Page 332
An. 1686
Their Trades.
3 ; Goldsmiths ; these will work in Gold or Silver, and make any thing that you desire : but they have no Shop furnished with Ware ready made for Sale. Here are several Blacksmiths who work very well, considering the Tools that they work with. Their Bellows are much different from ours. They are made of a wooden Cylinder, the trunk of a Tree, about 3 foot long, bored hollow like a Pump, and set upright on the ground, on which the Fire it self is made. Near the lower end there is a small hole, in the side of the trunk next the Fire, made to re- ceive a Pipe, through which the wind is driven to the Fire by a great bunch of fine Feathers fastned to one end of the stick, which closing up the inside of the Cylinder, drives the air out of the Cylinder through the pipe : Two of these Trunks or Cy- linders are placed so nigh together, that a Man standing between them may work them both at once. alternately, one with each hand. They have neither Vice nor Anvil but a great hard Stone, or a piece of an old Gun, to hammer upon: yet they will perform their work making both common Utensils, and Iron-works about Ships to admiration. They work altogether with Charcoal. Every Man almost is a Carpenter, for they can all work with the Ax and Ads. Their Ax is but small, and so made, that they can take it out of the Helve, and by turn- ing it make an Ads of it. They have no Saws ; but when they make Plank they split the Tree in two, and make a Plank of each part, planing it with the Ax and Ads. This requires much pains, and takes up a great deal of time ; but they work cheap, and the goodness of the Plank thus hewed, which hath its grain preserv'd entire, makes a- mends for their cost and pains.
They build good and serviceable Ships or Barks for the Sea ; some for Trade, others for Pleasure ; and some Ships of War. Their trading Vessels they send