i22 Method employed at Ajlracan for making 



poured over it^ and the mixture is ftirred round till the ccr- 

 lour begins to be! dilToIved. Five pounds of pounded alakar, 

 which is a kind of barilla or crude foda, prepared by the Ar- 

 menians and Calmucs, is then diflblved in it, with two pounds 

 of lime *■ and a pound of pure honey, and the whole is kept 

 feveral days in the fun, and during that time frequently ftirred 

 round. Thefkins intended to be dyed blue muft be moiftened 

 only in the natrons ley fchora, but not in the fait brine. 

 When ftill moift, they are folded up and fewed together at 

 the edge, the flefh fide being innermoft, and the fliagreened 

 hair fide outwards ; after which they are dipped three times 

 in the remains of an exhaufted kettle of the fame dye, the 

 fuperfluous dye being each time exprefl'ed ; and after this" 

 procefs they are dipped in the frefli dye prepared as above, 

 which muft not be.expreftcd. The (kins are then hung up 

 in the fliade to dry ; after which they are cleaned and paired 

 at the edges. 



For black fliagreen, gall-nuts and vitriol are employed in 

 the following manner: — The Ikins, moift from the pickle, 

 are thickly beftrewed with finely pulverifed gall-nuts. They 

 are then folded together, and laid over each other for twenty- 

 four hours. A new ley, of bitter faline earth or fchora , is in 

 the mean time prepared, and poured hot into fmall troughs. 

 In this' ley each fkin is feveral times dipped; after which 

 they are again beftrewed with pounded gall-nuts, and placed 

 in heaps for a certain period, that the galls may thoroughly 

 penetrate them, and they are dried .and beat, to free them 

 from the duft of the galls. When this is done, they are rubbed 

 over, on the (hagreen fide, with melted flieep's tallow, and 

 expofed a little in the fun, that they may imbibe the greafe. 

 The fhagreen-makers are accuftomed alfo to roll up each 

 (kin feparately, and to prefs or fqueeze it with their hands 

 again ft fome hard fubftance, in order to promote the abforp- 

 tion of the tallow. The fuperfluous particles are removed by 

 means of a blunt wooden fcraper {tirak) ; and when this pro- 

 cefs is finiftied, and the fkins have lain fome time, a fuffi- 



* Qi;ick-lime is probably meant here, which, by taking up the carbonx 

 acid of the alkali, and thereby rendering it cauftic, will enable it to efteft 

 a mechanical folution, or rather an impalpable commiiiucion, of the indigo. 

 Eoii, 



cient 



