on some ancient metallic Arms and Utensils. 421 
that of the ancient metals, and satisfied my mind completely, that 
if those metals had contained iron it must have been detected. 
( a ) The blue solution of this experiment being boiled, to 
carry off redundant acid, and evaporate about three-fourths of 
its water, prussiate of soda was added. A reddish-brown pre- 
cipitation ensued, which resembled exactly that produced by 
adding this test to nitrate of copper. 
( b ) The white deposit of this experiment having been well 
edulcorated by pure water, was wholly dissolved in muriatic 
acid. This solution differed from that of all the white deposits 
of the preceding experiments, in being of a reddish-brown co- 
lour, like dilute solution of muriate of iron, and especially in 
affording a copious precipitation of prussiate of iron by prus- 
siate of soda. With nitro-muriate of gold, however, this so- 
lution only produced a slight grey precipitation, as in the 
former experiments. 
Experiment 18. 1000 grains of the allay of Experiment 15. 
were melted with 2000 grains of copper. This allay of about 
seven parts of copper with two parts of tin, and one part of 
steel, was an extremely hard metal, much harder than that of 
the last experiment ; and it was very strong, but scarcely mal- 
leable. It took a beautiful polish, of a silvery colour. It was 
of a perfectly homogeneous texture. The grain of its fracture 
was extremely fine and uniform, and of a grey colour. 
Experiment 19. 2000 grains of copper were melted with 
200 grains of steel, in a close vessel, by keeping them exposed 
to a fierce fire in a wind furnace for about twenty minutes. 
This allay of ten parts of copper with one part of steel, was of 
a copper colour. The grain of its fracture was coarse, like 
that of copper. It was harder than copper, and less tough. 
