Method of kindling Fire in the Sandwich Islands. 238 
A violent shock of an earthquake was also felt at Belley (Ait) 
om the 23d of February at 35 minutes after 3 o’clock P.M. 
EARTHQUAKES AND MAGNETISM. 
M. Arago has transmitted to the French Academy of Sciences, 
au account of au observation he had made which proves that the 
recent earthquake, the shocks of which were felt at Lyons and 
its neighbourhood, also extended its action to Paris. M. Arago 
has an observatory in Paris for the purpose of observing the va- 
riations of the magnetic needle. On the 19th of February the 
needle remained perfectly steady until half past eight o’clock ; at 
a quarter before nine it became agitated in a very extraordinary 
manner with an oscillatory motion strongly inclining towards the 
magnetic meridian. On observing this truly singular phzno- 
menon, M. Arago was of opinion that it was occasioned by an 
earthquake. 
At the same day and hour M. Biot remarked an oscillatory 
movement produced by the same earthquake, at his own resi- 
dence in the College de France. 
METHODS OF KINDLING FIRE IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
There are various methods of producing fire. In the Caroline 
Islands, a piece of wood being held fast on the ground, another 
short piece, about a foot and a half long, of the thickness of a 
thumb, even as if turned, and with the end bluntly rounded off, 
is held perpendicularly over it, and put in motion between the - 
palin of the hand, like the mill used for making chocolate. The 
motion is at first slow, but is accumulated, and the pressure in- 
creased, when the dust produced by the friction collects round 
the bores, and begins to be ignited. This dust is the tinder 
which takes fire. The women of Eap are said to be uncommonly 
clever at this process. {n Radack and the Sandwich. Islands, 
they hold on the under piece of wood another piece a span long, 
with a blunt point, at an angle of about 30 degrees, the point of 
the angle being turned from the person employed. They hold 
the piece of wood with both hands, the thumbs below, the fingers 
above, so that it may press firmly and equally, and thus move it 
backwards and forwards in a straight line, about two or three 
inches long. When the dust that collects in the groove, pro- 
duced by the point of the stick, begins to be heated, the pressure 
and the rapidity of the motion are increased. It is to be observed, 
that in both methods two pieces of the same kind of wood are 
used; for which purpose, some of equally fine grains, not too 
hard, and not too soft, are the best. Both methods require prac- 
tice, dexterity, and patience. The process of the Aleutians 1s 
the first of these methods, improved by mechanism. ‘They ma- 
Vol. 59, No. 287. March 1822, Gg nage 
