to prepare Morocco Leather, . 45 
fmaller hairs; after which they are wafhed in running water, 
and rinfed with care. After remaining a night in the water, 
they are dried in the open air. Thirty parts of thefe tkins 
are then placed in two quintals of bran, (each part confifts 
of fix fkins, and the quintal is 150 pounds.) They are fuf- 
fered to continue in this ftace, tuming them every day, till 
they have acquired a great degree of pliability. They are af- 
terwards wafhed again in running water, and trod upon with 
the feet; then thrown into a fecond bath made with white 
figs, about a quintal and a quarter of which are employed 
for thirty parts of {kins. The figs render the water fapona- 
ceous. They are left in this bath four or five days, during 
which they are often turned; and, while immerfed in the 
water, they are for three days befprinkled with finely pounded 
rock-falt. The water is then drained off, and, being again 
befprinkled with falt, they are placed in a heap in a flat vef- 
fel, where they imbibe the falt completely. The water they 
contain is wrung out by twifting them; and they then be- 
come exceedingly pliable, and fit for receiving the colour. 
If deftined to be red, half a pound of cochineal and three 
ounces of alum are employed for ten parts of fkins. They 
are then put into pits, where tan-beds are formed of about 
fifty pounds for each fkin; which is turned in fuch a man- 
mer that the grain is infide, and that the fkin may be filled 
with the tanning water. At the end of eight days they are 
turned infide out, and are ftill filled with the tanning water, 
in which they are left for fix days; care being taken to flir 
them, They,are then rinfed in running water; {eraped with 
an iron inftrument; cut up along the belly; and foftened 
with a litile oil. They are dried in the fun, and then cooled 
in the fhade: after which they are gently befprinkled with 
water, and the edges are paired off with three different in- 
ftruments of iron. When the red is too dark, a decoétion of 
a plant called razoul al achbi, a kind of annual mefembrian- 
themuim, is employed ‘to weaken it. This liquid is applied 
warm, by pouring a {poonful over each fkin, 
If the morocco is intended to be yellow, the fkins are pre- 
pared as for the red, but not falted till they. are put into the 
fig-bath ; and for five dozen of fkins, twenty-five pounds of 
tan 
