Boas] BASKETRY OF NEIGHBORS OF THE THOMPSON 347 
treatment of corners is accomplished entirely by the processes of 
augmentation and diminution of elements or background as the 
case may be. Frequently, however, the designs come out with 
amazing accuracy at the break, without very noticeable variations 
in the size of the figures encircling the basket. Plate 58, ¢, is a 
striking exception; the tops of the meanders differ considerably from 
one another, that at the extreme right on the long side and the 
central section of the one on the corner being elongated out of all 
proportion to the other parts. The treatment of the crossing diag- 
onals in the lower field is evidence of the maker’s struggle against the 
leftward lean of her stitches and consequently the flattened left- 
ward running diagonals. Other baskets illustrating this method of 
treating corners are shown in Plates 58, e, g; 59, e,f; and 60,¢. Often 
the Chilcotin secure a remarkably good correspondence between the 
designs of the lower and upper of the three fields below the rod in the 
matter of alignment. This is due to the fact that they bifurcate 
their stitches as far as is possible, producing perfectly straight rows 
between which, when necessary, other straight rows are incorporated, 
just as additional warps are introduced in twined basketry. By 
means of these straight lines they are enabled to follow up the edges 
of the designs in the lower field and to adjust proportionately those 
of the upper zone. The alignment depends somewhat on the char- 
acter of the design as well as upon the watchfulness of the artist. 
Continuous designs can not be adjusted in this manner, nor figures 
between which it is absolutely necessary to maintain a fixed distance. 
The checker design in Plate 58, f, is of this character, as are all 
horizontal zigzags or meanders. In Plate 60, c, the maker secured 
her alignment at the cost of the increased size in figures at the 
corners, as well as greater distance between them, but to our eyes 
the result is unusually satisfactory. A remarkable specimen from 
the point of view of alignment, which ctherwise appears very crude, 
is shown in Plate 58, h. So perfect is this that practically the same 
distances are maintained throughout between the figures which are 
the same for the three fields—all this basket has. The break at the 
extreme left is especially noteworthy. 
Another particularly fine specimen is that given in Plate 62, c. 
The alignment of the meanders is almost perfect; their leftward Jean, 
which seems especially pronounced in the right half of the basket, is 
in part accounted for by the incurve of the walls. 
In a number of cases the utterly different decorations given to 
the upper and lower of the three fields minimize the number of 
difficulties usually encountered, since no attempt is made to correlate 
the elements of the two zones. (Pl. 60,6.) Here the corners are 
almost entirely disregarded, or at least the maker has not succeeded 
in even approaching symmetry, but it is interesting to notice how she 
