103 4 Difcoitrfe of Foreft-Trces. 



RegHfers (as our chymiUs would name them) through the ftufF 

 which covers your heaf to the very rpood, thefe in ranges of two 

 or three foot diftance quite round within a foot (or thereabout) 

 of the top, though (bme begin them at the bottom : A day after 

 begin another row of holes a foot and half beneath the former 5 

 and fo more, till they arrive to the ground, as occafion requires. 

 Note, that as the Pit does coal and fink towards the centre^ it is 

 continually to be fed with (hort, and fitting roood^ that no part 

 remain unfir'd > and if it charts fafter at one part then at ano- 

 ther, there clofe up the vent-holes^ and open them where need is : 

 A pit will in this manner be burning off, and Charking^ five, or fix 

 days, and as it coals t\\tfmoak^ixoi'n thick and grofs clouds will 

 grow more blew, and livid, and the whole mafs fink, according- 

 ly 5 fo as by thele indications you may the better know how to 

 ftop, and g6vern your j^?r<«c/ej. Two or three days it will only 

 require for cooling, which Cthe vents being ftopp'd) they affift, 

 by taking now off the outward covering with a Rabtl or Rubber 5 

 but this not for above the fpace of one j^ri^ breadth at a time 5 and 

 firft they remove the courfefi-, and grolicll: of it, throwing the 

 finer over the heap again, that fo it may neither cool too haftily, 

 nor endanger the_ burning and reducing all to Apes^ fliould the 

 vvholep/* be uncover'd and expos'd to the air at once 5 therefore 

 they open it thus round by degrees. 



When now by all the former Symptoms you judge it fully 

 charlCd, you may begin to draw ; that is, to take out the Coals^ 

 firfi: round the bottom, by which means the Coals, Rubbifi and 

 Dufi finking and falling in together may choak, and extinguifti 

 the fire. 



Your Coals fufficiently cool'd, with a very long-tooth'd Rake, 

 and a Vann, you may load them into the Coal-wains, which are 

 made clofe with boards, purpofely to carry thijin to Market : Of 

 thefe Coals the grofler lort are commonly refer v'd for the Forges, 

 and Iron-works, the middling and fmoother put up infacks and 

 carried by the Colliers to London and the adjacent Towns j thofe 

 which are i/'^ir)^*^ of the roots, ifpick'd out, are accounted befi: 

 for Chymicaliitcs, and where a lafting, and extraordinary /i/^il/ is 

 requir'd. 



9. Coal forthe Powder-mills IS made of Alder-wood (hut lime- 

 tree were much better had we it in that plenty as we eafily might) 

 cut, Jiack^d, UDd fet on the Hearth like the former : But firfi: ought 

 the wood to be wholly dkbarlCd (which work is to be done about 

 M/d-fummer before) and being throughly dry it may be coaled in 

 the fame method, the heap or pits only fomcwhat fmaller, by rea- 

 fonthat they feldomCtf^/ above five, or Hxjiack^, a time, laying it 

 but two lengths of the wood one above the othetjin form fomewhat 

 'flatter on the top then what we have defcrib'd. Likewife do they 

 fling all their rubbijh and dufi on tXietop, and begin not to cover 

 at the bottom, as in the former example. In like fort, when they 

 have drawn up the fire in the Tunnel, and ftopp'd it, they begin 

 to draw down their duU by degrees round the heap ; and thi? pro- 



portionahly^ 



