130 
races the part played by leather has but little diminished in 
importance. 
Skins with the hair on are frequently merely dried, the inner 
part being dressed with some antiseptic preparation, and some¬ 
times curried or shaved. 
Leather, more properly so called, is usually tanned or prepared 
with bark, like shoe-leather—tawed, or prepared with alum &c., 
like kid-leather for gloves—or dressed with oil, like chamois or 
wash-leather. 
For each kind the skins pass through several processes, one 
of the principal being usually the steeping the hides in lime- 
water, so as to loosen the hair and prepare the substance of the 
skin for receiving the final dressings. The uses to which skins 
and leather may be applied are so multifarious, that it would 
occupy too much space to attempt to enumerate them. The 
following questions may suggest to travellers some points to¬ 
wards which their attention might be directed :— 
1. What are the animals the skins of which are principally 
prepared for use ? is any fish-skin used P 2. In what manner 
are they removed from the animals ? and what instruments are 
employed for the purpose ? 3. Which of them have the hair 
left upon them? and in what manner are they prepared or 
dressed ? is the hairy side dressed, or treated in any particular 
manner ? 4. If the hair is removed, in what manner is this 
effected ? and how are the hides tanned or prepared ? 5. What 
are the ingredients used for dressing them ? and how adminis¬ 
tered ? 6. Are the inner sides of the skins scraped or curried ? 
and if so, with what kind of instruments ? 7. Is any beating- 
process employed so as to render the leather supple ? 8. Is the 
preparation of leather the work of the men of the women ? 9. 
Is the leather dyed, or its surface in any way ornamented or 
varnished ? (In the case of shagreen, this is done by means of 
hard seeds being incorporated in the body of the leather. In 
the case of morocco leather, the grain is produced by crumpling 
the leather.) 
10. Are any skins used for holding liquids, like wine-skins ? 
if so, what are they? and how prepared? 11. Are raw hides 
used, either whole or in pieces or strips ? and how applied ? 
(LXXVI1I.) 12. For what purposes are the different kinds of 
leather chiefly used ? and are they dressed in any way for the 
sake of preserving them while in use ? 13. Are any portions 
of the human skin, such as scalps, prepared in any way by 
drying or otherwise ? and if so, how and under what circum¬ 
stances ? 
