Appendix 313 



sew up the holes which have been made by bullets, assagais, 

 or through the clumsiness of the men who have cut up the 

 animal. The skin is then stretched in the sun, with the 

 hair underneath against the ground (which has been swept), 

 by means of wooden pegs or hooks, through which pass 

 cords attached to stakes driven into the ground. 



In Europe you are recommended to tan the skin with a 

 mixture of alum and salt, and to place it in the shade. 

 That is impracticable in Africa, for if you are not quick in 

 drying it, flies and insects of all kinds get into it, and before 

 it is dry , it is spoiled and full of larva?. On the other 

 hand, you have a chance of preserving the skin by placing 

 it in the full light of the sun, where flies do not venture. 

 As to ingredients, arsenical soap and sublimate are more 

 efficacious than alum. The use of salt must be avoided, 

 first of all because of its scarcity, and next because the 

 moisture in the air makes skins which contain salt sweat. 

 When the skin is well pegged down you pass a first coat of 

 arsenical soap or paste over it, using the preparation freely 

 at the head, feet, and other fleshy parts. This has generally 

 to be done several times. 



If these parts are not dry in the evening you cover the 

 skin with a sailcloth to protect it from the night damp, and 

 leave it in the sun one day more, or else you roll it up, 

 leaving only the head and feet, if they are not dry, still 

 exposed. Upon the flesh side being perfectly dry you turn 

 the skin over, and, after carefully brushing it, you pass over 

 the hair, with a brush or piece of rag, a solution of alcohol 

 and sublimate in the proportion of 1 per cent (ten grammes to 

 the litre). The alcohol evaporates and the sublimate remains 

 on the hair, keeping away the myriads of insects which are 

 the enemies of animal matter, and against which the naturalist 

 must continually wage war. 



Bones and skulls intended for mounting with skins you 

 simply boil for one hour. By this means the flesh is 

 removed, after which you wash them, put some of the 



