DOG-SHEARING. 215 
shadow of the silent forest, has often scared my 
horse, and for the moment startled me. 
West of the Rocky Mountains I have never seen 
Indians use dogs for any system of transport; 
they either pack what they have to carry on the 
backs of horses, where canoes are not available, 
or failing either of these, the unfortunate squaws 
do the work of beasts of burden. The inland 
tribes use dogs solely for the chase and protection 
of their camps. Along the coast several tribes 
at one time kept dogs of a peculiar breed, having 
long white hair, that were annually shorn as we 
shear sheep, and the hair so obtained was woven 
into rugs, sometimes mixed with the wool of the 
mountain goat, at others duck feathers, or wild 
hemp, finely carded. Several of these most 
curious rugs are in the Ethnological room at the 
British Museum, visible to any who may be 
curious to see weaving in its most primitive 
form. I obtained them at different places along 
the coast. The simple machine or loom, if it 
may be so designated, used in weaving these rugs 
is also visible in the collection of the ‘ Economic 
Museum’ at Kew. 
It is a singular thing if these remote tribes 
discovered for themselves the art of weaving ; 
for they knew and practised weaving dog-hair 
