422 Process of ivor king the Damascus Blade of Gooj rat. [May, 



Such is the secret of the pretty but useless damask of Gooj rat ; at 

 least of the simple variety. The compound damask is far less elegant, 

 but constitutes a good blade, little inferior perhaps to the produce of 

 Salinjer, though certainly less elastic. The following is the process 

 employed in the fabric of the Sukkaila or compound damask. 



A ribband of keeri or sheer steel being bent into the figure of a 

 siphon (fig. 13) is filled with six or more ribbands of cast steel, 

 blistered steel and sheer steel as per accompanying diagram. I dis- 

 tinguish between cast steel and blistered steel, because the first has 

 been in actual fusion, whereas the second appears to me that which 

 goes in England by the name of " cast or blistered steel," and comes 

 from Europe in small square bars. This mass being well hammered 

 at welding heat, is doubled, — welded, redoubled and rewelded. A small 

 bar of sheer steel of similar length is then welded upon the side which 

 is to be the back, and a similar bar of cast and blistered steel well mix- 

 ed together is welded for the edge. It is then beaten out, flattened 

 and shaped into a blade, and tempered in water. The Damascene of 

 this blade is coarse and resembles the transverse lights upon a watered 

 ribband. It has a moderate elasticity, if well tempered : but of course 

 its quality must depend chiefly upon the fineness of the steel employed 

 in its fabric, — and there is little choice of material in India. 



There is no doubt that a blade may thus be constructed, the edge 

 of which may be keen as that of cast steel, whilst sufficient elasticity 

 is preserved to render it proof against distortion or fracture under very 

 severe shocks. And if, instead of thick ribbands of the several 

 metals, fine wires were employed, an elegant Damascene might be the 

 produce. This I am inclined to think is the original Damascus blade, 

 as distinguished from the blade of Isfahaun : for, as its celebrity was 

 greatest, when defensive armour was in common use, it is absurd to 

 suppose it could have resembled one of the faithless brittle blades of cast 

 steel, which now bear the name. 



The price of the Jullalpoor or Goojrat blade in a scabbard, without 

 hilt, varies from 8 to 12 Rs. (16 to 24 shillings.) 



The instruments employed in the manufactory are rude and imper- 

 fect. Yet as the solidity of a sword blade depends much upon the quan- 

 tity of labour expended in hammering, the very imperfection of the 

 implements may tend to the excellence of the work. A bar of steel 



