THE II .ITER BLEEJEO 



37 



It is not onlv the character ot the huttalo hide and 

 its thickness which makes it unfit tor producini^ leather 

 of the hest quality, hut the taking oti ot the hide and 

 its drvinir still further tend to make the hide unsuitahle 



Fabtciiing butfalo hidc^ on bamboo frames tur drying. The\ arc- 

 held in place by tying with grass twine 



for tanning. The hides of hutf'aloes which are killed in 

 slaughter houses for heef are hetter taken off and more 

 carefully dried than those taken from the animals hy 

 the natiyes in the up-country districts, as the latter are 

 frequently mutilated hy cuts and slashes which, with 

 careless hranding, seriously damage the hides. The fa- 

 cilities of the natives for tanning are so crude and the 

 leather produced so inferior that hut a yery limited 

 number (jt hides are used tor this purpose. 



