48 SIXTIT EVENING,

part of his food, and at this day I believe they are
eaten in some countries. But this 1s in warmer cl:
mates, where they probably become sweeter and better-
flavoured than with us. The chief use we make of
them is to feed hogs. In those parts of England
where oak woods are common, great herds of swine are
kept, which are driven mto the woods in autumn,
when the acorns fall, and provide themselves plenti-
fully for two or three months. This, however, 1s a
small part of the praise of the oak. You will be sur-
prised when I tell you, that to this tree our country
owes its chief glory and security.

Har. Ay, how can that be ?

Tut. 1 don’t know whether, in your reading, you
have ever met with the story, that Athens, a famous
city in Greece, consulting the oracle how it might best
defend itself agaist its enemies, was advised to trust
to wooden walls.

far. Wooden walls !—that’s odd—I should think
stone walls better, for wooden ones might be set on
fire.

Tut. True; but the meaning was, that as Athens
was a place of great trade, and its people were skilled
in maritime affairs, they ought to trust to their ships.
Well, this is the case with Great Britain. As it is an
island, it has no need of walls and fortifications, while
it possesses ships to keep all enemies at a distance.
Now, we have the greatest and finest navy in the
world, by which we both defend ourselves, and attack
other nations when they insult us; and this is nearly
all built of oak.

Geo. Would no other wood do to build ships ?

Lut. With the exception of teak, an Kast Indian
wood, none nearly so well, especially for men-of-war ;
for it is the stoutest and strongest wood we have; and
therefore best fitted, both to keep sound under water,
and to bear the blows and shocks of the waves, and the
terrible strokes of cannon-balls. It is a peculiar ex-
eeVeuce far this last purpose, that oak is not so liable