, which in its course threw down the weaker enclosures, carried them a good way along with it, and broke down several trees. It was then followed by a hard shower of rain, which put an end to the storm, and every thing was calm as before. These travadoes are frequent in summer, and have the quality of cooling the air. However, they often do a deal of damage. They are commonly attended by thunder and lightning; as soon as they are passed over, the sky is as clear as it was before.
May the 28th. The Magnolia glauca [[215]]was now in full bloom. Its flowers have a very pleasant fragrancy, which refreshes the travellers in the woods, especially towards the evening. The flowers of the wild vine afterwards supplied the place of those of the Magnolia. Several other flowers contribute likewise towards perfuming the ambient air.
The Kalmia angustifolia was now every where in flower. It grows chiefly on sandy heaths, or on dry poor grounds, which few other plants will agree with; it is common in Pensylvania, but particularly in New Jersey, and the province of New York, it is scarce in Canada; its leaves stay the winter; the flowers are a real ornament to the woods; they grow in bunches like crowns, and are of a fine lively purple colour; at the bottom is a circle of deep purple, and within it a greyish or whitish colour. The flowers grow as aforesaid, in bunches, round the extremity of the stalk, and make it look like a decorated pyramid. The English at New York call this plant the Dwarf Laurel. Its qualities are the same with those of the Kalmia latifolia, viz. that it kills sheep and other lesser animals, when they eat plentifully of it. I do not know whether it is noxious to the greater cattle. It is not of [[216]]any known use, and only serves to attract the eye whilst in flower.
The Kalmia latifolia was likewise in full blossom at present. It rivals the preceding one, in the beauty of its colour; yet though they are conspicuous in regard to the colours and shape of their flowers, they are no ways remarkable for smell, such as the Magnolia is; for they have little or no smell at all. So equally and justly does nature distribute her gifts; no part of the creation has them all, each has its own, and none is absolutely without a share of them.
May the 30th. The Moravian Brethren, who arrived in great numbers from Europe, at New York, in May, brought two converted Greenlanders with them. The Moravians who were already settled in America, immediately sent some of their brethren from Philadelphia to the new comers, in order to welcome them. Among these deputies were two North American Indians, who had been converted to their doctrine, and likewise two South American Indians, from Surinam. These three kinds of converted Indians accordingly met at New York. I had no opportunity of seeing them; but all those who had seen them, and whom I conversed with, thought that [[217]]they had plainly perceived a similarity in their features and shape, the Greenlanders being only somewhat smaller. They concluded from hence, that all these three kinds of Americans were the posterity of one and the same descendant of Noah, or that they were perhaps yet more nearly related. How far their guesses are to be relied upon, I cannot determine.
Ripe cherries were now already pretty common, and consequently cheap.
Yams are a species of roots, which are cultivated in the hottest parts of America, for eating, as we do potatoes. It has not yet been attempted to plant them here, and they are brought from the West Indies in ships; therefore they are reckoned a rarity here, and as such I ate them at Dr. Franklin’s to-day. They are white, and taste like common potatoes, but not quite so agreeable; and I think it would not be worth while to plant them in Sweden, though they might bear the climate. The plant these roots belong to is the Dioscorea alata.
The inhabitants make plenty of cheese. They are not reckoned so good as English cheese: however, some take them to be full as good when old; and so they seemed to me. A man from Boston in New-England told me, that they made very good [[218]]cheese there: but they take care to keep the cattle from salt water, especially those who live near the sea-coasts; for it has been found, that the cheese will not become so good when the cows graze near salt water, as it will when they have fresh water. This, however, wants nearer examination, in my opinion.