basket of ore, and then a basket of charcoal, where by two vast pair of bellows placed behind the furnace, and compressed alternately by a large wheel turned by water, the fire is made so intense, that after three days' time the metal will begin to run, still after increasing, till at length in fourteen nights' time they can run a sow and pigs once in twelve hours, which they do in a bed of sand before the mouth of the furnace, wherein they make one larger furrow than the rest next the timp (where the metal comes forth), which is for the sow, from whence they draw two or three-and-twenty others (like the labels of a file in heraldry) for the pigs, all which, too, they make greater or lesser according to the quantity of their metal; into these when their receivers are full they let it forth, which is made so very fluid by the violence of the fire, that it not only runs to the utmost distance of the furrows, but stands boiling in them for a considerable time. Before it is cold, that is, when it begins to blacken at top, and the red to go off, they break the sow and pigs off from one another, and the sow into the same length with the pigs, though in the running it is longer and bigger much, which is now done with ease; whereas if let alone till they are quite cold, they will either not break at all, or not without difficulty.

"In melting of iron ore some have great regard to the make of the furnace and placing of the bellows, which that the reader may the better apprehend, he must be informed that the hearth of the furnace, into which the ore and coal fall, is ordinarily built square, the sides descending obliquely and drawing near to one another toward the bottom, like the hopper of a mill. Where these oblique walls terminate, which they term the boshes, there are joined four other stones, but these are set perpendicular and reach to the

bottom stone, making the perpendicular square that receives the metal, which four walls have the following names :that next the bellows, the tuarn or tuiron wall; that against it, the wind wall or spirit plate; that where the metal comes forth, the timp or fore plate; that over against it, the back wall; and these, according as they may be pitched, less transhaw or more barrow, will mend, they say, or alter the nature of the iron; if transhaw or transiring from the blast, the iron will be more coldshear, less fined, more indeed to the master's profit, but less to him that hath the manufactorage of it, and to him that useth it; whereas the iron made in a barrow work is much more tough and serviceable. Nor is the ordering of the bellows of less concern, which have usually their entrance into the furnace between the bottom of the hopper or boshes and the bottom stone, and are placed nearer or further off, according as the ore and metal require. 'Tis also of importance in melting of iron ore that there be five or six soughs made under the furnace, in parallel lines to the stream that turns the wheel, which compresses the bellows to drain away the moisture from the furnace, for should the least drop of water come into the metal it would blow up the furnace, and the metal would fly about the workmen's ears.

"From the furnaces they bring their sows and pigs of iron, when broken asunder and into lengths, to the forges, which are of two sorts, but commonly standing together under the same roof; one whereof they call the finery, the other the chafery; they are both of them open hearths, upon which they place great heaps of coal, which are blown by bellows like to those of the furnaces, and compressed the same way, but nothing near so large. In these two forges they give the sow and pigs five several heats before they are perfectly

wrought into bars. First, in the finery, they are melted down as thin as lead, where the metal in an hour thickens

degrees into a lump or mass, which they call a loop, this they bring to the great hammer, raised by the motion of a water wheel, and, first, beat into a thick square, which they call a half bloom; then, secondly, they put it into the finery again for an hour, and then bring it again to the same hammer, where they work it into a bloom, which is a square bar in the middle, and two square knobs at the ends, one much less than the other, the smaller being called the ancony end, and the greater the mocket head. And this is all they do at the finery. Then, thirdly, the ancony end is brought to the chafery, where, after it has been heated for a quarter of an hour, it is also brought to the hammer, and there beat quite out to a bar, first at that end; and after that the mocket head is brought, fourthly, to the chafery, which, being thick, requires two heats, before it can be wrought under the hammer into bars of such sizes and shapes as they think fittest for sale.

"Whereof, those they intend to be cut into rods, are carried to the slitting mills, where they first break or cut them, cold, with the force of one of the wheels, into short lengths; then they are put into a furnace to be heated red hot to a good height, and then brought singly to the rollers, by which they are drawn even, and to a greater length; after this the workman takes them, whilst hot, and pushes them through the cutters, which are of divers sizes, and may be put off and on according to pleasure; then another lays them straight, also whilst hot, and when cold binds them into faggots, and then they are fitting for sale. And thus I have given an account of the ironworks of Staffordshire,

from the ore to the slitting mills, as they are now exercised in their perfection."

The following is the account given by S. T. Coleridge, Esq., of the introduction of slitting mills into this country. The descendants of the person who first brought them into use here being so immediately connected with Wednesbury, the anecdote will not be out of place. It is as follows:"The most extraordinary and the best attested instance of enthusiasm existing, in conjunction with perseverance, is related of the founder of the Foley family. This man, who was a fiddler, living near Stourbridge, was often witness of the immense labour and loss of time caused by dividing the bars of iron, necessary in the process of making nail rods, The discovery of the process of slitting was first made in Sweden, and the consequences of this advance in art were most disastrous to the manufacturers of iron about Stourbridge. Foley, the fiddler, was shortly missed from his accustomed rounds, and was not again seen for many years. He had mentally resolved to ascertain by what means the process of rod slitting was accomplished; and, without communicating his intention to a single human being, he proceeded to Hull, and thence, without funds, worked his passage to the Swedish iron port. Arrived in Sweden, he begged and fiddled his way to the ironworks, where, after a long time, he became a favourite with all the workmen; and from the apparent entire absence of intelligence, or anything like ultimate object, he was received into the works, to every part of which he had free access. He took the advantage thus offered, and, having stored his mind with observations and all the combinations, he disappeared from amongst his kind friends as he had appeared, no one knew whence or

whither. On his return to England, he communicated his voyage and its results to Mr. Knight and another person in the neighbourhood, with whom he was associated, and by whom the necessary buildings were erected and machinery prepared. When at length every thing was prepared, it was found that the machinery would not act; at all events it did not answer the sole end of its erection, viz., slitting bars into rods. Foley disappeared again, and it was concluded that shame and mortification at his failure had driven him away for ever. Not so; again, though somewhat more speedily, he found his way to the Swedish iron work, where he was received most joyfully, and to make sure of their fiddler he was lodged in the rod mill itself. Here was the very end and aim of his life attained beyond his utmost hope. He examined the works and very soon discovered the cause of his failure. He now made drawings, or rude tracings; and having abided an ample time to verify his observations, and to impress them clearly and vividly upon his mind, he made his way to the port, and once more returned to England. This time he was completely successful, and, by he results of his experience, enriched himself, and greatly benefited his countrymen." Another member of this family had the Iron Wire Works near Tintern Abbey, and other works at Whitbrook. Sir John Pettus tells us that this Mr. Foley employed at least 4,000 men daily at these and other iron works; and it is supposed that the entire number of persons employed in England in and about iron works, at the close of the 17th century, was upwards of 100,000.

The capabilities of this country for producing iron, provided some other fuel, instead of wood, could be introduced, seemed unbounded; but how to apply the only remedy, viz.,