lows, and the chimney inclined from them to direct the heated air
from the smelter towards an opening in the roof. At the right side
of the bellows and even with the top of the chimney, is a trough
containing damp charcoal and iron-sand : at every motion of his body
the operator with a long spoon tumbles a piece of this charcoal with the
iron-sand adhering to it, down the funnel of the furnace, and when a
mass of melted or rather softened iron is formed on the hearth, it is
taken out with tongs, and beaten with a heavy wooden mallet on a
large stone by way of anvil. The iron in this state is sent down to the
plains for sale or barter. The smelters say that they procure their
fire-clay in large quantities from the vicinity of the limestone hill at
Chirr a Pimji, whence on a former occasion I sent you a series of
geological specimens, among which, if I remember right, was some of
this clay, of a light straw colour and slaty texture, containing minute
micaceous particles. W. C.
References to Plate VI.
1. The chimney of the furnace supported by stone pillars, so as not to touch the hearth. 2. One pair of bellows open. 3. Ditto shut. 4. Frame on which the man rests. 5. A primitive ladder for mounting the bellows. 6. The wooden mallet. 7. The tongs. 8. The spoon. 9. The trough supported by a wooden fork.
VII. — On Chinese Vermilion.
[Translated into French from a Chinese Technologic Encyclopedia, entitled, Thian-koung Ka'l-we, or Exposition of the Wonders of Nature and the Arts. By M. Stanislas Julien[1].] From the Nouveau Journal Asiatique.
Cinnabar, liquid silver, the red of silver, are in reality one and the same thing. What causes them to bear different names is that the substance is either pure or coarse, or old or recently extracted. Cinnabar, of the first quality, comes from Chinpe (now Mayang), and from Silchouan. It is found in a state of purity in the bosom of the earth, and does not require purification by fire. This cinnabar, which is used to polish the tips of arrows, metallic mirrors, &c. is thrice as valuable as mercury : whence it is carefully picked and sold under its native form, that is, in the state of sand or red powder. If melted, it loses a great part of its value.
- ↑ The Chinese edition whence this article is extracted bears the date of 1637.
