FIBE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTUBB 99 



their incursions to the west coast. The Creeks have retained the 

 simple drill in ceremony, as in the Green Corn Dance. They drill 

 out fii'e at the junction of logs laid in form of a square cross. The 

 Seminoles of Florida pursue the same routine in making new fire. 



Among the extinct Karankawa Indians of Texas fire making is 

 thus described by Dr. A. S. Gatschet: 



"After the hut was built a fire was made. Their fire sticks they 

 always carried with them and kept them carefully wrapped in several 

 layers of skins tied up with thongs and made into a neat package; 

 they were thus kept very dry, and as soon as the occasion for their 

 use was over they were immediately wrapped up again and laid away. 

 These sticks were two in number. One of them was held across the 

 knees as the Indian squatted on the ground, and was about 2 feet long, 

 made of a close-grained, brownish-yeUow wood (perhaps pecan) half 

 round in section, the flat face (held upwai'd) about an inch across, 

 in which were three holes about half an inch in diameter and of equal 

 depth, the bottoms slightly concave. The three holes were equally 

 distant apart, about 2 inches, and the first one was the same distance 

 from the end of the stick which rested upon the right knee. In one 

 of the holes was inserted the slightly rounded end of a twirHng stick 

 about 18 inches long, made of white, soft wood, somewhat less than 

 the diameter of the hole, so as to turn easily. Holding the twirler 

 (which was perfectly cyHndrical) vertically between the palms of the 

 hands, a gentle but rapid alternating rotary motion was imparted. 

 After continuing this for about five minutes the abrasions of the softer 

 wood caused a fine, impalpable dust to collect in the hole, from which 

 soon issued a thin blue line of smoke; as soon as the Indian saw this 

 he quickly withdrew his twirler with one hand while with the other 

 he caught up and crushed a few very dry leaves, previously placed 

 on a dry cloth close by (having been produced from their wrapping, 

 in which they had been carefully preserved for this very purpose, to 

 serve as tinder) , and very quickly but hghtly sprinkled them in and 

 around the hole, over which both hands were then held protectingly, the 

 head bent down and the incipient fire fanned to a blaze with the 

 breath. As soon as the blaze had fau'ly caught the stick and tinder 

 were deftly turned over upon a little pile of dry twigs and leaves, 

 and the fire was started. Always performed by men." '* 



PLAINS 



The wood friction method of fire making among the Plains Indians 

 had become almost entirely disused before observations could be 

 made. Generall}^ they were found in posession of the flint and steel 

 strike-a-hght. The Comanches apparently were the last to give up 



w Albert Qatschet. The Karankawa Indians of Texas, Cambridge, 1891, pp. 10-11. 



