ON THE PINE AND FIR TRIRE. © «98

portion, that the profit of a few voyages is sufficient
to repay the expense. Then, from the great lightness -
of the wood, they swim higher in the water, and con-
sequently will bear more loading. Most of the large
ships that bring timber from Archangel, in Russia,
are built of fir. As for the masts of ships, they, as 1
have already told you, are all made of fir or pme, on
account of their straightness and lightness: =
Geo, Are there not some lines in Milton’s Paradise
Lost about that ? : - | oo.
Tut. Yes: the spear of Satan is magnified by a

_ comparison with a lofty pine.

‘¢ His spear, to equal which the tallast Pine
Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast
Of somé great ammiral, were but a wand.’’

Har. I remember, too, that the walking staff of the
giant Polypheme was a pine. a Se

Tut. Ay—so Homer and Ovid tell us; and he must .
have been a giant, indeed, to use such a stick. Well,
so much for the wood of these trees. But I] havo
more to say about their uses. |

flar. I am glad of it. |

Tut. All of the tribe contain a juice of a bitterish
taste and strong fragrant smell. ‘This, in some, is so
abundant as to flow out from incisions; when it is
called Turpentine. The larch, in particular, yields a —
large quantity. Turpentine is one of the substances

-called resinous; it is sticky, transparent, very inflam-—

mable, and will not mix with water, but will dissolve
in spirits of wine. - |

~ Geo. What is it used for ? - - a :

Tut. It is used medicinally, and surgically, particu-

larly in the composition of plasters and ointments. It
also is an ingredient in varnishes, cements, and the
like. An oil, distilled from turpentine, is employed in >
medicine, and is much used by painters, for mixing. up
their colours. "What remains, after getting this oil, is

‘eommon resin, All these substances take fire ver?

|