to any Nation happily circumstanced to carry on the Iron-Manufacture to the greatest
Extend and Advantage; because such Nation will thereby be constituted the Universal
Mark for the Iron Manufacture in general, for Reasons that will hereafter follow.
That the said Memorial therefore may not be misunderstood, it is desired that
the express Words there of may be duely attended to; which propeses a Discovery of the Art
Method or Mistery of Casting Iron from the Iron Stone or Ore more pure, more Tough,
& more approaching the Toughness and Malleability of Forged Bar Iron itself, than to
the Knowlege of the Memorialist was ever done before. How nearly the New-Cast-Iron
shall approach to the Toughness & Malleability of Forged-Iron is not explicitly said
in the Memorial, because the exact Degree thereof cannot be verbally described; but it is
expresly said, that the New-Cast-Iron shall be more Tough & more approaching to the
Toughness and Malleability of Forged Bar Iron itself than was ever done before; that
is, than was, or is generally practised in any Nation where the Iron Manufacture is car-
ryed on.
But to be as explicit as the Nature of the Matter will admit; it is not only meant and in-
tended by the Memorialist to make the New Cast Iron of a greater Degree af Toughness &
Malleability than the common, but to make the same as Tough and as Malleable as it can
be, so as to melt and to flow into any peculiar Form or Shape; and beyond such a Degree
of Toughness & Malleability, Cast Iron cannot be made; because beyond that certain
Point or Degree of Toughness & Malleability, Iron cannot be melted so as to be Cast, or
to flow, in a State of Fusion, into any peculiar Form or Shape, & retain the essential
Properties of Iron. However, that the Memorialist might give as clear an Idea by
Writing of the Quality of the New Cast Iron as He possibly can, it cannot, He conceives,
be better represented by Words, than by saying, that the New Cast Iron seems to exceed the
common Cast Iron in Toughness & Malleability rather more than common Forged-
Iron exceeds the New Cast in the same Properties. And therefore Cast Iron of so
superior a Degree of Toughness and Malleability to the Common, will certainly not
only be made use of in the Article of Ordnance by all the great Powers in Europe, but in
a great Variety of other achiles likewise, wherein the common Cast Iron is made use
of; and perhaps a great Variety of Materials may be cast in this Iron, wherein
the common will not do at all; which may still prove an additional advantage
to that Nation who shall purchase this Discovery.
That the Memorialst might give as full and satisfactory an
account of Advantage, that may be expected to be derived from his Iron, He
thinks it may not be amiss to take Notice of a late account we had in the Utrecht
Gazette dated June the 10:th last from the Austrian Camp at Boxtel.
"On Saturday, says the Gazette a Proof was made of Eight Pieces of Cannon of
"Forged Iron of a New Invention. Each Piece fires an hundred Times in Fifteen Minutes,
"without requiring to be cleansed once. Besides the Advantages of Quickness, the Touchholes
"suffer not in the least by the Number of Discharges being made". These are the Contents of
the Gazette.
Now it is apprehended by the Memorialist that these extraordinary
Properties, beyond those of the common Cast Iron must depend altogether upon the
Toughness and Malleability of the Metal, and not upon the peculiar Form of the
Invention only because if the Form gave the peculiar Properties, the same might have been in
Cast-Iron for above Cost & Clueless Expence. But in the common Cast Iron, the Touchholes
would have been shattered all to Pieces in less than 20 Times firing, & would have
required often Cleansing in that Number of Times Firing only
If then Cannon made af Forged Iron will have such extraordinary Properties beyond
the common Cast-Iron, it may be naturally reasoned that the New Cast Iron Cannon, would not
be a great deal inferior in their Properties of the like nature, since the Metal is not a
great deal inferior in Toughness and Malleability. Besides, Cannon made of the New
Cast Iron will, in every part, be uniformly of the same Thickness, Tenture, & Toughness, pro-
vided the Moulds are judiciously made; whereas 'tis scarce probable that Forged
Cannon should be so by meer Wilding & Forgind by the Hammer; upon which a great
deal depends in the Art of Gunnery. In the New Cast Cannon also, Cleansing will
not be near so often required as in the common; nor can the Touchholes
suffer near so much by the Number of Discharges.
But if the Difference in Expence be consider'd between the Forged Cannon
attempted by the Austrians, and the Cast made agreeable to the new Invention
it will ever prevent the Manufacture of the One & encourage That of the other; whereas
the extra-Expence of making Cannon of the new Cast Iron will be very little more
than of the common; which in a very favourable Circumstance in its Recommen-
dation. And as the having large Trains of Artillery is the present & growing Practice
of all powerful Nations, & even the inferior States in Europe, They must & will from the
Principle of Self-Defence & Preservation, be upon a Levell with each other in the
Field in all Confederacies whatsoever, as likewise in their respective Forts & Garrisons.
With Regard to all the maritime Powers likewise, They will naturally