NELSON] MATS, BASKETS, AND BAGS 203 



these mats and watched the process she employed. A set of three or 

 four straws were twisted and the ends turned in, forming a strand, a 

 number of which were arranged side by side with their ends fastened 

 along a stick, forming one end of the mat and hanging down for the 

 warp. Another strand was tlien used as a woof. By a deft twist of 

 the fingers it was carried from one side to the other, passing above and 

 below the strands of the warp; then the woof strand was passed 

 around the outer strand of the warp and turned to repeat the operation. 

 The strands were made continuous by adding straws as necessary, and 

 with each motion the strands were twisted a little so as to keep them 

 firmly together. By this simple method a variety of i^atterns are 

 produced. 



Figure 15, plate Lxxiv, illustrates a common sleeping mat of the 

 kind used by the Eskimo from Kotzebue sound to the Kuskokwim. It 

 was obtained on Norton sound. The size of these mats varies; the 

 example shown is 4 feet long by 3f wide, but they are sometimes made 

 twice this size. 



A toy grass mat, made for use with a doll (figure 8, plate lxxiv), is 

 also from Norton sound. It is woven in the same way as the larger 

 mats, except that the warp is twisted at intervals and the strands 

 are crossed, thus producing small quadrate openings in the pattern. 



lu making grass bags, they are started from a point at the bottom, 

 where the strands of the warp, consisting of two or more grass stems, 

 are fastened together and extend vertically downward. The woof is 

 formed by a double strand of grass which is twisted about itself with 

 the strands of the warp inclosed in the turns; both are continually 

 twisted as the weaving progresses. In coarsely made bags, the strands 

 of the woof are spaced from an inch to two inches apart, and those of 

 the warp at intervals of from a quarter to half an inch. These bags 

 have a conical bottom, which slopes from the center to the sides. At 

 the mouth the ends of the warp are braided to form a continuous edge. 



Figure 14, plate lxxiv, represents one of these loosely woven bags 

 from Norton sound. These bags, when used for storing fish, sometimes 

 contain from 50 to 100 pounds, which is frozen into a solid mass and 

 packed away in storehouses for use during the months when fresh food 

 can not be obtained. The contents become so thoroughly frozen by the 

 intense cold of winter that when required for use the mass has to be 

 separated by use of wedges and mauls. 



Another bag from Norton sound (figure 11, plate lxxiv) is similar to 

 the preceding, except that the bottom has a long, narrow base instead 

 of ending in a point. Along the mouth the strands of the warp are 

 brought together in little braids about an inch and a half in length, 

 spaced at intervals of about half an inch and merged into a thick, 

 braided border, which forms the rim. The weaving is done as in the 

 specimen last described, except that the warp consists of two grass 

 stems, extending down the sides to the bottom, without being twisted. 



