an autobiography-第67部分

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tains；　islands；　and　continents　have　had　upon　the　social　history　of　man；　he　went　on　to　say：　　〃Is　not　this　island　of　ours　indebted　to　these　great　causes？　　Oh；　that　blessed　geological　accident　that　broke　up　a　strait　between　Calais　and　Dover！　　It　looks　but　a　little　thing；　it　was　a　matter　to　take　place；　but　how　mighty　the　moral　results　upon　the　condition　and　history　of　this　country；　and；　through　this　country's　influence；　upon　humanity！　　Bridge　over　the　space　between；　and　you　have　directly　the　huge　continental　barrack…yard　system　all　over　England。　　And　once　get　into　the　condition　of　a　great　continental　military　power；　and　you　get　the　arbitrary　power；　you　cramp　down　the　people；　and　you　unfit　them　from　being　what　they　ought　to　beFREE　And　all　the　good　influences　together　at　work　in　this　country　could　not　have　secured　us　against　this；　but　for　that　blessed　separation　between　this　Isle　and　the　Continent。〃

In　1853　I　was　appointed　a　member　of　the　Small　Arms　Committee　for　the　purpose　of　re…modelling　and；　in　fact；　re…establishing　the　Small　Arms　Factory　at　Enfield。　　The　wonderful　success　of　the　needle　gun　in　the　war　between　Prussia　and　Denmark　in　1848　occasioned　some　alarm　amongst　our　military　authorities　as　to　the　state　of　affairs　at　home。　　The　Duke　of　Wellington　to　the　last　proclaimed　the　sufficiency　of　〃Brown　Bess〃　as　a　weapon　of　offence　and　defence；　but　matters　could　no　longer　be　deferred。　The　United　States　Government；　though　possessing　only　a　very　small　standing　army；　had　established　at　Springfield　a　small　arms　factory；　where；　by　the　use　of　machine　tools　specially　designed　to　execute　with　the　most　unerring　precision　all　the　details　of　muskets　and　rifles；　they　were　enabled　to　dispense　with　mere　manual　dexterity；　and　to　produce　arms　to　any　amount。　　It　was　finally　determined　to　improve　the　musketry　and　rifle　systems　of　the　English　army。　　The　Government　resolved　to　introduce　the　American　system；　by　which　Arms　might　be　produced　much　more　perfectly；　and　at　a　great　diminution　of　cost。　It　was　under　such　circumstances　that　the　Small　Arms　Committee　was　appointed。

Colonel　Colt　had　brought　to　England　some　striking　examples　of　the　admirable　machine　tools　used　at　Springfield；　and　he　established　a　manufactory　at　Pimlico　for　the　production　of　his　well…known　revolvers。　The　committee　resolved　to　make　a　personal　visit　to　the　United　States　Factory　at　Springfield。　　My　own　business　engagements　at　home　prevented　me　accompanying　the　members　who　were　selected；　but　as　my　friend　John　Anderson　（now　Sir　John）；　acted　as　their　guide；　the　committee　had　in　him　a　most　able　and　effective　helper。　　He　directed　their　attention　to　the　most　important　and　available　details　of　that　admirable　establishment。　The　United　States　Government　acted　most　liberally　in　allowing　the　committee　to　obtain　every　information　on　the　subject；　and　the　heads　of　the　various　departments；　who　were　intelligent　and　zealous；　rendered　them　every　attention　and　civility。

The　members　of　the　mission　returned　home　enthusiastically　delighted　with　the　results　of　their　inquiry。The　committee　immediately　proceeded　with　the　entire　re…modelling　of　the　Small　Arms　Factory　at　Enfield。　The　workshops　were　equipped　with　a　complete　series　of　special　machine　tools；　chiefly　obtained　from　the　Springfield　factory。　The　United　States　Government　also　permitted　several　of　their　best　and　workman　and　superintendents　to　take　service　under　the　English　Government。　Such　was　the　origin　of　the　Enfield　rifle。　　The　weapon　came　as　near　to　absolute　perfection　as　possible；　It　was　perfect　in　action；　durable　and　excellent　in　every　respect　even　in　it's　conversion　to　the　breechloader　it　is　still　one　of　the　best　weapons。　　It　is　impossible　to　give　too　much　praise　to　Sir　John　Anderson　and　Colonel　Dixon　for　the　untiring　and　intelligent　zeal　with　which　they　carried　out　the　plans；　as　well　as　for　the　numerous　improvements　which　they　introduced。　　These　have　rendered　the　Enfield　Small　Arms　Factory　one　of　the　most　perfect　and　best　regulated　establishments　in　the　kingdom。


CHAPTER　20。　　Retirement　from　Business。

I　had　been　for　some　time　contemplating　the　possibility　of　retiring　altogether　from　business。　　I　had　got　enough　of　the　world's　goods；　and　was　willing　to　make　way　for　younger　men。　　But　I　found　it　difficult　to　break　loose　from　old　associations。　　Like　the　retired　tallow…chandler；　I　might　wish　to　go　back　〃on　melting　days。〃　　I　had　some　correspondence　with　my　old　friend　David　Roberts；　Royal　Academician；　on　the　subject。　He　wrote　to　me　on　the　2d　June　1853；　and　said：

〃I　rejoice　to　learn；　from　the　healthy　tone　that　breathes　throughout　your　epistle；　that　you　are　as　happy　as　every　one　who　knows　you　wishes　you　to　be；　and　as　prosperous　as　you　deserve。　　Knowing；　also；　as　I　do；　your　feeling　for　art　and　all　that　tends　to　raise　and　dignify　man；　I　most　sincerely　congratulate　you　on　the　prospect　of　your　being　able　to　retire；　in　the　full　vigour　of　manhood；　to　follow　out　that　sublime　pursuit；　in　comparison　with　which　the　painter's　art　is　but　a　faint　glimmering。　　'The　Landscape　of　other　worlds'　you　alone　have　sketched　for　us；　and　enlightened　us　on　that　with　which　the　ancient　world　but　gazed　upon　and　worshipped　in　the　symbol　of　Astarte；　Isis；　and　Diana。　We　are　matter…of…fact　now；　and　have　outlived　childhood。　　What　say　you　to　a　photograph　of　those　wonderful　drawings？　　It　may　come　to　that。〃*　　＇footnote。。。　It　did　indeed　〃come　to　that；〃　for　I　shortly　after　learned　the　art　of　photography；　chiefly　for　this　special　purpose。　　。。。＇

But　I　had　something　else　yet　to　do　in　my　special　vocation。　In　1854　I　took　out　a　patent　for　puddling　iron　by　means　of　steam。　Many　of　my　readers　may　not　know　that　cast…iron　is　converted　into　malleable　iron　by　the　process　called　puddling。　　The　iron；　while　in　a　molten　state；　is　violently　stirred　and　agitated　by　a　stiff　iron　rod；　having　its　end　bent　like　a　hoe　or　flattened　hook；　by　which　every　portion　of　the　molten　metal　is　exposed　to　the　oxygen　of　the　air；　and　the　supercharge　of　carbon　which　the　cast　iron　contains　is　thus　〃burnt　out。〃　　When　this　is　effectually　done　the　iron　becomes　malleable　and　weldable。

This　state　of　the　iron　is　indicated　by　a　general　loss　of　fluidity；　accompanied　by　a　tendency　to　gather　together　in　globular　masses。　The　puddler；　by　his　dexterous　use　of　the　end　of　the　rabbling　bar；　puts　the　masses　together；　and；　in　fact；　welds　the　new…born　particles　of　malleable　iron　into　puddle…balls　of　about　three…quarters　of　a　hundredweight　each。　　These　are　successively　removed　from　the　pool　of　the　puddling　furnace；　and　subjected　to　the　energetic　blows　of　the　steam　hammer；　which　drives　out　all　the　scoriae　lurking　within　the　spongy　puddle…balls；　and　thus　welds　them　into　compact　masses　of　malleable　iron。　When　reheated　to　a　welding　heat；　they　are　rolled　out　into　flat　bars　or　round　rods；　in　a　variety　of　sizes；　so　as　to　be　suitable　for　the　consumer。

The　manual　and　physical　labour　of　the　puddler　is　tedious；　fatiguing；　and　unhealthy。　　The　process　of　puddling　occupies　about　an　hour's　violent　labour；　and　only　robust　young　men　can　stand　the　fatigue　and　violent　heat。　　I　had　frequent　opportunities　of　observing　the　labour　and　unhealthiness　of　the　process；　as　well　as　the　great　loss　of　time　required　to　bring　it　to　a　conclusion。　　It　occurred　to　me　that　much　of　this　could　be　avoided　by　employing　some　other　means　for　getting　rid　of　the　superfluous　carbon；　and　bringing　the　molten　cast…iron　into　a　malleable　condition。

The　method　that　occurred　to　me　was　the　substitution　of　a　small　steam　pipe　in　the　place　of　the　puddler's　rabbling　bar。　　By　having　the　end　of　this　steam　pipe　bent　downwards　so　as　to　reach　the　bottom　of　the　pool；　and　then　to　discharge　a　current　of　steam　beneath　the　surface　of　the　molten　cast　iron；　I　thought　that　I　should　by　this　simple　means　supply　a　most　effective　carbon…oxidating　agent；　at　the　same　time　that　I　produced　a　powerful　agitating　action　within　the　pool。　　Thus　the　steam　would　be　decomposed　and　supply　oxygen　to　the　carbon　of　the　cast…iron；　while　the　mechanical　action　of　the　rush　of　steam　upwards　would　cause　so　violent　a　commotion　throughout　the　pool　of　melted　iron　as　to　exceed　the　utmost　efforts　of　the　labour　of　the　puddler。　　All　the　gases　would　pass　up　the　chimney　of　the　puddling　furnace；　and　the　puddler　would　not　be　subject　to　their　influence。　　Such　was　the　method　specified　in　my　patent　of　l854*　　＇footnote。。。　Specification　of　James　NasmythEmployment　of　steam　in　the　process　of　puddling　iron。　　May　4；　1854；　No。　1001。　　。。。＇

My　friend；　Thomas　Lever　Rushton；　proprietor　of　the　Bolton　Ironworks；　was　so　much　impressed　with　the　soundness　of　the　principle；　as　well　as　with　the　great　simplicity　of　carrying　the　invention　into　practical　effect；　that　he　urged　me　to　secure　the　patent；　and　he　soon　after　gave　me　the　opportunity　of　trying　the　process　at　his　works。　　The　results　were　most　encouraging。　　There　was　a　great　saving　of　labour　and　time　compared　with　the　old　puddling　process；　and　the　malleable　iron　produced　was　found　to　be　of　the　highest　order　as　regarded　strength；　toughness；　and　purity。　　My　process　was　soon　after　adopted　by　several　iron　manufacturers　with　equally　favourable　results。　　Such；　however；　was　the　energy　of　the　steam；　that　unless　the　workmen　were　most　careful　to　regulate　its　force　and　the　duration　of　its　action；　the　waste　of　iron　by　undue　oxidation　was　such　as　in　a　great　measure　to　neutralise　its　commercial　gain　as　regarded　the　superior　value　of　the　malleable　iron　thus　produced。

Before　I　had　time　or　opportunity　to　remove　this　commercial　difficulty；　Mr。　Bessemer　had　secured　his　patent　of　the　l7th　of　October；　1855。　By　this　patent　he　employed　a　blast　of　air　to　do　the　same　work　as　I　had　proposed　to　accomplish　by　means　of　a　blast　of　steam；　forced　up　beneath　the　surface　of　the　molten　cast　iron。　　He　added　some　other　improvements；　with　that　happy　fertility　of　invention　which　has　always　characterised　him。　　The　results　were　so　magnificently　successful　as　to　totally　eclipse　my　process；　and　to　cast　it　comparatively　into　the　shade。　At　the　same　time　I　may　say　that　I　was　in　a　measure　the　pioneer　of　his　invention；　that　I　initiated　a　new　system；　and　led　to　one　of　the　most　important　improvements　in　the　manufacture　of　iron　and　steel　that　has　ever　been　given　to　the　world。

Mr。　Bessemer　brought　the　subject　of　his　invention　before　the　meeting　of　the　British　A