grained Parchment, or Shagreen. 223 



cient quantity of vitriol of iron is diffolved in water, with 

 which the fhagreen is moiftened on both fides, and by this 

 operation it acquires a beautiful black dye. It is then dreffed 

 at the edges, and in other places where there are any ble- 

 miflies. 



To obtain white fhagreen, the fkins muft firft be moiftened, 

 on the fhagreen fide, with a ftrong folution of alum. When 

 the (kin has imbibed this liquor, it is daubed over on both 

 fides with a paRe made of flour, which is futfercd to dry. 

 The pafte is then walhed off with alum-water, and the fkin 

 is placed in the fun till it is completely dry. As foon as it 

 is dry, it is gently befmeared with pure melted (beep's tal- 

 low, which it is fuffered to imbibe in the fun ; and, to pro" 

 mote the efleft, it is preffed and worked with the hands. 

 The fkins are then fattened in fucceflion to the before-men- 

 tioned bench, where warm water is poured over them, and 

 the fuperfluous fat is fcraped off with a blunt wooden inftru- 

 ment. In the laft operation the w^arm water is of great fer- 

 vice. In this manner fhagreen perfeftly white is obtained, 

 and nothing remains but to pair the edges and drefs it. 



But this white (hagreen is not intended fo much for re- 

 maininof in that ftale as for receiving a dark red dye, becaufe, 

 by the above previous procefs, the colour becomes much 

 more perfect:. The fkins defl;ined for a red colour muft not 

 be immerfed firft in ley of bitter fait earth {Jchora)^ and then 

 in pickle, but, after they have been whitened, mvift be left 

 to foak in the pickle for twenty-four hours. The dye is pre- 

 pared from cochineal, which the Tartars call kirmitz. About 

 a pound of the dried herb tfchagann, which grows in great 

 abundance in the neighbourhood of Afiracan, and is a kind 

 of foda-plant or kali, {falfola ericoides*,) is boiled a full 

 hour in a kettle containing about four common pailfulls of 

 water; by which means the water acquires a greenifli co- 



* The bc-iutiful red Turkey leather is dyed with cochineal prepaicd 

 in the fame manner. Profeiror Gmehn junior, in the fecond part of his 

 Travels through Ruflia, explains the he\h /fc-hn^anfi by wtemifia annua, 

 haviri); doubtlcfs been deceived by the appearance the plant acquires after 

 »t has been dried. Befides, this artrmifin is found onlv in the middle of 

 Sib»ri?, an4 never on the weft fide of the Irtifch. 



5 lour. 



