lj> weans of the Diamond. 2gt 



thofe relative to the diamond, divide themfclves into two 

 parts : thofe wherein heat enough was employed, and ia 

 which, confequently, the iron was found reduced ; and vice 

 •uerfa. In every cafe, had the baronet poircnbd powers of 

 furnace fufficietit, he would have obtained a fuled refult. Tii 

 thofe experiments where fufion was obtained, the quantities 

 were fo fmail that they afforded but a fcauty portion for fub- 

 fcquent tefts. 



So far, however, we a»c agreed, that malleable iron is fufible 

 either alone in a crucible, or in contaft with earths of various 

 kinds. It is relative to the nature of the produiils thus ob- 

 tained that we ditler : a fair Itatement of the fails, as they 

 relate to the experiments of Sir George, the French chemifts, 

 and thofe coninninicated by me, will belt explain the points 

 at iflTue. 



C. Clouet firft announced two new procefles for the fufion 

 of iron, and for the converfion of it, in the one cafe tnto call 

 fteel equal in quality to the Knglifli marks of Ilindfman and 

 Marlball; and in the other, the converlion of it into a kind 

 of caft iron by means of glafs. The former experiment, 

 being deemed of national importance, was formally fubjecfed 

 to the abiett chemifts in France for fatisfaAory documents as 

 to the correclncfs of C. Clouet's pretcnfions. This was un- 

 dertaken and executed by citizens Guyton, d'Arcet, and 

 Vauquelin; who, after repeated experiments in the fabrica- 

 tion and fubfequent forging of the fteel, lironounccd it, in 

 conjundion with their moft eminent artifts, poircfTed of all 

 the " external chara(;:^ers and intrinfic qualities of the Englifli 

 cart rttcl of the manufadories of Huntzman and Maricliall ; 

 that it mav be ufcd for the fame purpofes, and be introduced 

 in competition with it in comu)ercc, without fear of any 

 diltindion being made to its prejudice." 



Shortly after thefe experiments were annovmeed in this 

 country, I refolvcd to rcj)eat them along with others, not 

 only with a view to prove the fads cftabliflied by the French 

 chemifts, but more particularly with a view to explain fome 

 curious refuits in the manufadure of crude iron, the lource 

 of which I had not before an opportunity to explore, and 

 which would not admit of a fatisfadory explanation upon 

 Clouet's fuppolition of the decompofition of the carbonic 

 acid and the union of it-^ carbon with iron. 



The progrefs and detail of thofe experiments (liall hereafter 

 be given; fuificc it at jirefent to fay, that, in following the 

 procefs laid down by C. Clouet, with clay, carbonate of lime, 

 and iron, a refult fimilar to his was obtained : but 1 found 

 alfo, that when lime, cafetully deprived of its carbonic acid, 



T 2, was 



