Chapter 9
While the ironworkers did not think that Welcome House was built stoutly enough to live in, they were perfectly happy to build their first tatara under its roof. It was only going to be operated for a few months, anyway, and the roof would protect the tatara from the occasional summer rain. Their own house could be assembled nearby.
Of course, if they succeeded in producing iron from the Texada iron ore, they would want a proper takadono, with a high roof, to house the tatara year-round. But that could be built near the Welcome House.
Isamu was pleased, as it meant that the tatara would be close to one of the iron outcrops.
“When will you be able to start work on the tatara?” he asked.
“Right away, if you can find others to put up our permanent quarters.”
“I have a ship’s carpenter, and the miners can help him.”
“Then let’s get started.”
Getting started was easier said than done. There was a ritual associated with the creation of a new sannai, and it involved the priest, Tanaka, invoking the blessings of Kanayago-kami upon the enterprise. Kanayago’s blessing was also needed for the tatara and the smithy, both inside Welcome House for the time being. The sannai, Iron Haven, would consist of Welcome House, and the new living quarters for the ironworkers. This would be a communal dwelling, like Welcome House, but more stoutly built.
Isamu had thought to quarter the miners with the ironworkers, but relented in the face of vociferous objections from Tanaka, Tetsue and Naoki. They were supported by Haru, who told Isamu that he had promised that the ironworkers would be protected from “pollution” by the kirishitan. So at last Isamu agreed that the miners would remain at Camp Double Six. The exploration party had dug cisterns there during the previous fall, so they did have a supply of fresh water.
The first task, however, was the construction of a small shrine to Kanayago-kami just beside Welcome House. Two ironworkers dug two holes for the posts of the torii, while the others worked under the supervision of Morimoto, the carpenter’s mate. The posts and beams for the torii had been transported from Sendai, so all they needed to do was get then aligned and properly fastened together, with tongues fitting into their respective grooves, and then raise it so the butts of the posts slid into the holes. They then tied a straw rope to the posts, and attached paper streamers to it. This indicated that the path through the torii was barred.
Beyond the torii was the shrine proper, which was essentially a four-post hut, in which Tanaka reverently hung an image of Kanayago-kami.
Once Tanaka was satisfied with the shrine, all of the followers of Shinto gathered in front of the torii, and Tanaka cut the rope with a ceremonial knife. Led by Tanaka and the samurai, the worshippers passed through the torii gate and then left offerings in front of the shrine.
With that done, they could turn their attention to building the ironworkers’ new quarters, so they could move out of Welcome House. With some prodding by Haru and Isamu, Tetsue and Tanaka grudgingly accepted the assistance of the miners from the exploration party, even though they were kirishitan. When they were done, Tanaka conducted a rite of purification in the quarters, thus dispelling any baleful Christian influence.
With the ironworkers moved, Arinobu’s next task was to assemble the smithy, and two of the laborers brought over on the Iemitsu Maru were helping him. The rest of them were helping Tetsue build the tatara.
A week later . . .
“Is it deep enough, Master Tetsue?” asked one of the laborers, leaning on his shovel and breathing heavily.
Tetsue squatted beside the rectangular hole, and inserted a measuring rod he had cut previously to the desired depth. “Yes, it will do.”
“Should we start putting in the charcoal, then?” asked Daichi, one of the two experienced firemen that had come with Tetsue from Izumo Province.
Tetsue reached down into the hole again, and grabbed a clump of earth. He raised it up to eye level, kneaded it with his fingers, then let it fall. “I’d prefer it to be a bit dryer. Let’s build a fire inside, and bake it out.”
The workmen followed his orders, and a few hours later, Tetsue pronounced himself satisfied with the result. He went to the Kanayago-kami shrine to pray for success.
The next day, the tatara, made of fire clay, was put into operation. For this first operation, it was using charcoal and iron sand brought over from Japan. So it should be successful, unless the climate here on Texada was unfavorable to iron smelting . . . or Kanayago-kami refused, or was unable, to bless operations so far from Chugoku.
After three days, the tatara was broken open, revealing the kera, the pig iron-and-steel conglomerate. The sannai celebrated, the kera was broken up, and the tamagahane, the steel, turned over to the smith.
Tetsue had a day to rest his eyes, and his workers a day to rest their arms and legs, and then the debris was cleared away and a new tatara built. For this second tatara, Tetsue decreed that they would still use the traditional charcoal, but would combine it with the Texada iron ore. The laborers used heavy sledgehammers to break down the latter into smaller pieces.
Tetsue was hopeful that this would work, because he knew, from words passed down from one murage to the next, that in ancient times, iron ore had been used on the San’yo side of the Chugoku, especially in Bizen, Bichu and Bingo. Whereas iron sand dominated on the San’in side, where Tetsue had learned his trade.
It took a couple days to rebuild the tatara with their Chugoku fire clay. Iron ore and charcoal were added, and the charcoal was ignited. Once the clay was warm enough, the bellowsmen increased their efforts, gradually raising the furnace temperature as other workers added more iron ore and charcoal. Through the peephole, Tetsue could see the color change, from the blood red color of the rising sun, to the white of the mid-day sun.
However, all was not as it should be. The slag was not coming out of the tapping holes as it should. Was the fire not hot enough? Or was there something in the Texada iron ore that was problematic?
Some hours later, Tetsue ordered that the bellowsmen slack off, allowing the charge to cool down to the color of the setting sun. And the following day, the furnace was allowed to die out, and the tatara was broken apart.
As Tetsue had feared, the bloom contained a great deal of slag.