CAVE RELICS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. 15 



like No. 1 ; 4, like No. 2 ; 5, black, with wliite crosses ; 6, red parchment ; 7, like 

 No. 1 ; 8, like No. 2 ; 9, quarter incli strip of dark red parchment ; 10, parchment 

 of a lighter red ; 11, parchment blackened with something containing shining 

 grains, like micaceous oxide of iron ; 12, zigzag line, in white, on red parchment; 

 13, strip of hair-seal skin with the hair trimmed as before on its lower half, but 

 removed frojn its upper half, which is colored red. In the seam between these 

 last two strips are inserted the filaments of which the fringe is formed. These 

 are of young hair-seal skin cut seven inches long and one thirty-second of an 

 inch wide. The hair is cut as close as possible, and, at short intervals, removed 

 entirely, giving the filament a jointed appearance, like an insect's antenna. At 

 the free end a minute portion of the hair is left uncut, forming a little tuft. 

 These filaments are inserted in pairs (eighteen to the inch) in the seam, or thirty- 

 six in all to the inch. The strips of sea otter skin, with which the neck of the 

 parka was trimmed, and also those inserted into the fi-inge, &c., still retained a 

 bright glossy appearance. 



Outside of the bird-skin parka was next placed a strip of tolerably fine 

 matting, (17472,) extending fi-om under the back, up over the head, and down 

 over the face. A small and exquisitely fine mat, (17474,) about twelve by four- 

 teen inches, was laid over the breast, and then, from side to side, it was rolled in 

 a larger and much coarser mat than any yet mentioned (17473.) 



The face cloth was ornamented with longitudinal black stripes of two or three 

 threads each, chequered by the normal straw colored threads of the warp. The 

 black stripes were about six inches apart. These were crossed by transverse 

 stripes — composed of six threads, the two outer pairs red, and the inner pair 

 chequered black and white ; and of four threads, the two inner red and the two 

 outer chequered — alternately, at intervals of two and three-fourths inches. In 

 the middle line short tufts of black fibre, on each side of the transverse stripe, 

 were introduced, and here, as in other cases, the red threads were replaced by 

 white, varying the pattern. It is evident, from careful inspection, that these red 

 threads were sewed in after the mat was finished, and not originally woven in. 

 They also are not of the fibre of the grass alone, but retain the outer surface of 

 the polished straw. The black threads, on the contrary, form part of the 

 primitive fabric. Here we have fifteen warp threads and six pairs of woof 

 threads to the inch. 



The breast mat is another marvellous specimen of grass weaving. The stripes 

 are all transverse to the fabric. There are six principal stripes across the middle 

 portion, composed of three inner red, two outer yellow, and two outermost black 

 threads of woof. Between each pair of primary stripes is a secondary stripe of 

 two red threads enclosing one chequered, with one black and two white stitches, 

 alternately. Between the primary and sepondary stripes is a tertiary stripe of 

 two chequered threads, alternately black and white single stitches, enclosing a 



