128 MANUFACTURING IRON. 



The only cattle they keep, are a few goats, and 

 they do not cultivate the land. Their method of 

 manufacturing iron is the most simple that can 

 possibly be imagined. Having cut down wood 

 and burnt it into charcoal, they collect at the 

 bottom of the hills the stones which, as being 

 good judges, they know are much 'impregnated 

 with iron ore, and after every heavy fall of rain 

 are found in such abundance on the surface, that 

 I believe they seldom if ever dig for any. These 

 stones with the charcoal, they carry on , bangys* 

 to the spot where they have erected their chim- 

 neys, for smelting. The chimneys are formed of 

 clay, on a ground work of stones, about four feet 

 and a half high, and eighteen inches diameter, 

 with the funnel about nine inches wide ; two open- 

 ings are made in each chimney ; one at the bot- 

 tom through which the lava or dross runs off, the 

 other a little above, through which, by removing 

 a stone or two, the iron is taken out. 



On a level with the top of the chimney, a stage 

 is erected, covered with leaves or mats, on which 



* Bangy is a split bamboo, or other elastic piece of wood, 

 carried across the shoulder, to which two strings or nets 

 are fastened, and to them 'the burdens are fixed. 



