Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 39.djvu/816

796 leaf of this plant are strong, fine, and silky. A weaving-frame on sticks a foot or so from the ground is used in making some of these mats. Upon it is a weft of strings close together and drawn tight; the weft is double, passed under and over each yarn. A bone beater is used. Even a common mat takes eighteen months in making. All mats are ornamented with strings or tags: thus, one was covered with long, cylindrical ornaments, looking like porcupine-quills, hard, alternately yellow and black. These are made of phormium-leaf epidermis rolled up. The kaitaka is a peculiarly beautiful mat, soft and fine, plain except the border, which is in some cases two feet deep, elaborately woven in Van-dyked patterns of black, red, and white. War cloaks of chiefs are woven in much the same way, but hair is woven in so that the mat looks like a skin. Such cost four years' labor, and no two are alike.

Out of such plaiting as this true weaving grows. The only difference between plaiting and true weaving is that the splints or ribbons of the one are replaced by cords or threads. The development of the great looms of to-day has been often enough traced. A good example of their beginnings is the very simple little wooden cibohikan of our Sacs and Foxes.

Some of the articles of dress made by savage and barbarous peoples deserve notice. They are sometimes elegant in material and beautiful in workmanship. No furrier can do better work than does the Kaffir kaross-maker.

A large kaross is worn fur inward. If made of several skins, the heads are in a row along the upper margin. This is bent back and falls outward as a cape. Jackal-skin is prized as thick and soft, with rich black mottlings. That of the meerkat is also valued. One kaross of thirty-six skins' was sewed very neatly;