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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



bushbok, with its rows of white spots and stripes upon a yellow 

 ground. Leopard-skins are worn by chiefs only." Of the Bongo 

 the same author says that they "simply knead and full by ashes and 

 dung the skin for their aprons, etc.; they also apply fat and oil un- 

 til the skins are pliant." Kaffirs, we are told, invite friends to help 

 them in dressing skins. The party " sit around the skin and scrape 

 it, carefully removing all fat and reducing the thickness. They 







Fig. 4. Beating- club, used in making Tappa Cloth; Sticks for stamping Patterns on 



Bark Cloth. Hawaiian Islands. 



then work it all over by pulling and stretching it over their knees. 

 When completely kneaded each takes a bunch of iron skewers or 

 acacia thorns and revolves the bundle in his hands, points down- 

 ward, on the skin, to tear up the fibers and add pliancy and raise 

 a fine thick nap. Powder of decayed acacia stumps is then rub- 

 bed into the skin with the hands. A little grease is then carefully 

 rubbed in." The beautiful buckskin which our own Indians make 

 is well known. The skin is soaked in a lye of wood ashes for some 

 time. It is then stretched and pegged out, the hair scraped off, 



