y, all are to be associated with the first clothing, which may be
merely a narrow belt or an ornamental piece of cloth--all merely for
show, for adornment and attraction.

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There are relics of ornaments found in caves of early man, and, as
before mentioned, relics of paints. The clothing of early man can be
conjectured by the implements with which he was accustomed to dress the
skins of animals. Among living tribes the bark of trees represents the
lowest form of clothing. In Brazil there is found what is known as the
"shirt tree," which provides covering for the body. When a man wants a
new garment he pulls the bark from a tree of a suitable size, making a
complete girdle. This he soaks and beats until it is soft, and,
cutting holes for the arms, dons his tailor-made garment. In some
countries, particularly India, aprons are made of leaves. But the
garment made of the skins of animals is the most universal among living
savage and barbarous tribes, even after the latter have learned to spin
and weave fabrics. The tanning of skins is carried on with a great
deal of skill, and rich and expensive garments are worn by the
wealthier members of savage tribes.

The making of garments from threads, strings, or fibres was an art
discovered a little later. At first rude aprons were woven from long
strips of bark. The South Sea Islanders made short gowns of plaited
rushes, and the New Zealanders wore rude garments from strings made of
native flax. These early products were made by the process of working
the fibres by hand into a string or thread. The use of a simple
spindle, composed of a stone like a large button, with a stick run
through a hole in the centre, facilitated the making of thread and the
construction of rude looms. It was but a step from these to the
spinning-wheels and looms of the Middle Ages. When the Spaniards
discovered the Pueblo Indians, they were wearing garments of their own
weaving from cotton and wood fibres. Strong cords attached to the
limbs of trees and to a piece of wood on the ground formed the
framework of the loom, and the native sat down to weave the garment.
With slight improvements on this old style, the Navajos continue to
weave their celebrated blankets. What an effort it must have cost,
what a necessity must have crowded man to have compelled him to resort
to this method of procuring clothing!

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The artistic taste in dress has always accompanied the development o