The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-02-28
[coNrINuED FROM FIRST PAGE.

boaSted skill OF the Workmen OF
Europe. Mr. Cotton Of the Boston
Josundl, the first week he landed
in Asia, found that his chronometer
was out Of order from the steel Of
the works having become rusted.
The London Medical and Siagi-
cal journal advises surgeons not
to venture to carry any lancetS to
Calcutta, to have them gilded, be-
cause English steel could not bear
the atmosphere of India. Yet the
Damascus blades OF the Crusades
were not gilded, and they are as
perfect as they were centuries ago.
There was one at the London Ex-
hibition, the point Of which could
be made to touch the hilt, and
which could be put into scabbard
like a corkscrew, and bent every
way without breaking, like an
American politician. Now, the
wonder OF that is, that perfect steel
is a marvel of science. 1t q Lon
don chronometer.maker wants the
best steel to use in bis chronometer
he does not send to Sheffield, the
center Of all science, but to the
Punjanb, the empire Of the seven
rivers, where there is no science at
all. The first needle ever made in
England was made in the time Of
Henry VIII, and made by a negro,
and when he died the art died with
him. Some of the first travellers
in Africa stated that they found a
tribe in the interior who cave them
better razors than they had, the ir-
repressible negro coming up in
science as in politics. The best
steel is the greatest triumph ofmet-
aIlurgy, and metaliwgy isthe glory
OF chemistry.
The poets have celebrated the
perfection of the Oriental steel, and
it is recognized as the finest by
Moore, Bryon, Scott, Southey and
many Others. | have even heard a
young advocate of the lost arts
find an argument in lyron's "Sen-
nacherib" from the fact that the
mail Of the warriors in that one
short night had rusted before the
trembling Jews stole out in the
morning to behold the terrible work
OF the Lord. Scott, in his "Tales
ofthe Crusaders for Sir Waiter
was curious III Ills love ofthe lost
arts-describes meeting between
Richard Ceur de Leon and Sala-
din. Saladin asks Richard to show
him the wonderful strength for
which he is famous, and the Nor
man monarch responds by severing
a bar of iron which lies on the floor
ofhis tent. Saladin says, Il cannot
do that,' but he takes an cider
down pillow from the sofa, and,
drawing his keen blade across it, it
falls in two pieces. Richard says,
''This is the black art; it is magic ;
it is the devil; you cannot cut that
which has no resistance !" and Sal
adm, to show him that such is not
the case, takes q scarf from his
shoulders, which is SO light that it
almost floats in the air, and, tos-
sing it up, sewers It before it' can
descend. George Thompson told
me he saw a man IN Calcutta throw
a handful Of floss silk into the air
and sever it into pieces with his
saber. We can produce nothing
like this.
EGYPT's MECHANICAL MARvELs.
Taking their employment of the
mechanical forces, and their move
ment Of large masses from the
earth, we know that the Egyptians
had the five, seven Or three mechan-
ical powers, but we cannot account
for the multiplication and increase
necessary to perform the wonders
they accomplished.
In Boston, lately, we have moved
the Pelham Hotel, weighing 5O,-
900 tons, fourteen feet, and are very
proud oft, and since then we have
moved a whole block Of houses
twenty-three feet, and | have 10
doubt we will write a book aboutit;
but there is a book telling how
Domenico Foutana Of the sixteenth