Chap. IV.] Earth-burning. 131 



sons on the tract of detecting the cheatery of priests, 

 the room which it occupies will have been well be- 

 stowed. 



203. To return to parmg and burning ; the readet 

 will see with what ease it might be done in America, 

 where the sun would do more than half the work. 

 Besides the pai-ing might be done with the plough. 

 A sharp shear, going shallow, could do the thing per- 

 fectly well. Cutting aavss would make the sward into 

 turfs. 



204. So much for paring hnd burning. But, what 

 1 recommend is, not to burn the land Avhich is to be 

 cultivated, but other earth, for tlie purpose of getting 

 ashes to be brought on the land. And this operation, I 

 perform thus : 1 malce a circle, or an oblong square. 

 I cut sods and build a Avail all round, three ieet thick 

 and four feet higli. I then light a (ire in the middle 

 with straw, dry sticks, boughs, or such like matter. 

 I go on making this fire larger and larger till it extends 

 over the vvhole of the bottom of the pit, or kiln. I put 

 on roots of trees or any rubbish wood, till there be a 

 good thickness of strong coals. I then put on the driest 

 of the clods that I have ploughed up round about so as 

 to cover all the fire over. The earth thus put in will 

 burn. You will see the smoke coming out at little 

 places here and there. Put more clods wherever the 

 smoke appears. Keep on thus for a day or two. By 

 this time a great mass of fire will be in the inside. 

 And now you may dig out the clay, or earth, any where 

 round the kiln, and fling it on without ceremony, al- 

 ways taking care to keep in the smoke; for, if you 

 suffer that to continue coming out at any one place, a 

 hole will soon be made ; the main force of the fire will 

 draw to that hole ; a blaze, like tliat of a volcano will 

 come out, and the fire will be extinguished. 



205. A very good way, is, to put your finger into 

 the top of the heap here and there ; and if you find the 

 fire very near, throw on more earth. Not too much at 

 a time; for that weighs too heavily on the fire, and 

 keeps it back ; and, at Jirst, will put it partially out. 

 You keep on thus augmenting the kiln, till you get to 

 tiie top of the walls, and then you may, U" you lik 



