r finger through the space between the first
and third threads and draws out a fold of the heald-string; (7) she
twists this once around, so as to form a loop, and pushes the point of
the heald-rod on to the right through this loop; (8) she puts her
finger into the next space and forms another loop; (9) and so on she
continues to advance her rod and form her loops from left to right
until each of the anterior (alternate) warp-threads of the lower shed
is included in a loop of the heald; (10) when the last loop is made
she ties the string firmly to the rod near its right end.

When the weaving is nearly done and it becomes necessary to remove the
healds, the rod is drawn out of the loops, a slight pull is made at
the thread, the loops fall in an instant, and the straightened string
is drawn out of the shed. Illustrations of the healds may be seen in
Plates XXXV and XXXVIII and Figs. 42, 44, and 46, that in Fig. 46
being the most distinct.

Sec. VI. In making a blanket the operator sits on the ground with her
legs folded under her. The warp hangs vertically before her, and
(excepting in a case to be mentioned) she weaves from below upwards.
As she never rises from this squatting posture when at work, it is
evident that when she has woven the web to a certain height further
work must become inconvenient or impossible unless by some arrangement
the finished web is drawn downwards. Her cloth-beam does not revolve
as in our looms, so she brings her work within easy reach by the
following method: The spiral rope (Plate XXXVIII and Fig. 42) is
loosened, the yarn-beam is lowered to the desired distance, a fold is
made in the loosened web, and the upper edge of the fold is sewed down
tightly to the cloth-beam. In all new blankets over two feet long the
marks of this sewing are to be seen, and they often remain until the
blanket is worn out. Plate XXXV, representing a blanket nearly
finished, illustrates this procedure.

Except in belts, girths, and perhaps occasionally in very narrow
blankets, the shuttle is never passed through the whole width of the
warp at once, but only through a space which does not exceed the
length of the batten; for it is by means of the batten, which is
rarely more than 3 feet long, that the shed is opened.

[Illustration: PL. XXXV.--WEAVING OF DIAMOND-SHAPED DIAGONALS.]

Suppose the woman begins by weaving in the lower shed. She draws
apportion of the healds towards her, and with them the anterior