406 Roree in Khypoor. [No. 113. 



land he lets out the air from the sack, replenishes it with water and 

 resumes his journey. He fixes the goat skin with loops to the upper part 

 of his thighs and binds it lengthwise on his stomach with the legs of the 

 beast uppermost, taking care that his head is exactly between them. It 

 is a delicate task to preserve the balance. If the traveller shifts a little 

 to either side the skin it turns him on his back and it would be a miracle 

 if he escape drowning. He is instructed to make short and regular strokes 

 with his hands and feet and preserve his presence of mind. Two native 

 soldiers of the British army, attempted in my presence to swim the Indus 

 at Sukhur on skins with their clothes tied upon their heads, and did not 

 accomplish a dozen yards before they where thrown on their backs in 

 the manner described, and but for the assistance of some Sindees, who 

 swam with them in expectation of the accident, they would have been 

 drowned. 



The following is a description of the rude process of tanning and curing 

 leather in Khyrpoor. After the skin of an animal has been well rubbed 

 on both sides for a day, with a solution of lime to remove the hair and 

 cellular fibre, it is left twenty-four hours, after which the lime is washed 

 off and the hide soaked in water for the same period. When removed 

 from the water it is rubbed over on both sides with thick gruel of wheat 

 and rice flour for another day and night, and dried four hours. It is 

 then well rubbed with goor (molasses) and linseed oil and rolled up very 

 tight. It is suspended next day to a wooden triangle and stuffed full of 

 the bark of acacia and *khyr trees which contains the vegetable principle 

 called tannin. Water is poured into it three days and the tan liquor that 

 falls into a vessel placed underneath to receive it, is poured again and 

 again into the hide which acquires a reddish brown hue in about the 

 period mentioned. The hide being withdrawn from the infusion of bark, 

 is drained and dried by turning it in the sun twenty-four hours. Some 

 finely pounded salt is sprinkled upon it and it is well rubbed inside and 

 out with linseed oil. It is then subjected to heavy pressure with stones 

 for a day, and afterwards rubbed dry with cloths which concludes the 

 tanning process. The hide of a Bull, Cow, or Buffaloe costs 14 annas 

 (9 pence) tanning and curing, of which six annas are expended on the 

 materials and eight annas on labour. The sale price is 2£ rupees 

 (5 shillings.) 



One of the principal confectioners of Roree gave me the following list 



Mimosa Chadira. The Catechu (terra Japonic* ) is obtained from this tree. 



