[270] Thut, Tuth, Toth, Thoth, &c., the moon-god who became Hermes Trismegistus.
[271] Phosphor-bronze, for whose manufacture companies are now established in London and elsewhere, has the ordinary composition with the addition of red or amorphous phosphorus dropped upon the melted metal in the crucible. Berthier (Traité des Essais, ii. 410) states that a very small quantity of phosphorus renders copper extremely hard and suitable for cutting instruments. Percy (Metallurgy) found that copper will take up 11 per cent. of phosphorus; the metal, which assumes a grey tint, is quite homogeneous, and so hard that it can scarcely be touched by the file. The addition of phosphorus promotes the reduction of the oxides, and enables an exceedingly sound and durable casting to be made; but if it exceed ½ per cent. the metal becomes very brittle. Dr. Percy has described phosphor-silver, phosphor-lead, and phosphor-iron. The phosphorus is, according to some authorities, apt to volatilise with time. At present a new form of bronze, the antimonial, in proportions of 1–2 per cent., is coming into fashion: it is said to be malleable and ductile, and to resist torsion in a high degree. Another new bronze is the aluminium, whose price has been reduced from 1,000l. to 100l. per ton by Mr. Webster, of Hollywood, near Birmingham.
[272] So called from Cape Emeri in Naxos.
[273] Appendix to Layard’s Nineveh and Babylon (London: Murray). The proportions are nearly those of our day. We may assume our common bronze at 11:100 for large, and 10:100 for small objects. Cymbals and sounding instruments, however, contain tin 22:copper 78.
[274] Analysed by Mr. Robinson of Pimlico (Day, p. 110).
[275] Schliemann’s Troy, p. 361 (London: Murray, 1875).
[276] Sir W. Gell found the bronze nails in the ‘Treasury of Atreus’ composed of 12 tin to 88 copper. The Trojan battle-axes, according to Dr. Schliemann, yielded only 4, 8, and 9 per cent. of the former metal.
[277] According to Helbig, the Palafittes and Terramare villagers had spears but not Swords.
[278] For the tin-ore of Peru see Ethnolog. Journal, vol. lxx. pp. 258–261. Rivero, p. 230, and Garcilasso, vol. i. p. 202.
[279] Amer. Journ. of Science, &c. v. 42; July 1866.