25 
of Edinburgh, Session 1880-81. 
“ carbonado ” diamonds can be produced of sufficient size they will 
be of immense value. 
The greatest advantage of this method of production is its 
simplicity, there being no difficulty about it, and absolutely no 
danger. It is exceedingly economical, in point of fact everything 
that could be desired, there being no useless bye-products formed, as 
everything can be reclaimed and used over again. 
At the time that the preliminary experiment of this research was 
made, Dr Morrison and I were working together on the solubility of 
boron in silver, and after the success attending our experiments with 
boron we were led to try an experiment with carbon also; indeed 
the original idea with which we started on the research was to try 
the solubility of the three substances — carbon, boron, and silicon — in 
the different fused metals. Our first experiment with carbon was 
most successful, and at the end of our paper on the “ Preparation and 
Properties of Pure Graphitoid and Adamantine Boron,” * we made 
the following statement : — “ The success of the boron experiments 
led us to try with carbon also, and the results have quite equalled 
our expectations. We are at present engaged with these experi- 
ments, and hope at some future time to lay the results before the 
Society.” I quote this paragraph to show that as far back as June 
17, 1878, when that paper was read, we had produced these bodies 
and felt justified in making the statement that we had done so, and 
intimated our method. At this stage of our joint operations we 
obtained a grant of £20 from the research fund of the Koyal Society 
of London to enable us to continue the research. This we were 
unable to do jointly, on account of Dr Morrison’s other engagements, 
and so he finally handed it over to me alone, grant and all complete, 
to work out by myself. The result has been that after eight months 
continuous work at it, and the performance of very many experi- 
ments, I am now able to lay these results before the Society. I 
think it right to say, that although after our first experiment Dr 
Morrison and I felt justified in making the statement above quoted, 
still I do not pretend to say that we were in a position to make 
any absolute statement about our results. 
Secondly, on examining the transparent crystals, these are found to 
possess a beautiful adamantine lustre and high refractive and dis- 
* Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. xxviii. p. 689. 
VOL. XI. 
D 
