The Tinker

Van Braam's curiosity was not limited to machines.He observed and recorded men at work as well.On his journey back to Kuang-chou，he encountered a tinker in Fang-kuan Village.[32]The tinker was busy repairing frying pans，which were“cracked and full of holes.”He“restored them to their primitive state，so that they became as serviceable as ever.”The skill astonished van Braam.He carefully examined the tinker's equipment and found that

all the apparatus of the workman consists in a little box sixteen inches long，six inches wide，and eighteen inches in depth，divided into two parts.The upper contains three drawers，with the necessary ingredients；in the lower is a bellows，which，when a fire is wanted，is adapted to a furnace eight inches long and four inches wide.The crucibles for melting the small pieces of iron intended to serve as solder are a little larger than the bowl of a common tobacco pipe，and of the same earth of which they are made in Europe；thus the whole business of soldering is executed.[33]

This description corresponds precisely to what I saw some thirtyfive years ago in China，when craftsmen were still offering their services in small lanes and back streets in cities and towns.It is truly amazing that the tinkers did their job thirty-five years ago in exactly the same way that their predecessors had some two hundred years before：

The workman receives the melted matter out of the crucible upon a piece of wet paper，approaches it to one of the holes or cracks in the frying-pan，and applies it there，while his assistant smooths it over by scraping the surface，and afterwards rubs it with a bit of wet linen.The number of crucibles which have been deemed necessary are thus successively emptied in order to stop up all the holes with the melted iron，which consolidates and incorporates itself with the broken utensil，and which becomes as good as new.[34](https://www.daowen.com)

Van Braam thought that this process was unknown in Europe.He admired the skills of the craftsmen so much that he claimed their accomplishments“must indeed appear impossible to any one who has not been witness to the process.”To increase the credibility of his description，he added an engraving（see illustration 10）.In the drawing the man has set up his business at one end of a bridge，as most craftsmen would.His shoulder pole was behind him，and he was operating the bellows，which increased the heat of his furnace.A big wok was sitting to one side waiting to be repaired.A small box to his right presumably contained the solder he was going to use.The box for the“apparatus”served as a stool for the man.His clothing，his hairstyle，the bamboo hat that he would need when it rained，and other objects in the picture all encourage the presumption that this is a drawing from life.[35]

10.Tinker at work as depicted in van Braam's Voyage.Rare Books Collection，Firestone Library.Princeton University.