316 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



roots; the follicles then close up, thus producing a 

 smooth velvety fur. The skins of the unhaired furs 

 are then tanned with seal oil. The oil is painted on 

 the flesh side of the skins and combines with the skin, 

 forming a leather resembling the so-called chamois- 

 skin or leather. The oil is worked into the skins by 

 working them in a mill ; formerly this operation was 

 carried out by men treading on the skins with their 

 bare feet. After the skins are completely tanned, the 

 surplus of oil is removed by rolling the seal skins 

 with hardwood sawdust in a mill several times. Be- 

 tween the runs, the dirty sawdust is shaken out in a 

 tumbling mill, so that fresh clean sawdust can get 

 down into the fur and absorb the oil. 



The fur is then dyed. The skins are not dipped in 

 a dye bath, but are brushed first with the mordant 

 and then with a solution of the dyes. The first dye 

 used is a vegetable black, which is brushed upon the 

 upper half of the fur. The final application is a rich 

 brown vegetable color which is applied the whole 

 length of the fur from tips to the roots. Thus a half- 

 brown and half-black fur is produced which finds 

 such general favor that it is often imitated in other 

 furs. 



The leather of the pelt is still too thick to be used 

 by the furrier, and so it is reduced in thickness by 

 buffing on a large revolving cylindrical drum covered 

 with an abrasive. This operation removes the black 

 surface of the leather and exposes a light yellow 

 chamois leather. 



The first unhairing process removes only the 



