MODE OF PREPARING SKINS FOR CLOAKS. 
591 
employment into an amusement. The skin being laid upon the 
ground, and having another skin stretched under it, several men, 
from two to as many as can sit round it, employ themselves upon it 
at the same time. The operation of bringing it into the state of 
leather consists in alternately pushing it together and distending it. 
If only two persons are at work, they sit or kneel opposite to each 
other, and at the same instant, push the skin forward, not only by 
the movement of their hands, but by that of their whole body ; by 
which the operators are brought almost in contact with each other. 
Then quickly rising, they draw themselves backwards, and pull the 
skin open. Immediately they again drive it together, and again 
stretch it out ; continuing all the while to keep time to these move- 
ments, by a strange savage noise more like that of dogs fighting 
over a bone, or of wild beasts growling and yelling over their 
prey, than of men singing for amusement ; for such it is meant to 
be, although more properly described as a howling and grunting. 
If several persons engage in this employment, half their num- 
ber at a time go through these motions ; and on rising up, the other 
half fall forwards and push the skin into a heap in the centre : thus 
each party making their movements alternately in quick succession, 
the skin, to which they generally add grease to diminish its stiffness, 
is rendered, after a few days' work, exceedingly pliable, and perhaps 
much softer than it could have been made by the usual method of 
tanning in a ley of bark. Afterwards, those parts of the skin, which 
have not been sufficiently softened by this process, are rubbed 
together by the hand. The raw hide, previously to the above oper- 
ation, undergoes much preparatory scraping, either with an adze or 
with a sharp piece of stone. 
The form of the kobo differs a little in shape from the Hottentot 
kaross, by having the two upper corners, which meet over the breast, 
enlarged by a broad appendage for the purpose of more completely 
protecting that part of the body. The leathern cloaks are more com- 
monly made of the skin of the kaama *, which is preferred as being 
* Either the Antilope Bvhalis, Linn, or the Antilope lunata. 
