§ III. Plate XXXVIII and Fig. 42 illustrate ordinary blanket-looms.
Two posts, _a a_, are set firmly in the ground; to these are lashed
two cross-pieces or braces, _b c_, the whole forming the frame of the
loom. Sometimes two slender trees, growing at a convenient distance
from one another, are made to answer for the posts, _d_ is a
horizontal pole, which I call the supplementary yarn-beam, attached to
the upper brace, _b_, by means of a rope, _e e_, spirally applied. _f_
is the upper beam of the loom. As it is analogous to the yarn-beam of
our looms, I will call it by this name, although once only have I seen
the warp wound around it. It lies parallel to the pole _d_, about 2 or
3 inches below it, and is attached to the latter by a number of loops,
_g g_. A spiral cord wound around the yarn-beam holds the upper border
cord _h h_, which, in turn, secures the upper end of the warp _i i_.
The lower beam of the loom is shown at _k_. I will call this the
cloth-beam, although the finished web is never wound around it; it is
tied firmly to the lower brace, _c_, of the frame, and to it is
secured the lower border cord of the blanket. The original distance
between the two beams is the length of the blanket. Lying between the
threads of the warp is depicted a broad, thin, oaken stick, _l_, which
I will call the batten. A set of healds attached to a heald-rod, _m_,
are shown above the batten. These healds are made of cord or yarn;
they include alternate threads of the warp, and serve when drawn
forward to open the lower shed. The upper shed is kept patent by a
stout rod, _n_ (having no healds attached), which I name the shed-rod.
Their substitute for the reed of our looms is a wooden fork, which
will be designated as the reed-fork (Fig. 44, _a_).

[Illustration: FIG. 42.--Ordinary Navajo blanket loom.]

For convenience of description, I am obliged to use the word