FISHERIES AND SEAL-HUNTING. 87 



leaves and tie them in bundles. These bundles of isinglass, produced 

 from the large sturgeon, are usually composed of from ten to fifteen 

 leaves, and weigh 1^ pounds each; while those of the common sturgeon, 

 or of the "sevriouga," contain twenty-five leaves, and weigh one pound 

 each. Generally, eighty of these bundles are sewed up in a linen bag; 

 they are also made up into small bales, covered with rush mats or with 

 liuen, and are then shipped, after being securely headed. 



The " poud" (36 pounds) of " sturgeon-leaf" costs in Astrachau from 

 120 to 180 " roubles," ($84 to $126 gold.) 



The swimming-bladder, deprived of its inner skin, that is, of the inner 

 shining cuticle of which isinglass is made, as described above, still con- 

 tains a certain quantity of glue, which is moistened with water, and then 

 removed by scraping it with a knife; this is also moistened with water, 

 and then kneaded. This mass is molded into small round tablets of 

 the size of a dollar, which are dried. This kind of fish-glue is shipped in 

 sacks, and costs less than the isinglass in leaves. 



The leaves of the glue from the Silurus are arranged in book-form, 

 and are dried on thin cords. They are shipped in bags containing 4 

 " pouds" (144 pounds) each. The glue gained from the Cyprinus carpio 

 is also in leaves, arrauged in packages of 30 each. 



Some persons at Astrachau have manufactured good fish-glue from 

 the scales of fish. Even at this day there lives iu the Cossack village of 

 Samyani, 60 " versts " (about 34£ miles) above Astrachau, a surgeon 

 named Sokologorski, who, from the scales of the Alosa, extracts glue in 

 thin and transparent leaves. According to his account, two pounds of 

 this glue are as good as one " poud " (30 pounds) of sturgeon-glue. 

 Unfortunately, he has not the necessary means to enable him to place 

 any considerable quantity of his manufactures in the market. 



Formerly, the shining cuticle of the swimming-bladder was dried, and 

 cut into long, straight strips, which were tied alternately together, one 

 by the side of the other and one on the top of the other. These strips 

 thus tied were then laid in water to become soft, and afterward pressed 

 to let the water run off. This matter was then molded into different 

 figures, such as horseshoes, lyres, hearts, cylinders, &c. Small wooden 

 bolts kept these figures in their original shape till they were completely 

 dry. The Ural Cossacks, even to this day, make " glue hearts," which 

 they put up in. packages of 42. It requires 1,500 ki glue lyres " to make 

 one " poud," (36 pounds,) and from 7,000 to 10,000 "glue horseshoes" 

 to make the same weight. 



Isinglass is used for clarifying various liquids, for making fine glue- 

 colors, for giving a gloss and finish to textile fabrics, for making plas- 

 ters, for taking the impress of coins, and finally in the kitchen for 

 making jellies. 



Manufacture of u veziga. v — "Veziga" is the name given to the dried 

 dorsal cord of various kinds of sturgeon. After the entrails, the roe, 

 and the swimming-bladder have been taken out of the fish, a small 



