BOOK IX. 



437 



these holes wedge-shaped pegs are driven, in order that the beams may remain 

 fixed, and that the box may turn round, and may be turned toward the wind 

 from whichever quarter of the sky it may blow. In such a hearth they put 



A — Box. B — Pivot. C — Transverse wood beams. D — Grate. E — Its feet. 

 F — Burning wood. G — Stick. H — Pans in which the bismuth is melted. 

 I — Pans for moulds. K — Cakes. L — Fork. M — Brush. 



an iron grate, as long and wide as the box and threequarters of a foot high ; 



it has six feet, and there are so many transverse bars that they almost touch 



one another. On the grate they lay pine-wood and over it broken ore, and over 



this they again lay pine-wood. When it has been kindled the ore melts, out 



of which the bismuth drips down ; since very little wood is burned, this is the 



most profitable method of smelting the bismuth. The bismuth drips through 



the grate on to the hearth, while the other things remain upon the grate with 



the charcoal. When the work is finished, the workman takes a stick from the 



hearth and overturns the grate, and the things which have accumulated on 



it ; with a brush he sweeps up the bismuth and collects it in a basket, and 



then he melts it in an iron pan and makes cakes. As soon as possible after 



it is cool, he turns the pans over, so that the cakes may fall out, using for 



this purpose a two-pronged fork of which one prong is again forked. And 



immediately afterward he returns to his labours. 



END OF BOOK IX. 



