industrial biography-第6章

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purposes　of　tools；　and　would　serve　for　neither　a　saw；　a　chisel；　an

axe；　nor　a　sword；　whilst　tempered　steel　could　answer　all　these

purposes。　　Hence　we　find　the　early　warlike　nations　making　the　backs　of

their　swords　of　gold　or　copper；　and　economizing　their　steel　to　form

the　cutting　edge。　　This　is　illustrated　by　many　ancient　Scandinavian

weapons　in　the　museum　at　Copenhagen；　which　indicate　the　greatest

parsimony　in　the　use　of　steel　at　a　period　when　both　gold　and　copper

appear　to　have　been　comparatively　abundant。



The　knowledge　of　smelting　and　working　in　iron；　like　most　other　arts；

came　from　the　East。　　Iron　was　especially　valued　for　purposes　of　war；

of　which　indeed　it　was　regarded　as　the　symbol；　being　called　〃Mars〃　by

the　Romans。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Romans　named　the　other　metals　after　the　gods。　　Thus　Quicksilver

was　called　Mercury；　Lead　Saturn；　Tin　Jupiter；　Copper　Venus；　Silver

Luna；　and　so　on；　and　our　own　language　has　received　a　colouring　from

the　Roman　nomenclature；　which　it　continues　to　retain。

　。。。＇

We　find　frequent　mention　of　it　in　the　Bible。　　One　of　the　earliest

notices　of　the　metal　is　in　connexion　with　the　conquest　of　Judea　by

the　Philistines。　　To　complete　the　subjection　of　the　Israelites；　their

conquerors　made　captive　all　the　smiths　of　the　land；　and　carried　them

away。　　The　Philistines　felt　that　their　hold　of　the　country　was

insecure　so　long　as　the　inhabitants　possessed　the　means　of　forging

weapons。　　Hence　〃there　was　no　smith　found　throughout　all　the　land　of

Israel；　for　the　Philistines　said；　Lest　the　Hebrews　make　them　swords

or　spears。　　But　the　Israelites　went　down　to　the　Philistines；　to

sharpen　every　man　his　share；　and　his　coulter；　and　his　axe；　and　his

mattock。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

I。　　Samuel　xiii。　19；　20。

　。。。＇



At　a　later　period；　when　Jerusalem　was　taken　by　the　Babylonians；　one

of　their　first　acts　was　to　carry　the　smiths　and　other　craftsmen

captives　to　Babylon。*

　＇footnote。。。

II。　　Kings　xxiv。　16。

　。。。＇

Deprived　of　their　armourers；　the　Jews　were　rendered　comparatively

powerless。



It　was　the　knowledge　of　the　art　of　iron…forging　which　laid　the

foundation　of　the　once　great　empire　of　the　Turks。　　Gibbon　relates　that

these　people　were　originally　the　despised　slaves　of　the　powerful　Khan

of　the　Geougen。　　They　occupied　certain　districts　of　the　mountain…ridge

in　the　centre　of　Asia；　called　Imaus；　Caf；　and　Altai；　which　yielded

iron　in　large　quantities。　　This　metal　the　Turks　were　employed　by　the

Khan　to　forge　for　his　use　in　war。　　A　bold　leader　arose　among　them；　who

persuaded　the　ironworkers　that　the　arms　which　they　forged　for　their

masters　might　in　their　own　hands　become　the　instruments　of　freedom。

Sallying　forth　from　their　mountains；　they　set　up　their　standard；　and

their　weapons　soon　freed　them。　　For　centuries　after；　the　Turkish

nation　continued　to　celebrate　the　event　of　their　liberation　by　an

annual　ceremony；　in　which　a　piece　of　iron　was　heated　in　the　fire；　and

a　smith's　hammer　was　successively　handled　by　the　prince　and　his

nobles。



We　can　only　conjecture　how　the　art　of　smelting　iron　was　discovered。

Who　first　applied　fire　to　the　ore；　and　made　it　plastic；　who

discovered　fire　itself；　and　its　uses　in　metallurgy？　No　one　can　tell。

Tradition　says　that　the　metal　was　discovered　through　the　accidental

burning　of　a　wood　in　Greece。　　Mr。　Mushet　thinks　it　more　probable　that

the　discovery　was　made　on　the　conversion　of　wood　into　charcoal　for

culinary　or　chamber　purposes。　　〃If　a　mass　of　ore；〃　he　says；

〃accidentally　dropped　into　the　middle　of　the　burning　pile　during　a

period　of　neglect；　or　during　the　existence　of　a　thorough　draught；　a

mixed　mass；　partly　earthy　and　partly　metallic；　would　be　obtained；

possessing　ductility　and　extension　under　pressure。　　But　if　the

conjecture　is　pushed　still　further；　and　we　suppose　that　the　ore　was

not　an　oxide；　but　rich　in　iron；　magnetic　or　spicular；　the　result

would　in　all　probability　be　a　mass　of　perfectly　malleable　iron。　　I

have　seen　this　fact　illustrated　in　the　roasting　of　a　species　of

iron…stone；　which　was　united　with　a　considerable　mass　of　bituminous

matter。　　After　a　high　temperature　had　been　excited　in　the　interior　of

the　pile；　plates　of　malleable　iron　of　a　tough　and　flexible　nature

were　formed；　and　under　circumstances　where　there　was　no　fuel　but　that

furnished　by　the　ore　itself。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Papers　on　Iron　and　Steel；　363…4。

　。。。＇



The　metal　once　discovered；　many　attempts　would　be　made　to　give　to

that　which　had　been　the　effect　of　accident　a　more　unerring　result。

The　smelting　of　ore　in　an　open　heap　of　wood　or　charcoal　being　found

tedious　and　wasteful；　as　well　as　uncertain；　would　naturally　lead　to

the　invention　of　a　furnace；　with　the　object　of　keeping　the　ore

surrounded　as　much　as　possible　with　fuel　while　the　process　of

conversion　into　iron　was　going　forward。　　The　low　conical　furnaces

employed　at　this　day　by　some　of　the　tribes　of　Central　and　Southern

Africa；　are　perhaps　very　much　the　same　in　character　as　those　adopted

by　the　early　tribes　of　all　countries　where　iron　was　first　made。　　Small

openings　at　the　lower　end　of　the　cone　to　admit　the　air；　and　a　larger

orifice　at　the　top；　would；　　with　charcoal；　be　sufficient　to　produce

the　requisite　degree　of　heat　for　the　reduction　of　the　ore。　　To　this

the　foot…blast　was　added；　as　still　used　in　Ceylon　and　in　India；　and

afterwards　the　water…blast；　as　employed　in　Spain　（where　it　is　known

as　the　Catalan　forge）；　along　the　coasts　of　the　Mediterranean；　and　in

some　parts　of　America。



It　is　worthy　of　remark；　that　the　ruder　the　method　employed　for　the

reduction　of　the　ore；　the　better　the　quality　of　the　iron　usually　is。

Where　the　art　is　little　advanced；　only　the　most　tractable　ores　are

selected；　and　as　charcoal　is　the　only　fuel　used；　the　quality　of　the

metal　is　almost　invariably　excellent。　　The　ore　being　long　exposed　to

the　charcoal　fire；　and　the　quantity　made　small；　the　result　is　a　metal

having　many　of　the　qualities　of　steel；　capable　of　being　used　for

weapons　or　tools　after　a　comparatively　small　amount　of　forging。

Dr。　Livingstone　speaks　of　the　excellent　quality　of　the　iron　made　by

the　African　tribes　on　the　Zambesi；　who　refuse　to　use　ordinary　English

iron；　which　they　consider　〃rotten。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　Livingstone　brought　with　him　to　England　a　piece　of　the　Zambesi

iron；　which　he　sent　to　a　skilled　Birmingham　blacksmith　to　test。

The　result　was；　that　he　pronounced　the　metal　as　strongly　resembling

Swedish　or　Russian；　both　of　which　kinds　are　smelted　with　charcoal。

The　African　iron　was　found　〃highly　carbonized；〃　and　〃when　chilled　it

possessed　the　properties　of　steel。〃

　。。。＇

Du　Chaillu　also　says　of　the　Fans；　that；　in　making　their　best　knives

and　arrow…heads；　they　will　not　use　European　or　American　iron；　greatly

preferring　their　own。　　The　celebrated　wootz　or　steel　of　India；　made　in

little　cakes　of　only　about　two　pounds　weight；　possesses　qualities

which　no　European　steel　can　surpass。　　Out　of　this　material　the　famous

Damascus　sword…blades　were　made；　and　its　use　for　so　long　a　period　is

perhaps　one　of　the　most　striking　proofs　of　the　ancient　civilization

of　India。



The　early　history　of　iron　in　Britain　is　necessarily　very　obscure。

When　the　Romans　invaded　the　country；　the　metal　seems　to　have　been

already　known　to　the　tribes　along　the　coast。　　The　natives　had　probably

smelted　it　themselves　in　their　rude　bloomeries；　or　obtained　it　from

the　Phoenicians　in　small　quantities　in　exchange　for　skins　and　food；

or　tin。　　We　must；　however；　regard　the　stories　told　of　the　ancient

British　chariots　armed　with　swords　or　scythes　as　altogether

apocryphal。　　The　existence　of　iron　in　sufficient　quantity　to　be　used

for　such　a　purpose　is　incompatible　with　contemporary　facts；　and

unsupported　by　a　single　vestige　remaining　to　our　time。　　The　country

was　then　mostly　forest；　and　the　roads　did　not　as　yet　exist　upon　which

chariots　could　be　used；　whilst　iron　was　too　scarce　to　be　mounted　as

scythes　upon　chariots；　when　the　warriors