WITHOUT CLOSE VESSELS. 401 
did not feel inclined to set up any apparatuses to 
save that produce, so I turned all my attention to 
find a cheaper mode of producing pure charcoal. 
I had latterly observed the Irish in their pro- 
cess, which consists of setting fire to a few turf 
cakes placed on the ground, so as to let the air 
play between. As soon as these cakes are burn- 
ing, they heap round and above other cakes, which 
very soon ignite also. They continue to feed thus 
this heap of fire, till it reaches about five feet in 
height, and six or seven at its base. They let it 
burn until the whole appears in a complete glow, 
when they cover it with large wet sods, either of 
soil and grass or heath sods, from the surface of 
moss land. This careless, but cheap and easy 
manner, causes the charcoal to be mixed with a 
quantity of uncarbonized vegetable, marl, sand, 
stones, and a notable proportion of ashes, all 
matters which do not affect the iron jobs with 
which they come in contact. 
The Dutch I saw many years ago, carbonizing 
peat for domestic purposes, in small conical fur- 
naces, as common with them in the country places 
as the bread ovensare here. They light the turf 
from below; and, when the combustion is nearly 
3E 
