industrial biography-第6节

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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　themselves　wanted　it　for

swords。　　The　orator　Cicero；　in　a　letter　to　Trebatius；　then　serving

with　the　army　in　Britain；　sarcastically　advised　him　to　capture　and

convey　one　of　these　vehicles　to　Italy　for　exhibition；　but　we　do　not

hear　that　any　specimen　of　the　British　war…chariot　was　ever　seen　in

Rome。



It　is　only　in　the　tumuli　along　the　coast；　or　in　those　of　the

Romano…British　period；　that　iron　implements　are　ever　found；　whilst　in

the　ancient　burying　places　of　the　interior　of　the　country　they　are

altogether　wanting。　　Herodian　says　of　the　British　pursued　by　Severus

through　the　fens　and　marshes　of　the　east　coast；　that　they　wore　iron

hoops　round　their　middles　and　their　necks；　esteeming　them　as

ornaments　and　tokens　of　riches；　in　like　manner　as　other　barbarous

people　then　esteemed　ornaments　of　silver　and　gold。　　Their　only　money；

according　to　Caesar；　consisted　of　pieces　of　brass　or　iron；　reduced　to

a　certain　standard　weight。*

　＇footnote。。。

HOLINSHED；　i。　517。　　Iron　was　also　the　currency　of　the　Spartans；　but　it

has　been　used　as　such　in　much　more　recent　times。　　Adam　Smith；　in　his

Wealth　of　Nations　（Book　I。　ch。　4；　published　in　1776）；　says；　〃there　is

at　this　day　a　village　in　Scotland　where　it　is　not　uncommon；　I　am

told；　for　a　workman　to　carry　nails；　instead　of　money；　to　the　baker's

shop　or　the　alehouse。〃

　。。。＇

It　is　particularly　important　to　observe；　says　M。　Worsaae；　that　all

the　antiquities　which　have　hitherto　been　found　in　the　large　burying

places　of　the　Iron　period；　in　Switzerland；　Bavaria；　Baden；　France；

England；　and　the　North；　exhibit　traces　more　or　less　of　Roman

influence。

　＇footnote。。。

Primeval　Antiquities　of　Denmark。　　London；　1849；　p。　140。

　。。。＇

The　Romans　themselves　used　weapons　of　bronze　when　they　could　not

obtain　iron　in　sufficient　quantity；　and　many　of　the　Roman　weapons　dug

out　of　the　ancient　tumuli　are　of　that　metal。　　They　possessed　the　art

of　tempering　and　hardening　bronze　to　such　a　degree　as　to　enable　them

to　manufacture　swords　with　it　of　a　pretty　good　edge；　and　in　those

countries　which　they　penetrated；　their　bronze　implements　gradually

supplanted　those　which　had　been　previously　fashioned　of　stone。　　Great

quantities　of　bronze　tools　have　been　found　in　different　parts　of

England；sometimes　in　heaps；　as　if　they　had　been　thrown　away　in

basketfuls　as　things　of　little　value。　　It　has　been　conjectured　that

when　the　Romans　came　into　Britain　they　found　the　inhabitants；

especially　those　to　the　northward；　in　very　nearly　the　same　state　as

Captain　Cook　and　other　voyagers　found　the　inhabitants　of　the　South

Sea　Islands；　that　the　Britons　parted　with　their　food　and　valuables

for　tools　of　inferior　metal　made　in　imitation　of　their　stone　ones；

but　finding　themselves　cheated　by　the　Romans；　as　the　natives　of

Otaheite　have　been　cheated　by　Europeans；　the　Britons　relinquished　the

bad　tools　when　they　became　acquainted　with　articles　made　of　better

metal。*

　＇footnote。。。

See　Dr。　Pearson's　paper　in　the　Philosophical　Transactions；　1796；

relative　to　certain　ancient　arms　and　utensils　found　in　the　river

Witham　between　Kirkstead　and　Lincoln。

　。。。＇

The　Roman　colonists　were　the　first　makers　of　iron　in　Britain　on　any

large　scale。　　They　availed　themselves　of　the　mineral　riches　of　the

country　wherever　they　went。　　Every　year　brings　their　extraordinary

industrial　activity　more　clearly　to　light。　　They　not　only　occupied　the

best　sites　for　trade；　intersected　the　land　with　a　complete　system　of

well…constructed　roads；　studded　our　hills　and　valleys　with　towns；

villages；　and　pleasure…houses；　and　availed　themselves　of　our

medicinal　springs　for　purposes　of　baths　to　an　extent　not　even

exceeded　at　this　day；　but　they　explored　our　mines　and　quarries；　and

carried　on　the　smelting　and　manufacture　of　metals　in　nearly　all　parts

of　the　island。　　The　heaps　of　mining　refuse　left　by　them　in　the　valleys

and　along　the　hill…sides　of　North　Derbyshire　are　still　spoken　of　by

the　country　people　as　〃old　man；〃　or　the　〃old　man's　work。〃　　Year　by

year；　from　Dartmoor　to　the　Moray　Firth；　the　plough　turns　up　fresh

traces　of　their　indefatigable　industry　and　enterprise；　in　pigs　of

lead；　implements　of　iron　and　bronze；　vessels　of　pottery；　coins；　and

sculpture；　and　it　is　a　remarkable　circumstance　that　in　several

districts　where　the　existence　of　extensive　iron　beds　had　not　been

dreamt　of　until　within　the　last　twenty　years；　as　in　Northamptonshire

and　North　Yorkshire；　the　remains　of　ancient　workings　recently

discovered　show　that　the　Roman　colonists　were　fully　acquainted　with

them。



But　the　principal　iron　mines　worked　by　that　people　were　those　which

were　most　conveniently　situated　for　purposes　of　exportation；　more

especially　in　the　southern　counties　and　on　the　borders　of　Wales。　　The

extensive　cinder　heaps　found　in　theForest　of　De　anwhich　formed

the　readiest　resource　of　the　modern　iron…smelter　when　improved

processes　enabled　him　to　reduce　themshow　that　their　principal　iron

manufactures　were　carried　on　in　that　quarter*

　＇footnote。。。

〃In　the　Forest　of　Dean　and　thereabouts　the　iron　is　made　at　this　day

of　cinders；　being　the　rough　and　offal　thrown　by　in　the　Roman　time；

they　then　having　only　foot…blasts　to　melt　the　ironstone；　but　now；　by

the　force　of　a　great　wheel　that　drives　a　pair　of　Bellows　twenty　feet

long；　all　that　iron　is　extracted　out　of　the　cinders　which　could　not

be　forced　from　it　by　the　Roman　foot…blast。　　And　in　the　Forest　of　Dean

and　thereabouts；　and　as　high　as　Worcester；　there　ave　great　and

infinite　quantities　of　these　cinders；　some　in　vast　mounts　above

ground；　some　under　ground；　which　will　supply　the　iron　works　some

hundreds　of　years；　and　these　cinders　ave　they　which　make　the　prime

and　best　iron；　and　with　much　less　charcoal　than　doth　the

ironstone。〃A。　YARRANTON；　England's　Improvement　by　Sea　and　Land。

London；　1677。

　。。。＇

It　is　indeed　matter　of　history；　that　about　seventeen　hundred　years

since　（A。D。　120）　the　Roma