afterwards to be polished, it is not unusual to axe four or even five times, care being always taken that how often soever that operation may be performed, the axing should never be made twice consecutively in the same direction, for by that precaution alone can a true and even surface be obtained. (The form of the axe is shewn in fig. No. 19.) [Illustration: No. 19.] [Illustration: No. 20.] The dressing of the first face being finished in the manner described, the block is laid flat on the ground, and the plan or form of the stone is then accurately drawn on it, according to the mould, with some substance that makes a bright or good mark, such as a piece of tile ground sharp, or a thin splinter of logwood. If there be much _waste_ to be taken off beyond the lines so drawn, a hammer, whose weight must be in proportion to the piece to be struck off, is applied; but care must be taken not to come too near the lines with the hammer, and it is generally safe to leave at least an inch outside of them. The piece which is left gives a good hold for the _chipper_ or _pincher_ (fig. No. 20), which is next carefully applied along the line, being steadily held within one hand, and with the other sharply struck with a small iron mall of 3¹⁄₂ lb. weight, having a short handle about 8 inches in length. While the _chipper_ receives sharp strokes in succession with the mall, it must be slowly moved several times along the line from one end of the stone to the other, till the piece projecting beyond the line, or a part of it, breaks off. Such is the power of this small instrument, that it not infrequently cuts down to a depth of 9 or even 12 inches, thereby doing more execution and to greater purpose, than a heavy hammer can generally accomplish, even in the hands of a skilful workman. The _chipper_ is a tool lately introduced; but has now become a most important article in every hewer’s _kit_. It makes a regular and clean cut, and leaves little to be done by the punches and chisels (fig. No. 18, in p. 122), in preparing the _arris_ of the next face of the stone. The block is now raised a little from the ground, and the workman standing at its higher side, the axing of which he has just finished, puts on with the punches and chisel a fine band or draught along the side next to that just dressed. He then applies to the finished face the _square_ or _bevel_, according to the inclination of the faces, and dresses a band across the stone at each end of the block; and, finally, joins those two cross bands by means of another band along the back. In that way the external draughts on the second side are completed. He then with the pick and axe dresses away the material between those draughts until the second face is finished; and the same process is repeated for each side of the block which requires to be dressed. If the block be a large one, and it require to be dressed on all its sides, it will, lastly, be cut to the proper