Boas] STRUCTURE OF BASKETS 173 
who made it must have had great difficulties, and that the result of 
her labor was very poor. They decided that it should have been 
made like d or e, either of which is much simpler and better. The 
methods employed in manufacturing the bottoms shown in 6 and ¢ 
were considered much superior to that for a, but not as suitable as 
those of d and e. An especially successful plan for heart-shaped 
forms was thought to be d, but equally serviceable for triangular 
baskets; e was considered ‘by many women to be best adapted for 
triangular bottoms; f was said to be the proper type for a square 
basket, while g is used for oval shapes. Figure 8, f, shows the forma- 
tion of a square bottom of watch-spring type. It is made by increas- 
ing the thickness of the coils at the corners. 
As before stated, the elongated watch-spring coil is chiefly used on 
medium-sized burden baskets, but it is just as popular for oblong 
trays, and is occasionally found in baskets of other odd forms. 
Bottoms consisting of parallel coils may be employed for any rec- 
tangular or elongated shape. On specimens of each of these types 
there is sometimes added a medial line of sewing running lengthwise, 
after the bottom has been completed, which serves as ornamentation 
and also helps to hold the coils firmly together. The women consider 
the parallel coiled bottoms best for large burden baskets because 
they are stiffer. The elongated type is apt to sag. There is no 
correlation between the type of base and the ornamentation applied 
to the walls. 
Flat-coiled sections are apt to warp in the process of manufacture, 
particularly as they rest on the rim while being sewed. To avoid 
this the material is moistened at frequent intervals, either by being 
dipped in water or by being sprinkled or rubbed with the wet hand. 
It is then bent back into shape. When finished, especially if the 
piece is large, it is placed wet between two boards, and weighted with 
stones. Thus it remains for a day or more, until it has dried and is 
perfectly flat and rigid, when it is considered in the right condition 
for adding the sides. A warped bottom is shown in Plate 5, a. 
A common device for straightening the bottom is by the attach- 
ment of crossed sticks to the outside, either two, crossing each other 
diagonally from opposite corners (fig. 9, a), or four, the second pair 
being fastened across the ends (b). When two or three coils of the 
sides have been finished, two more crossed sticks are braced inside 
against them (c). All these are usually removed after the bottom 
has set, but Plate 5, 6, shows that two straighteners have been 
retained. Rarely, also, spreaders are placed between the sides of 
the basket. The popularity of these devices varies with the different 
women. Some do not need them, merely adjusting the shape with 
their hands, or they may use one or all of those described. 
