Mr. Mushet's Experiments on Wootz. 165 
was greater than that of No. 1 and 2, the fracture of the fin 
almost smooth, and only in one place exhibited a small degree 
of tenacity in the act of parting. In the middle of the break, 
about half an inch of soft steel was evident; and in different 
spots throughout numerous groups of malleable grains, and 
thin laminae of soft blue tough iron made their appearance. 
No. 4. Was a thick dense cake possessed of the greatest 
convexity ; the depressions upon the under side were neither 
so large, nor so numerous as those in No. 1 and 2, nor did they 
approach the upper surface of the cake further than the acute 
edge. This surface had the most evident marks of hammering 
to depress the feeder, or fungous part of the metal, which in 
the manufacturing seems the gate or orifice by which the metal 
descends in the act of gravitation. 
The break of this cake, however favourable as to external 
appearance, was far from being solid. Towards the feeder it 
seemed loose and crumbly, and much oxidated. The grain 
divided itself into two distinct strata, one of a dense whitish 
colour, the other large and bluish, containing a number of small 
specks of great brilliancy. Several irregular lines of malleable 
iron pervaded the mass in various places, which indicated a 
compound too heterogeneous for good steel. 
5th cake. This was materially different in appearance from 
any of the former. It had received but little hammering, yet 
was smooth and free from depressions, or honey-comb on 
both surfaces. The feeder, instead of being an excrescence, 
presented a deep concave beautifully crystallized. 
Ill breaking, the fracture tore out considerably, but pre- 
sented a very irregular quality of grain. That towards the 
under surface was squall and uniform, but towards the flat or 
