Converfion of Iron into Steel. 201 
fo likely to do it complete juftice, or fo well qualified by great 
experience to cuard againft error. In this we have not been 
deceived. Mr. Mufhet, whofe zeal in every thing that con- 
cerns the improvement of the Britifh iron manufactory en- 
titles him to the gratitude of his country, has proved, by fe- 
veral conclufive experiments, that the French chemifts would 
have had fteel from their experiment even if no diamond had 
been employed in it. We {hall not detain our readers longer, 
but content ourfelves with laying before them 
An Account of the Experiments made by Mr. Mufbet with a 
view to prove whether the Experiment made at the Poly- 
technic School re/pecting the Converfion of Iron, into Seel by 
means of the Diamond is conclufive. 
I. © I introduced into a crucible fome pieces of foft mal- 
Jeable iron weighing 1250 grains. A larger crucible was 
next taken, half filled with fand pounded from the fire- 
ftone of which the blaft-furnace hearths at Clyde are made. 
The fmall crucible containing the iron was inverted upon the 
furface of the fand in the fecond crucible,.and forced fo far 
‘into it as to bring the iron and fand nearly into contact. The 
fpace betwixt the exterior furface of the fmall crucible, and 
the interior furface of the large one, was completely filled 
with the fame fand; the eeee of the inverted one alfo 
received half an inch of fand. This quite filled the outer 
crucible, and made it have the appearance of being entzrely 
filled with fand: a well fitted fire-clay cover fealed the whole. 
After a violent heat for 65 minutes the crucibles were with- 
drawn from the furnace: when cool, I found a flight crack 
in the exterior one; the fand however remained entire, and 
firmly cemented ‘bgmethier: though not vitrified, forming a 
thick porous lute {urrounding the fall crutible. Upon re- 
moving the fand, and examining the interior veffel, I found 
the pieces of iron fufed into one folid mafs, which proved foft 
fteel. The mafs of fand, which occupied the mouth of the in- 
verted pot, contained feveral detached globules of fteel; thefe, 
during the intenfity of the heat, and the extreme divifion of 
the fluid, had penetrated the fand, and one of them had ac- 
tually reached the bottom of the outer crucible. Thefe maffes 
Vou. V. Dd had 
