attributed to their superior skill in its use; they were made of tough ash 6 feet long, with an arrow 3 feet long; and if we can believe what is related of the accuracy with which they could hit a distant object, and the force with which they discharged the arrow, it was only equalled by a first-rate rifle shot of the present day.

A short bolt, called a quarrel, was discharged from the cross-bow with great force.

In

In the Indian collection there are several cross-bows, and bows of different kinds, with steel-headed arrows. the Ceylon series there are also specimens used by the natives, and some from British Guiana. In the English (269), are specimens of steel-bows and cross-bows, with India-rubber strings, for firing at a mark.

Poisoned arrows, such as are used by the Africans, and in some parts of South America, are exhibited in the British Guiana collection: the arrows are about nine inches long, extremely light, with a very fine point dipped in poison. They are carried in a quiver, to which is attached a portion of the jaw of a shark, which is for the purpose of sawing the head of the arrow nearly through, that it may break off in the wound: this is done by merely turning it between two of the serrated edges of the teeth. A small quantity of cotton is attached to the end of the arrow, which is then blown through a long tube, and will reach an object at a considerable distance with great truth. The arrows are dipped in the poison called “wourali,” which is extracted from indigenous plants, and prepared with much care and sundry incantations; its effect is most deadly, quickly killing a man or the largest animal.

Swords, Daggers, and Spears.-(Exhibitors, England, 200, 211, 244, 248; France, 1364, 1582; Wirtemberg, 14; Spain, Russia, Prussia, Turkey, Tunis, &c.).

Although we know that Tubal-Cain (the Vulcan of the heathen mythology, according to some) was 66 an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron,” some 5,500 years ago, it does not appear that the art of tempering iron was

known till a much later time. The most ancient swords we know of were made of bronze, composed of nine parts of copper to one of tin; and what is very remarkable, the composition of the metal in those from Egypt, or Scandinavia, or Ireland, is identically the same.

The best steel was probably first produced in India, in the Punjaub, from whence there are so many beautiful specimens of swords and daggers and other articles, proving that they are still capable of producing the finest tempered swords in the world. Norica, amongst the Romans, was as celebrated for the superior quality of the swords made, from the ore of that country, as Damascus and Toledo have been in their turn for their swords.

The finest tempered and most beautifully watered swords are made from the "wootz"-steel of India, which contains 1.6 per cent. of carbon. This watered ap

pearance is produced, as in the gun-barrels, by mixing and welding together pieces of steel containing different proportions of carbon, and then hammering and tempering the compound bar.

In the Indian collection there are a great many very beautiful swords, daggers, spears, and battle-axes. They are remarkable no less for the quality of the steel, than for the elegance of their design and workmanship.

No. 244 is an English collection of fine steel, and the sword-blade, in its different stages of manufacture, from the bar to the highly-finished weapon.

Amongst the Spanish arms we find the Toledo blades, and curious circular scabbards, in which the blades remain curved, but regain their straightness when drawn.

Egypt contributes the Curra, Khorassan, or black Persian steel, and Russia, the Sashka-shaska of the Caucasians. Prussia and Turkey contribute many examples of swords and daggers; but they have no great peculiarity in metal or make.

The gold sword presented to Lord Beresford by the officers who served under him in the Peninsular war, is exhi

bited in the section of Portugal. The hilt is of pure gold, inlaid with diamonds; the sheath is entirely of gold, with bas-relief representations of the principal personal incidents of the actions in which his Lordship was engaged.

In Tunis are some of an inferior description, one of which is bent the reverse of the usual way; and in the Chinese collection are three swords of inferior workmanship; but there is rather a curious one made of the coins of mixed metals of the country (copper and lead), which we may fancy is for the punishment of usurers.

· There are several light spears in the Indian collection ; and examples of the lance heads of the Cossacks in the Russian.

An assagai, or light spear, used by the natives at the Cape, with whom we are now at war, is exhibited with the Guiana collection.

Coats of Mail, Breastplates and Helmets, and Shields.In the Indian collection there are several shirts or coats of mail, with the rings gilded to form patterns,· There are two from Lahore, which, with the helmets, much remind us of the drawings of the Assyrian warriors on the marbles from Nineveh. One of these suits has plates of steel in it overlapping each other as in the breastplates of the Romans. As forming part of the armour, the steel gauntlets with swords attached to them are worthy of notice, both on account of their singularity, and on account of the superb manner in which they are inlaid.

In the English collection (200), is a chain shirt of mail made of steel, electro-plated with silver. This, with the helmet to correspond, is for the Indian cavalry, and (212) a cuirass of steel beautifully ornamented.

In the Prussian (667), there are specimens of wroughtsteel cuirasses which have been fired at, at 10 yards distance only, and have resisted the force of a musket-ball.

In the Russian, there is a brass cuirass.

In the Indian, there are several very handsome small round shields very elegantly inlaid with gold, one of which

has four gold bosses in the centre, in each of which there is a pistol, which can be fired from behind, and, as it were, under cover.

In the French collection (1364), there are shields of elegant design in bas-relief; but these, like the one near the great diamond, and those amongst the collection in the precious metals, are for ornament only.

Stone Hatchets.-It is a very remarkable circumstance that wherever the arms of the early inhabitants of any country have been found, as they frequently are, in their burial-places, the tumuli of England, or Ireland, or in France or Greece, or in the West India islands, and other places, that not only does the shape of the stone hatchets found resemble those of the New Zealander of the present day, but the stone selected is also in many cases so alike, that it is difficult to distinguish the one taken from the tomb where it has rested not less than 2,000 years on one side of the globe, with that now used by savage islanders at the antipodes. They are usually made of black chert or hornstone; the rarer and more valuable are made of jade. The collection from New Zealand (30) does not contain good specimens of stone-hatchets, though there is a very good specimen of jade unwrought into form. These stones are fixed in a cleft or hole in the end of a wooden handle, and firmly secured there by thongs of hide.

The engineering portion of this Class is embraced in the general review of the machinery and engineering of the Exhibition.

CLASS XXI.-CUTLERY-EDGE AND HAND TOOLS.

SITUATION OF CLASS.-In the North Gallery between the Pillars F. 23 to 25.

THIS is a very small class, which has been placed by itself in the Gallery, for the purpose of including those articles which could not be embraced in the Section devoted to General Hardware. There are but 46 exhibitors in this Class; and since it is not intended to express in this Handbook any opinion on manufactures, but little more can be done than to indicate the several kinds of articles exhibited. These are of a very similar character, consisting of (12) razors, penknives, scissors, dessert knives and forks, table knives, and razors in different stages of manufacture; (2) scissors with ornamental handles, chatelaines, model axes, razors, knives, &c.; (18) circular saws, tools, &c.; (7) and (10) town-made table cutlery; (24) lathes and tools; (13) tools, razors, knives, scissors, needles, &c.

The peculiarities of steel manufacture have been sufficiently indicated in the notices of Sheffield manufactures (p. 97), to which the reader is referred. Amongst the razors will be observed some arrangements by which, under any ordinary circumstances, the instruments are prevented from cutting (21). The Plantagenet guard razors and the registered razor guard are somewhat similar in principle in either case the object being to insure the same angle, under all conditions, for the instrument as it passes over the face. In these cases will be seen the process of manufacture from the raw iron of Dannemora to the finished blade; and these specimens may be advantageously inspected.

:

That the peculiarities of this class may be seen, we select a few other examples worthy of attention :

(26.) Cutlery. Razor blades from the bar of steel to the