264 



EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



the mouth of the Colorado River. The affair, as can be readily seen 

 from the drawing, consists of two long bent poles, securely lashed to- 

 gether at their middles. The four ends are fastened to a hoop at equal 

 distances (Fig. 7). Warp-threads are stretched from the intersection 

 at the bottom to the hoop at the top. The weaving is done by a series 

 of turns around the poles and the warp-threads in passing. This is the 

 most interesting sample of aboriginal weaving the writer has ever seen. 

 Collected many years ago from the Mohaves it is undoubtedly a genuine 

 specimen of their work. Indeed, as no white man weaves in that man- 

 ner, this could not possibly be an example of borrowing. The chief in- 



Fig. 7. 

 Carrying-basket. 



(Cat. No. 24145, U. S. N. M. Mojave Indians, California. 

 Collected by Edward Palmer. ) 



Carrying-frame, with head-band and resting 

 props, showing the most primitive style of 

 coiled netting. 



(Cat. No. 126680, U. S. N. M. Pima Indians, Arizona. 

 Collected by Edward Palmer.) 



terest in the specimen, however, is not in its simple method of manip- 

 ulation, but in the connection which it has with regions far remote. 

 In Foster's Prehistoric Eaces (p. 225) is figured a piece of weaving, taken 

 from the bottom of a mound in Ohio. There are three warp-threads, 

 precisely as in our Mohave basket, and three weft-threads wrapped suc- 

 cessively around each warp-thread in an orderly manner. Mr. Holmes, 

 in speaking of impressions of textiles on pottery, draws attention to this 

 interesting specimen from Foster. The writer has rolled out a large 

 sheet of sculptor's clay and pressed it against the interior of this net- 

 work and found that the threads held the clay in place perfectly until 



