Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-10
THE WATERBURY DEMOCRAT FRIDAY JANUARY
FIRE BY FRICTION.
How a Blaze Is Kindled by Natives
 in Many Lands.
The Good old Way of Obtaining a Fire by the Rubbing of Two Sticks - Super stitious Observances Among
 European Country Folk.


 One of the first things every child learns about fire is that certain savage races produce it by the rubbing of two sticks. Delightfully."- simple as the de- scription of the process is, says the Lon don Fireman, any one who has tried to perform the operation will certify that it is by no means an easy one, and very likely will afterward declare fervently upon oath that tho thing can not be done. Many travellers have tried, under the most suspicious circumstances-in countries where the production of fire in this manner is in everyday use, with grinning native to choose the weapons and give a practical exhibition of his own skill-and after many joint and muscle-aching experiments, have given up the attempt in a state of mind bor- dering on temporary insanity. "We ourselves" writes a traveller, "have been successful just often enough to understand the uncertainty of the opera tion. In the first place, judgment is re- quired in choosing the sticks. The i'm mense variety of tropic vegetation fur nishes many sorts that answer the pur- pose, but many also that will not; an expert sometimes may be long in finding two species suitable. One must be light and soft; the other heavy, of close texture, and both must be dry. Upon the heavy bit he cuts two grooves, in the form of a cross, fixes probably - sharpens the light bit, places it in the intersections of the cross and twirls it steadily between his palms. Gradually finder forms in the shape of dust, which drops down the grooves in a tiny heap on either side. If the twirling be interrupted for sec ond, that represents so much waste of time, which must be recovered at enor- nous interest. If the heavy piece shifts the finder is displaced. One or other of these accidents accounts for the failure of tho inexperienced, which is pretty certain to occur. As in all other opera tions of this kind, manual dexterity comes only after considerable practice. But the power of originating fire in this manner with facility is not an accom- plishment possessed by every one, even in the countries where the practice ex- ists. The inhabitants of the topics do not always depend wholly upon their two sticks; among many tribes they are noth- ing but last resort. They have other methods of producing fire. A native carries in his betel-boX perhaps frag- ment of hard pottery and a morsel of dry fungus. Fixing bit of the latter in the hollow, and holding it down with the thumb-in such way that it follows the edge-he smartly strikes the box, which is bamboo, of course, just as if he were handling flint and steel. A practice still more odd is used by some Oriental people. They carry a short stick of lead, hollowcd like a cup at one end, which they fill with finder, and small bamboo, which closely fits it. Setting the stick upright in the left palm, they adjust the bamboo over it, strike smart ly, withdraw it as quickly, and the tin der is alight.
 The friction methods in use in differ ent parts of the world arc various. One of the simplest is with the stick and groove-a blunt-pointed stick being run i along groove of its own making in 2 piece of wood lying on the ground. IT Tahiti MT. Darwin saw a native pro duce fire in few seconds, but only sue ceeded himself after much labor. This device is employed in New Zealand, the Sandwich Islands. Tonga, Samoa anG the Radack Islands. Instead of rubbing the movable stick backward and for ward, other tribes make 1t rotate rapid ly in round hole in the stationar, piece of wood, in the manner referred to, thus making, as happily designated fire drill. This device has been ob served in Australia, Kamtschatka, Su matra and the Carolines; among thu Yeddahs of Ceylon, throughout grea part of South Africa, among the Esqui maux and Indian tribes of North Amer ica, in the West Indies, in Centra America and as far south as the Strait of Magellan. It was also employed b. the ancient MeXicans. A further ad vance was made by some North Ameri can Indians, who appear to have applied the principle of the bow-drill, and tn still more ingenious pump-drill wa used by the Iroquois Indians.
 These methods of producing fire ar but rarely used in Europe, and only il connection with superstitious observ ances. We read in Wutt<e that some tim ago the authorities of Mecklenber, village ordered wild fire to be lighte, against the murrain among the cattle For two hours they strove vainly to ob tain spark, but the fault was not as cribed to the quality of the wood or t the dampness of the atmosphere, but t the stubbornness of an old lady who, ob jecting to the superstition, would no put out her night light. Such a fire, t.
 be efficient, must burn alone. At las the strong-minded woman was com pelled to give in; fire was obtained, bu of bad quality, for it did not stop tn murrain.
 A belief in the peculiar virtues of fir obtained by the friction of wood has a one time or another prevailed among al nations of Indo-European race, and no many years ago the obtaining of nee' (fire) was practiced in the highlands o Scotland. One of its principal virtue has always been considered to be et