MURDOCH.) 



WEAVING TOOLS. 



317 



feather belts. I had no opportunity of seeing- a belt made, but the work 

 evidently does not require all three of these tools. The little netting 

 needle or shuttle of bone (Fig. 322, No. 89434 [1338]) can not be used in 

 feather weaving, because, as already mentioned, the strips of feather are 



FIG. ;ia:i. Mi-nil stick. 



hot fastened together into a continuous cord which could be carried on 

 a shuttle. It is .V9 inches long and 0-7 wide. There is also a little mesh 

 stick of antler (Fig. 323, No. 89438 [1338]) 6-7 inches long, with a blade 1-9 

 inches in length, and a little hook, which appears to 

 be fitted for nothing except netting a small net. The 

 lower edge of the handle, however, is cut into 10 deep 

 rounded notches, which perhaps serve the purpose of 

 a rude &quot;frame&quot; for keeping apart the strands of the 

 warp, while the woof of feather is passed through 

 with the fingers. It would be held with this edge 

 up, and the beginning of the belt being fastened to 

 the wall, the warp strands would be stretched over 

 this, as over a violin bridge, each resting in one of the 

 notches. The last tool of the set (Fig. 324, No. 89402 

 [1338]) is undoubtedly a &quot;sword&quot; for pushing home 

 the woof, and probably also serves to separate the 

 strands of the warp into a &quot;shed.&quot; It is a flat, thin 

 piece of antler, 9 inches long and three-fourths wide, 

 of which about 6 inches forms a straight blade 

 inches long, and the rest is bent round to one side and 

 slightly down, forming a handle. When the strands 

 of the warp are stretched over the bridge as above de 

 scribed, pushing this horizontally through them alter 

 nately over and under the successive strands, would 

 make a &quot; shed &quot; through which the end of the woof 

 could be thrust with one motion, and pushed up 

 against the preceding strand of the woof by sliding 

 tjie sword forward. It would then be withdrawn and 

 passed through again, going over the strands it went 

 under before and vice versa, so as to open a &quot;shed&quot; 

 for the next strand of the woof. 



Sewing. For sewing furs and leather they always 

 use thread made by stripping off thin fibers from a * io- 321. -sword for 

 piece of dried sinew of the reindeer, as is usual witli 

 Eskimo. Cotton or linen thread of civilized manufacture is now often 

 used for sewing the cotton frocks, etc., and sometimes for making an or- 



