MATTHF.wsl TOOLS EMPLOYED. 175 



A little instrument employed in levelling the edges of the metallic 

 hemispheres, is rude but eflective. In one end of a cylinder of wood, 

 about three or four inches long, is cut a small roundish cavity of such 

 a size that it will hold the hemisphere tightly, but allow the uneven 

 edges to project. The hemisphere is placed in this, and then rubbed on 

 a flat piece of sandstone until the edges are worn level with the base of 

 the wooden cylinder. The uses of the basin and the wooden stake are 

 described further on. 



Their method of preparing charcoal is much more expeditious than 

 that usually employed by our charcoal-burners, but more wasteful ; 

 wood, however, need not yet be economized on the juniper-covered 

 vtesas of New Mexico. They build a large fire of dry juniper, and 

 when it has ceased to flame and is reduced to a mass of glowing coals, 

 they smother it well with earth and leave it to cool. If the fire is 

 kindled at sunset, the charcoal is ready for use next morning. 



The smith makes his own blow-pipe, out of brass, usually by beating 

 a piece of thick brass wire into a flat strip, and then bending this into 

 a tube. The pipe is about a foot long, slightly tapering and curved at 

 one end ; there is no arrangement for retaining the moisture proceeding 

 from the mouth. These Indians do not understand our method of 

 making an air chamber of the mouth ; they blow with undistended 

 cheeks, hence the current of air directed on the flame is intermitting. 

 The flame used in soldering with the blow-pipe is derived from a thick 

 braid of cotton rags soaked in mutton suet or other grease. Their 

 borax is purchased from the whites, and from the same source is derived 

 the fine wire with which they bind together the parts to be soldered. I 

 have been told by reliable persons that it is uot many years since the 

 Navajos employed a flux mined by themselves in their own country ; 

 but, finding the pure borax introduced by the traders to be much better, 

 they gradually abandoned the use of the former substance. 



For polishing, they have sand-paper and emery-paper purchased from 

 the whites ; but as these are expensive, they are usually required only 

 for the finishing touches, the first part of the work being done with 

 powdered sandstone, sand, or ashes, all of which are used with or with- 

 out water. At certain stages in the progress of the work, some articles 

 are rubbed on a piece of sandstone to reduce the surfaces to smooth- 

 ness ; but the stone, in this instauce, is more a substitute for the file 

 than for the sand-paper. Perhaps I should say that the file is a sub- 

 stitute for the stone, for there is little doubt that stone, sand, and ashes 

 preceded file and paper in the shop of the Indian smith. 



For blanching the silver, when the forging is done, they use a min- 

 eral substance found in various parts of their country, which, I am in- 

 formed by Mr. Taylor, of tlie Smithsonian Institution, is a " hydrous 

 sulphate of alumina," called almogen. This they dissolve in water, in 

 a metal basin, with the addition, sometimes, of salt. The silver, being 

 first slightly heated in the forge, is boiled in this solution and in a short 

 time becomes very white. 



