THE 
AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
Vou x1v.— AUGUST, 1880. — No. 8. 
THE FABRICATION OF AINO CLOTH. 
BY PROF. D. P. PENHALLOW. 
[Sv view of the very uncertain history of the Ainos, it is difficult 
to obtain reliable information respecting the origin of any of 
the rude arts with which they appear to be familiar. According 
to the testimony of the Ainos themselves, weaving has been 
practiced by them from very early times, while their traditions 
also state that their knowledge of the art was original and not 
obtained from the Chinese or Japanese. There appears but little 
either in support or contradiction of such statements, other than 
can be obtained by a comparison of the machines used by the 
Ainos and their Japanese neighbors. Those used by the former 
involve a simplicity not to be found in any of the Japanese instru- 
ments, pointing to originality or marked deterioration in the first 
Case, or, in the second, a greater improvement of original forms 
than has generally been recognized as a feature of the old style 
of mechanical ingenuity. While the whole subject is involved in 
its present obscurity, we can only look upon. the Staleents of the 
Ainos as of traditional interest. 
The fabrication of the cloth involves processes ae aaar. 
Of the greatest simplicity, such as may readily be executed or — 
Procured under the conditions of a wild forest life. The material — 
used is coarse bast fiber obtained from two species of elm, Ulmus — 
campestris and U. montana, respectively known to the Ainos as — 
Akadamo and Ohiyo. The slight maceration or simple bruising: j 
to which the fiber is subjected, results in nothing more than a 
Separation of the various bast layers, no attempt being made to 
Separate individual fibers and produce twisted threads ; hence we 
VOL. XIV.—No. vit, 36 
