First you must know, however, that when our houses of logs had been
built, we had nothing with which to make a chimney such as one finds in
London. We had no bricks, and although, mayhap, flat rocks might have
been found enough for two or three, there was no mortar in the whole
land of Virginia with which to fasten them together.
Therefore it was we were forced to build a chimney of logs, laying it up
on the outside much as we had the house, but plentifully besmearing it
with mud on the inside, and chinking the crevices with moss and clay.
When this had been done, a hole was cut for the smoke, directly through
the side of the house. The danger of setting the building on fire
was great; but we strove to guard against it so much as possible by
plastering a layer of mud over the wood, and by keeping careful watch
when we had a roaring fire. Oftentimes were we forced to stop in the
task of cooking, take all the vessels from the coals, and throw water
upon the blazing logs.
The chimney was a rude affair, of course, and perhaps if we had had
women among us, they would have claimed that no cooking could be done,
when all the utensils were placed directly on the burning wood, or hung
above it with chains fastened to the top of the fireplace; but when lads
like Nathaniel and me, who had never had any experience in cooking with
proper tools, set about the task, it did not seem difficult, for we were
accustomed to nothing else.