.VHT. 14 FIRE-MAKING APPARATUS HOUGH ' 29 



block of wood 23^ inches thick, a drill in the cutting end of which 

 can be set a cylindrical piece of superior wood or bitt and another 

 piece supplied when it is worn down, a supply of such pieces sawed 

 in a block of wood, a nut to be held with two hands and having an 

 inset of stone, and a cord for rotating the drill. These parts are 

 named, respectively, " adhararani " ; the lower, " arani " ; "mantha," 

 the spindle drill; "sauku," set or bitt; and "uttararani," wood for 

 the bitt. In respect to remarks on the necessity of a slot for collect- 

 ing the fire dust, it may be said that this drill is an exception, as it is 

 found that a drill spindle of unusual diameter obviates the necessity 

 of a slot, the tendency of the movement on a large periphery being 

 to roll off masses of the dust which ignite at one or more places. 

 (India, Cat. No. 150887, Natural History Museum, Oxford, England; 

 length of spindle with bitt, 20 inches (51 cm.). (PI. 5, figs. 1-4).) 

 The elaborateness of this fire-making set is an example of the tendency 

 to complexity in cult apparatus. 



The turned drill and hand rest, the nut of iron, the iron pin, and 

 bands on the drill naturally mark this set as modern in construction. 

 This sacred fire drill is a model of the apparatus used in Brahmanic 

 India by the fire priest, " agnihotrin, " for the daily sacrifices of milk 

 and butter according to the Vedic rituals. The apparatus is set up 

 on an antelope skin. 



Dr. W. L. Abbott brought from the Jakuns of the Endau River, 

 Johore, a fire-drill set which, on account of the inaccessibility of 

 these natives and the little known of them till lately, may be con- 

 sidered rare. The equipment as carried by the Jakuns consists of a 

 bundle of little rods of about the same diameter, any one of which 

 may be used as a drill or hearth at choice. There is no separation 

 of hearth and drill. This feature is noticed also among the South 

 American jungle tribes. It will be seen that in this case there is no 

 need for a slot, as the working of the drill upon a hearth of equal 

 caliber cuts a slot in the wall of the hearth automatically. (Cat. No. 

 213441 ; Dr. W. L. Abbott; 12-20 inches long (31-54 cm.).) Another 

 bundle of fire sticks, native name, "kooshuk," from the Jakuns of 

 the Rumpin River, Pahang, consists of rude rods, but having the 

 same features mentioned in the Johore set except that the hearth 

 pieces are slightly larger. (Cat. No. 219931; Dr. W. L. Abbott; 

 hearth, 10 inches long (25 cm.); drill, 15 inches long (38 cm.).) 



The Malays of the islands of Nias, Pagi, and Simalur, East Indies, 

 have the cord drill. Dr. W. L. Abbott procured several sets from 

 these islands described as follows: 



The specimen from Sibabo Bay, Simalur Island, consists of a 

 square piece of light yellow wood with used fire cavity in the middle, 

 and adjoining a place with channel down the side of the block for a 

 new working of the drill. The latter is a short, cylindrical, tapering 



