KANO LEATHER 143 



Kano leather, or, in Europe, " Morocco Leather." It is 

 said that from early times caravans have annually con- 

 veyed numbers of these skins from the Kano markets across 

 the Sahara to the towns in North Africa, whence they were 

 exported to Trieste and other ports of the Mediterranean. 



During recent years the caravan trade has almost en- 

 tirely disappeared, but some quantity of skins now come 

 to Liverpool by way of the coast ports. The value of 

 skins in Kano itself averages about 5|d, but the cost of 

 transport at present has made it almost impracticable to 

 export remuneratively, and a very small trade exists in 

 consequence. 



By far the greater number of skins, which are tanned, 

 are dyed a bright red, yellow, or green colour, which seems 

 to rather depreciate them in the European markets for 

 many uses to which they might otherwise be put, undyed 

 and even untanned skins being in greater demand. (See 

 Bulletin of the Imperial Institute, vol. vi. [1908], p. 175; 

 and vol. viii. [1910], p. 402.) It has also been said that 

 the tanning is often insufficiently done, and the skins 

 become blotched in consequence. It is noticeable that 

 Kano leather quickly becomes spotted in the damp coast 

 regions, and for this reason it is probable that no great 

 direct European trade will be established until better 

 methods are introduced and more rapid transport is 

 arranged. There may, however, be a considerable trade 

 done in the untanned skins. 



The best class of Kano or Niger leather is valued at 

 a high price for bookbinding. 



In the country a fair amount of leather is manufactured 

 for saddlery and horse trappings, pillows, mattress covers, 

 sword scabbards, boots and hats, elaborate designs being 

 often produced by the skilful introduction of pieces of 

 differently coloured leather. 



In preparing the leather the skin is stripped off the 

 animal and usually pegged out for drying in the sun, 

 after which it is immersed for two or three days in a 

 liquid made by pounding the pods and seeds of Acacia 

 arabica (" Baggarua "), and soaking them in water. The 

 hides are then again pegged out and scraped in order 

 to remove the hair, and when dry the best attain a 

 creamy white colour, others being pale brownish. Palm 

 oil or shea-butter is then rubbed in on the smooth side 



