104 
THE ZENAGUES. 
Having thrown water upon the ashes so as to wet them tho- 
roughly, they close up the pit with a layer of cow- dung. 
The hide is left in this state for six or eight days, at the end 
of which time they scrape it with a knife to take off the 
hair, and then wash it well to cleanse it from the ashes. 
When cleaned it is put into a large calabash with the bark 
of the boscia and the seed of the mimosa, (the same that 
is known in commerce by the name of babela, and on the 
Senegal by that of nem-nem,) taking care to rub and mix 
them well. Water is poured upon it to soak it thoroughly ; 
in this state it is left for four days or more, then taken out 
again and scraped, to remove any hair that may have re- 
mained after the first operation. When thoroughly cleaned, 
it is again put into the calabash with an increased quantity 
of seed, reduced to powder and sufficiently moistened. 
Four days suffice to tan it completely. At the end of 
this time, it is well washed, and scraped with sharp-edged 
shells, which the Moors bring from the sea- shore. Sheep 
and goat skins are tanned in the same manner, only more 
quickly, from being thinner. The leather which is tanned 
by this process, is exactly of the same colour as ours, and 
very good. For common purposes it is used without fur- 
ther preparation, and a little butter is applied to grease it, 
when it is required to be particularly supple. The women 
also make soap of beef-tallow and ley ; but the soap is very 
bad, washes ill and gives an unpleasant smell to the linen. 
When a tributary is unusually oppressed by his master, 
he can choose another. He takes his flocks and all he pos- 
sesses to him to whom he wishes to subject himself, and 
tries to cut off his ear, if he finds him asleep, or to kill his 
horse 3 from that moment he is tributary to this new 
master, who has immense power over him, while the 
former loses all his authority. If the fugitive should be 
taken again before he has cut off the ear or killed the horse, 
he is beaten, stripped of all he possesses, and driven away 
