203. Chards, a vegetable dill, composed of the footstocks and midrib of artichokes, cardoons, or white beets. The "very good roots," des racines qui font bonnes, were Jerusalem Artichokes, Helianthus tuberofus, indigenous to the northern part of this continent. The Italians had obtained it before Champlain's time, and named it Girasole, their word for sunflower, of which the artichoke is a species. This word, girasole, has been singularly corrupted in England into Jerusalem; hence Jerusalem artichoke, now the common name of this plant. We presume that there is no instance on record of its earlier cultivation in New England than at Nauset in 1605, vide antea, p. 82, and here at Gloucester in 1606.
204. Under the word noyers, walnut-trees, Champlain may have comprehended the hickories, Carya alba and porcina, and perhaps the butternut, Juglans cinerea, all of which might have been seen at Gloucester. It is clear from his description that he saw at Saco the hickory, Carya porcina, commonly known as the pig-nut or broom hickory. He probably saw likewise the shag bark, Carya alba, as both are found growing wild there even at the present day.—Vide antea, p. 67. Both the butternut and the hickories are exclusively of American origin; and there was no French name by which they could be more accurately designated. Noyer is applied in France to the tree which produces the nut known in our markets as the English walnut. Josselyn figures the hickory under the name of walnut.—Vide New Eng. Rarities, Tuckerman's ed., p. 97. See also Wood's New Eng. Prospect, 1634, Prince Soc. ed., p. 18.
205. The trees here mentioned are such probably as appeared to Champlain especially valuable for timber or other practical uses.
The cypress, cyprès, has been already referred to in note 168. It is distinguished for its durability, its power of resisting the usual agencies of decay, and is widely used for posts, and sleepers on the track of railways, and to a limited extent for cabinet work, but less now than in earlier times. William Wood says of it: "This wood is more desired for ornament than substance, being of color red and white, like Eugh, smelling as sweet as Iuniper; it is commonly used for seeling of houses, and making of Chests, boxes and staves."—Wood's New Eng. Prospect, 1634, Prince Soc. ed., p. 19.
The sassafras, Sassafras officinate, is indigenous to this continent, and has a spicy, aromatic flavor, especially the bark and root. It was in great repute as a medicine for a long time after the discovery of this country. Cargoes of it were often taken home by the early voyagers for the European markets; and it is said to have sold as high as fifty livres per pound. Dr. Jacob Bigelow says a work entitled "Sassafrasologia" was written to celebrate its virtues; but its properties are only those of warm aromatics. Josselyn describes it, and adds that it does not "grow beyond Black Point eastward," which is a few miles north-east of Old Orchard Beach, near Saco, in Maine. It is met with now infrequently in New England; several specimens, however, may be seen in the Granary Burial Ground in Boston.
Oaks, chesnes, of which several of the larger species may have been seen: as, the white oak, Quercus alba; black oak, Quercus tinfloria; Scarlet oak, Quercus coccinea; and red oak, Quercus rubra.
Ash-trees, fresnes, probably the white ash, Fraxinus Americana, and not unlikely the black ash, Fraxinus sambucifolia, both valuable as timber.
Beech-trees, hestres, of which there is but a single Species, Fagus ferruginca, the American beech, a handsome tree, of symmetrical growth, and clean, smooth, ash-gray bark: the nut, of triangular shape, is sweet and palatable. The wood is brittle, and used only for a few purposes.
206. Le Beauport. The latitude of Ten-Pound Island, near where the French
barque was anchored in the Harbor of Gloucester, is 42° 36' 5".
207. The reader may be reminded that Cap St. Louis is Brant Point; Cap
Blanc is Cape Cod; and Baye Blanche is Cape Cod Bay.