204 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann. 18 



The woof is twisted, but tlie strands are spaced only a little over a 

 quarter of an inch apart. 



A bag obtained at St Michael by Mr L. M. Turner (figure 9, plate 

 Lxxiv) is somewhat similar to the preceding specimens, but the warp 

 is divided alternately by the twisted strands of the woof, forming a 

 slightly zigzag pattern from near the mouth to the edge of the bottom, 

 where the warp extends again in parallel lines. 



A closely woven bag, intended to hold clothing (figure 13, plate 

 LXXIV), is from the lower Kuskokwim. It is made like the example 

 from St Michael, except that the solid weaving of the sides extends to 

 the braid at the mouth. The warp extends up and down the sides, as 

 usual, and the strands of the woof are woven close together, forming 

 a com])act, thick texture. Several black lines of varying width extend 

 around the bag, and are made by interweaving strands of blackened 

 sinew cord. This pattern and another of ornamental black bands are 

 made in the country between Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers and thence 

 southward to Bristol bay. One specimen from the latter locality, in 

 addition to the black lines, has three broken bands of russet brown, 

 made by drawing small strips of brown leather through the warp. 

 From the lower Kuskokwim was obtained also a grass bag, 11 inches 

 in height and 13 inches across the bottom, woven in the same manner 

 as the last specimen. It is circular in shape around the sides and 

 widest near the bottom, narrowing gradually to near the toi^, which is 

 suddenly constricted to an opening five inches in diameter. 



The people of the lower Yukon and thence northward to Kotzebiie 

 sound make various sizes of grass baskets of a coil pattern. A strand 

 of grass is laid in a coil forming the warp, the woof is then woven in 

 by interlacing grass stems, and the coil is continued until the fiat bot- 

 tom is completed. The coils are then superimposed one upon the other 

 until the basket is built up to the top, where it is narrowed in to form 

 a circuhir, oval, or square opening. Frequently the coil is commenced 

 on the bottom around a vacant space, from an inch to three inches in 

 diameter, into which is sewed a piece of rawhide. The rim at the top 

 has the grass brought over and neatly turned in on the under side, 

 forming a smoothly finished edge. 



One of these baskets (number 48139), used for storing clothing and 

 various small articles, which was obtained from the mouth of the Yukon, 

 measures lOi inches in height by 13 inches in width, with an opening 

 at the top 10 inches in diameter. A basket of this description from 

 Kushunuk (figure 7, plate lxxiv) is roughly quadrate in otitline, with 

 rounded corners; it has the bottom woven in the same manner as those 

 of the bags which have been described. Another basket, obtained on 

 Putnam river by Lieutenant Stoney (figure 10, plate lxxiv), has a flat 

 bottom, with a long, oval piece of rawhide in the center; the sides 

 round gradually upward to an oval opening. 



A basket from St Michael (figure 1, plate lxxiv) has a flat bottom, 



