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When the Chicken are hatch'd, they put them into the lower Ovens, which are covered with Mats. Under the Mats is Bran, to dry the Chicken: and upon the Mats, Straw, for the Chicken to stand upon.
The Ground-plot of the House and Ovens is delineated according to Fig. 1. a b A long entrance: on each side of which are fourteen Ovens (some places have more, some less.) The bottoms and sides of those Ovens which are on the ground, are all made of Sun-dry'd Bricks; upon which they put Mats, and on the Mats the Eggs.
The top of these Ovens are flat, and covered with sticks, except two long Spaces which are made of Sun-dry'd Bricks; and are the Hearths above-mentioned, in which the fires are made, to heat the Eggs lying under them in the lower Ovens.
Above these lower Ovens are so many other, made of Sun-dry'd Bricks, and arched at the top, Where also there are some holes, which are stop'd with Tow, &c. or left open, as they please to govern the heat in the Ovens below.
The Plant of the upper Oven is according to Fig. 2.
a The Mouth of the Oven, opening upon the long entrance a b above mentioned.
b and c Entrances into the Ovens adjoyning.
d e Two Hearths three or four Inches deep, in which they make the fire, to heat this and the Oven below.
The depth of the lower Oven is about 212 foot English. The second, above four.
In the Western Islands of Scotland much of the Timber, wherewith the Common people build their Houses, is such as the West-Ocean throws upon their Shores. The most ordinary Trees are Firr and Ash. They are usually very large, and without branches; which seem rather to have been broken or worn off than cut: and are so Weather-beaten, that there is no Bark left upon them, especially the Firrs. Being in the Island of East, I saw lying upon the shore a cut of a large Firr-tree of about 212 foot diameter, and 9 or 10 foot long; which had lain so long out of the water, that it was very dry: And most of the Shells, that had formerly cover'd it, wereworn
