The ash-hole is terminated at its upper end, like that of the reverberating furnace, by a grate, which serves for the bottom of the fire-place, and ought to be very substantial, that it may resist the violence of the fire. The inside of this furnace is commonly an elliptic curve; because it is demonstrated by mathematicians that surfaces having that curvature reflect the rays of the sun, or of fire, in such a manner, that meeting in a point, or a line, they produce there a violent heat. But, to answer this purpose, those surfaces must be finely polished; an advantage hardly procurable to the internal surface of this furnace, which can be made of nothing but earth: besides, if it were possible to give it a polish, the violent action of the fire that must be employed in this furnace would presently destroy it. Yet the elliptical figure must not be entirely disregarded: for, if care be taken to keep the internal surface of the furnace as smooth as possible, it will certainly reflect the heat pretty strongly, and collect it about the center. The fire-place of this furnace ought to have but four apertures. First, that of the lower grate, which communicates with the ash-hole. Secondly, a door in its fore-side, through which may be introduced coals, crucibles, and tongs for managing them: this aperture should be made to shut exactly with a plate of iron, having its inside coated with earth, and turning on two hinges fixed to the furnace. Thirdly, over this door a hole slanting downwards, towards the place where the crucible is to stand. The use of this hole is to give the operator an opportunity of examining the condition of the matters contained in his crucible without opening the door of the fire-place: this hole should be made to open and shut easily, by means of a stopple of earth. Fourthly, a circular aperture of about three inches wide in the upper part or vault of the furnace, which should gradually lessen and terminate, like that of the dome of the reverberating furnace, in a short conical funnel of about three inches long, and fitted to enter the conical pipe before described, which is applied when the activity of the fire is to be increased. When this furnace is to be used, and a crucible to be placed in it, care must be taken to set on the grate a cake of baked earth, somewhat broader than the foot of the crucible. The use of this stand is to support the crucible, and raise it above the grate, for which purpose it should be two inches thick. Were it not for this precaution the bottom of the crucible, which would stand immediately on the grate, could never be thoroughly heated, because it would be always exposed to the stream of cold air which enters by the ash-hole. Care should also be taken to heat this earthen bottom red-hot before it be placed in the furnace, in order to free it from any humidity, which might otherwise happen to be driven against the crucible during the operation, and occasion its breaking.