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appearance of the fracture, enabled the practical smith or 

 cutler to obtain the best knowledge of the quality of steel. 

 Now here he proposed to apply a scientific method for the 

 determining of the quality of steel. With regard to wrought 

 iron, it had been shown to have no permanent capabilities for 

 retaining magnetic influence : it retained it so little that its 

 retentiveness aflforded no practical test of quality. When 

 they tried steel, however, they found a certain permanency — 

 no matter what might be the condition or quality of the steel, 

 whether hard or soft, good or bad, it was capable of permanent 

 magnetism. [He then took up two pieces of steel.] He had 

 there a piece of steel of a very fine quality and very soft ; 

 he had given it the magnetic power. He had also another 

 piece of steel of like quality, but perfectly hard, and it also 

 was a magnet. Now herein steel exhibited a peculiar difi'er- 

 ence from iron in its magnetic properties. Iron was capable 

 of more magnetism when it was in contact with a magnet ; 

 but steel retained it, on its removal from the magnet, whilst 

 iron lost it. If iron would not retain the magnetic influence 

 while steel would, he first came to this conclusion, that that 

 which was most perfectly steel would retain the most power 

 (that is, in like conditions of hardness), and that that which 

 had the least carbonaceous matter in it would be the least 

 permanent. He tried the supposed quality by experiments, 

 and verified the principle. [He then took up a compass 

 needle.] That was a needle, at one time in possession of 

 her Majesty, which had been sent him for examination. [He 

 then took up another compass needle.] That was also from 

 the naval stores, and was by the same maker. [He then 

 showed that the needles were magnets, by applying keys or 

 large nails to them of different sizes, to ascertain how much 

 they would lift. The one lifted much more than the other. 

 He- then took up a soft steel needle, one of his own, and 

 showed that in that unfavourable temper it would lift more 



