by Means of the Diamond. 68 
&* The iron and the diamond weighed, before the opera- 
-tion, 58.707 grammes; from which it follows that there was 
a lofs of iron about 2.423 grammes. This iron had given to 
the Heffian crucible the boot of plumbago. 
<< (Signed) CiovretT, Weiter, HAacwstTre.” 
The fufion of the iron being fo far perfe&t as to thew on 
its furface the rudiments of éhie. moft beautiful cryftallifation, 
it is not poffible to think that any part of the diamond could 
have remained in the infide untouched, or that it was not ia 
the moft intimate ftate of combination. The difference of 
the {pecific gravity oppofes fuch an idea *. 
Thus the diamond difappeared by the affinity which iron 
exercifed on it by the help of the high temperature to which 
they were both expofed, in the fame manner as a metal dif- 
appears in the allay of another metal. 
The diamond, therefore, has furnifhed here the fame prin- 
ciple as carbon, fince the product.of the union has the fame 
properties. ) 
_ The conyverfion into fect j is not doubtful. The ingot hav- 
ing beer polifhed on a lapidary’s wheel, a drop of weak ni- 
trous acid immediately produced a dark-grey {pot, abfolutely 
fike that exhibited on Engiith caft fteel, and on calt fteel 
produced by the procefs of C. Clouet. Thofe who have often 
tried feet by this kind of proof, long ago pointed out by 
Rinmann, had occafion te remark, that the {pot of caft feel, 
though very fenfible, is however lefs black than that of fieel 
made by cenzentation, which depends perhaps on the different 
degree of ozydation of the carbon which they have taken in. 
Explanation of the Figures. 
A, fig. 3, (Plate II.) is the plan of the iron crucible: 
B, a fection of this crucible. C, fig. 4, the ftopper of the 
erucible. D,E, fig. 5, ingot of caft ftecl feen in perfpedtive. 
The fpot formed by the nitric acid on the polithed part is 
feprefented at 2. 
* Some perfons having expreffed a defire to fee the infide of the ingot, 
it was broken en the anvil, which was not cifected without feveral blows 
“From a very large fatimer. Je divided itfelf into two fragments, whict 
vere exhibited at the next fitting: The fracture appeared perfectly uni- 
form, and of the miok beautiful grain. 
AIX. Niath 
