the　〃wise　man〃　of　his　neighbourhood；　and　was　not　only　consulted　as　to
  the　repairs　of　machinery；　but　also　of　the　human　frame。　　He　practised
  surgery　with　dexterity；　though　after　an　empirical　fashion；　and　was
  held　in　especial　esteem　as　an　oculist。　　His　success　was　such　that　his
  advice　was　sought　in　many　surgical　diseases；　and　he　was　always　ready
  to　give　it；　but　declined　receiving　any　payment　in　return。
  In　the　exercise　of　his　mechanical　calling；　he　introduced　several
  improved　tools；　but　was　much　hindered　by　the　inferior　quality　of　the
  metal　supplied　to　him；　which　was　common　German　steel。　　He　also
  experienced　considerable　difficulty　in　finding　a　material　suitable
  for　the　springs　and　pendulums　of　his　clocks。　　These　circumstances
  induced　him　to　turn　his　attention　to　the　making　of　a　better　kind　of
  steel　than　was　then　procurable；　for　the　purposes　of　his　trade。　　His
  first　experiments　were　conducted　at　Doncaster；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  There　are　several　clocks　still　in　existence　in　the　neighbourhood　of
  Doncaster　made　by　Benjamin　Huntsman；　and　there　is　one　in　the
  possession　of　his　grandson；　with　a　pendulum　made　of　cast…steel。　　The
  manufacture　of　a　pendulum　of　such　a　material　at　that　early　date　is
  certainly　curious；　its　still　perfect　spring　and　elasticity　showing
  the　scrupulous　care　with　which　it　had　been　made。
  。。。＇
  but　as　fuel　was　difficult　to　be　had　at　that　place；　he　determined；　for
  greater　convenience；　to　remove　to　the　neighbourhood　of　Sheffield；
  which　he　did　in　1740。　　He　first　settled　at　Handsworth；　a　few　miles　to
  the　south　of　that　town；　and　there　pursued　his　investigations　in
  secret。　　Unfortunately；　no　records　have　been　preserved　of　the　methods
  which　he　adopted　in　overcoming　the　difficulties　he　had　necessarily　to
  encounter。　　That　they　must　have　been　great　is　certain；　for　the　process
  of　manufacturing　cast…steel　of　a　first…rate　quality　even　at　this　day
  is　of　a　most　elaborate　and　delicate　character；　requiring　to　be
  carefully　watched　in　its　various　stages。　　He　had　not　only　to　discover
  the　fuel　and　flux　suitable　for　his　purpose；　but　to　build　such　a
  furnace　and　make　such　a　crucible　as　should　sustain　a　heat　more
  intense　than　any　then　known　in　metallurgy。　　Ingot…moulds　had　not　yet
  been　cast；　nor　were　there　hoops　and　wedges　made　that　would　hold　them
  together；　nor；　in　short；　were　any　of　those　materials　at　his　disposal
  which　are　now　so　familiar　at　every　melting…furnace。
  Huntsman's　experiments　extended　over　many　years　before　the　desired
  result　was　achieved。　　Long　after　his　death；　the　memorials　of　the
  numerous　failures　through　which　he　toilsomely　worked　his　way　to
  success；　were　brought　to　light　in　the　shape　of　many　hundredweights　of
  steel；　found　buried　in　the　earth　in　different　places　about　his
  manufactory。　　From　the　number　of　these　wrecks　of　early　experiments；　it
  is　clear　that　he　had　worked　continuously　upon　his　grand　idea　of
  purifying　the　raw　steel　then　in　use；　by　melting　it　with　fluxes　at　an
  intense　heat　in　closed　earthen　crucibles。　　The　buried　masses　were
  found　in　various　stages　of　failure；　arising　from　imperfect　melting；
  breaking　of　crucibles；　and　bad　fluxes；　and　had　been　hid　away　as　so
  much　spoiled　steel　of　which　nothing　could　be　made。　　At　last　his
  perseverance　was　rewarded；　and　his　invention　perfected；　and　though　a
  hundred　years　have　passed　since　Huntsman's　discovery；　the　description
  of　fuel　（coke）　which　he　first　applied　for　the　purpose　of　melting　the
  steel；　and　the　crucibles　and　furnaces　which　he　used；　are　for　the　most
  part　similar　to　those　in　use　at　the　present　day。　　Although　the　making
  of　cast…steel　is　conducted　with　greater　economy　and　dexterity；　owing
  to　increased　experience；　it　is　questionable　whether　any　maker　has
  since　been　able　to　surpass　the　quality　of　Huntsman's　manufacture。
  The　process　of　making　cast…steel；　as　invented　by　Benjamin　Huntsman；
  may　be　thus　summarily　described。　　The　melting　is　conducted　in　clay
  pots　or　crucibles　manufactured　for　the　purpose；　capable　of　holding
  about　34　lbs。　each。　　Ten　or　twelve　of　such　crucibles　are　placed　in　a
  melting…furnace　similar　to　that　used　by　brass　founders；　and　when　the
  furnace　and　pots　are　at　a　white　heat；　to　which　they　are　raised　by　a
  coke　fire；　they　are　charged　with　bar　steel　reduced　to　a　certain
  degree　of　hardness；　and　broken　into　pieces　of　about　a　pound　each。
  When　the　pots　are　all　thus　charged　with　steel；　lids　are　placed　over
  them；　the　furnace　is　filled　with　coke；　and　the　cover　put　down。　　Under
  the　intense　heat　to　which　the　metal　is　exposed；　it　undergoes　an
  apparent　ebullition。　　When　the　furnace　requires　feeding；　the　workmen
  take　the　opportunity　of　lifting　the　lid　of　each　crucible　and　judging
  how　far　the　process　has　advanced。　　After　about　three　hours'　exposure
  to　the　heat；　the　metal　is　ready　for　〃teeming。〃　　The　completion　of　the
  melting　process　is　known　by　the　subsidence　of　all　ebullition；　and　by
  the　clear　surface　of　the　melted　metal；　which　is　of　a　dazzling
  brilliancy　like　the　sun　when　looked　at　with　the　naked　eye　on　a　clear
  day。　　The　pots　are　then　lifted　out　of　their　place；　and　the　liquid
  steel　is　poured　into　ingots　of　the　shape　and　size　required。　　The　pots
  are　replaced；　filled　again；　and　the　process　is　repeated；　the　red…hot
  pots　thus　serving　for　three　successive　charges；　after　which　they　are
  rejected　as　useless。
  When　Huntsman　had　perfected　his　invention；　it　would　naturally　occur
  to　him　that　the　new　metal　might　be　employed　for　other　purposes
  besides　clock…springs　and　pendulums。　　The　business　of　clock…making　was
  then　of　a　very　limited　character；　and　it　could　scarcely　have　been
  worth　his　while　to　pursue　so　extensive　and　costly　a　series　of
  experiments　merely　to　supply　the　requirements　of　that　trade。　　It　is
  more　probable　that　at　an　early　stage　of　his　investigations　he
  shrewdly　foresaw　the　extensive　uses　to　which　cast…steel　might　be
  applied　in　the　manufacture　of　tools　and　cutlery　of　a　superior　kind；
  and　we　accordingly　find　him　early　endeavouring　to　persuade　the
  manufacturers　of　Sheffield　to　employ　it　in　the　manufacture　of　knives
  and　razors。　　But　the　cutlers　obstinately　refused　to　work　a　material　so
  much　harder　than　that　which　they　had　been　accustomed　to　use；　and　for
  a　time　he　gave　up　all　hopes　of　creating　a　demand　in　that　quarter。
  Foiled　in　his　endeavours　to　sell　his　steel　at　home；　Huntsman　turned
  his　attention　to　foreign　markets；　and　he　soon　found　he　could　readily
  sell　abroad　all　that　he　could　make。　　The　merit　of　employing　cast…steel
  for　general　purposes　belongs　to　the　French；　always　so　quick　to
  appreciate　the　advantages　of　any　new　discovery；　and　for　a　time　the
  whole　of　the　cast…steel　that　Huntsman　could　manufacture　was　exported
  to　France。　　When　he　had　fairly　established　his　business　with　that
  country；　the　Sheffield　cutlers　became　alarmed　at　the　reputation　which
  cast…steel　was　acquiring　abroad；　and　when　they　heard　of　the
  preference　displayed　by　English　as　well　as　French　consumers　for　the
  cutlery　manufactured　of　that　metal；　they　readily　apprehended　the
  serious　consequences　that　must　necessarily　result　to　their　own　trade
  if　cast…steel　came　into　general　use。　　They　then　appointed　a　deputation
  to　wait　upon　Sir　George　Savile；　one　of　the　members　for　the　county　of
  York；　and　requested　him　to　use　his　influence　with　the　government　to
  obtain　an　order　to　prohibit　the　exportation　of　cast…steel。　　But　on
  learning　from　the　deputation　that　the　Sheffield　manufacturers
  themselves　would　not　make　use　of　the　new　steel；　he　positively
  declined　to　comply　with　their　request。　　It　was　indeed　fortunate　for
  the　interests　of　the　town　that　the　object　of　the　deputation　was
  defeated；　for　at　that　time　Mr。　Huntsman　had　very　pressing　and
  favourable　offers　from　some　spirited　manufacturers　in　Birmingham　to
  remove　his　furnaces　to　that　place；　and　it　is　extremely　probable　that
  had　the　business　of　cast…steel　making　become　established　there；　one
  of　the　most　important　and　lucrative　branches　of　its　trade　would　have
  been　lost　to　the　town　of　Sheffield。
  The　Sheffield　makers　were　therefore　under　the　necessity　of　using　the
  cast…steel；　if　they　would　retain　their　trade　in　cutlery　against
  France；　and　Huntsman's　home　trade　rapidly　increased。　　And　then　began
  the　efforts　of　the　Sheffield　men　to　wrest　his　secret　from　him。　　For
  Huntsman　had　not　taken　out　any　patent　for　his　invention；　his　only
  protection　being　in　preserving　his　process　as　much　a　mystery　as
  possible。　　All　the　workmen　employed　by　him　were　pledged　to　inviolable
  secrecy；　strangers　were　carefully　excluded　from　the　works；　and　the
  whole　of　the　steel　made　was　melted　during　the　night。　　There　were　many
  speculations　abroad　as　to　Huntsman's　process。　　It　was　generally
  believed　that　his　secret　consisted　in　the　flux　which　he　employed　to
  make　the　metal　melt　more　readily；　and　it　leaked　out　amongst　the
  workmen　that　he　used　broken　bottles　for　the　purpose。　　Some　of　the
  manufacturers；　who　by　prying　and　bribing　got　an　inkling　of　the
  process；　followed　Huntsman　implicitly　in　this　respect；　and　they　would