In order to achieve the best results the weaving has to be done in a very humid atmosphere, and to take advantage of that condition, and to ensure continuity, the work is sometimes accomplished between midnight and 7 a.m. during the dry season. Some writers on this subject assert that Panamas are woven _under_ water, the operator using a bowl; some _may_ have been, but this was probably a freak experiment, as in all the many districts where hats of this kind are made the only desideratum is full natural humidity. When the hood is finished the ends or “speels” of the strands, where the _setts-in_ and the _setts-out_ take place, are carefully pared off with a sharp knife or scissors, and the hat is battered all over with a small wooden mace in order to make it as smooth as possible. It is then washed, in some places with clean cold water only, in others with soap and water, and in some with soap and water combined with lime-juice; drying in the sun completes the operations of making the hood. What are here known as “Jipi Japas” are so closely allied to the true Panama that only an expert can differentiate between them. The material used is almost always identical and is prepared in the same way. There is, however, a slight difference in the method of weaving, and the finish generally speaking, is not of such a high standard. They are made principally in the province of Manavi, in Ecuador. Another variety, very similar, taking its name from the district in which it is made, is called “Suaza.” The really fine specimens of the Panama hat appear to be produced in Columbia, and are made in the departments of Santander, Antisquia, Cauca, and Tolima. The local generic name for all these hoods is “Jipi-Japa,” but the name “Panama” was applied to them because Panama was the port from which they were shipped, and this name for the best quality obtains generally throughout the world. A really fine hood would take two or three months to make, but the bulk probably do not exceed two or three weeks’ work. Some districts look to the making as regular employment, and the operatives work the whole available time in the day, while others regard it as a side line, and utilize only their spare time. A very similar arrangement to this was common among the straw plaitters of England, and in both cases the bulk of the workers were women. Latterly in the Central American States men have been more employed in the industry. The “Curaçoa” (or as it should properly be spelt Curaçao) comes from the island of the same name in the Caribbean Sea. When made the hoods are of a light creamy fawn colour, and are made out of fibres imported from the neighbouring mainland of Venezuela. The method of weaving is similar to that of Panama hats, but the strands are of a much coarser texture.