FIRE AND LIGHT. 27 



since spread to every part of the world, and their pro- 

 duction constitutes one of the large manufacturing in- 

 dustries of England, Sweden, and many other coun- 

 tries. 



Here again we have an invention that is not a modi- 

 fication of the older mode of obtaining fire, but a new 

 departure, possessing such great advantages that it 

 rapidly led to the almost total abandonment of the old 

 methods in every civilized country, as well as in many 

 of the remotest and least civilized parts of the world. 

 For many thousands of years the means of obtaining 

 fire remained almost unchanged over the whole world, 

 till, only sixty years ago, a discovery which at the time 

 seemed of but little importance has led to a quicker and 

 easier process, which is so widely adopted that millions 

 of persons in all civilized countries make use of it every 

 day of their lives. 



Coming now to the use of fire as a light-giver, we find 

 that an even greater change has taken place in our time. 

 The first illuminants were probably torches made of resi- 

 nous woods, which will give a flame for a considerable 

 time. Then the resin exuding from many kinds of trees 

 would be collected and applied to sticks or twigs, or to 

 some fibrous materials tied up in bundles, such as are still 

 used by many savage peoples, and were used in the old 

 baronial halls. For out-door lights torches were used 

 almost down to our times, an indication of which is seen 

 in the iron torch-extinguishers at the doors of many of 

 the older West End houses ; while, before the introduc- 

 tion of gas, link-boys were as common in the streets as 

 match-sellers are now. Then came lamps, formed of 

 small clay cups, holding some melted animal fat and a 



