372 



OF THE PROCESS 



the Jews as by the Amhara of the present day. By 

 a species of gratitude, sincere as it is deserved, 

 Myah, the word signifying ass, is used by the 

 latter people as another designation for friend ; and 

 I well remember the mistake of a learner of that 

 language who went into a great rage by being 

 accosted " hiyah" by an Amhara friend. 



The skins of sheep and of small goats are made 

 into parchment by being more particularly divested 

 of the fleshy fibres with the rough stone, and then, 

 after the hairs have been removed by putrefaction, 

 simply drying in the sun. For this purpose, it is 

 stretched in a favourable situation, a few inches 

 from the ground, by a number of small wooden 

 pegs, which are inserted into small apertures made 

 in the edge of the skin, and it is thus prevented 

 from becoming corrugated during the process of 

 drying. 



In the same manner, the larger hides of cow t s and 

 oxen are dried, most frequently before putrefaction 

 has produced any effect upon the hairs, and which, 

 of course, then remain. This is the general seat 

 for visitors during the day, and their bed at night, 

 unless a tanned hide (nit, as it is termed) can be 

 procured, and which is considered softer and more 

 suitable for a respected guest. 



The nit, or leather, is tanned by being made into 

 a kind of trough, which contains an infusion of 

 the bark of the kantuffa acacia. This trough is 

 formed by a skin being loosely extended upon four 



