260

A DISCOURSE

book in. stacked, and set on the hearth like the former; but first the woodought to be wholly disbarked, which work is to be done about Mid-summer before, and being thoroughly dry, it may be coaled in the samemethod, the heap or pile only somewhat smaller, by reason that theyseldom coal above five or six stacks at a time, laying it but two lengthsof the wood one above the other, in form somewhat flatter on the topthan what we have described; likewise do they fling all their rubbishand dust on the top, and begin not to cover at the bottom, as in theformer example. In like sort, when they have drawn up the fire in thetunnel, and stopped it; they begin to draw down their dust by degreesround the heap, and this proportionably as it fires, till they come aboutto the bottom; all which is despatched in the course of two days. Oneof these heaps will char threescore sacks of coal, which may all becarried at one time in a waggon ; and some make the court-coals afterthe same manner.

Lastly, Small coals are made of the spray and brush-wood, whichis stripped off from the branches of copse-wood, and which is sometimesbound up into bavins for this use, though also it be as frequently charredwithout binding, and then they call it cooming it together. This theyplace 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 standready to throw on bavin upon bavin, as fast as they can take fire, whichmakes a very great and sudden blaze, till they have burnt all that liesnear 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 vefsels withwater, which stand ready by them, and this they dash on with a greatdish or scoup so soon as ever they have thrown on all their bavins, con -tinually plying the great heap of glowing coals, which gives a suddenstop to the fury of the fire, whiles with a great rake they lay and spreadit abroad, and ply their casting of water still on the coals, which are nowperpetually turned by two men with great shovels, a third throwing onthe water. This they continue till no more fire appears, though theycease not from being very hot ; after this they shovel them up into greatheaps, and, when they are thoroughly cold, put them up in sacks forLondon , where they use them amongst divers artificers, both to kindlegreat fires, and to temper and anneal their several works. Lastly, thisis to be observed, that the wood which yields the finest coal is moreflexible and gentle than that which yields the contrary.