James Nasmyth to Faraday   15 June 1848

Barnbro Hall nr Doncaster | June 15, 1848

My dear Sir

Your very kind and valued note of the 12th has just reached me here while enjoying a few days holiday with my dear wife¹ at her Fathers² nice place here among fine oak trees and green fields, where with pencil in hand I am attempting to Paint "The Alchemist before the Inquisition" from Washington Irvings³ admirable tale of "The Student of Salamanca"⁴.

I greatly wish I could have been present to listen to your Lecture of tomorrow Eving⁵ and feel much honoured that you meditate alluding to my views on a similar subject⁶. It is rather singular that while the Foreigner⁷ should hold that he has discovered that Diamond is Coke, I should long since have held that Coke was diamond in so far as respects its extreme hardness and power of cutting Glass. I shall be very happy if by announcing this fact to the world as your mention of it will naturally do⁸, that the discovery of it may in that way be made to thousands who may turn it to some usefull purpose.

I have had no other opportunity or means of making the Experiment as to the grinding power of Coke dust than in the humble application of material for Razor Strop powder in which I find that coke dust infinitely fine and procured by Levigation, does certainly set a very keen Edge on a Razor as respects its polishing power[.] I found it too keen and in using it in polishing Speculum metal I found it cut such very fine cuts into the surface as to cause me to lay it aside for that purpose, [(]ie polishing) but for fine grinding it is I should say quite the thing. These infinitely fine particles of Coke appear to be thin plates of infinite hardness which when presented to the surface you want to cut Edgeways appear to send in a very deep cut of great cleavage - just in fact such as the diamond does in the case of Glass[.]

I am fain to consider Coke as a metal[l]ic body or Carbonium or very near to it. Steel to be an alloy of this metal[l]ic base of Carbon in Iron, but as I have not yet had an opportunity to ask nature the question in the proper manner I am not able to write Q.E.D to my hypothesis on that hand[.]

The Encouraging opinion which you gave me of the correctness of the principle of my Steam Pile driver has been most fully established in practice⁹[.] I have made 22 of them which are thumping away in all parts of the world and giving the highest satisfaction. The Emperor of Russia¹⁰ has just sent me a most magnificent Diamond Ring containing 140 Diamonds¹¹ (which I dont intend to reduce to Coke) in testimony of his high satisfaction with the performance of two of my pile Drivers which I have sent him for the Foundation work of a great arsenal at Cronstadt. I have made 232 steam Hammers already which is not bad progress with a new tool. I am glad to say I have kept clear of all damage from the Late Commercial Earthquake and begin to think I may bring "the cottage in Kent" to a focus and visable [sic] to the naked Eye D.V. some time about 1854¹² when I hope to devote myself to the elaboration of all my pet schemes which the world shall be then welcome to in consideration of their having used me on the whole very well. Telescope making has been the pet hobby of the Evenings for the last two years and in respect to the production of most perfect specula in respect to casting, grinding and Polishing by machinery I think I have done some thing good¹³. The polishing process is the work of a machine entirely and leaves nothing to wish for, it is the idea of a friend Mr Lassell¹⁴ of Liverpool. I am still at work on the moon and find it an exhaustless subject of the highest interest[.]

May I beg to present my most Respectfull regards to Mrs Faraday in which Mrs N wishes to unite.

Trusting you will pardon this very long winded Scribble

Believe me I am | Ever most faithfully yours | James Nasmyth

M. Faraday Esq