On further examination we found that some of the stones were calcined, and at a touch crumbled into exceedingly fine dust; while one corner at the back--below the chimney opening, where it was a good deal broken--showed signs of intense heat, the face of one angle being completely glazed, the stone being melted into a kind of slag like volcanic glass.
"Oh, there's not a bit of doubt about it," cried Denham.

"What do you say, Sergeant ?" "Not a bit o' doubt about it, sir.

I've seen smelting-furnaces enough our way for copper and tin, and this might have been one of such places, made by old-fashioned folks who didn't know so much as we know now.
It's an old smelting-shop for certain; but I don't see as we've anything to shout about." "What!" cried Denham; "when we've made a discovery like this?
Are you mad ?" "Not as I knows on, sir.

It's only like coming to a corner of the beach at home and finding a heap of oyster-shells." "What do you mean ?" said Denham angrily.
"Why, sir, it only shows as there was oysters there once, and that somebody came and dredged them, opened 'em, and ate 'em, and left the shells behind.

Here's the shell, plain enough; but the old Tyre and Sidems, as you call 'em, took away all the gold, sure enough.