Explanation of Chitimacha Basketry — Plate 22 



(N. M. Nos. 253525,253527,253532,253529,253534,253531,253517,253547,263497) 



Simple straight lines such as the alternate even lines in i are called kastpx. The 

 name "plaits going to start" was obtained by Mrs. Bradford for the lines in h; this 

 is perhaps because they begin and end at the edge instead of passing entirely around 

 the basket. The ornamental marks on a, c, /, and perhaps also b and d, go by the 

 name of iVicti, which my informants could not explain; Mrs. Bradford interprets it 

 as "chain," but the word for chain is imkun-kd'tsi-apcd^kiatmon. For g Mrs. Brad- 

 ford obtained the name tn''amc-apctd^xn (or tci'crnic-apctd'xnic), "worm-track broken" 

 (see pi. 24), but there appears to be no good reason why it should be distinguished 

 from the kastpx-apcto'xn, "plaits broken," illustrated in the next plate. In e the 

 weave employed about the edges of so many other baskets, such as a, b, c, d, f, and 

 g, is extended over the entire upper surface. The irregular lines on i are explained 

 by Mrs. Bradford as nakc-apcta'nkinlc, "cross designs," but they do not seem to 

 agree very closely with those designs in plate 26, e, which have received the same 

 name and would rather appear to be related to the "basket bottom" design shown 

 in plate 26, c. c in Chitimacha words used in these descriptions is pronounced the 

 same as English sh. 



