of them exceeding hard
and rough, and quite disagreeable; so I quitted my hopes of them.

About three miles from my grotto I met with a large space of ground full
of a low plant, growing only with a single woody stalk half a foot
high, and from thence issued a round head, about a foot or ten inches
diameter, but quite flat, about three-quarters of an inch thick, and
just like a cream-cheese standing upon its edge: these grew so close
together, that upon the least wind stirring, their heads rattled against
each other very musically; for though the stalks were so very strong
that they would not easily either bend or break, yet the fanning of the
wind upon the broad heads twisting the stalks, so as to let the heads
strike each other, they made a most agreeable sound.

I stood some time admiring this shrub, and then cutting up one of them,
I found it weighed about two pounds; they had a tough green rind or
covering, very smooth, and the inside full of a stringy pulp, quite
white. In short, I made divers other trials of berries, roots, herbs,
and what else I could find, but received little satisfaction from any
of them for fear of bad qualities. I returned back ruminating on what
things I had seen, resolving to take my cart the next walk, and bring
it home loaded with different kinds of them, in order to make my trials
thereof at leisure: but my cart being too flat and wanting sides, I
considered it would carry very little, and that what it would otherwise
bear, on that account, must tumble and roll off, so I made a fire and
turned smith; for with a great deal to do breaking off the wards of a
large key I had, and making it red-hot, I by degrees fashioned it into a
kind of spindle, and therewith making holes quite round the bottom of my
cart, in them I stuck up sticks about two feet high that I had tapered
at the end to fit them.

Having thus qualified my cart for a load, I proceeded with it to the
wood, and cutting a small quantity of each species of green, berry,
fruit, and flower that I could find, and packing them severally in
parcels, I returned at night heavy-laden, and held a council with myself
what use they could most properly be applied to.

I had amongst my goods, as I said, a copper-kettle which held about a
gallon: this I set over my fire and boiled something by turns of every
sort in it, watching all the while, and with a stick stirring and
raising up one thing and then another, to feel when they were boiled