FIRE AS AX AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 103 



the operator's hands. The left hand is held motionless while the 

 right palm is rubbed steadily and somewhat rapidly backwards and 

 forwa^'ds against the left (fig. 17^). The friction wears away the 

 sides of the pit and enlarges it. The groove which passes half round 

 the stick becomes an open channel tlu'ough which the fragments worn 

 away from the inside of the pit fall on to the knife or board 

 below, where they form a small heap. At the end of a half a minute 

 the heat within the pit, acting through the open channel, ignites the 

 heap of dust. The wood used in the manufacture of these sticks is 

 of different kinds. That used by the Macusis appears to be from a 

 species of apeiba. That used by the Warraus is cut either from a 

 plant called by them 'voarno' {Gaultherea uregon Aublet) or from the 

 bone (midrib) of the troolis palm {Manicario saccifera) or from the 

 yari-yari or luncewood tree, or from others of unknown name."^ 



The collections of fire tools from the Indians of Brazil show the 

 simple apparatus prevaiUng in that country. In many cases no notch 

 is cut on the edge of the hearth for the collection of the ground-off 

 wood particles. The reason for this is that the drill and hearth are of 

 approximately the same diameter, so that the working of the drill 

 gi'inds away and cuts the side of the hearth, forming a notch. This is 

 observed in specimens collected by Dr. Emil Hassler from the Chara- 

 utes, Cayapos, Angaytes, and other Brazilian tribes.^ There is fig- 

 ured in the 1891 report (vol. 2) of the Museum fur Volkerkunde of 

 Berlin what appears to be a fire drill from the Rio Purus, Araazonas, 

 Brazil. The hearth is a half round piece of wood with a similar 

 piece covering it, and the two are tied together. The fire hole and 

 slot are made near the end of the hearth and the top piece of wood 

 is slid back to uncover the hole. This device is evidently to protect 

 the working part of the hearth from dampness. 



CHILE 



The Araucanians "dd not use flint for the purpose of obtaining 

 fire, but employ, like the Kamtschatdas, two pieces of dry wood, one 

 of which they place upon another and turn it in their hands until it 

 takes fire, which is very soon." ^^ 



ARGENTINA 



" The Patagonians in making fire have two pieces of wood, the one 

 as hard as hollj'', the other soft as fir, the one flat, the other round. 

 They lay the flat piece upon their knees and set the hard piece upon 

 the other and drill it between their hands." " 



'E. F. Im Thurn. Indians of British Guiana, London, 1833, p, 257. 



» Jarhbuch dii Mittelschweizerischen Comraerciellen Qesellschaft., vol. 2, 1888, pp. 114-115. 



" Molena. History of Chili, Middletown, 1808, p. 106. 



'! Dralro. World Enconi passed, Hakluyt Society Publications, London, 1884, p. ,50. 



