PROGRESS TO THE MINES. ]39 



on a run, which discharges its waters into Potomac. And when the Iron 

 is cast, they cart it about six miles to a landing on that river. Besides Mr. 

 Washington and Mr. England, tliere are several other i)ersons, in England, 

 concerned in these worlts. Matters are very well managed there, and no 

 expense is spared to make them profitable, which is not the case in the 

 works I have already mentioned. Mr. England can neither write nojf read ; 

 but without those helps, is so well skilled in iron works, that he does not only 

 carry on his furnace, but has likewise the chief management of the works 

 at Principia, at the head of the bay, where they have also erected a forge 

 and make very good bar iron. Col. Willis had built a flue to try all sorts 

 of ore in, which was contrived afl;er the following manner. It was built of 

 stone four feet square with an iron grate fixed in the middle of it for the 

 fire to lie upon. It was open at the bottom, to give a free passage to the 

 air up to the grate. Above the grate was another opening that carried the 

 smoke into a chimney. This makes a draught upward, and the fire rarify- 

 ing the air below, makes another draught underneath, which causes the 

 fire to burn very fiercely, and melt any ore in the crucibles that are set 

 upon the fire. This was erected by a mason called Taylor, who told me 

 he built the furnace at Fredericksville, and came in for that purpose at three 

 shillings and sixpence a day, to be paid him from the time he left his house 

 in Gloucestershire, to the time he returned thither again, unless he chose 

 rather to remain in Virginia all:er he had done his work. It happened to be 

 court day here, but the rain hindered all but the most quarrelsome people 

 from coming. The colonel brought three of his brother justices to dine with 

 us, namely, John Talifero, major Lightfoot, and captain Green, and in the 

 evening parson Kenner edified us with his company, who left this parish 

 for a better, without any regard to the poor souls he had half saved, of the 

 flock he abandoned. 



4th. The sun rising very bright, invited me to leave this infant city; 

 accordingly, about ten, I took leave of my hospitable landlord, and persuaded 

 parson Kenner to be my guide to Massaponux, lying five miles off, where I 

 had agreed to meet Col. Spots wood. We arrived there about twelve, and 

 found it a very pleasant and commodious plantation. The colonel received 

 us with open arms, and carried us directly to his air furnace, which is a very 

 ingenious and profitable contrivance. The use of it is to melt his sow iron, 

 in order to cast it into sundry utensils, such as backs for chimneys, andirons, 

 fenders, plates for hearths, pots, mortars, rollers for gardeners, skillets, boxes 

 for cart wheels; and many other things, which, one with another, can be 

 afforded at twenty shillings a ton, and delivered at people's own homes. And, 

 being cast from the sow iron, are much better than those which come from 

 England, which are cast immediately from the ore for the most part. Mr. 

 •Flowry is the artist that directed the building of this ingenious structure, 

 which is contrived after this manner. There is an opening about a foot 

 square for the fresh air to pass through from without. This leads up to an 

 iron grate that holds about half a bushel of sea coal, and is about six feet 

 higher than the opening. When the fire is kindled, it rai'efies the air in such 

 a manner as to make a very strong draught from without. About too feet 

 above the grate is a hole that leads into a kind of oven, the floor of which is 

 laid shelving towards the mouth. In the middle of this oven, on one side, is 

 another hole that leads into the funnel of a chimney, about forty feet high. 

 The smoke mounts up this way, drawing the flame after it with so much 

 force, that in less than an hour it melts the sows of iron that are thrust to- 

 wards the upper end of the oven. As the metal melts it runs towards the 

 mouth into a hollow place, out of which the potter lades it in iron ladles, 

 in order to poui' it into the several moulds just by. The mouth of the oven 



