600 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



coat, or cherry red. In plunging 

 it he was anxious that no part of 

 the blade should touch the com- 

 position but at the instant the 

 whole was immersed. It lay in 

 the trough a few minutes to cool. 



He then took it out and laid it 

 upon the coals, fanning it an 

 instant to set the grease that 

 stuck on it on fire, and when it 

 smoaked no longer, he let it again 

 grow cool, and then scraped off 

 gently with the back of a knife, 

 the ashes of the stuff that still 

 adhered to it. 



The charcoal employed was in 

 pieces of from half to three 

 quarters of an inch square, more 

 or less ; the best sort is made of 

 deal, and it must be fresh or 

 virgin, for it will not do if it has 

 been lighted and extinguished. I 

 observed that he fanned the blade 

 more at the thicker parts than 

 towards the point. 



The composition in the trough 

 serves for a great number of 

 blades, and is better the older it 

 grows, requiring only to be re- 

 plenished as the quantity dimi> 

 nishes. 



The blade having been a little 

 crooked in the tempering, it was 

 straightened, and then gently 

 passed on a circular whetstone. 

 It was then polished. He laid it 

 on a board, with a piece of 

 wood forcibly rubbed emery 

 powder and oil on it, and lastly, 

 burnished it with a bit of iron till 

 it was quite bright, and could not 

 be distinguished from a common 

 English sabre. The operation of 

 polishing took up five or six 

 hours. 



He then made use of lime to 

 take off the oil, and was extremely 

 careful not to touch it with his 



hands, as its being perfectly free 

 from grease is essential to its 

 taking well the Giohar. 



To secure that point further he 

 rubbed tobacco ashes and water 

 on it. 



He then prepared a horse 

 bucket full of clear water, and a 

 small Turkish leaden drinking 

 cup (porcelain or glass would do 

 as well, but no other metal than 

 lead). In this cup he dissolved 

 in a few minutes a little zagh* 

 and pure water. 



Then with the ends of his 

 fingers he basted the blade with 

 rapidity up and down, and seem- 

 ed anxious that it should be 

 served all equally, and as much as 

 possible at once. 



Every two or three minutes he 

 washed the blade with the water 

 in the bucket, and repeated the 

 operation of the zagh water eight 

 or ten times, that is until he per- 

 ceived the Giohar did not become 

 more distinct after fresh tending 

 with the zagh. 



He then wiped it dry and oiled 

 it ; and when this last operation 

 is performed in the winter, the 

 water in which the zagh is dis- 

 solved should have the chill 

 taken off. 



The names of the different sorts 

 of Damascus blades are as follow, 

 classed according to their relative 

 value: — 1. Kermani Daban. 2. 

 Lahori Kara Khorasan. 3. Lahori 

 Neiris. 4. Dishi Daban. 5. 

 Herkek Daban. 6. Elif Stam- 

 bool. 7. Eakd Sham. 8. Barjaz 



* The zagh made use of by the 

 sword-cutlers here is procured from 

 the mountains of the Druzes, and 

 from no where else ; it is produced 

 by a mineral spring near a place 

 called Ghazir. 



11 Khorasan. 



