1803. Method of Tcmnwg Leather in Leiuh. 137 



Britlfh dominions -, yet the people are generally more cleanly 

 in their perfons, are taller, and more elegantly formed, than 

 occurs in feveral other diftricts more frequently reforted to. 

 They have alfo a natural politenefs, and difpofition to oblige, in 

 which there is no mixture of affedation. 



I afterwards learned that this mode of tanning leather Is gene- 

 rally pradifed, not only in Lewis, but in mod of the Hebri- 

 dian iflands. 



Their mode of proceeding, as far as I could colIe£l It, Is as 

 follows : 



They firft apply to the fklns a quantity of lime, diluted with 

 water ; the lime is commonly procured from burnt fea-fhells. 

 I fuppofe the intention of this may be, to make the flcins part 

 with the hair, the epidermis, and fat they may contain. 



After the lime has operated its intended effed, the fklns are 

 fcraped as clean as poflible, waflied, and immerfed fome time in 

 a running ftream. I fuppofe the elte£i: cf this may be, to 

 extract the gluten, or foluble mucilage, from the Ikins. 



Laftly, the tan-juice is applied which is procured from the 

 green tops of heath (heather) or from tormentil and other aftrin- 

 gent plants which grow In mofles. 



Thefe plants they colle^l, and having chopped or bruifed 

 them, they boil them a long time in a pot, adding, when necef- 

 fary, new materials until a fufficiently concentrated juice be ob- 

 tained. When one potful is prepared it is fet afide, and ano- 

 ther filled as before, until the quantity neceiTary for the {kins 

 on hand be procured. 



It may be proper to obferve that they prefer tormentil, where 

 a fufficient quantity can be procured, to every other plant. 

 When this is not the cafe, they mix the tormentil, or fome 

 other aftringent rnofs-plants, the names of which I could not 

 learn, with the heath. In other fituations, where fuch mofs- 

 plants are not to be found, or are not known, they extract the 

 tan-juice from heath alone. 



The tan-juice, thus obtained, Is fometlmes applied by rub- 

 bing it upon the {kin, previouily {Iretched upon a door, or other 

 board. But the moft common practice is, to immerfe the fklns 

 in the juice in a ve{rel of fufiicient capacity to allow them to 

 lye loofe, and to be eafily turned. Frequently a hole dug in a 

 mofs is ufed as a tanpit ; and they think that the water, which 

 oozes from the mofs, contributes fome aid to produce the e{Fe(£l. 

 They generally prefer mofs-water for extracting their tanning 

 lee ; and in all cafes the lee is allowed to cool before it is ap- 

 plied to the {kins. 



I heard of others who were not at the pains to boll their 

 plants ; but, having collecSled a fufficient quantity of heath, or 

 Other aftringcat vegetables into a mofs hoie^ or other convenient 



place. 



