532

BOOK XI.

smooth ; the blade of this spatula is a palm wide and two palms long; itshandle, partly of iron, partly of wood, is similar in every respect to the firstone. Afterward he throws pulverised clay and charcoal into the crucible, pourswater over it, and sweeps it over with a broom into which a stick is fixed.Then immediately he throws into the crucible a powder, made of twowheelbarrowsful of sifted charcoal dust, as many wheelbarrowsful of

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A—Hearth of the furnace. B —Chimney. C—Common pillar. D—Other pillars.The partition wall is behind the common pillar and not to be seen. E —Arches.

F—Little walls which protect the partition wall from injury by the fire.

G —Crucibles. H —Second long wall. I —Door. K —Spatula. L —The otherspatula. M —The broom in which is inserted a stick. N —Pestles. O —Woodenmallet. P —Plate. Q —Stones. R —Iron rod.

pulverised clay likewise sifted, and six basketsful of river sand which haspassed through a very fine sieve. This powder, like that used by smelters,is sprinkled with water and moistened before it is put into the crucible, sothat it may be fashioned by the hands into shapes similar to snowballs.When it has been put in, the master first kneads it and makes it smooth withhis hands, and then pounds it with two wooden pestles, each of which is acubit long; each pestle has a round head at each end, but one of these isa palm in diameter, the other three digits ; both are thinner in the middle,so that they may be held in the hand. Then he again throws moistened