CHAP. iv. FIRE AND LIGHT. 25 



that any clew to its mode of production would be fol- 

 lowed up. It is said that trees are sometimes ignited by 

 the friction of dry branches which happen to touch each 

 other, when violently rubbed together during a strong 

 wind. When this was observed for the first time by 

 some thoughtful savage, and he actually found that 

 strong rubbing did make things hot, he would be en- 

 couraged to use his utmost efforts to imitate the effect 

 produced by nature. After many unsuccessful trials, he 

 would at length succeed; and the important news would 

 be rapidly communicated to adjacent tribes, and thus 

 spread over a whole continent. As a matter of fact, this 

 method of producing fire by friction is that most com- 

 mon among savages in all parts of the world; and since 

 it requires only materials that are almost everywhere at 

 hand, it descended even to some civilized peoples. It is, 

 however, a rather troublesome process, requiring a con- 

 siderable amount of skill and perseverance; hence some 

 of the lowest savages, such as the Tasmanians, are said 

 to have been without the knowledge of it, keeping their 

 fires constantly alight, or, when accidentally extin- 

 guished, obtaining it from some adjacent tribe. Per- 

 haps, however, the dampness of their forests rendered it 

 practicable only during very dry seasons. 



The more convenient method of striking a light by 

 the use of flint, steel, and tinder, probably originated 

 after iron was first made, and soon became adopted by 

 all civilized people, and by many savages who possessed 

 iron; and this method continued in use from the times 

 of prehistoric man through all the ages of barbarism and 

 civilization down to the early part of this century, and 

 the process underwent hardly any improvement during 



