Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-07
PRIMITIVE WAYS
TO MAKE FIRE

We, who have fire and flame when
ever we want it, can scarcely realize
just how the savage, who labOred for
hours TO make a fire, priced the tiny
flame that he at last produced after
hours Cf labor. In some parts of the
world where primitive customs still
remain the old methods of obtaining
flame are still in vogue. The natives
of the Philippines. of Borneo and the
Malay archipelago still make fire by
striking pieces of bamboo together
Bamboo seems to be particularly suit
ed to making fire. The natives take
one piece of convex surface and cut
a slit in the wood. Then they care
fully shave off a mass of fine bam-
boo shlvings, which make excellent
finder. This finder is paced under
the slit in the wood. Then another
piece o. wood. sharpened at the end,
is drawn rapidly over the first piece.
After about 20 seconds of rubbing,
heated particles form and drop
through the slit of wood on the tin,
der. Then the native quickly seiZes
the latter, and by continued blowing
soon has a flame. This method is
not nearly as complicated or as la
boriOuS as il sounds. Two men,
whether they ever started a fire be-
fore or not in this way, can do so in
a minute or two. The natives gem
orally start their fires by having a
man hold one piece of wood rigid
while another man dubs his knife-like
stick rapidly across the surface. Many
civilized FilipinOS, even those who
live in the cities, still use this method
of lighting cigarettes when they have
10 matches at hand.
Another way of starting a fire used
by the Tungaras of British North Bor-
neO is By striking a piece of china
and a bit of finder against the out
side Of piece of bamboo. The COW
ering of the latter then yields a
spark The Pacific Islanders and
the Negritos of New Britain" make
fire on yet another plan. They rub
sharpened piece of hard stick
against the inside of a bit of dried
split bamboo. This produces a fine
dust. which soon ignites.
the Indians Of all parts of the
United States followed for many
years the practice Of turning a stick
swiftly in a hole that had been bored
in another piece of wood. The stick
used for boring was hardened first by
being heated in a fire. 1t was whirl-
ed around and around, and under
steady pressure a tiny cone of dust
would Slowly gather, shoulder for
few moments, and then spring into
blaze
By and by these rude instruments
used by the Indians were improved,
and the pump drill, invented, it is
said. by the IrOquOis, first came into
;i5e. The rude perforators were i'm
proved in form, and turned with
thongs and sinews. The drill, in its
first estate but an auger. was made a
very effective fire maker. Hours
were sometimes required to bring d
flame by use of the more primitive
drills, but the pump-drilIs or bow
drills, in skillfuE hands, produced a
flame in a very. few minutes.
In ! some parts of the Philippines
the fire syringe is probably the most
efficient of all primitive firemaking
apparatus. It consists partly of Il
small cylindrical piece of ebony wood.
about three inches long. with hole
bored III the center. In this hole
plunger is pressed. Around one end
Of the plunger cotton is wrapped so
that it fits tightly in the hole. Then
bit OF finder rubbed in dog fat is
placed in the bottom. The pIunger is
pressed down hard and the COMPRESS