﻿No. 
  122 
  

  

  85 
  

  

  work 
  belt, 
  with 
  interstices 
  between 
  the 
  strands. 
  Upon 
  the 
  bur- 
  

   den 
  frame 
  mentioned 
  above 
  is 
  a 
  strap 
  of 
  this 
  description. 
  

  

  The 
  inner 
  rind 
  of 
  the 
  slippery 
  elm 
  bark 
  is 
  peeled 
  off, 
  in 
  the 
  

   first 
  instance, 
  in 
  narrow 
  strips 
  about 
  four 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  tied 
  

   up 
  in 
  bundles. 
  It 
  is 
  sometimes 
  preserved 
  for 
  months 
  in 
  this 
  

   form 
  before 
  it 
  is 
  made 
  into 
  threads. 
  After 
  being 
  boiled 
  in 
  ashes 
  

   and 
  water, 
  and 
  washed 
  and 
  dried 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  bass. 
  

   wood 
  bark, 
  it 
  is 
  run 
  off 
  into 
  filaments, 
  Which 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  as 
  fine 
  

   as 
  small 
  thread, 
  if 
  desired. 
  

  

  Ose-ga, 
  or 
  skein 
  of 
  slippery 
  elm 
  filaments. 
  

  

  No. 
  63. 
  

  

  These 
  threads 
  are 
  then 
  tied 
  up 
  in 
  skeins, 
  as 
  represented 
  above^ 
  

   and 
  laid 
  aside 
  for 
  use. 
  For 
  burden 
  straps 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  quality, 
  

   this 
  thread 
  alone 
  is 
  used, 
  it 
  being 
  stronger, 
  more 
  pliable, 
  and 
  of 
  

   a 
  finer 
  texture 
  than 
  the 
  bass 
  wood. 
  The 
  skeins 
  themselves 
  have 
  

   a 
  reddish 
  tinge 
  usually, 
  but 
  the 
  first 
  quality 
  has 
  a 
  grayish 
  color.. 
  

   They 
  are 
  sometimes 
  dyed 
  black 
  or 
  some 
  fancy 
  color, 
  to 
  give 
  va- 
  

   riety 
  to 
  the 
  belts 
  into 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  woven. 
  A 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  

   gray 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  colored 
  bark 
  thread 
  is 
  also 
  furnished. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  burden 
  strap, 
  

   more 
  skill, 
  ingenuity 
  and 
  patient 
  industry 
  are 
  exhibited, 
  per- 
  

   haps, 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  single 
  article 
  fabricated 
  by 
  the 
  Iroquois. 
  

   The 
  strap 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  belt 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  about 
  two 
  feet 
  in 
  length 
  

   by 
  two 
  and^ 
  half 
  inches 
  in 
  width, 
  with 
  ropes 
  at 
  each 
  end 
  about 
  

   seven 
  feet 
  each 
  ; 
  thus 
  making 
  its 
  entire 
  length 
  from 
  fifteen 
  to 
  

   twenty 
  feet. 
  It 
  is 
  used 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  litter 
  or 
  burden 
  frame, 
  

   to 
  the 
  baby 
  frame, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  basket, 
  when 
  these 
  burdens 
  are 
  to 
  

   be 
  borne 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  3 
  in 
  which 
  cases 
  the 
  belt 
  is 
  passed 
  around 
  

   the 
  forehead. 
  Fifteen 
  or 
  twenty 
  small 
  cords 
  are 
  first 
  made, 
  about 
  

   three 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  by 
  twisting 
  the 
  filaments 
  of 
  bark 
  by 
  hand. 
  

   These 
  cords, 
  which 
  make 
  the 
  warp, 
  or 
  substance 
  of 
  the 
  belt, 
  are 
  

  

  