grained Parchment, or Shagreen. izi 



raife the grain. As the feeds occafion indentations in the 

 furface of the fkin, the intermediate fpaces, by the operations 

 of fmoothing and fcraping, lofe fome part of their projecting 

 fubftance; but the points which have been depreffed, and 

 which have loft none of their fubftance, now fwell up above 

 the fcraped parts, and thus fomi the grain of the fhagrecn. 

 To produce this eifecl, the fkins are left to foak in water for 

 twenty-four hours ; after which they are immerfed feveral 

 times in a ftrong warm ley, obtained, by boiling, from a 

 Itrong alkaline earth named fchora, which is found in great 

 abundance in the neighbourhood of Aftracan. When the 

 Ikins have been taken from this ley, they are piled up, while 

 warm, on each other, and fuffercd to remain in that fiate 

 feveral hours ; by which means they fwell, and become foft. 

 They are then left twenty-four hours in a moderately ftrong 

 pickle of common fait, which renders them exceedingly white 

 and beautiful, and fit for receiving any colour. The colour 

 moft ufual for thefe fkins is a fea-green ; but old experienced 

 workmen can dye them blue, red, or black, and even make 

 white fhagreen. 



For the green colour nothing is neceflary but filings of 

 copper and fal-ammoniac. Sal-ammoniac is diflblved in 

 water till the water is completely faturated ; and the fhagreen 

 fkins, ftill moift, after being taken from the pickle, are 

 waflied over with the folution on the ungrained flefli fide, 

 and when well moiftened a thick layer of copper filings is 

 flrewed over them : the fkins are then folded double, fo that 

 the fide covered with the filings is innermdft. Each fl:in is 

 then rolled up in a piece of felt; the rolls are all ranged 

 together in proper order, and they are prelTed down in an 

 uniform manner by fome heavy bodies placed over them, 

 under which they remain twenty-four hours. During that 

 period the folution of fal-ammoniac diflblves a quantity of 

 the cupreous particles fufficient to penetrate the fkin and to 

 give it a fea-green colour. If the firft application be not 

 fufiicient, the procefs is repeated in the fame manner j after 

 which the fkins are fpread out and dried. 



For the blue dye, indigo is ufed. About two pounds of it, 

 reduced to a fine powder, are put into a kettle ; cold water is 



poured 



