110 BULLETIN 141, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



bearing the weight of the ore charge while burning. It is a pure 

 fuel also, imparting no deleterious properties to the metal. The 

 treatment of coal to produce coke may be said to be an extension of 

 the ancient charcoal burner's art. 



The collection includes a number of representative examples of 

 native fuels principally from America, described below. Hay fuel, 

 consisting of twists of coarse grass, were used for fuel in the treeless 

 plains of the Dakotas. Hay thus compressed made a hot and excel- 

 lent fuel. It is remarked that in deforested China similar grass 

 bundles are used for fuel. (PI. 99, fig. 1; Cat. No. 74216; Kingsbury 

 County, S. Dak., Byron Andrews ; 18 inches (45.8 cm.) long.) Another 

 important native fuel coincident with the range of the bison was 

 called " Buffalo chips," the solid excrement of the Bison Americanus. 

 This valuable fuel was used by Indians and others on the Great 

 Western Plains. On the march this fuel was collected around camp. 

 Indian women usually collected the material and formed it into round 

 flat masses which they stored at the village. (PL 99, fig. 7; Cat. No. 

 102226, Bismarck, N. Dak., 1876; Dr. C. E. McChesney; 13.5 (34.3 

 cm.) inches by 16 (40.7 cm.) inches diameter.) Tablet form masses 

 more appropriately termed chips were also collected. (PL 99, fig. 

 6; Cat. No. 102225; Bismarck, N. Dak., 1876; Dr. C. C. McChesney.) 

 Slabs of material of high fuel value formed from droppings of sheep 

 and goats beaten down on the floor of corrals were used by Hopi 

 Indian pottery makers for firing their ware. 



Peat lightly compressed is shown in Plate 99, Figure 4. Other 

 forms of compressed peat formed into tubular briquettes are shown 

 in Figures 3, 6. A block of heavily compressed peat is shown in^ 

 Figure 2. The specim.ens are from northern Europe and were ex- 

 hibited at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876. (Cat. 

 No. 325616, Europe; Centennial Exhibition.) 



Charcoal fuel classified as other than the crude product is rarely 

 observed in any other country than Japan. There charcoal made 

 from the twigs, branches, and stems of certain wood growth is se- 

 lected for some artistic quality and used in the tea ceremony and 

 other expressions of refinements. In Japan also globular briquettes- 

 prepared of finely powdered charcoal and other substances are slow 

 burning and useful for keeping fire over night. 



