Mr. James King, Shoemaker, said all the Specimens, were effectually tanned.
Mr. Richard Norris, Shoemaker, produced a Sole of this Tannage, beaten; asserting he never saw so good a Sole of rais’d Calve’s Skin, that it beat firm, solid, and without spreading, or Fuzziness: which are the distinguishing Characters of good Sole Leather, he desired it might be cut in several Places, that the Closeness, and Firmness might be view’d, which accordingly was done, and answering Expectation was approved.
There were a great many other Tanners, Curriers, and Shoemakers, who were of the same Opinion. But considering, their Testimonies, would be but so many Repititions; I shall not recite them.
Dr. Richard Helsham, Professor of Natural Philosophy in Trinity College, said I had communicated to him, what was used in this Tannage, which appeared to be well adapted to tanning, and would not fail to give a sufficient Strength, and Rigidity to the Fibres. Adding he wore a pair of Shoes, the Upper Leathers of this Tannage, daily for four Months, and being willing to try the utmost of the Leather, had new Soles put to them; that since he had worn them about a Month: showing them, without any Cracks, or Defect.
Patrick Carrol, produced two Slips of curried Calf Skin; the one tanned by Bark, the other by the Roots, each three tenths of an Inch broad, and ten Inches long, the first was the thickest, and weighed, a tenth Part more than the other. He said, he was present with several others, when it broke, by a Weight of 129 Pounds being hung to it; That the Slip of this new Tannage, being tryed with the same Circumstances, bore 29 Pounds more than the 129 Pounds, before it either yielded, or broke.
In respect to Time.
That the Specimens, Nᵒ. 1, 2 and 3 were tanned in five Weeks, Nᵒ. 4 in nine Weeks, Nᵒ. 5 in four Months, without any Hurry, extraordinary, or illegal Methods: was proved by Mr. Thomas Cooley, and Patrick Shale; on the other Side, it appeared, that in tanning with Bark, from three to five Months were required for Calves Skins, from seven to nine were requisite for Soles of rais’d Calves Skins, and from ten to thirteen Months for Bullocks Hydes, which by this Tannage, may be effected in nine or ten.
In regard to Cheapness.
Mr. Philip Cooley, affirmed that six Pounds of the Dry Roots, added to some old expended Ooze, tanned Six Calves Skins, three of which were produced under the Nᵒ. 1, 2, and 3; and that he believed sixteen Pounds would have done as much from the first, or without any old Ooze.
In relation to the Cheapness.