ABORIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 821 



warp is crossed, and the weaving- is in twined work ornamented with 

 false embroidery. The upper band and the one across the middle 

 of the body represent ''The salmon berry cut in half," while the band 

 of the shoulder and the one at the bottom stand for "The leayes of 

 the lire weed." 



The upper covered jar on the same plate illustrates the com])ination 

 of false em])roid('rv and the use of two colors in the material out of 

 which the specimen is woven. This specimen is Catalogue No. 9112 

 U.S.N.M., and was collected in Alaska by Lieut. F. M. King, U. S. 

 Army. 



The Haida Indians on Queen Charlotte Islands are near to the Tlin- 

 kit in arts, but weave no symbols into their basketry. They paint 

 various designs on their ceremonial hats and have no (Mid of richest 

 sjniibolism on their canoes and carved in wood and slate. They also 

 now engrave on silver and keep alive the poetry of their tmcient art. 



The following story, collected for Lieutenant Kmmons ])y a friend, 

 proves that the basket is not altogether out of touch with their world of 

 myth: 



Once upon a time there were two Haida Indian orphan girls living 

 on Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. After being punished 

 by their stepmother for eating up a store of deer tallow they resolved 

 to run away\ They wandered about in the forest a long time and were 

 eventualh" rescued by the '"seek quan ni" (Black Bear tril)e), one of 

 whom married the girls. Years afterwards these girls determined to 

 visit the scenes of their sad childhood. For their journey ])ack from the 

 forest to places of human habitations their good totem spirit directed 

 them to w^eave two baskets apiece large enough to fit over the end of 

 the thumb. These they were directed to till with crumbs of various 

 kinds of cured meats and deer tallow. As in the miracle of the live 

 loaves and two lishes which sufficed for a nuiltitude, the contents of 

 these tinj'' baskets furnished food for the two women on their journey 

 of many moons. Arrived at the entrance of their father's house their 

 baskets suddenly l)ecanie very large, so large, in fact, that it required 

 the strength of many slaves to take them into the house. The women 

 found their stepmother still alive. They oli'ered her the various meats 

 and tallow which they had brought from their forest home. More, 

 and yet more food they pressed upon her until th(^ unhappy woman 

 died of overeating. 



Professor Farrand selected happil}- the most versatile of all the 

 North American families of Indians for his studies, the Salishan. 

 Among these the Lillooet and Thom])son baskets, of British Columbia, 

 supply the fiat and round types of imbricated coiled work, and the 

 Quinaielt, on Puget Sound, the overlaid twined weaving. The Klikitat 

 ware is not included, but a comparison of its symbols with the Salish 

 would be profitable. The line of development in symbolism among 

 NAT MUS 1902 21 



