260 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK III. stacked, and set on the hearth hke the former ; but first the wood 

 ouglit to be wholly disbarked, which work is to be done about Mid- 

 summer before, and being thoroughly dry, it may be coaled in the same 

 method, the heap or pile, only somewhat smaller, by reason that they 

 seldom coal above five or six stacks at a time, laying it but two lengths 

 of the wood one above the other, in form somewhat flatter on the top 

 than what we have described ; likewise do they fling all their rubbisli 

 and dust on the top, and begin not to cover at the bottom, as in the 

 former example. In like sort, when they have drawn up the fire in the 

 tunnel, and stopped it, they begin to draw down their dust by degrees 

 round the heap, and this proportionably as it fires, till they come about 

 to the bottom ; all which is despatched in the course of two days. 

 One of these heaps will char threescore sacks of coal, which may all be 

 carried at one time in a waggon ; and some make the court-coals after 

 the same manner. 



Lastly. Small-coals are made of the spray and brush-wood, which is 

 stripped off from the branches of copse-wood, and which is sometimes 

 bound up into bavins for this use, though also it be as frequently charred 

 without binding, and then they call it cooming it together. This they 

 place in some near floor, made level and freed of incumbrances, where, 

 setting one of the bavins, or part of the spray, on fire, two men stand 

 ready to throw on bavin upon bavin, as fast as they can take fire, which 

 makes a very great and sudden blaze, till they have burni all that lies 

 near the place, to the number (it may be) of five or six hundred bavins : 

 but before they begin to set fire, they fill great tubs or vessels with 

 water, which stand ready by them, and this they dash on .with a great 

 dish or scoop so soon as ever they have thrown on all their bavins, con- 

 tinually plying the great heap of glowing coals, which gives a sudden 

 stop to the fury of the fire, while with a great rake they lay and spread 

 it abroad, and ply their casting of water still on the coals, which are now 

 perpetually turned by two men with great shovels, a third throwing on 

 the water. This they continue tiU no more fire appears, though they 

 cease not from being very hot ; after this they shovel them up into great 

 heaps, and when they are thoroughly cold, put them up in sacks for 

 London, where they use them amongst divers artificers, both to kindle 

 great fires, and to temper and anneal their several works. Lastly, this 

 is to be observed, that the wood which yields the finest coal is more 

 flexible and gentle than that which yields the contrary. 



