On the Manufacture of Bar Iron in India. 107 



pends; for some think, that cast iron is the first product 

 from the ore, and others have published all kinds of wild 

 conjectures on the subject. 



10. Mushet found no difficulty in managing the Indian ores 

 in his experiments in the Tintern Abbey charcoal furnaces, 

 but the blowing engine of this furnace had been already 

 properly regulated, and it is probable that Mr. Heath failed 

 in repeating the experiment in India from the want of a 

 practical man to regulate the blast from the newly-erected 

 engine ; and it is probable, that a similar difficulty has been 

 found in the experiments with coal, recommended by the 

 Coal Committee of Calcutta.* 



11. Even supposing that the coal of Bengal could be 

 brought into use in "high blast" furnaces, yet as the coal 

 and iron ore are as dear as the English, the iron would 

 cost the same price, and would not be better in quality. The 

 cheapest English iron costs at Madras about 80 rupees 

 per ton ; but it will hardly stand punching a hole in it, and 

 cannot be worked into any shape where bending is requi- 

 site, for it breaks like a carrot when bent hot, beyond a 

 right angle. Even iron which sells in England at from 13£ 

 to 15£ a ton, and at Madras costs retail 160 rupees a ton, 

 cannot be made into horse-shoenails, because it splits open 

 while being worked to a point. 



12. Where charcoal is used for refining cast iron, as in 

 making boiler plate and tin plate, the method becomes si- 

 milar to the French or continental mode of operation, and 

 the expense of the iron which could be made in + Ms manner 

 in India, may be computed from the minute details given by 

 Dr. Ure: 175| pounds of charcoal and 287 pounds of ore 

 give 135 pounds of cast iron, from which 100 of bar iron 

 are obtained; 149 pounds more of charcoal having been 

 used in the refining forge : thus for every 100 pounds of 



* These experiments have not yet been commenced. Captain Campbell could 

 evidently do more single handed than is to be expected from any Committee. 



