3/0 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 33 



similar to those of the early days) were marked oft' by stones of vari- 

 ous sizes and shapes, but always with at least one large, flat, elongated 

 one on which ollas and kettles could be set. From rafters, directly 

 over the fireplace, hung several wires each ending in a piece of heavy 

 chain. Adjustable stout S-shaped wires could be hooked into the 

 chain at different heights so that pails and kettles could be raised or 

 lowered over the fire, as desired. In one house a 4-legged grill rested 

 over the open-pit fireplace. 



The most desirable firewoods are nire and chacay because they give 

 much heat and little smoke. Since an Argentine law forbids felling 

 trees without a written permit, firewood today is dry wood of trees 

 blown down by wind, and also bark, twigs, and brush found in the 

 woods (pi. 64, 2). "Most of these smoke up the house; this maqui I 

 am using is absolutely no good for heat either," said a woman while 

 she broke off large pieces of bark across her knee and then broke them 

 into smaller pieces by hand. Two schoolboys told of two Araucanians 

 who had been jailed recently for felling trees. Formerly, one end of 

 the 18- to 36-inch-diameter log was kept smoldering in the fireplace. 

 When heat was desired, it was pushed into the fire. 



Fire was started by men in several ways. A man holding a flint 

 firmly in one hand struck it forcefully with another stone, usually a 

 flint also, held in the other hand. Striking was done toward tinder. 

 Tinder was either thoroughly dried wood, leaves, or horse manure; 

 today it is often straw or paper. A second way was to hold any hard 

 stone in one hand and energetically rub it with a piece of iron held in 

 the other hand. Again sparks were caught by tinder. A third way was 

 to run a stick — more recently a wire — briskly back and forth through 

 a hollowed-out stem of fuscia. The fibers within the stem served as 

 tinder. "I have seen my father start fire in a fuscia," said a 60-year- 

 old woman. "The fuscia has a very hard stem. South of here they 

 [probably the Tehuelche] still start fire that way." 



A man starting a fire sang (informant sang in Araucanian) : "May 

 my fire burn ; may it burn. I will give you meat and fat, if you but 

 burn; for then I can eat. In the name of chau [God] burn for me, 

 for I need you." As soon as he had a fire burning, he threw a small 

 piece of meat and fat into it as an offering. \\' hen a fire was not in 

 use, the embers were covered with sand to keep them smoldering. 



Several meals were eaten each day, hunger generally indicating 

 mealtime. During the childhood of an 85-year-old woman four meals 

 were eaten each day. Each consisted of one main dish "sometimes it 

 was a stew like I am now [3:30 p.m.] preparing." 



All persons present ate together, squatting in circular fashion 



