332 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [BTH. ANN. 38 
418. The diaphragm foundation of the circular type of base basket 
may be either a hexagon or a loop. The former (fig. 130) is made 
of six strands or warps (wa), one of them being extra long to form 
the weft (we), all locked together in a hexagon. At each angle 
of the figure is introduced another, an extra, warp or “ child,” 
as the Arawak call it (ewa), which becomes plaited in with the 
weft as it progresses around and around. Such “children” can 
be jet in whenever the interspaces of the basket open out too 
much in the process of manufacture; for among the Arawak, who 
make it of mamuri, the mouth is very much larger than the base 
and hence very many of these extra warps are required. The Ma- 
kusi and Patamona make theirs of itiriti, and with a much smaller 
mouth, the completed article being almost the shape of a narrow- 
necked jug, of course minus 
the handle. The Patamona ar- 
ticle is also peculiar in that 
the interstices are still further 
restricted in size by the intro- 
duction of an interpolated, sec- 
ondary, or extra, weft (fig. 131 
ewe). From the fancied resem- 
blance of the form of founda- 
tion to the view presented by a 
sloth when turning its back to a 
visitor, the Arawak apply to 
this particular variety of kau- 
Fig. 131.—Basket similar to preceding but uri basket (used for carrying 
with an interpolated or extra weft. Pata- cassava) the name of hau-inako, 
ORE i. e., sloth anus. 
419. The loop type of diaphragm foundation of circular base bas- 
kets (pl. 107 A) is made of two strands (fig. 132), of which one is 
tied into a loop (A, a) to form the “eye” of the basket, the other 
(B-E, 6) being doubled upon itself. Now, either the extremity of 
the looped strand forms the weft and the two ends of the doubled 
one the warps (B, C, D) or the extremity of the looped strand forms 
a warp and the doubled one a weft and second warp (EK, F). Each 
coil of the weft is held in position by two warps running simultane- 
ously; and alone in these baskets I have seen the weft make a left- 
hand spiral instead of the usual right-hand one. Made of split 
mamuri, it is said to be the original form of the eye-socket basket— 
the basket that “came after,” as the interpreter said, which will be 
next described. (I have only seen one old Warrau woman make 
them, but they appear common among the Carib of the Barima and 
Barama Rivers.) 
