3 DESCRIPTION

3.1 Inner Sleeping Chamber

The chamber was constructed of off-white, linen fabric, woven with “Z” twist, single-ply yarn, using a 2/2 broken, reverse, twill weave. The thread count was 19 threads/cm warp, 13 threads/cm weft. The total area of fabric was approximately 226 square feet. The mud flaps and ridge pole sleeve were constructed of plain woven, linen fabric, using the same yarn, with 12 threads/cm warp, 12 threads/cm weft. Grommet holes, where present, were hand bound with linen thread. Twelve fragments of hemp rope still hung from some of the grommets. Two well-oxidized remains of a small hook and eye were present on the top seam of the left side piece. Throughout the fabric were occasional patches of varying quality, made with an identical linen fabric. Other damaged areas were drawn together and sewn rather than patched.

3.2 Dining Marquee Lining

The main fabric was a plain woven wool, with a 22 thread/cm warp, and a 19 thread/cm weft. It was woven with very loosely hand spun, “Z” twist yarns of a non-uniform size. This caused the material to have a slightly seersucker appearance. The total area of fabric was 626 square feet. Examination of the fabric inside the French seams revealed a green color although the body of the fabric now appears mustard brown. The top side of the seams were reinforced with two-inch wide, heavy linen strips. Remnants of twelve wrought iron hooks remained on the linen strips. The ridge pole sleeve was a plain woven linen as on the sleeping chamber.