43*> KALM'S ENGLAND. 



When these lime-kilns are once lighted up, they are said 

 to burn the whole year night and day, only being allowed 

 to go out during Yuletide,on the principal feast days. But 

 as soon as these are past they are lighted up new, and are 

 continued in that state night and day till the next Yule. 



The chalk which is laid in the morning in the kiln to 

 burn, is in it, sometimes two, sometimes three days, 

 before it passes through the kiln, and becomes full- 

 burned. For the most part they reckon three days for 

 its burning. While it is thus passing through the kiln 

 its burning goes on, not only from the beds of coal which 

 lie next to it, but [T. II. p. 87] also from the brickwork 

 in the kiln, which is very hot from the long continued 

 burning. The heat of the kiln is so strong that pieces 

 of flint which have accompanied the chalk fragments 

 into the kiln are converted into a white glass. 



As soon as the chalk laid in the kiln is full-burnt, and 

 has got through the whole kiln, so that it is now at 

 the bottom, it is taken out of the kiln with the above 

 described shovels. The ground outside round about the 

 lime-kiln near the kiln-mouths is [paved with] broad 

 square flat bricks, tegelstenar. The burned bits of 

 chalk are laid in such places as are in the sheeting or 

 shelter, skjulet, which is round about the kiln, and 

 when they have got all the corners, vrar, so full that no 

 more can be accommodated there, it is carried thence in 

 large carts, karror, down to the banks of the Thames, 

 which runs close by, where it is laid unslaked in vessels 

 or barges, and is carried up to London to be sold. Other- 

 wise when they take a portion of this burned chalk, and 

 throw a little water upon it, it begins by degrees to 

 smoke and becomes so hot that one cannot hold the 

 hand upon it. At length the bits fall to pieces into a fine 

 meal, exactly in the same way as happens with another 

 unslacked lime from limestone. 



