ABOKIGINAL AMERICAN BASKETRY. 47 1 



scraped to remove bud protu])eraiK"es and other inequalities of the 

 surface and is then allowed to dry. These slender stems serve as 

 foundation. The sewing material is prepared from the same plants. 

 A squaw selects a fresh shoot, breaks off the too slender upper por- 

 tion and bites one end so that it starts to split into three nearly equal 

 parts. Holding- one of these parts in her teeth and one in either hand, 

 she pulls them apart, guiding the splitting with her lingers so dexter- 

 ously that the whole shoot is divided into three equal ev^eii portions. 

 Taking one of these, by a similar process she splits off the pith and 

 the adjacent less rtexil)l(' tissu*^ from the inner face, and the bark from 

 the outer, leaving a pliant, strong, liat strip of young willow or sumac 

 wood. Both stems and splints may be dried and kept for months and 

 pro])ably even for several years, but before ])eing used they are alwaj^s 

 soaked in water. 



The pack baskets and some, at least, of the water baskets are made 

 of these splints and rods in twined work. The women begin at the 

 bottom with two la3'ers of rods superimposed and fastened b}' their 

 middles at right angles. The free ends are bent upward, and in and 

 out between them the strands are woven, new warp rods being inserted 

 as the basket widens. An attemjjt at ornamentation is frequently 

 made by retaining the bark on some of the strands or by staining 

 them and l)y slightly varying the weave. A squaw conmionly occu- 

 pies an entire month constructing one such basket. 



Starting from a central point to make a coiled basket, a bundle of 

 two or three grass stems and one ver}^ slender rod is wu-apped with a 

 willow splint. At the proper point the foundation is drawn more 

 tightly, so that the remainder of the spiral forms the sides of the 

 basket. The wall has the thickness, therefore, of one of these ])un- 

 dles, and is composed of a continuous ascending spiral. The willow 

 rod furnishes a strong hold for the stitches, and the punctures are made 

 with an iron awl. When such an instrument can not be obtained an 

 admiral)le equivalent is substituted in the form of a stout, horny 

 cactus spine from the devil's pincushion, EcJiinocactus polijcej>halus^ 

 set in a head of hard pitch. The grass stems, when the stitches are 

 drawn tightly, make a perfect packing, and the basket when finished 

 is water tight. 



The pack baskets of the Panamint Indians have the form of a 

 funnel, from 1^ to 2i feet high and not quite so broad. The loaded 

 basket is held against the back between the shoulders, either by the 

 hands grasping its rim, or by leather or rope throngs passed around 

 the forehead, the bod}^ meanwhile bent forward. 



The plaques are small, flat, circular pieces of closely sewed coiled 

 work, usually 9 to 12 inches in diameter. They are flexible and some- 

 times slightl}" saucer-shaped, and are used not only as plates and pans, 

 but also as substitutes for sieves. The material to be sifted, coDjposed 

 of ground seeds, is placed upon the plate and the chaff winnowed out. 



