174 COILED BASKETRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA [em any. 41 
‘ 
The bottoms made by certain women are “good to see,” being 
smooth, closely worked, with all the coils completely covered; 
while others are rough and poorly constructed, because of care- 
lessness in the selection of materials as well as in workmanship. 
The Upper Thompson seldom make any but round coils. Slats or 
flat ones are more favored by the Uta’mqt. Their slats are generally 
thin and double, and no wide single slats were known formerly, 
it is said. There is an impression abroad that such slats would not 
be strong nor would they look well. Flat coils, which are now and 
then substituted for slats, entail less labor than round ones. 
As for the Lower Thompson, the baby carriers always had slat 
bottoms, the slats varying considerably in width, although narrow 
ones were preferred; or else flat coils were put in the bottoms and 
round ones in the sides. The latter kind is probably the older type 
in both areas. Different bottoms are not characteristic of separate 
bands, but belong to a certain extent to individuals or families, 
which may manufacture several varieties. 
Stat Borroms 
Slat bottoms (pl. 6, a, c), according to many informants, both ‘ 
men and women, were not used by the Upper Thompson years ago, 
o< 
Fic. 9.—Devices for straightening bottoms of baskets 
but were copied from the Upper Uta’mqt, who probably adopted 
them from the Lower Lillooet. The Thompson east of Lytton have 
only used them since about 1885. There are three types, all of which 
require slats made of sap, heart, or other wood which splits easily 
into thin sheets. The slat may consist of one or of several pieces, 
according to the thickness wanted or to the available material, but 
where there is more than one layer they are very thin and are laid 
flat on one another. Usually not more than three are so combined 
and they are always the full length required. It is claimed that slats 
were spliced, but it is probable that examples of such splicing are 
rare and found only in baby carriers. 
Among the Upper Thompson the opinion prevails that sapwood 
and dry cedar slats are not suitable for the walls, therefore in baby 
carriers and the like, the sides of which have recently been made of 
slats also, they are often of cedar roots split in wide, thin pieces, 
while the ordinary kind of slats are used only for bottoms. It is 
said that among the Lillooet root slats are preferred for all purposes. 
