Manufacture of Bar Iron in Southern India. 395 



of string is attached to the lower corner of the posterior 

 part, which is tied to a peg driven into the ground about a 

 foot behind the man's elbow, and keeps the skin distended 

 to its full extent as it lays in his lap ; and a loop of leather 

 is also fastened to the outer flap, through which the arm is 

 passed, by which the opening into the skin is distended upon 

 raising the elbow ; and the skin being pulled out horizontally 

 by the neck in one direction, and the string and the peg in 

 the other ; upon pulling up the middle part vertically by 

 the leather grasped in the hand, the skin is opened out into 

 a triangular shape, and fills with wind through the open 

 flap. While squeezing the skin in blowing also, by pressing 

 the hand forward, so as to pull against the string attached 

 to the posterior part, the valve flaps are made to close 

 fairly and properly, so as to allow hardly any wind to 

 escape. The left hand is employed in assisting the right, 

 or in squeezing the distended parts of the skin upon the 

 side. It will be observed, that as both the necks of the 

 skins open into the blast pipe, a portion of the wind expelled 

 from one skin passes back again into the other ; as they are 

 worked alternately, a defect which might have been reme- 

 died in a most simple manner, by attaching little hanging 

 door valves to the ends of the pipes. 



18. A small quantity of charcoal being thrown into the 

 furnace, the fire is introduced, and the blast commenced, and 

 the furnace is filled to the neck with about twenty-six 

 pounds of charcoal. In about half an hour flame issues 

 from the throat, and the fuel begins to sink, at which time 

 the charge is commenced, which consists of ten pounds of 

 charcoal and five pounds of ore, wetted to prevent it run- 

 ning down too fast. The charge is repeated seven times, 

 and the furnace is allowed to burn down, and in about two 

 and a half hours as soon as welding heat sparks are seen to 

 issue with the flame, the bellows are removed ; the door 

 broken open ; and the lump of reduced iron is removed, and 



