”andwithoutacausebeingassigned，Iwasstoppedshort。Myfurnaces，attheorderofthemanager，werepulledinpieces，andanedictwaspassedthattheyshouldneverbeerectedagain。ThusterminatedmyresearchesattheClydeIronWorks。IthappenedatatimewhenIwasinterested——andIhadbeentwoyearspreviouslyoccupied——inanattempttoconvertcast-ironintosteel，withoutfusion，byaprocessofcementation，whichhadforitsobjectthedispersionorabsorptionofthesuperfluouscarboncontainedinthecast-iron，——anobjectwhichatthattimeappearedtomeofsogreatimportance，that，withtheconsentofafriend，IerectedanassayandcementingFurnaceatthedistanceofabouttwomilesfromtheClydeWorks。ThitherIrepairedatnight，andsometimesatthebreakfastanddinnerhoursduringtheday。Thisplanofoperationwasperseveredinforthewholeofonesummer，butwasfoundtoouncertainandlaborioustobecontinued。Atthelatterendoftheyear1798Ileftmychambers，andremovedfromtheClydeWorkstothedistanceofaboutamile，whereIconstructedseveralfurnacesforassayingandcementing，capableofexcitingagreatertemperaturethananytowhichIbeforehadaccess；andthusfornearlytwoyearsIcontinuedtocarryonmyinvestigationsconnectedwithironandthealloysofthemetals。”Thoughoperatinginaretiredmanner，andholdinglittlecommunicationwithothers，myviewsandopinionsupontheRATIONALEofiron-makingspreadovertheestablishment。Iwasconsideredforwardinaffectingtoseeandexplainmattersinadifferentwayfromotherswhoweremuchmyseniors，andwhowerecontenttobesatisfiedwitholdmethodsofexplanation，orwithnoexplanationatall……Notwithstandingtheseearlyreproaches，Ihavelivedtoseethenomenclatureofmyyouthfurnishavocabularyoftermsintheartofiron-making，whichisusedbymanyoftheironmastersofthepresentdaywithfreedomandeffect，incommunicatingwitheachotheronthesubjectoftheirrespectivemanufactures。Prejudicesseldomoutlivethegenerationtowhichtheybelong，whenopposedbyamorerationalsystemofexplanation。Inthisrespect，TimeasmyLordBaconsaysisthegreatestofallinnovators。”Inasimilarmanner，TimeoperatedinmyfavourinrespecttotheBlackBandIronstone。*
[footnote……
ThisvaluabledescriptionofironorewasdiscoveredbyMr。Mushet，asheafterwardsinformsusPapersonIronandSteel，121，intheyear1801，whencrossingtheriverCalder，intheparishofOldMonkland。Havingsubjectedaspecimenwhichhefoundintheriver-bedtothetestofhiscrucible，hesatisfiedhimselfastoitsproperties，andproceededtoascertainitsgeologicalpositionandrelations。Heshortlyfoundthatitbelongedtotheupperpartofthecoal-formation，andhencehedesignateditcarboniferousironstone。
Heprosecutedhisresearches，andfoundvariousrichbedsofthemineraldistributedthroughoutthewesterncountiesofScotland。Onanalysis，itwasfoundtocontainalittleover50percent。ofprotoxideofiron。Thecoalymatteritcontainedwasnotitsleastvaluableingredient；forbytheaidofthehotblastitwasafterwardsfoundpracticabletosmeltitalmostwithoutanyadditionofcoal。SeamsofblackbandhavesincebeendiscoveredandsuccessfullyworkedinEdinburghshire，Staffordshire，andNorthWales。
Thediscoveryofthiswasmadein1801，whenIwasengagedinerectingformyselfandpartnerstheCalderIronWorks。GreatprejudicewasexcitedagainstmebytheironmastersandothersofthatdayinpresumingtoclasstheWILDCOALSofthecountryasBlackBandwascalledwithironstonefitandproperfortheblastfurnace。YetthatdiscoveryhaselevatedScotlandtoaconsiderablerankamongtheiron-makingnationsofEurope，withresourcesstillinstorethatmaybeconsideredinexhaustible。ButsucharetheconsolatoryeffectsofTime，thatthediscovererof1801isnolongerconsideredtheintrusivevisionaryofthelaboratory，buttheacknowledgedbenefactorofhiscountryatlarge，andparticularlyofanextensiveclassofcoalandmineproprietorsandironmasters，whohavederived，andarestillderiving，greatwealthfromthisimportantdiscovery；andwho，inthespiritofgratefulacknowledgment，havepronounceditworthyofacrownofgold，oramonumentalrecordonthespotwherethediscoverywasfirstmade。”Atanadvancedperiodoflife，suchconsiderationsaresoothingandsatisfactory。Manyundersimilarcircumstanceshavenot，intheirownlifetime，hadthatmeasureofjusticeawardedtothembytheircountrytowhichtheywereequallyentitled。Iacceptit，however，asaboonjustlyduetome，andasanequivalentinsomedegreeforthatlaboriouscourseofinvestigationwhichIhadprescribedformyself，andwhich，inearlylife，wascarriedonundercircumstancesofpersonalexposureandinconvenience，whichnothingbutaframeofironcouldhavesupported。Theyatonealso，inpart，forthatdisappointmentsustainedinearlylifebythespeculativehabitsofonepartner，andtheconstitutionalnervousnessofanother，whicheventuallyoccasionedmyseparationfromtheCalderIronWorks，andlostmethepossessionofextensivetractsofBlackBandiron-stone，whichIhadsecuredwhilethevalueofthediscoverywasknownonlytomyself。”