The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-04-29

differs but little in principle from that Of tan
ming them for leather. In preparing skins for
leather, they have to be deprived of their hair
either by sweating or lining, this process is
dispensed with in preparing robes. The fresh
skins, if they have to stand for some time be-
fore they can be treated, are first stepped in a
brine of common salt; then lifted out of the
brine and laid over table or bench, with the
hairy side downward, all the heshy parts scra-
ped off clean with knife, and the ragged
edges cut off and trimmed. They are now
ready for undergoing the preserving operation.
If they are clean white sheep skins, intended
for seats, saddles or mats, they are stepped in
solution of alum for several days-trom to
6--then lifted out nailed on racks to stretch
them to their fullest extent and dried in the
air; they are now ready for use. The strength
of the alum solution employed should be at
the rate of one pound of alum to every four
pounds of skins, the alum being dissolved in
sufficient water to cover the skins.
Calf, dog or other skins designed for robes
are prepared in a different manner. After
having all the feshy parts removed as hereto
fore described, they are very carefully steep
berry wood liquor, containing some alum in
solution. A peck of ground oak bark is sufli-
clent for tanning twenty pounds of skins; it
will require twenty pounds of American sumac,
or the same amount of young blackberry bush
es to effect the same object These are boiled
in close vessel for about three hours in water
to extract their strength, then mixed with sut-
ficent cold water to cover the skins in two sep
arate baths orelsc boiled at two several times.
Three pounds of dissolved alum are also placed
in each bath when they are ready for the skins;
these are all placed in one Of the baths at one
time, and allowed to remain for three days,
being turned in the interim every succeeding
day, and then lifted out, drpped and placed in
the fresh bath where they undergo similar op
erations during the next three days. They arc
again lifted out, nailed on racks, dried in the
open air, and are then fit for use.
Skins are composed mostly fgelatine which
is very likely to decompose by exposure to
moisture and the atmosphere. To preserve
them, they are brought into chemical union
with some substance Or substances, so as to
form an insouble compound. An acid in oak
bark, willow, sumac and hemlock, has been
used from time immemoriat as the chemical
agent to form an insolube compound with the
gelatlne of the skins by the process called tan
ming. Any other chemical substance that will
produce the same object, and hence alum,
which is a colorless substance, is employed for
this purpose for white skins. Robes of skins
require TO be more elastic and soft than leather,
hence they are not submitted to the tanning
processes for such a long period. Young black
berry bushes impart to the skins greater soft
ness than oak or sumac liquors. "
TO preserve skin robes from the attacks of
insects they should be submitted to a slight
smoking in a smoke-house, and then hung up
in the wind for few days afterwards If
found to be little too hard when dried, they
should be beaten with rods until they are quite
soft. By attending to these directions careful
ly, persons living in the country, may prepare
their own skins with no more apparatus than
a barrel, a table, and kettle.
THE CoMEr.-The alleged prediction of some
German astronomer, that the earth will be de-
stroycd by a comet on the 18th June next, has
caused great excitement in Europe. The most
distinguished astronomers have published dis
sertations to prove the absurdity of the Ger
mans fears, and their opinions accord with
those of professor Pierce, of Cambridge. Pro-
fessor Magrini of Milan, and professor Babinet
Of Paris, assert that even were comet TO come
into collision with the earth the shock would
not be felt, from the fact that the matter of
comets is so light that it could offer no resist
ance. 1t is so thin that stars of inferior mag
nitude are easily seen through it. Mr.. Babinet
says:
"A star of the eleventh magnitude was seen
without any sensible loss of light, through a
comet of 500 GOO kilometres in breadth. Like
observations have been made by Herschel, Bcs-
sci, Struve, DC. According to photometry,
therefore, the comet was at least sixty times
less brilliant than the star. TO render inyisi-
bic a star of the 5th magnitude, which is ESQ
times brighter than star of the eleventh mag
ntude, it would be necessary to render the
comet 900 900 times brighter; and as the at
mospbere, Illuminated by the full moon, extn
guishes by its brightness. stars cf the fifth and
inferior magnitude, the necessary conclusion
is, nevertheless, 90O,oO times less brilliant
than our atmosphere Illuminated by the moon
But the light of the moon in its full is 500, 600
times less brilliant than the full light of the
sun; therefore if the air, as well as the comet,
be Illuminated by the sun, it will be seven hun
drcd and twenty billionssof times brighter than
the comet
Mr.. Faye, after whom one Of the four peri
odcal comets is named, says that comets are
not even gases, and that the merest cobweb
would offer more resistance to cannon ball
than comet 10 the earth the weight of the
latter being estimated at six thousand miiards
of tons, while that of the former, according to-
Sir John Herschel does not exceed few ounces.
The probability of our coming in collision, even
with this ''visible nothing,' is calculated by
Olber to be in the ratio of to 281 ,O00, 900; SO
that even were the comets "ten billion leagues
Of tall less harmless than they are described
the chances are largely against the fulflment
of the mythical Germans prediction Profes
sor Babinet concludes his argument by saying
that 'those who are killed by comets, die OF
terror, stupidity and ignorance" We are very
strong Of his opinion.
S~~~-~~~~~0-~~~~~~~-~~~~
The improved mode of manufacturing gun
powder, invented by Mr.. Drayton, consists in
issolvng the saltpetre used in its manufacture,
and combining the solution with the charcoal
and sulphur, and then grinding the mixed in
gradients under the mill, in place Of grinding
lndssoved saltpetre with other ingredients.
For this purpose, the saltpetre having been dis
solved by heat in as little water as may be, the
charcoal and sui phur in pulverised state are