134 PROGRESS TO THE MIKES. 



not prwume t® pry Mo the secret of her age, nor was she forward to dk- 

 doee It, for this humble reason, lest I should think her wisdom fell short of 

 her years. She contrived to make this day of her birth a day of mourning, 

 for having nothing better at present to set her affections upon, she had a dog 

 that was a great favourite. It happened that very morning the poor cur had 

 done something very uncleanly upon the colonel's bed, for which he was con- 

 demned to die. However, upon her entreaty, she got him a reprieve ; but 

 was so concerned that so much severity should be intended on "her birth day, 

 that she was not to be comforted ; and lest such anotlier accident might oust 

 the poor cur of his clergy, she protested she would board out her dog at a 

 ndghbour's house, where she hoped he would be more kindly treated. Then 

 tlie colonel aiid I took another turn in the garden, to discourse farther on the 

 subject of iron. He was veiy frank in communicating all his dear-bought 

 experience to me, and told me very civilly he would not only let me into the 

 whole secret, but would make a journey to James river, and give me his 

 feithfnl opinion of all my conveniences. For his part he wished there were 

 many more iron works in the country, provided the parties concerned would 

 preserve a constant harmony among themselves, and meet and consult fre- 

 quently, what might be for their common advantage. By this they might be 

 better able to manage the workmen, and' reduce their wages to what was 

 just and reasonable. After this frank speech, he began to explain the whole 

 ckarge of an iron work. He said, there ought at least to be a hundred 

 ii€groes employed in it, and those upon good land would make corn, and 

 raise provisions enough to support themselves and the cattle, and do every 

 other part of the business. That the furnace might be built for seven hun- 

 dred pounds, and made ready to go to work, if I went the neaiest way to do 

 it, especially since coming after so many, I might correct their errors and 

 avoid their miscarriages. That if I had ore and wood enough, and a con- 

 venient stream of water to set the furnace upon, having neither too much 

 nor too little water, I might undertake the affair with a full assurance of 

 success. Provided the distance of carting be not too great, which is exceed- 

 ingly burdensome. That there must be abundance of wheel carriages, shod 

 with iron, and several teams of oxen, provided to transport the wood that is 

 to be coaled, and afterwards the coal and ore to the furnace, and last of all 

 the sow iron to the nearest water carriage, and carry back limestone and 

 other necessaries from thence to the works ; and a sloop also would be useful 

 to carry the iron on board the ships, the masters not being always in the 

 humour to fetch it. Then he enumerated the people that were to be hired, 

 viz. : a founder, a mine-iaiser, a collier, a stock-taker, a clerk, a smith, a 

 carpenter, a wheelwright, and' several carters. That these altogether will 

 be a standing charge of about five hundred pounds a year. That the 

 amount of freight, custom, commission and other charges in England, comes 

 to twenty-seven shillings a ton. But that the merchants yearly find out 

 means to Inflame the account with new articles, as they do in those of to- 

 bacco. That, upon the whole matter, the expenses here and in England may 

 be computetl modestly at two pounds a ton. And the rest that the iron sells 

 for will be clear gain, to pay for the land and negroes, which it is to be hoped 

 will be three pounds more for every ton that is sent over. As this aecount 

 agreed pretty near with that which Mr. Chiswell had given me, I set it down 

 (notwithstanding it may seem a repetition of the same thing) to prove that 

 both these gentlemen were sincere in their representations. We had a Mi- 

 chaelmas goose for dinner, of Miss Theky's own raising, who was now good- 

 natured enough to forget the jeopardy of her dog. In the afternoon we 

 walked in a meadow by the river side, which winds in the form of a horse- 

 shoe about Qermanna, making it a peninsula, containing about four hvmdred 



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