y wraps of finer wire at the
other end of the spit. The mixture of borax, saliva, and silver was next
applied to the seams of all the beads; they were put into the fire and
all soldered at one operation. When taken from the fire they were
finished by filing, polishing and blanching.

These Indians are quite fertile in design. In Pl. XIX are shown two
powder-chargers, which I consider very graceful in form. I have seen
many of these powder-chargers, all very graceful, but no two alike
except in cases where duplicates had been specially ordered. Their
designs upon bracelets and rings are of great variety. Ornaments for
bridles, consisting of broad bands of silver, sufficient in size and
number to almost entirely conceal the leather, are not particularly
handsome, but are greatly in demand among the Navajos and are
extensively manufactured by them. Leather belts studded with large
plates of silver are favorite articles of apparel, and often contain
metal to the value of forty or fifty dollars. Pl. XX represents an
Indian wearing such a belt, in which only three of the plates are shown.
Single and double crosses of silver are represented attached to his
necklace. The cross is much worn by the Navajos, among whom, I
understand, it is not intended to represent the "Cross of Christ," but
is a symbol of the morning star. The lengthening of the lower limb,
however, is probably copied from the usual form of the Christian emblem.
These savage smiths also display much ingenuity in working from models
and from drawings of objects entirely new to them.

They are very wasteful of material. They usually preserve the clippings
and melt them in the crucible, or use them in soldering; but they make
no attempt to save the metal carried off in filing, polishing, and by
oxidizing in the forge, all of which is considerable. In one article of
silver, for which, allowing for clippings saved, 836 grains were given
to the smith, and the work on which I watched so closely throughout that
I am certain none of the material was stolen, there was a loss of 120
grains, or over 14 per cent.

The smiths whom I have seen working had no dividers, square, measure, or
any instrument of precision. As before stated, I have seen scissors used
as compasses, but as a rule they find approximate centers with the eye,
and cut all shapes and engrave all figures by the unaided guidance of
this unreliable organ. Often they cut out their designs in paper first
and fr