4-4 Experimc}ils on I-Jootz. 



exhibited a silkv glossy grain, at least two shades lighter 

 in the colour than the centre pieces. 



Forging 3c] Cahc. 



One-half of this cake, first subjected to be cut, was found 

 sot'ttr than any of the preceding, and exhibited no symptom 

 of" cracking. Tl)e other half was cut at three heats, but 

 found loose and hollow in the e.\tren>e. A considerable 

 portion of the same brilliant powder, formerly noticed, was 

 htrre asrain di^l:no•agod. It was carefully taken up for exa- 

 ruinatioii, and found to be very fine ore of iron in a pulve- 

 rescent state, very obcnlient to the mao;nct, and without any 

 doubt an uauietallized portion of that from which wootz is 

 ciade. 



This curious circumstance led me to examine every pore 

 and coll throughout the whole fracrments. On the upper 

 surface of two of them I found small pits containing a por- 

 tion of the ore, which had been slightly agglutinated in the 

 fire, but stiil highly magnetic. The upper surface of the 

 present cake, close by the gate or feeder, contained a large 

 pit filled with a stratum of semi-fused ore, surmounted by 

 a mass of vitrified matter, which bore evident marks of con- 

 tdinmg calcareous earth. 



Those who have devoted sufficient attention to the affi- 

 nities of iron and earths for carbon, will be surprised to find 

 that, on this particular subject, the rude fabricators of steel 

 in Hindostan have got the start of our more polished coun- 

 trymen in the manufacture.of steel. 



Two bars of wootz were formed from this cake, and 

 these, in point of tjuality, inferior to any of those formerly 

 produced. The appearance of the metal was more varied, 

 less homogeneous, and contained more distinct laminae with 

 rusty surfaces than either of the two former cakes. 



it appeared highly probable, from the observations that 

 occurred in forging, and in the examination ol' the cake, 

 that the original proportion of mixture was such as would 

 have formed a quality of steel softer than No. 1 and 2 j but 

 as steel of such softness requires a greater heat to fuse it 

 than when more fully saturated with carbonaceous matter, 

 it is probable that the furnace had not been sufficiently 

 pov/erful to occasion complete fusion of the whole mass, 

 and '^eaerate a steel homogeneous in all its parts. 



Forging ■i(h Cake. 



Both halves of this cake cut pleasantly, and u ith a degree 

 of tenacity and resistance, mixed at the same time with soft- 

 ness 



