438 
Cast Steel. 
ting, the wavy appearance, called the water, could be a- 
gain produced by means of lemon juice ; and that its ex- 
cellencies were, that it could be depended upon not to 
break, and that it would cut deeper into a soft substance, 
such as a pack of wool, or into flesh, than any other kind 
of blade. 
From these circumstances, as well as from the price, I 
was induced to think that the blade was composed of steel 
and iron, and that the process of forging was such as great- 
ly to enhance the cost, by the labour and management it 
might require. For if we suppose the pieces to be united 
together at the welding heat, and then forged or drawn 
out, it is certain that no small degree of skill and care 
would be required to render all the parts sound, and at 
the same time preserve the steel and iron in possession of 
their characteristic properties. Too great a heat would 
probably render the whole mass more uniform than is con- 
sistent with the subsequent production of the water or 
wavy appearance. In my attempt to imitate this steely 
I endeavoured to substitute a mechanical contrivance in 
the place of this supposed careful forging. 
I caused a cylindrical hole of about one inch in diame- 
ter to be bored through a piece of cast iron, the lower 
part of which could be so placed upon an anvil as to close 
one end of the hole. A forged iron plug was made near- 
ly to fit the cylindrical hole, but considerably longer. 
Equal weights of German steel and Swedish iron, both 
in filings, were then well mixed with oil, and wrapped in 
a paper, which had before been rolled upon the plug, and 
consequently fitted the cylinder. The ends of the paper 
were neatly folded ; and the whole mass being then put 
into the cast-iron cylinder placed upon the anvil, a few 
-blows were given by driving the plug into the hole with a 
heavy hammer. By this means the mass of filings, when 
thrust out of the cylinder, was, compact and manageable. 
