What reasons induced them to this, I am yet a stranger to; but it makes me suspect, that the rise of this commodity in Europe is owing to some other cause than a deficiency in the importation thereof. Perhaps some discovery has been made rendering Cassia equal to Cinnamon. In Persia, I think, they make not so great a difference between them as elsewhere; and I myself, for want of Cinnamon here for some months past, made use of the fine quilled Cassia; and the difference I observe between them I imagine to arise rather from the greenness and want of dryness in the Cassia, than any thing else, or perhaps from the method of curing it: for if there happens to be a little too much Cassia put into my chocolate (and other things I use in it), a little bitterish taste arises, something like what we meet with in most barks; tho’ I do not remember to have observed this of Cinnamon: but as to its boiling to a jelly, as Quincy mentions, I find no such thing, and think it bears boiling as well as Cinnamon. Nor do I think its distilled water more subject to an empyreuma than that of Cinnamon. I have inquired of the country people here, who bring it us, and they tell me the finest sort is the inner bark of the small branches; and indeed that it is the inner bark, I think, is evident in Cinnamon as well as Cassia; no outer bark of the youngest branches of any tree having, in my opinion, that smooth surface observable in both these barks. I once thought, that it was better to take the bark from the body of the tree than from the branches, imagining that the bark from the trunk or body of all trees must in general be stronger, let its natural taste be what it will, than from its branches. This I find to be so in Cassia; and I have been informed, that the large ligneous pieces of Cassia have afforded rather more oil in distillation than the fine quilled sort, their weight being equal; but upon trial I could not make the bark from the trunk curl or roll up, as it ought to do, owing, as I suppose, to my unskilfulness, or to rigidity, or the natural position of its fibres; for the bark of the younger branches curled of itself, wanting hardly any other assistance than the sun. I have already observed, that Cassia is found in chewing to have a viscidness, which Cinnamon has not. I have endeavoured to remove this in a little I send you, marked B: pray let me know, if it answers; and be assured, it was taken from the younger branches of the tree, of which I send you the seeds. I send you also, marked C, some of the bark taken from the same tree; as also some of the leaves, marked D. I have sent you also a little of the bark of the trunk of a tree, which, tho’ called Cassia, seems not to be so, marked E; and also the leaves of the same tree, marked F. END _of the_ FIFTIETH VOLUME.