1 14 S Y L V A BOOK m 



and all this within the circle, till you come within 

 five or six foot of the centre ; at which distance you 

 shall begin to set the wood in a triangular form (as 

 in the following print, a) till it come to be three foot 

 high : Against this again, place your greater wood 

 almost perpendicular, reducing it from the triangular 

 to a circular form, till being come within a yard of 

 the centre, you may pile the wood long-ways, as it 

 lay in the stack, being careful that the ends of the 

 wood do not touch the pole, which must now be 

 erected in the centre, nine foot in height, that so 

 there may remain a round hole, which is to be form'd 

 in working up the stack-wood, for a tunnel, and the 

 more commodious firing of the pit, as they call it, tho' 

 not very properly. This provided for, go on to pile, 

 and set your wood upright to the other, as before ; 

 till having gain'd a yard more, you lay it long-ways 

 again, as was shew'd : And thus continue the work, 

 still enterchanging the position of the wood, till the 

 whole area of the hearth and circle be filled and piled 

 up at the least eight foot high, and so drawn in by 

 degrees in piling, that it resemble the form of a cop- 

 ped brown housh old-loaf, filling all inequalities with 

 the smaller trunchions, till it lie very close, and be 

 perfectly and evenly shaped. This done, take straw, 

 haume, or fern, and lay it on the out-side of the 

 bottom of the heap, or wood, to keep the next cover 

 from falling amongst the sticks : Upon this put on 

 the turf, and cast on the dust and rubbish which was 

 grubbed and raked up at the making of the hearth, 

 and reserved near the circle of it ; with this cover the 

 whole heap of wood to the very top of the pit or 

 tunnel, to a reasonable and competent thickness, beat- 

 en close and even, that so the fire may not vent but 



