216 



JOURNAL, K.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. IX. 



'carburet of iron,' in remembrance of an exploded opinion res- 

 pecting the nature of graphite. How comes it, then, that one 

 quality is so much superior to another ? The explanation is 

 simple enough. The difference in the manufactured article may 

 be traced to certain variations in the physical properties of the 

 raw material. Thus, one sample of graphite may be soft and' 

 lustrous, while another, equally pure, may be hard and dull. 

 These variations are subordinate to the distinction between amor- 

 phous and crystallized graphite, which we referred to when 

 describing the stores of raw material. For making domestic black 

 lead, the amorphous or soft graphite is almost exclusively used, 



" The separation of the different qualities of graphite is a 

 labour which demands great experience and judgment, and can 

 only be successfully performed by the old hands. The best pieces 

 are soft and unctuous, perfectly free from grit, and capable of 

 receiving a very high polish. The worst pieces, technically called 

 ' gruffs,' are, on the contrary, harsh, gritty, and deficient in lustre. 

 The latter are only employed for making ' leads' of the lowest 

 brands. The numerous intermediate qualities are distinguished 

 one from another by characters which are only apparent to the 

 experienced eye. 



" The manufacture of black leads includes three distinct oper- 

 ations — grinding, sifting, and packing. At the Battersea works, 

 the first operation is performed by means of a large mill driven 

 by steam power. The ground ' lead' is conveyed to an upper 

 floor by an endless-band elevator, and is then sifted through the 

 finest silk by a contrivance resembling an ordinary dressing 

 machine for flour. The packing is chiefly done by boys, who 

 work with marvellous rapidity. The powdered black leads are 

 done up in neat packets in quantities from two ounces upwards ; 

 they are also packed in 1-lb. tin canisters and in wood boxes. 

 X 3 apers of various colours are used to form the small packets, so 

 that the different qualities may be readily distinguished. A 

 paper covered on one side with burnished black lead is employed 

 for wrapping up some of the higher qualities. 



"Two descriptions of 'blocked black lead' are manufactured 

 by the Company. The blocks are formed by pressing the pow- 

 dered and sifted graphite into suitable moulds by the aid of 

 machinery very similar in construction to that employed for 

 making bricks, though, of course, on a much smaller scale. There 

 are two blocking-machines constantly at work, and the number of 

 little bricks they turn out annually would amply suffice for the 

 building of a Liliputian city. * * * * 



