1 14  Dr.  macbride’s  improved 
of  hides  and  flans,  when  thefe  are  laid  away  in  the  tan- 
pits. 
The  ooze  is  made  by  macerating  the  bark  in  common 
water,  in  a particular  fet  of  holes  or  pits,  which,  to  dif- 
tineuifh  them  from  the  other  holes  in  the  tan-yard,  are 
termed  letches. 
The  firft  operation  of  the  tanner  is  to  cleanfe  his  hides 
from  all  extraneous  filth,  and  remove  any  remains  of 
flefh  or  fat  which  may  have  been  left  behind  by  the 
butcher. 
The  hair  is  next  to  be  taken  off,  and  this  is  accom- 
plished either  by  fteeping  the  hides  for  a fliort  time  in  a 
mixture  of  lime  and  water,  which  is  termed  liming  for  by 
rolling  them  up  clofe,  and  piling  them  in  heaps,  where 
they  quickly  begin  to  heat  and  putrify.  The  hair  being 
loofened  is  feraped  off,  and  the  tanner  proceeds  to  the 
operation  called  flefhing,  which  confifts  in  a further 
feraping,  with  a particular  kind  of  knife  contrived  for 
the  purpofe,  and  cutting  away  the  jagged  extremities  and 
offal  parts,  fuch  as  the  ears  and  noftrils. 
The  raw  leather  is  then  put  into  an  alcaline  ley,  in 
order  to  difeharge  the  oil,  and  render  its  pores  more 
capable  of  imbibing  the  ooze.  The  tanners  of  this 
country  generally  make  their  ley  of  pigeon’s  dung;  but 
a more 
