FIRE AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 113 



piece of touchwood. They are universally provided with a small bag 

 containing these materials, so that they are in a continual state of 

 preparation to produce fire."" 



Hearne, in journeying to the northern ocean in 1772, discovered a 

 sohtary female of the Dogrib Indians who had been seven months 

 in the forests without seeing a human being." To support herself 

 she had built a hut, and with much ingenuity snared rabbits and 

 partridges, etc. To procm-e fire she picked up two sulphurous stones 

 from which by long friction and hard knockings she drew sparks, and 

 used touchwood for tinder. Though acquainted, as she must have 

 been, with the process of obtaining fire from wood, she probably found 

 herself from want of practice unable successfully to perform it."^^ 



"The Han Kutchin buried with the dead a flint fastened to a stick, 

 a stone to strike it on to make fire, and a piece of the fungus that 

 grows on a birch tree for tinder, with some touchwood also."^^ 



So far as has yet been ascertained, in the vast stretch between the 

 Canadian and Eastern Indians noted and some tribes living in the 

 southernmost parts of South America there was no use of flint and 

 pyrites by any Indians. In Tierra del Fuego, however, the method 

 is found and has been thus described : 



"Fire is maintained with great care wherever these savages go, by 

 carrying about a piece of burning wood. Should it accidently become 

 extinguished the}^ procure it again from sparks produced by striking 

 two stones against one another. The sparks so produced are received 

 into tinder made from the underdown of birds, well dried, or fine dry 

 moss, and then by fanning the lighted tinder in the air a flame is 

 produced and the fire again kindled."*" 



Another description gives more details: 



"His method of procuring fire is unique. Wherever he goes he 

 carries along a bit of 'mundic' or iron pyrites, which is found upon 

 the mountain sides all over Tierra del Fuego. This mundic when 

 struck by a pebble will produce sparks. The sparks are caught upon 

 a tinder of dried moss or the punk of a dead log, and when ignited 

 the tinder is placed within a ball of dried grass, and this being 

 rapidl}^ whirled in circles soon sets the grass in a blaze. Then it is 

 only necessary to communicate the blaze to a bundle of sticks and 

 the work is complete. But this is a good deal of trouble, and that 

 the lazy Fuegian does not like. Therefore he is extremely careful 

 of his fire, lighting one on shore at nightfall from that in the boat, 

 and vice versa in the morning."*^ 



" Alexander Mackenzie. Voyages from Montreal Through the North American Continent, 1801, p. 36. 



»> E. n. Knight. The World a Workshop, p. 5^ 



" Strachan Jones. Smith. Inst. Kept.. 1866, p. 326. 



" J. Q. Garson. Inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, Journ. Anthrop. Inst., London, vol. 15, 1885, p. 145. 



« Fannie B. Ward. Washington Star, Jan. 16, 1892. 



