356* Experiments un theAllui/s uJ'Sled. 



width. The results of several ex2;)erinieiits on its composition, 

 ■which appeared very uniform, gave O^'SG iron, + 5*64 carbon. 

 This being broken and rubbed to powder in a mortar, was 

 mixed with pure alumine, and the whole intensely heated in 

 a close crucible for a considerable time. On being removed 

 from the furnace, and opened, an alloy was obtained of a white 

 colour, a close granular texture, and very brittle : this, when 

 analysed, gave 6'^ per cent, alumine, and a portion of carbon 

 not accurately estimated. 700 of good steel, with 40 of the 

 alumine alloy, were fused together, and formed a very good 

 button, perfectly malleable ; this, on being forged into a little 

 bar, and the surface polished, gave, on the application of di- 

 lute sulphuric acid, the beautiful damask which will presently 

 be noticed as belonging peculiarly to wootz. A second ex- 

 periment was made with 500 grains of the same steel, and 

 67 of the alumine alloy, and this also proved good ; it forged 

 well, and gave the damask. Tliis specimen has all the ap- 

 preciable characters of the best Bombay wootz. 



We have ascertained, by direct experiment, that the wootz, 

 although repeatedly fused, retains the peculiar property of pre- 

 senting a damasked surface, when forged, polished, and acted 

 upon, by dilute acid. This appearance is a]:>})arently pro- 

 duced by a dissection of the crystals by the acid ; for though 

 by the hammering the crystals have been bent about, yet their 

 forms may be reailily traced through the curves, which the 

 twisting and hammering have produced. From this uniform 

 appearance on the surface of wootz, it is highly probable, that 

 the much-admired sabres of Damascus are made from this 

 steel ; and, if this be admitted, there can be little reason to 

 doubt, that the damask itself" is merely an exhibition of cry- 

 stallization. That on wootz it cannot be the effect of the me- 

 chanical mixture of two substances, as iron and steel, unequally 

 acted upon by acid, is shown by the circumstance of its ad- 

 mitting re-fusion, without losing this property. It is certainly 

 true, that a damasked surface may be produced by welding 

 together wires of iron and steel ; but if these welded specimens 

 are fused, the damask does not again appear. Supposing that 

 the damasked su; face is dependent on the developement of a 

 crystalline structure, then the superiority of wootz in shoAving 

 the effect, may fairly be considered as dependent on its power 

 of crystallizing, when ' solidifying, in a more marked manner, 

 and in more decided forms, than the common steel. This can 

 only be accounted for by some difference in the composition 

 of tlie two bodies ; and as it has been stated that only the earths 

 in small quantities can be detected, it is reasonable to infer, 

 that the bases of these earths being combined with the iron and 

 carbon render the mass more crystallizable, and that the struc- 

 ture 



