From the Introduction: An almost unbearable heat radiates through the open arches leading into this building, which is no big surprise as even a casual glance through these arched doorways will reveal that the building is a foundry. Two big smelters built from fire resistant stones take up much of the space in the back. The heat radiating from them day and night is almost unbearable. The air is dry and hot which in turn makes every breath a torture. Much of the rest of the workshop is taken up by the canals and the mold for the liquid metal, formed from sand and sunken into the stone floor of the shop.