A 17th Century Candlewood Splint Holder.
Those same knots the planters
split out into small shivers, about the thickness of a finger, or thinner; and
those they burn instead of candles, giving a very good light, and they call it
candlewood, and it is much used in New England and Virginia, and among the
Dutch planters in the villages.
The History of the Royal Society
of London, for Improving of Natural Knowledge from its First Rise. Thomas
Birch. 1662.
The candle, made of either tallow or
bayberry wax, was the standard lighting device at Jamestown. Pine torches were
often used out of doors, and rushlights and candlewood were undoubtedly used in
the humbler dwellings during the very early years of the settlement.
The
Project Gutenberg EBook of New Discoveries at Jamestown
by John
L. Cotter
J. Paul
Hudson
3 comments:
Very interesting post Keith.. Bayberry is called wax myrtle here in south Carolina and the berries in season are full of wax! A whitish patina of wax covers each berry that has a pleasean odor as all as the leaves... Keeps the bugs down when leaves are crushed and applied to body.. The Candle wood here is long leaf pine aged stumps and we use them also for light I.. Great stuff!!
Thank you for the info Matt, much appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
No pine where we live. I extract it from pieces of timbre... I keep a piece in my tinderbox.
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