The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-05-11
PRIMITIVE FIRE-MAKING.
Interesting Description OF Some of
the simplest Devices of UnciviI-
ised Tribes.

II is curious fact that the African,
in lighting the fire in which to smelt
the iron from which he makes his re-
markable steel weapons, uses neither
stone nor metal in obtaining the first
spark. II is interesting TO observe the
fire-making tools that have been used.
They may be divided by the sort Of
motion required into four classes. In
dians. Australians, Eskimos, Hindus
and others use the wbirling or drilling
motion. Malays, Burmese and others
use saving movement Polynesians,
Papuans and others use plowing mo-
ton, while the custom of obtaining fire
by striking a light seems now as COM
mon among barbarous as civilized men.
In nearly all tribes several methods
are used, according to circumstances
and the means at hand. A very fine
collection of fire-making implements
may be seen in the National museum
in the Smithsonian institution at Wash,
ington. Nearly every method is rep
resented there.
The simplest and probably the old
est and most widely used device is
called the two-stick apparatus. 1t has
been used everywhere and at all times.
1t consists of rough plank or large
stick, which rests on the ground, as a
hearth, and smooth, round stick. from
one-and-a-half to two feet long, which
we will call the drill. In the gradual
improvement of this simple but ncces-
sary tool the different tribes show their
mental development-their ingenuity
or power of thinking. The wood chosen
for the hearth is dry, worm-ridden
pieces of the juniper, white maple or
cedar. Drills are also chosen of dry
inflammable wood. Many tribes pre-
fer the starchy stem of some flower
ing plant.
The hearth has one or more-usually
many-holes or shallow sockets drilled
in its upper face, and narrow slots lead
ing from these sockets or fire-holes to
the tinder beneath. The finder is made
of shredded bark, or fungus, which will
catch fire quickly and burn slowly, like
| q slow match.
An Indian kneels with one knee on
each end of the hearth, which is of
convenient length, and, placing the
end of the fre-stick upright in one of
the sockets, or fire holes, twirls it
rapidly between his open palms by rub
bing them back and forth past each
other almost to the finger tips. At
the same time he presses the drill firm
ly into the fire-hole, letting his hands
move down the drill until they nearly
reach the bottom, when they are
brought back to the top with quick,
deft motion, and move swiftly down
again.
Soon you will see that the wood is
being ground off the end of the fire,
stick in a fine powder that collects in
the narrow slot leading from the fire.
hole TO the tinder beneath. AS the
amount of powder increases, il grows
darker and darker, until il is almost
black. You will notice the odor of
burning wood, and after the stick has
been twirled from IS TO As seconds,
little curl of queer-colored smoke will
begin to arise. Combustion has begun.
The Indian will then tap his wooden
hearth, and the smoking pellet will
drop out of the slot to the tinder below,
where it can easily be blown into a
blaze. 1t is necessary to keep the fine,
friction-heated dust in a close heap
IL fire is to be generated from wooden
tools.-H. l.. jerome. in st. Nicholas.