The puppies sleep peacefully in their hole by the fire which is covered by a piece of wood, the cattle shift uneasily in the newly finished pen. The family and their helpers sing, and away in the bush there is heard chattering of the bushmen.
Work begins soon before dawn; the blacksmith and his helpers fast, and may not be greeted by an outsider though they may talk, should anyone bid them good morning and they answer the clay funnel will crack when the fire becomes hot and the smelting will fail.
Placing one of the long clay funnels on the sand, in the centre of the cleared space, the blacksmith marks the ground close round it in an oval shape, and guided by these lines digs a deep hole. This is made larger and grows into a horseshoe shape; the truncated end of the oval, curving slightly inwards in a tiny semicircular using a sickle-shaped blade, the blacksmith now cuts back the sand from the top, sloping the wall of the hole outwards from a little above the bottom.
When this is done, he cuts a chunk out of the vertical flute in the truncated end of the oval hole in such a position that the lower part of the piece cut out coincides with the point at which the vertical wall of the lower part of the hole, it begins to lean outwards toward the surface. This is done in order that the molten metal will not pour out through the mouth of the clay funnel.
The clay funnel is now put in position with its mouth resting in a shallow hollow: Okatando, running from a little outside the truncated end of the hole and over the top of the flute; the greater part of its body is suspended over the void, leaning slightly downwards.
During this time the little son is digging a shallow circular hollow contingent with the flattened end of the horseshoe-shaped furnace hole for the two pairs of bellows.
Two large blocks of termite clay from the Shana are brought, one of these has a semicircular piece carefully cut out to fit ad is stood vertically over the neck of the clay funnel, the other is placed opposite, on the far side of the ring which is built of blocks of waste from an old mine, forming a larger horseshoe outside the tiny one of the furnace hole; when in place, these clay blocks are called; Ehmédi.
The junction of the termite block with the mouth of the clay funnel and the ground and with the adjacent stones is now well sealed up with clay, which is built a little forward leaving a hollow shute from the mouth of the funnel which leads under the bellows. The bellows are brought and are put into position facing into the mouth of the clay funnel but distant from it some 13 cms. The body of the bellows lie on the sand and are covered with it, the nozzle lie free the sand having been slightly scooped away from underneath, leaving a space of 10 cms. clear (vertically).
Directly opposite the centre of the apertures in the end of the bellow the little sickle- shaped blade which was used to shape the furnace hole is set horizontally in the wall of the clay block bridging the chute, and a stalk of grass is adjusted to lie just outside the semicircle of the blade. Two little sticks are planted vertically at the outer ends, between the blade and the grass, to prevent the grass from touching the metal. This is said to break the force of the wind from the bellows and therefore the fire is fed more slowly and evenly. The furnace hole is filled with Ongúli grass and round it in two rings are piled first the charcoal and then outside this, the stone.
The thatched mats are raised and tilted up to rest against the wooden frame to shade the fire.
Fire is set to the grass in the furnace. The bellows begin to work and the charcoal is gently pushed inwards, by pushing up the ore of the outer ring.
The smelting has begun, and work continues all day with no more than a momentary break from time to time as a worker at the bellows wearily gives over to a newcomer who slips into place and begins at once to paddle the two wooden shafts that feed the bellows with air with a rhythamatical movement from the shoulders moving the sticks nearly simultaneously. On the far side of the enclosure, stands the heap of charcoal and on the spot where the stone was, there is left a horseshoe shape with a little heap just within the gap.
Slowly, throughout the day, the stone is pushed up from outside and slowly it is fed into the charcoal, which is replaced as it burns low. When the stone becomes hot, the blacksmith uses a long stick with curved end to push up the little lumps of ore.
As soon as the smelting has begun, the blacksmith begins to prepare the various plants and roots with which he in the tradition of his forefathers, is accustomed to charm the fire.
First he prepares a handful of small lengths of cut up roots Enghúdi (bulby root) Mutána (yellow and brown root of tree) and Mumónga (yellow root of tree), which heplaces on the stones at the furthest edge of the fire from the bellows it will be sucked into the hole.
Next he divides a small bunch of white fibrous root and leaves of Mlungulungu (small plant), throwing some of it into the mouth of the furnace, and some onto the centre of the fire itself.
Similarly, he throws on powdered red root of Omisenje (bush). Together with the leaves of ???????????? and wood of Elamba (plant) and a small chunk of the root of Ongangáuwe, handfuls of sand are thrown on the fire, and tiny root of Hamaindúla.
All these; the tiny root of Omuhángi (bush) and of Enyáti and chalk are chewed together and spat onto the centre of the fire. The blacksmith dances chalks himself and addresses himself to the spirits. Umpumbuhámba grass is taken from the thatch of the thatched sheltering (Mahanda) mats and thrown on the fire, so that they may not burn. The pounded root of Olunómo (plant) or Omkopokopo, is now brought soaking in
All the helpers are now anointed with this sticky liquid, a handful of the soaking root being rubbed over the face and head and on the tongue, on the palms of the hands, and on the feet.
Some of the root is then put into the outer edge of stone and charcoal some is rubbed onto the bellows.
The blacksmith and all his helpers chalk the bellows, saying “Tu! Ovalawa Mungu, Outále uhápu, uhápu, uhápu. (much), and they chalk themselves and the palms of their hands.
The blacksmith sprinkles the enclosing hedge of the smelting ground with some of the vicious liquid, Haiamoéle Ovakwamungu, and offering to A.M. so that the metal will not fuse and be wasted, and he then places the trough outside the entrance, so that newcomers may anoint their hands and bare feet, before entering, should they not do this the metal will fuse and be lost. Only the blacksmith may wear sandals within the enclosure, and his are made with the outer side of leather upwards against the feet: Clukaku la ongolva.
During all this time the bellows have been ceaselessly working and the blacksmith has been feeding the fire with charcoal and gradually shifting up the stone.
At about 10 a.m, the women bring Oshikundu beer, some of which is poured into a small wooden mug which is handed to the blacksmith, he pours a little over the bellows and taking a little in his mouth, spits it over the fire. He gives the beer to his little son, who does the same. He lights his pipe and puffs the smoke over the fire and bellows, bidding the spirits take it, “Tambuleni”.
The Eholo is again filled, and the blacksmith walks round the outer enclosing hedge and pours a little beer on the confines of smelting ground.
Since the work began the blacksmith has been uttering periodic invocations to the spirits; this he does all day.
The smelting is now well begun; the spirits are favourable, and the spell being broken, the workers may eat, drink and smoke.
Towards midday the long thatched mats are shifted, lifted and pushed to rest on the top of the wood frame, thus the furnace remains in the shade. Should the sun fall on it the smelting will fail. The workers eat and drink in relays, the bellows are never silent, and it is for very short intervals that the blacksmith leaves the post by the furnace, where there is always a woman who supplies him with baskets of charcoal.
About 3 p.m. a grass root, Ohóle, is shoved into the mouth of the funnel and poked well into the flames.
At evening, the thatched mats are again shifted, this time set with one end on the ground and inclined inwards to rest on the cross wood of the ???????.
Twilight gathers and the family sit round the furnace expectantly, watching the little blue flames which leap through the low dwindling pile of stone, and chewing Manyete
The stone has changed from a yellowish brown colour to a purplish blue; soon the little blue flames which appeared so recently, change to a burst of mauvish pink flame; suddenly the whole pile of stones fuses and becomes incandescent. Shapia! it is done!
The bellows cease to play, the men pick up long stakes and quickly clear the sand from the side of the block; in anticipation of this moment women have already taken away the stones of the inner ring, have cleared the ground and scooped up 2 mounds of sand close, one on either side of the block. Standing one on either side, the blacksmith and a helper raise the block with the ends of the heavy stakes, and the women swiftly push fresh cool sand under it from the mounds they have made. Several times his is repeated.
As the block is raised the outer crust is slightly pierced at the bottom and molten metal trickles out. The block is quickly burned over however and the stream is stopped. The blacksmith breaks away charcoal from all round the head of the block leaving a deep groove and it is then left to cool throughout the night.
The blacksmith picks up his bow and his quiver, his axe and his basket of plants, and the whole party pass out of the enclosure singing joyfully. Beer is drunk.
After the evening meal, the blacksmith beats the ground with his axe head: 'Watula onghava', 'I am here'. His prayer to the spirits is .....
Breaking up of fused block and taking out of metal Making hoe blade
Soon after dawn work began again, the great fused block, now quite cold, was split open with the hammer.
The top, consisting of darkish blue very porous, heavy impure metal under which, and wedged firmly in its crevices, was a layer of charcoal. Below this and all round was an outer crust, this is used, mixed with the pure metal within the lower part of the block. The smooth shiny surface was a flaked light green colour; glistening and metallic, but light and porous inside; this had been molten and is of no use.
From the lower part of the block, where the funnel mouth had been, protruded a piece of shiny black substance, dull on the upper surface; very light and hollow within, this was the molten fused metal and sto???? which trickled out the previous evening when the crust was pierced in raising the block. This also is thrown out as useless. Within this outer crust in the lower part of the block is a heavy solid and but slightly porous block of greenish substance with a metallic shine, this is heavy and is pure iron. The lower crust, which is fused sand, is hammered away, and this pure metal is broken into small lumps which are thrown into a basket. Meanwhile a helper is picking out the lumps of charcoal adhering to the crevasses of the top layer of impure metal, and throwing this also into a basket.