230 Method employed at AJlracan for mahng 



The frames, without fliaking the feeds, are then carried out 

 into the open air, and placed in a reclining pofition againft a 

 wall to dry, the fide covered with the feeds being next the 

 wall, in order tliat it may be fheltered from the fun. In this 

 flate the fkins muft be left fevcral days to dry in the fun, 

 until no appearance of moillure is obferved in them; when 

 they are fit to be taken from the frames. When the im- 

 prefled feeds are beat oft' from the hair fide, it appears full of 

 indentations or inequalities, and has acquired that impreflRon 

 which is to produce the grain of the fliagrecn, after the fkins 

 have been fubjcded to the laft fmoothing or fcraping, and 

 have been dipped in a ley, which will be mentioned here- 

 after, before they receive the dye. 



The operation of fmoothing is performed on an inclined 

 bench or board, which is furniflied with an iron hook, and 

 is covered with thick felt or flieep's wool, on which the dry 

 Ikin may gently reft. The (kin is fufpended in the middle of 

 the bench or board to its iron hook, by means of one of the 

 holes made in the edge of the fkin for extending it in its 

 frame as before mentioned; and a cord, having at its extre- 

 mity a ftone or a weight, is attached to each end of the Ikin, 

 to keep it in its pofition while under the hands of the work- 

 man. It is then fubjcfted to the operation of fmoothing and 

 fcraping by means of two difTcrent inftruments. The firft 

 ufed for this purpofe, called by the Tartars tokar, is a piece 

 of (liarp iron bent like a hook, with which the furface of the 

 ihagreen is pretty clofely fcrapcd to remove all the projefting 

 inequalities. This operation, on account of the corneous 

 hardnefs of the dry (kin, is attended with fome difficulty; 

 and great caution is at the fame time required that too much 

 of the imprclfion of the alabuta feed be not deftroyed, which 

 might be ihe cafe if the iron were kept too fliarp. As the 

 iron, however, is pretty blunt, which occafions inequalities 

 on the fliagreen, this inconvenience muft afterwards be re- 

 medied by means of a fharp fcraping-iron or nrak, by which 

 the furface acquires a perfetSl uniformity, and only faint in:i- 

 preffions of the alahuia feed then remain, and fuch as the 

 workman witjies. After all thefe operations, the fliagreen is 

 again put into water, partly to make it pliable^ and g|rtly to 



. ■ raife 



