and　a　saw　extends　the　aperture　along　the　pen　itself。
  The　inside　edges　of　the　slit　are　smoothed　and　polished
  by　the　emery　wheel；　burnishing　and　hammering
  produce　the　proper　degree　of　elasticity。〃
  It　is　asserted　that　more　steel　is　used　in　the　manufacture
  of　pens　than　in　all　the　swords　and　guns　in　the
  world。　This　fact　partly　verifies　the　old　saying；　〃The
  pen　is　mightier　than　the　sword。〃
  〃Three　things　bear　mighty　sway　with　men；
  The　Sword；　the　Sceptre；　and　the　Pen；
  Who　can　the　least　of　these　command；
  In　the　first　rank　of　Fame　will　stand。〃
  CHAPTER　XXVII。
  SUBSTITUTES　FOR　INK　UTENSILS　（〃LEAD〃　AND　OTHER
  PENCILS）。
  〃BLACK…LEAD〃　PENCILS　AN　EXCELLENT　PEN　SUBSTITUTE
  UNDER　CERTAIN　CONDITIONSITS　COMPOSITION
  〃BLACK…LEAD〃　CONTAINS　NO　LEAD；　HENCE
  THE　NAME　IS　MISAPPLIEDTHE　DISCOVERY　OF　ITS
  PRINCIPAL　SOURCE　OF　SUPPLY　AN　ACCIDENTA
  DESCRIPTION　OF　HOW　IT　IS　MINEDTREATMENT
  BEFORE　BEING　INTRODUCED　INTO　THE　GROOVED
  WOODUSE　OF　RED　AND　BLACK　CHALK　PENCILS
  IN　GERMANY；　1450THEIR　USE　IN　MEXICO　IN　EARLY
  TIMESWHO　MANUFACTURES　LEAD　PENCILSEMPLOYMENT
  OF　THE　COMPOSITION　OF　LEAD　AND　TIN
  IN　MEDIAEVAL　TIMESBAVARIAN　GOVERNMENT　IN
  1816　A　MANUFACTURER　OF　LEAD　PENCILS。
  THE　black…lead　pencil；　under　many　circumstances；
  is　a　very　useful　substitute　for　the　pen；　in　that　it
  requires　no　liquid　ink　for　marking　the　characters　on
  paper　or　other　materials。　The　peculiar　substance
  which　fills　the　central　channel　of　the　stick　of　cedar
  has　the　property　of　marking　when　it　touches　paper；
  and；　as　the　marks　thus　made　are　susceptible　to　easy
  removal；　a　pencil　of　this　kind　is　available　for　purposes
  which　would　not　be　answered　by　the　use　of　pen　and　ink。
  The　substance　misnamed　〃black…lead〃　contains　NO
  LEAD　and　is　a　carburet　of　iron；　being　composed　of
  carbon　and　iron。　It　generally　occurs　in　Mountain　districts；
  in　small　kidney…shaped　pieces；　varying　in　size
  from　that　of　a　pea　upwards；　which　are　interspersed
  among　various　strata；　and　is　met　with　in　different
  parts　of　the　world。
  Its　principal　source　of　supply　until　about　1845；
  when　it　became　exhausted；　was　the　Borrowdale　mine
  in　Cumberland；　England；　which　was　discovered　in
  1564。　About　1852　a　number　of　mines　were　opened
  containing　this　substance　in　Siberia　and　from　which
  place　the　best　products　are　now　obtained。
  The　accidental　discovery　of　this　mineral　at　Borrowdale
  was　during　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth　who
  made　many　inquiries　about　it。　The　name　of　this
  mineral　was　locally　known　as　wad　（graphite）。　So
  valuable　was　it　regarded　that　it　commanded　a　very
  high　price；　and　this　price　acted　as　in　inducement　to
  the　workmen　and　others　to　pilfer　pieces　from　the
  mine。　For　a　number　of　years　scenes　of　great　commotion
  took　place；　arising　out　of　these　depredations；　and
  the　result　was　that　the　proprietors　adopted　such
  stringent　rules　that　hardly　anything　was　known　of
  the　internal　economy　of　the　mine　till　about　sixty
  years　ago；　when　Mr。　Parkes　gave　a　description　of　it；
  from　which　I　may　condense　a　few　particulars。
  The　mine　is　in　the　midst　of　a　mountain　about　two
  thousand　feet　high；　which　rises　at　in　angle　of　about
  45　degrees；　and；　as　that　part　of　the　mine　which　has　been
  worked　during　the　last　century　is　near　the　middle
  of　the　mountain；　the　present　entrance　is　about　a
  thousand　feet　from　the　summit。　The　opening　by
  which　the　workmen　enter　descends　by　a　flight　of
  steps；　and　in　order　to　guard　the　treasure　within；　the
  proprietors　have　erected　a　strong　brick　building　of
  four　rooms；　one　of　which　is　immediately　over　the
  entrance　into　the　mine。　This　entrance　is　secured　by　a
  trap…door；　and　the　room　connected　with　it　serves　as　a
  dressing…room　for　the　men　when　they　enter　and　leave
  the　mine。　The　men　work　in　gangs；　which　relieve
  each　other　every　six　hours；　and　when　the　hour　of
  relief　comes；　a　steward　or　foreman　attends　the　dressing…
  room　to　see　the　men　change　their　dresses　as　they
  come　up　one　by　one　out　of　the　mine。　The　clothes
  are　examined　by　the　steward　to　see　that　no　black…lead
  is　concealed　in　them；　and　when　the　men　have　dressed
  they　leave　the　mine；　making　room　for　another　gang；
  who　change　their　clothes；　enter　the　mine；　and　are　fastened
  in　for　six　hours。　In　one　of　the　four　rooms　of　which
  the　house　consists　there　is　a　table；　at　which　men　are
  employed　in　sorting　and　dressing　the　mineral。　This　is
  necessary；　because　it　is　usually　divided　into　two　qualities；
  the　finest　of　which　have　generally　pieces　of　iron…
  ore　or　other　impurity　attached　to　them；　which　must
  be　dressed　off。　These　men；　who　are　strictly　watched
  while　at　work；　put　the　dressed　black…lead　into　casks
  holding　about　one　hundred…weight　each；　in　which　state
  it　leaves　the　mine。　The　casks　are　conveyed　down
  the　side　of　the　mountain　in　a　curious　manner。　Each
  cask　is　fixed　upon　a　light　sledge　with　two　wheels；
  and　a　man；　who　is　well　used　to　the　precipitous　path；
  walks　down　in　front　of　the　sledge；　taking　care　that　it
  does　not　acquire　momentum　enough　to　overpower
  him。　When　the　cask　has　been　thus　guided　safely　to
  the　bottom；　the　man　carries　the　sledge　up　hill　upon
  his　shoulders；　and　prepares　for　another　descent。
  Up　to　about　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　the
  mine　was　opened　only　once　in　seven　years；　the　quantity
  taken　out　at　each　time　of　opening　being　such　as　was
  deemed　sufficient　to　serve　the　market　for　seven　years；
  but　when；　at　a　later　period；　it　was　found　that　the
  demand　was　increasing　and　the　supply　decreasing；　it
  was　deemed　necessary　to　work　the　mine　six　or　seven
  weeks　every　year。　During　the　time　of　working；　the
  mine　is　guarded　night　and　day；　and　when　a　quantity
  sufficient　for　one　year's　consumption　has　been　taken
  out；　the　mine　is　secured　until　the　following　year。
  Several　hundred　cartloads　of　rubbish　are　wheeled　into
  the　mine；　so　as　to　block　up　the　entrance　completely；
  and　this　rubbish　acts　as　a　dam　to　prevent　the　springs
  and　land　waters　from　flowing　out；　so　that　the　mine
  gradually　becomes　flooded。
  When　the　Year's　mining　is　concluded；　the　barrels
  of　black…lead　are　brought　to　market；　and　the　mode
  of　effecting　the　sales　was　described　by　Dr。　Faraday
  some　years　ago　to　be　as　follows：　A　market　is　held　on
  the　first　Monday　of　every　month　at　a　house　in　London；
  where　the　buyers；　who　are　generally　only　seven
  or　eight　in　number；　examine　each　piece　with　a　sharp
  instrument　to　ascertain　its　hardness；　those　which　are
  too　soft　being　rejected。　The　person　who　has　the
  first　choice　pays　45s。　per　pound；　the　others　30s。
  But；　as　there　is　no　addition　made　to　the　first　quantity
  in　the　market；　the　residual　portions　are　examined
  over　and　over　again　until　they　are　exhausted。　At
  one　time　the　annual　sale　was　said　to　amount　to　the
  value　of　L40；000　per　annum；　but　it　has　been　greatly
  reduced　since。
  A　mode　of　applying　manufacturing　processes　to
  the　preparation　of　black…lead　is　described　by　Dr。
  Ure　as　being　adopted　in　Paris。　The　mineral；　being
  reduced　to　a　fine　powder；　is　mixed　with　very　pure
  powdered　clay；　and　the　two　are　calcined　in　a　crucible
  at　a　white　heat；　the　proportion　of　clay　employed
  is　greater　as　the　pencil　is　required　to　be　harder；
  the　average　being　equal　parts　of　both。　The
  ingredients　are　ground　with　a　muller　on　a　porphyry　slab　and
  then　made　into　balls；　which　are　preserved　in　a　moist
  atmosphere　in　the　form　of　paste。　The　paste　is　pressed
  into　grooves　cut　in　a　smooth　board；　and　another　board；
  previously　greased；　is　pressed　down　upon　it。　When
  the　paste　has　had　time　to　dry；　the　mould　or　grooved
  board　is　put　into　a　moderately　heated　oven；　by　which
  the　paste；　now　in　the　form　of　square　pencils；　shrinks
  sufficiently　to　fall　out　of　the　grooves。　In　order　to
  give　solidity　to　the　pencils　they　are　set　upright　in　a
  crucible　and　surrounded　with　pounded　charcoal；　fine
  sand；　or　sifted　ashes；　the　crucible；　being　covered；　is
  exposed　to　a　degree　of　heat　proportionate　to　the
  hardness　required　in　the　pencils；　the　harder　pencils
  requiring　the　higher　degree　of　heat。　Some　of　the
  pencils　are　shaped　in　a　curious　manner：　models　of　the
  pencils；　made　of　iron；　are　stuck　upright　upon　an　iron
  tray；　having　edges　raised　as　high　as　the　intended
  length　of　the　pencils；　and　a　metallic　alloy；　made　of
  tin；　lead；　antimony　and　bismuth　is　poured　into　the
  sheet…iron　tray。　When　the　alloy　has　cooled；　it　is　inverted
  and　shaken　off　from　the　model…rods；　so　as　to
  form　a　mass　of　metal　perforated　throughout　with
  tubular　cavities　corresponding　in　size　with　the　intended
  pencil　pieces；　the　pencil　paste　is　introduced
  by　pressure　into　these　cavities；　and　when　nearly　dry
  the　pieces　shrink　sufficiently　to　be　easily　removed
  from　the　cavities。
  The　pencils　just　described　are　alike　throughout　all
  their　thickness；　but　in　the　majority　of　English　pencils
  there　is　a　wooden　holder　to　contain　a　narrow
  filament　of　black　lead　running　down　the　middle。　So
  long　ago　as　the　year　1618　this　mode　was　adopted；　for
  Sir　John　Pettus；　who　was　deputy　g