FLINT AND ITS APPLICATIONS, 93 



and purely natural surface and edge. Hammers of peculiar construction 

 are the only tools employed in their production, and the process of 

 manufacture is extremely simple, being limited to three distinct operations. 



The first process, called " quartering" is performed with hammer No. 1, 

 and is merely a separation of the flinty block, or nodule, "as collected from 

 the chalk, into several pieces according to its size and shape, the experienced 

 workman knowing precisely where to strike the most effective blow. 



The next operation, "flaking,"" needs the pointed hammer No. 2, as in 

 striking off the flakes of a uniform thickness, which is the desired object, 

 it is evident that whilst the blow must be heavy, it must also be concen- 

 trated. Both these operations are performed by the workman sitting, the 

 flint blocks being held between his knees. Having obtained the flakes of a 

 certain thickness, and which naturally, from the conchoiclal fracture of 

 the flint, taper down to a point, the third and last operation is that of 

 squaring or " knapping," performed by resting the flakes on the neck of the 

 solid " stake " or piece of iron (No. 4 in diagram), which is let into a block, 

 and squaring them by means of the " knapping " hammer No. 3. 



It must not be supposed, from my having termed the above method of 

 gun- flint making, the English method, that other and Continental nations 

 are behind us in their manufacture ; for I can hardly suppose the European 

 States to be less skilful than ourselves in this simple industry. Yet it is 

 certain that the Turks, and probably the Egyptians, accomplish their 

 purpose in a very rude and tedious manner, by gradually chipping the flints 

 into shape, without regard to the nature of the material, and thus spending 

 an infinity of time and trouble over a result which a few well-directed 

 blows on scientific principles would accomplish. The product also differs 

 vastly, and instead of the smooth and regularly-cut English gun-flint, you 

 have a flint with indented surface, bearing very strong evidence of the 

 innumerable blows bestowed upon it. 



I presume this manufacture, in consequence of the adoption of per- 

 cussion-caps, is almost superseded, and therefore the very interesting case 

 of flints, and their products, at the Crystal Palace (in the Tropical Depart- 

 ment) under charge of Dr Price, which suggested to me the present 

 paper, ■null prove extremely valuable in a few years, and keep alive the 

 manufacture of gun-flints for many generations. 



A further application of flint is one not likely to be superseded. I 

 allude to its use as an ingredient in pottery, china, and glass ware. For 

 this purpose the flints employed are chiefly selected from the southern and 

 eastern counties. They are first calcined, and although infusible, become 

 perfectly white at a high temperature ; afterwards they are reduced to a 

 fine powder, and commingled with the clay in suitable proportions. 



Without flint or silex in some form, it would be impossible to construct 

 useful pottery or porcelain : its non-absorbent property and the resistance 

 it offers to fire are the virtues which constitute its importance in the plastic 

 art. Clay vessels without a proportion of silex would be almost shape- 



