J. Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur's "Letters from an American Farmer"

tar

Definition of tar (n)

1aa dark brown or black bituminous usually odorous viscous liquid obtained by destructive distillation of organic material (such as wood, coal, or peat)
ba substance in some respects resembling tarespecially  a condensable residue present in smoke from burning tobacco that contains combustion by-products (such as resins, acids, phenols, and essential oils)
2[short for tarpaulinSAILOR

Source