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seen. Several rooms contain uncommonly tasteful plated ware, 
o thers trinkets, medals, curiosities, steel ware, guns, works in 
p apier mache, crystals, &c. The well known Warwick castle 
V ase, I again saw of multifarious dimensions; firstly, of the 
full size in bronze, for which Mr. Thomason had expressly 
built a small house adjoining his own; then another of smaller 
dimensions, likewise of bronze, with the marks and ornaments 
i n silver, or silver-gilt, which must make a very elegant appear- 
an ce at table. I here likewise saw imitations of the greatest pre- 
cious stones known, in their exact form, size and colour. This 
collection, in a very neat box, costs twenty-five guineas. 
Mr. Thomason has connected himself with an artist, who, 
du ring his residence of many years in Russia, had acquired at 
Tula the secret of steel working, and was beginning to imitate it 
here. In his first essay he tried to inlay a silver w T aiter with steel; 
in this attempt, however, he did not succeed properly. Should 
it succeed, the introduction of this invention into England, would 
be of great importance, as this art being now confined to Russia, 
is there considered as a very important secret. Mr. Thoma¬ 
son had likewise the politeness to conduct me to an armory; 
here an immense quantity of various sword-blades was shown 
me, and also the mode of trying them; they are strained in a ma¬ 
chine, by which they are bent to a certain degree, and then un¬ 
bent; they are then examined, to see if they are not curved, then 
a block of steel is struck with the flat of the blade, and a wooden 
one cut with the edge; and if it is proof to this, it is considered 
sound, and stamped. At this moment, owing to the existence of 
profound peace, there was little work done in this manufactory, 
consequently I could not see the sharpening and polishing of the 
blades, which takes place in a particular workhouse. 
In lieu thereof I saw in it the silvering of polished brass wire. 
This, first of all consists of a piece half an inch thick, which re¬ 
ceives a very thin silver covering; it is heated in an oven, seized 
with tongs, and drawn through different holes, which are cut in 
pieces of steel, gradually diminishing in size, until they attain the 
size of a common piece of wire. By this means the wire may 
be drawn out to the thinness of a hair, and it is remarkable, 
that it still retains the silver. The tongs are pulled by a patent 
chain, the links of which are double folded, and for the inven¬ 
tion of which, the owner of this establishment has obtained a pa¬ 
tent from government. I also visited another show-room, which 
has only been two years fitted up; it is yery splendidly arrang¬ 
ed ; it has a larger space than Mr. Thomason’s, but is not so richly 
and well provided. 
In the evening I went to the theatre; they exhibited the dis¬ 
agreeable tragedy of Jane Shore, after which we had a tolerable 
