certainly superior to most others composed of a like material. These pens are made by metropolitan workmen, out of the best sheet steel, carefully manufactured in Sheffield for that express purpose.

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Besides the quality and temper of the material, the distinguishing peculiarities of the Perryian pen, according to the inventor, chiefly consist in its possessing, between the point a A (fig. 108.) and the shoulders b b, an internal forked slit, C C, which unites with a straight slit, d. By this simple means is produced in metal the same softness as in the quill pen, and with the same length of the springing parts. Here it will be perceived that the tongue e, formed by the internal forked slit c c, might be totally removed, so as to form in the pen a triangular aperture, and it is obvious that the softness obtained would remain the same. Further, it is obvious that, by making the aperture of an oval, a circular, a square, or other form, so long as it is between the point a and the shoulders bb, it would produce the softness required. Accordingly, all these varieties are noticed in the specification, which has been enrolled, of this patent." That the triangular incision in Mr. Perry's steel pen is a novelty, there can be no doubt: the punching of a round hole in whatever part, however, and then cutting the slit into it, is by no means new, as regards brass pens, at least. Of the pens made

with a long slit, Mr. Perry remarks, with nearly as much correctness as confidence, that "as it is impossible that a metallic pen, which has an internal forked slit any where between its obtuse end ƒ ƒ and shoulders bb, should possess the same softness as one having it somewhere between the point a and the shoulders b b, so it is as utterly impossible that a metallic pen, which has an aperture any where between its obtuse end and shoulders, should possess the same softness as one having an aperture somewhere between the point and the shoulders."

Fig. B represents a pen with the aperture between the obtuse end on the shoulders.

Fig. C is "Heeley's rhadiographic pen," which has had a considerable run; especially as it has been sold much cheaper than the Perryian.

Fig. D is a pen, or rather a steel nib, manufactured by John Skinner of Sheffield: it is made of a stouter material than any of the others; is very firm in its action, gives down the ink freely, neither "spirtles nor scratches" the paper more than the kindliest metal may be expected to do; in short, for common, rough writing, it is a cheap, useful pen.

Fig. E is a regular, long-slit pen; having the barrel, moreover, filed away, between the shoulders bb and the obtuse end ff, in order to aid the flexibility of the nibs. This is probably one of the least efficient of the many forms which the metal pen has assumed.

Mr. Mordan has recently introduced a steel pen, the bit of which, instead of resembling any of the foregoing, is dished somewhat in the form of a bird's head, the slit in it being oblique to the handle or holder.

In some of these pens, the metal is got up to a polish in the ordinary manner; in others, the surface is varnished or japanned; and those that are neither bright nor coated are treated with a weak acid, and have a blackish appearance.

CHAP. XIV.

WIRE-DRAWING.

WIRE FIRST MANUFACTURED BY HAMMERING AND FILING. · WIRE-DRAWING. INTRODUCTION OF THE ART INTO ENGLAND. PARLIAMENTARY PROTECTION. BERLIN AND BARNSLEY WIRE. RIPPING OR RUMPLING IRON FOR WIRE. — ROLLING. -ITALIAN DRAWING PLATES. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS

MANUFACTURE

OF DRAWING WIRE BY HAND AND BY MACHINERY. DRAWING PLATES MADE OF GEMS. FRENCH DRAWING PLATES. -WIRE IN FRANCE.MM. MOUCHEL'S OPERATIONS IN WIRE-DRAWING.- STUB'S WIRE GAUGES. DESCRIPTION OF A PROPOSED NEW WIRE GAUGE.

BESIDES the elongation of iron or steel into rods of whatever length, by means of hammering or rolling, as already described, the same materials, and most other ductile metals, may bé drawn out into pieces exhibiting a capillary fineness, by means of an operation, the principle of which differs as much from that of the forge or the rolling-mill as those machines differ from each other. The manufacture of iron and steel wire gives employment, directly and indirectly, to a vast number of people, of both sexes, in this country: as a source of trade, therefore, no less than as a field of industry, it

commands proportionate attention. Some idea may perhaps be formed of the extent to which the home consumption of iron and steel in the article of wire alone is carried, by a moment's recollection of the variety of uses to which it is applied: it may be sufficient here to mention the strings of musical instruments, woven and reticulated fabrics, carding and other machinery, and, lastly, needles. In the construction of bird-cages, no small quantity of iron-wire was at one time consumed; and even now, though the fancy for singing birds is perhaps abated, the consumption is considerable. In Paris, before the Revolution, the bird-catchers were a

numerous corporation, the freemen of which had the sole right of making bird-cages, and were thus large consumers of wire.

Although the making of wire for a variety of purposes must be an art nearly as old as a knowledge of the working of metals, the method of drawing it, as at present practised, is by no means of such undoubted antiquity. Beckmann justly regards it as highly probable, that, in early periods, metals were beat with a hammer into thin plates or leaves, which were afterwards divided into small slips by means of a pair of shears, or some other instrument; and that these slips were by a hammer and file then rounded, so as to form threads or wire. This conjecture seems to be confirmed by the oldest information respecting work of this kind. When the sacerdotal dress of Aaron was prepared, the gold was beaten and cut into threads, so that it could be interwoven in cloth. We are told, also, that Vulcan, desirous to expose Mars and Venus, while engaged in their illicit amour, repaired to his forge, and formed on his anvil, with hammers and files, a net so fine that it could be perceived by no one, not even by the gods themselves; for it was as delicate as a spider's web. It is difficult to say at which of the features of this fabulous exploit our modern wire-drawers will most marvel -the production of a fabric so extraordinarily fine, and by such means, or the idea of immeshing the powerful god of war in so frail a trap!

Although the story just alluded to does undoubtedly imply the production of filamentous iron, it is indisputable that the earliest modes of manufacturing wire by any process, and especially by the drawing-bench, were first applied to the more ductile metals, as gold and silver; and more particularly the former, for the purposes of embroidery, or of its being interwoven with other materials into those curious and costly stuffs of which we have so many ancient accounts. The period, however, when attempts were first made to draw into threads ductile metal cut or beat into small slips, by forcing them

In

through holes in a steel plate placed perpendicularly or otherwise on a table, is by no means determined. the time of Charlemagne this process was not known in Italy; for, however unintelligible may be the directions given in Muratori de fila aurea facere de petalis auri et argenti, we learn from them that these articles were formed only by the hammer. "As long," says Beckmann, as the work was performed by the hammer, the artists at Nuremberg were called wiresmiths; but after the invention of the drawing-iron, they were called wiredrawers, and wire-millers. Both these appellations occur in the history of Augsburg, so early as the year 1351, and in that of Nuremberg in 1360; so that, according to the best information I have been able to obtain, I must class the invention of the drawing-iron, or proper wire-drawing, among those of the fourteenth century." Iron-wire in France is called fil d'archal; and the local artists have an idea, not perhaps improbable, that this appellation took its rise from one Richard Archal, who either invented or first established the art of drawing iron-wire in that country. The expression fil de Richard is, therefore, likewise used among the French wire-drawers. As, however, nothing is actually known of such a person as Richard Archal, Menage is of opinion that fil d'archal is compounded of the Latin words filum and aurichalcum.

Of the introduction of the manufacture of wire into this country, we have no specific information. It has, however, been asserted, that all the wire in England was manufactured throughout by the hand till 1565, when the art of drawing it with mills was introduced by foreigners. Of these, Christopher Schultz, a native of Annaberg in Saxony, has been particularly mentioned. This person, who is reported to have come to this country under the permission given by queen Elizabeth to strangers, to dig for metallic ores, is said to have introduced the method of drawing iron-wire with engines, in the year above stated. Previous to that date, the hand-wire drawers performed their operations in