HOOKS. 143 



hot, by being kept for a moment in a char- 

 coal fire, then plunged while hot into cold 

 water; then tempered by being put on iron 

 that has been heated in the same fire till it 

 becomes bright blue ; and whilst still hot, it 

 is immersed in candle-grease, where it gains 

 a black colour ; it is then finished. 



Phys. — Nothing seems simpler than this 

 process. Surely London might furnish ma- 

 nufacturers for so easy a manipulation; and 

 I should think one of our friends, who is so 

 admirable a cutler, might even improve upon 

 the Irish process; at least the tempering 

 might be more scientifically arranged; for 

 instance, by the thermometer, and a bath of 

 fusible metal, the temperature at which steel 

 becomes blue being 580° Fah. might be con- 

 stantly preserved. 



Hal. — Habit teaches our Irish artists this 

 point with sufficient precision. We should 

 have such hooks in England, but the object 

 of the fishing tackle makers is to obtain them 

 cheap, and most of their hooks are made to 

 sell, and good hooks cannot be sold but at a 

 good price. 



