MATTHBWS.J PROCESS OK WEAVING. 381 



Suppose the woman begins by weaving in the lower shed. She draws 

 a portion of the healds towards her, and with them the anterior threads 

 of the shed; by this motion she opens the shed about 1 inch, which is 

 not sufficient for the easy passage of the woof. She inserts her batten 

 edgewise into this opening and then turns it half around on its long 

 axis, so that its broad surfaces lie horizontally ; in this way the shed is 

 opened to the extent of the width of the batten — about 3 inches ; next 

 the weft is passed through. In fig. 42 the batten is shown lying edge- 

 wise (its broad surfaces vertical), as it appears when. just inserted into 

 the shed, and the weft, which has been passed through only a por- 

 tion of the shed, is seen hanging out with its end on the ground. In 

 Plate XXXY the batten is shown in the second position described, 

 with the shed open to the fullest extent necessary, and the weaver is 

 represented in the act of passing the shuttle through. When the weft 

 is in, it is shoved down into its proper position by means of the reed- 

 fork, and then the batten, restored to its first position (edgewise), is 

 brought down with firm blows on the weft. It is by the vigorous use 

 of the batten that the Navajo serapes are rendered water-proof. In 

 Plate XXXVIII the weaver is seen bringing down this instrument "in 

 the manner and for the purpose described," as the letters patent say. 



When the lower shed has received its thread of weft the weaver opens 

 the upper shed. This is done by releasing the healds and shoving the 

 shed rod down until it comes in contact with the healds; this opens the 

 upper shed down to the web. Then the weft is inserted and the bat- 

 ten and reed-fork used as before. Thus she goes on with each shed 

 alternately until the web is finished. 



It is, of course, desirable, at least in handsome blankets of intricate 

 pattern, to have both ends uniform even if the figure be a little faulty 

 in the center. To accomplish this some of the best weavers depend on 

 a careful estimate of the length of each figure before they begin, and 

 weave continuously in one direction ; but the majority weave a little 

 portion of the upper end before they finish the middle. Sometimes this 

 is done by weaving from above downwards; at other times it is done 

 by turning the loom upside down and working from below upwards in 

 the ordinary manner. In Fig. 49, which represents one of the very 

 finest results of Navajo work, by the best weaver in the tribe, it will be 

 seen that exact uniformity in the ends has not been attained. The 

 figure was of such a nature that the blanket had to be woven in one 

 direction only. 



I have described how the ends of the blanket are bordered with a 

 stout three-ply string applied to the folds of the warp. The lateral 

 edges of the blanket are similarly protected by stout cords applied to 

 the weft. The way in which these are woven in, next demands our at 

 tentiou. Two stout worsted cords, tied together, are firmly attached at 

 each end of the cloth-beam just outside of the warp ; they are then car- 

 ried upwards and loosely tied to the yarn-beam or the supplementary 



