| OCR Text |
Show A Difcourfe of Fore(t-Trees. Chap. XXXT, two great firesof fimple Coals, and maintain a glowing /uculent heat without waft sThe mannerofgatheringit isto cut itin Summer time from the Rocks whereonit grows abundantly, and bringing it in Boats or otherwife to Land, fpread and dry it in the Suz like bay, turning and cocking it till it be fully cured : It makes an excel» lentfire alone, and roaftsto admiration; and when all is burnt,the Chap.XXXI. A Difcourfe of Fore%-Trees. Thenfor the Billet, every onenam’d a fingle, being round, to have 7 inches 3 circumference; but no fingleto be made ofcleft wood : Ifmarked one, and round, to contain 11 inches compaffe : it half-round 13: quarter-cleft 124. If marked two, being round, tocontain 16 inches + halfround 19 : quarter-cleft 183: the length as in the Statute of King Ed: Afbes are one ofthe beft wanures for Land inthe world, for the ward 6. timeit continues its vertue , which fhould be frequently fupplied with frefhy and.as tothe Fzre mingled with other Combuftébles, it is evident that it addsmuchlife, continuance and aid, to our ful- onely oneftick of one foot long, to harden and wedgethe bindin of it: This, to prevent the abufe ( too much practis'd ) of filling len Sea-coal Fuel 5 and if the main Oceaz fhould afford Fuel (as the Berzacles and Solaxd-Geefe are faid to do infome parts of Scots ‘gud with the very flicks of their Nefés) we inthefe I/es may thank our felves. if we benot warm :. Thefe few particulars I have but mention’d to animate Improvements, and ingenious Attemptsof dete&ting more cheap, and ufeful proces, for wayes of Charing: Coals, Peat, andthe like fuliginous materials; as the ace compliflrd Mr, Bayle hasintimated to usin the Fift of thofe his precious Effays concerning the wféfulnefe of Natural Philofophy, Part 2. Cap, 7c. to which I refer the Curious, 26. By the Preamble of the Statute.7 Ed, 6. one may perceive ( the AMea/ures compar'd) howplentiful fxel wasin the time of Ed. the 414, to what it was in the Reigns of his Succejors : This fuge gelled areyiew of Sizes,and areformation of Abufes ; in which it was Enaded, that every Sagk of Coals fhould contain four Bufhelss EveryTalyhideto be four foot long, befides the carf’; and if naw'd of one, marked one, to contain 16 inches circumference , withina foot ot the middle ; Ifof twomarks, 23 inches; of 3, 28. of 4¢ 35; of 5.38. inches about, and{o preportionably, 27. Billets were tobe of three foot, and four inches inlength : the fingle to be 47 inches.and an half about ; and every Billet of one café (as they teamthe mark ) tobe ten inches about : of two caft, 1ourteen inches, and to be marked (unlefle for the private ufe of the Omzer) within fix inches of the middle : of one caft within four inches of the end ec, Every bound Fagot fhould bethree foot long; the bavd twenty fourinches circumference, befidesthe knot, Inthe 43. £4, the fame Statute ( which before only concern'd London and its Suburbs) was made more univer{al 3 and that of Ed, ¢.explain’d with this addition + For fach Talefhides as were of neccthtyto be made of.cleftsmood, if of one mark,and half round, to be 19 inches about; if quarter-cleft 18 inchesi; Marked two, being round it thall be.23 inches compafs: half-round 27 : quar- ter-cleft26: marked three, round 28: half-round 33: quarter- cleft 32 + marked. four, being round 32 inches about : halfround 39 : quarter cleft38: marked five round, 38 inches about : half round 44: quarter-cleft 43 : the meafure to be taken within halfa foot of t.e middle of the Jength mention’d in the former Sta- tute, Then 28. Fagots to be every ftick of three foot inlength , excepting the middle part, and ends-with trafh, and fhort {ticks, which had been omitted in the former Statute : concerning this and of the dimenfions of wood, in the Stack, fee Chap. 28. to direct the lefle inftruéted Purchafer : and I have been the moreparticular up- onthis occafion;becaufe,than our Fue! boughtin Billet by the Notch (as theycall it in L odon)thereis nothing more deceitful;for by the vile iniquity of fome Wretches, marking the billets as they come ta the Wharf, Gentlemen are egregioufly cheated. Icould produce aninftance of a Friend of mine (and a Member of this Society) for which the Wood-monger haslittle caufe to brag 3 fince he never durft come at him, or challenge his Aéoney for the Commodity he bought; becaufe he durft not {tand to the meafure, At Hall near Foy, there is a Fagot, which confifts but of one piece of Wood, naturally grown inthat form, witha band wrapped about it, and parted at the ends into four flicks; one of whichis fubdivided into two others : It was carefully preferved manyyears by an Earl of Devonjhire , and looked onas portendingthe fate of his Pofferity , whichis fince indeed come into the hands of four Cornifh Gentlemen , one of whofe Effatesis likewife divided ‘twixe two Heirs. This we haveout of Cambden , and 1 here wote, for the Extravagancy of the thing; though as to the verity of furch Portents from Trees, Gc. 1do not find (upon enquiry, which I have diligently made of my Lord Breretox ) that thereis any cers taintyof therifing of thofe Logs in the Lake belonging to that Noble Perfor, fo as {till to premonifh the Death of the Heir of that Family , how confidentlyfoeverreported, Sometimes it has happn’d, but the Tradition isnot conftant : To this C/afeé may be referred what is affirmed concerning the fatal Prediéition of Oakes bearing ftrange leaves, which may be enquired of, 29. But I will now defcribe to you the AGftery of Charing (whereof fomething was but touch'd inthe Procefe of extracting Tar out of the Pines) as [receiv‘d it from a moft induftriousperfon, and fo conclude the Chapter, There is madé of Char-coal ufually three forts, viz. one for the Tron-works, afecond for Gun-powder, and a third for London and the Court , belides Small-coals, of which we hall alfo {peak in its due place. Wewill begin with that fort which is us’d for the Iron-works, becaule the reftare made muchafter the fame manner, and with very little difference, Cca2 The |
