60 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 17 Q6. 



stroke with a heavy hammer to break it. The grain of the fractured part was like 

 that of close-grained steel. — It was malleable both in its cold and ignited state. — 

 It was almost as sonorous as bell- metal. 



(b) By quenching in cold water when ignited to whiteness, it became harder, 

 more brittle, and open grained; but it could not be made so hard as the sword, 

 fig. 8. By igniting the piece so hardened, and letting it part with its fire gradually, 

 it was rendered much less hard than it was originally. The artist who assisted me 

 in examining this tool, observed that it was only made of steel for about an inch 

 from the edge; but that the rest was iron; for he conceived it to be impossible to 

 be all steel, on account of the eye for the wooden shaft. However, on filing dif- 

 ferent parts, and cutting the instrument, no seam could be discovered, where iron 

 had been welded to steel; and every part appeared susceptible of induration and 

 emollition, by the usual treatment of steel to produce these changes. 



(c) The specific gravity, before hammering, was 7.802, and after hammering 

 the same piece, it was 7.S80. After ignition to whiteness and sudden quenching, 

 the specific gravity was 7.384. — (d) 300 grs. of this metal dissolved in sulphuric 

 acid and water, and afforded black matter and sulphate of iron ; with the same phe- 

 nomena as the dissolution of the sword, fig. 8, afforded. The black matter was 

 carbon, in apparently the same proportion as was obtained from the dissolution of 

 the sword, fig. 8. — (e) Several parts of this axe being just wetted with nitric acid, 

 they became black spots, as is the case on so applying this acid to steel. 



3. The dagger, fig, 11. (a) Being polished, it had the appearance of steel. — 

 It was not so hard as the sword, fig. 8 ; but it was so very strong and tough, that 

 it was with difficulty broken, and could be bent very considerably. — Its fractured, 

 or rather torn surface was open grained, and crystallized, — It was more malleable 

 when cold, than hardened steel usually is. 



(b) In its ignited state it was very malleable. It was susceptible of induration 

 and emollition, by the ordinary treatment to produce these changes in steel. — (c) 

 The specific gravity of this dagger was 7.413. — (d) The dissolution in sulphuric 

 acid and water afforded nothing but carbon and sulphate of iron, in about the same 

 proportions as the dissolution of the sword, fig. 8. — (e) A black spot was produced 

 by wetting this instrument with nitric acid. 



4. The sword, fig. 4. (a) The hilt being polished, it appeared like steel. It 

 was almost as hard as common hardened steel, and as malleable. — (b) The hilt was 

 very malleable in its ignited state. It was hardened, but not considerably, by 

 quenching in cold water when white hot. It was rendered softer, after being hard- 

 ened, by ignition and gradually cooling. — (c) The specific gravity of the hilt was 

 7.647: and after ignition and quenching, it was 7 •427. — (d) The nitric acid pro- 

 duced black spots when applied to the polished surfaces of this metal. — (e) The dis- 

 solution in sulphuric acid and water afforded nothing but carbon and sulphate of 

 iron. The carbon was in smaller quantity from this hilt, than from the sword, 

 fig. 8, and not more than from common steel. 



^ 3. Conclusions and remarks. — 1. It appears that all these instruments are of 



