438 
cies of abufe with which their language 
can furnifh them. The burden of the 
fong is repeated in chorus by all the vifi- 
tors. The hired mourners perform at 
the fame time a fort of dance, whirling 
round continually on one Jes. 
the bcdy, he retires to make way for an- 
other, having firft recruited himfelf with 
brandy. This exercife Jafts about two 
hours in the morning, and as long in the 
afternoon, 
On the fecond day the body is removed 
to another building, and an image fub- 
ftituted in its place, to waich the fame 
honours continue to be paid, while other 
perfons are employed in wafhing the corpfe 
with an aftringent or corrofive liquor, 
which foon brings it as white as chalk, 
It is then placed in a particular attitude ; 
the face is turned to the weft, the two 
knees are flightly bent, the left foot is 
raifed backward, the right hand is fhut 
and turned to the eaft, the left is open; 
‘the fingers, feparated and bent, areturned 
to the welt, as if they were in the aét of 
feizing a bird in its flight. In this pofi- 
tion the body is left, and, by the affifiance 
of a continual but gentle fire, it voids its 
inteftines, and becomes as dry as parch. 
ment. When it is fufficiently blanched, 
they encruft it witha thick red earth; and 
when the whole isdry, they begin to cover 
it with cloaths, putting on firft coral and 
whatever is moft precious. In proportion 
to the wealth of the deceafed are the num 
ber and finery of his cloaths ; and when a 
fufficient quantity is put on, a large pit is 
dug at a diftance, at the bottom of which 
a houfe, without a covering, is made, of 
a fize fufficient to contain the dead boJy. 
Ai day is fixed for the burial, which is to 
terminate the mourning, and the wives 
and fortune of the deceafed pafs imme- 
diaiely to the next heir. 
On the appointed day the body is 
brought to the grave, and Jet down into the 
houf. made for it. For a certain time it 
is fupplied with meat and drink; after- 
wards the earth is thrown in, leaving at 
the top only a few ftones or other things 
which may indicate that it is a place of 
burial. They believe that the guardian 
{pirit of the deceafed perpetually hovers 
about the grave, ard that he watches over 
it leit it be violated; on this account thofe 
paf-ngers who have cccafion to go near 
the atylums of the dead, pafs by them 
with rapidity, turning their eyes another 
way with a iuperftitious terror, not doubt- 
ing that thofe who thould approach too 
sear the tombs would be infallibly killed, 
Improvements in Tanning. 
As foon, 
as a friend has made five or fix turns about 
[June 1, 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N the Commercial Report of your Ma- 
4 gazine for April, I read that ‘* Great 
improvements have been making for fome 
years paft in tanning ana dreifing of hides 
and fkins of ali defcripiions. particularly ky 
the recent introdu&tion of Mr. Defmond’s 
procefs, by which leather of a quality 
equal, if not fuperior, to the beft hitherto 
known is manufactured in about as matty 
days as it generally requires months to 
tan in the ufual way.” 
That improvements are making in the 
art of tanning, is true; but that thefe im= 
provements fhould be afcribed to Mr. 
Defmond’s procefs, itruck me with great 
furprize. As the value of your Reports, 
either in Agriculture or Manufactures, 
muit depend on their truth and accuracy, 
I beg leave to give you better information 
on this point than you feem to be in pof- 
feffion of. Whatever merit may be alcri- 
bable to the precefs recommended by Mr. 
Defmond, it can by no means be faid to 
be exclufively his. M. Seguin was, if I 
miftake not, the fir&t proje€tor of this pto- 
cefs; he adopted it in Paris orits vicinity, 
accounts of which weredetailed in theFrench 
papers foon after the beginning of theRevo- 
lution. Mr.Defmond,I have underftood, firft 
introduced the praéice into this country ; 
and in connection, I believe, with a Mr. 
Biggen, an able and ingenious chymift, 
eftablifhed a tannery near to Weftminfter- 
bridge. In this fituation thefe gentlemen 
were at liberty to avail themfelves of all 
the advantages derivable from this new 
procefs; but I donot underftand that they 
continue to purfue the plan—a_ pretty 
ftrong prefumption that it was not found 
advantageous tothem as individuals. But, 
what is perhaps of far greater importance, 
is the public likely to be benefited by 
the plan? Although the procefs has been 
known for fome years, and experiments 
made, if Iam rightly informed, at feveral 
manufaétories, are there any, of extent, 
which continue to puriue it? M. Seguin, 
it is faid, has in a great meafure dif~ 
continued it, and that in a country which 
prefents greater facilities in it than Eng- 
Jand does, bark being an article procured 
at an eafy rate. In truth, the procefs is 
not calculated for general ufe in tanneries; 
for though it might anfwer a good pur- 
pote, if great expedition was needful (not 
that the ratio of a day to a month is by 
any means correét)—if leather for an army 
was almofi inftantly wanted, which was 
the cafe in France, and no regard was ta 
be paid to the expence at which it was Qs 
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