LEATHER.
Lauder, . . . . DAN. Charm, . . . PERS.
Leder, Leer, DUT., GER. Coiro, . . . PORT.
Cuir, Fa. Koaha, . . .
Charmo, Chatnra, . HIND. Cuero, Se Cuojo, IT. Lader, S w. Corium, . . . . LAT. Tol, . . . . . TAIL. Kulit, Balulang, MALAY. Dleshin, Sakhtiyan, Tome.
The skins of animals removed from the body are in their fresh state tough, flexible, and elastic, and seem, at first view, to be well adapted for cloth ing ; but in drying they shrink, become horny, pervious to water, and, on exposure to moisture, putrid and offensive. But if the skin be separated from fleshy and fatty matters, and then be put into a solution of certain vegetables containing tannin, the skin separates the whole of the tannin from the liquid, and becomes hard, insoluble in water, almost impenetrable by it, and incapable of putrefaction. The subsequent operation of currying renders it pliable and more waterproof.
Similar but leas decided changes are produced upon a skin by impregnating.it with alum, and also with oil or grease. The object of these pro cesses being to render soft and flexible that which would otherwise be hard and unyielding, the skin thus transformed was called by the Saxon races lith, lithe, or hither, that is, soft or yielding, whence the English term leather. Tho word tan, and the French tanner, are from the low Latin, Tanare. There is a large and constant demand for leather as an article of clothing. It enters into the construction of various engines and machines, supplies harness for horses, linings for carriages, and covers for books. Leather is a chemical com bination of skin with the astringent vegetable principle called tannin or tannic acid. The I lindus have long been acquainted with, though it is doubtful whether they have ever made leather cf very superior quality. Leather of very excellent quality used to be made at the British farm at Hunsur in Mysore, likewise in Calcutta, and native shields are not to be surpassed. Never theless the manufacture of leather generally is by no means so thriving as it might be, con sidering the great abundance of tanning materials at command in the East Indies. This is perhaps owing to the very low position of the artisans, Madiga, Chakili, or Chamar.
Goat skins, sheep skins, buffalo and bullock hides, are touch used, and are generally pro curable ; but currying being the province of the shoemaker's wife, while manufacturing it for the market belongs to the husband, inferiority of Indian leather may be ascribed to want of skill on the part of the currier, and to the use of quick lime. There is no better tanning material than
oak bark, but Indian divi divi, catechu, Cassia auriculata bark, gam bier, etc., produce their effects more rapidly, and the leather so manufactured is said to be nearly as durable. The native tanner does not leave his hides to soak in the pita con taining his bark infusion, but, having sewed up a quantity of bark in the skin (made into a kind of bag), he exposes it to a constant stream of water, which forces the astringent matter into the pores of the hide very rapidly; but to make the process still more rapid, the hide is taken out, wrung, and re-filled every four or five days. A hide can be ready in this way in about a month, but the leather is less strong, durable, and pliable than English leather. The currying process also is often entirely omitted, and when performed it is generally on a minute scale, and very inefficiently.
Great Britain annually imports hides and skins to the value of about five millions sterling, and leather and leather gloves of value five or six millions. The value of the imports into India and exports from India of leather and manu factures of leather have been as under :— Imports.
1550-81, . pis. 13,75,829 1 1852-83, . its. 19,58,573 1581-82, . . . 16,95,900 1 The value of the hides and skins- Imports. Exports.
1850-81, . . lig. 7,27,314 1880-51, . 3,73,35,653 1581-82, . . 6,94,866 1581-82, . 3,94,87,924 1882-83, . . 7,23,312 1.952-83, . 4,44,40,967 The Government possesses a largo leather factory at Cawnpur, which turns out saddlery, etc., of excellent quality.
Russia leather, Balghar, occasionally comes to Peshawur. A kind of leather having a metallic lustre, called Kimsana, is imported also from the north-west ; also a beautiful leather, used in the manufacture of the bright blue-green shoes of Kashmir and Peshawur, which is called Kim mookht. This is not made in the Panjab. Peshawar sword scabbards are often covered with a black leather, looking like morocco ; it is probably an imitation. Russia leather is said to be made of horse's skin; it is thick but pliant, and of most grateful fragrance. Skins are very much valued for the preservation of merchandise, as insects will not attack them.—Imp. Gaz. ; Boyle, Arts and Manufactures of India ; Heyne's Tracts ; Madras Exhibition Juries' Reports ; Powell's Handbook.