PROGRESS TO THE MINES. 
131 
small pieces fit for the furnace. There was likewise a mighty quantity of 
limestone, brought from Bristol, by way of ballast, at two and sixpence a ton, 
which they are at the trouble to cart hither from Rappahannock river, but 
contrive to do it when the carts return from carrying of iron. They puts 
this into the furnace with the iron ore, in the proportion of one ton of stone to 
ten of ore, with design to absorb the sulphur out of the iron, which would 
otherwise make it brittle. And if that be the use of it, oyster shells would 
certainly do as well as limestone, being altogether as strong an alkali, if not 
stronger. Nor can their being taken out of salt water be any objection, be- 
cause it is pretty certain the West India limestone, which is thrown up 
by the sea, is even better than that imported from Bristol. But the founders 
who never tried either of these will by no means be persuaded to go out of 
their way, though the reason of the thing be never so evident. I observed 
the richer sort of mine, being of a dark colour mixed with rust, was laid in 
a heap by itself, and so wasdhe poor, v/hich was of a liver or brick colour. 
The sow iron is in the figure of a half-round, about two feet and a half-long, 
weighing sixty or seventy pounds, whereof three hundred weigiR make a 
cart-load drawn by eight oxen, which are commonly shod to save their hoofs 
in those stony ways. When the furnace blows, it runs about twenty tons of 
iron a week. The founders find it very hot work to tend the furnace, es- 
pecially in summer, and are obliged to spend no small part of their earnings 
in strong drink to recruit their spirits. Besides the founder, the collier, and 
miner, who are paid in proportion to their work, the company have several 
other officers upon wages, a stock-taker, who weighs and measures every 
thing, a clerk, who keeps an account of all receipts and disbursements, a 
smith to shoe their cattle, and keep all their iron work in repair, a wheel- 
wright, Cartwright, carpenter, and several carters. The wages of all these 
persons amount to one hundred pounds a year ; so that including Mr. Chis- 
v/ell’s salary, they disburse two hundred pounds per annum in standing 
wages. The provisions too are a heavy article, which their plantations do not 
yet produce in a sufficient quantity, though they are at the charge of a gene- 
ral overseer. But v/hile corn is. so short with them, there can be no great 
increase of stock of any kind. 
27th. Having now pretty well exhausted the subject of sow iron, I asked 
my friend some questions about bar-iron. He told me we had as yet no 
forge erected in Virginia, though we had four furnaces. But there was a 
very good one set up at the head of the bay in Maryland, that made exceed- 
ing good work. He let me know that the duty in England upon bar iron 
was twenty-four shillings a ton, and that it sold there from ten to sixteen 
pounds a ton. This vrould pay the charge of forging abundantly, but he 
doubted the parliament of England would soon forbid us that im.provement, 
lest after that we should go farther, and manufacture our bars into all sorts 
of iron ware, as they already do in New England and Pennsylvania. Nay, 
he questioned whether we should be suffered to cast any iron, which they 
can do themselves at their furnaces. Thus ended our conversation, and I 
thanked my friend for being so free in communicating every thing to me. 
Then, after tipping a pistole to the clerk, to drink prosperity to the mines 
with all the workmen, I accepted the kind offer of going part of my journey 
in the phaeton. I took my leave about ten, and drove over a spacious level 
road ten miles, to a bridge built over the river Po, which is one of the four 
branches of Matapony, about forty yards wide. Two miles beyond that, 
we passed by a plantation belonging to the company, of about five hundred 
acres, where they keep a great number of oxen to relieve those that have 
dragged their loaded carts thus far. Three miles farther we came to the Ger- 
manna road, wliere I quitted the chair, and continued my journey on horse- 
