THAT THE FIRST FIRE WAS PRODUCED BY THE 

 FRICTION OF BRANCHES OF TREES MOVED 

 BY THE WIND 



HIS legend has been adopted from the works 

 attributed to Sanchoniathon but now generally 

 considered forgeries. The account is as follows: 

 "And when there were violent storms of rain 

 and wind the trees about Tyre, being rubbed against each 

 other, took fire, and all the forest in the neighborhood was 

 consumed." And then the unknown writer goes on to 

 tell us that Usous consecrated two pillars to fire and wind 

 and worshiped them. 



This statement has been accepted as true by almost 

 all modern writers, and even some of our recent scientific 

 authors, who certainly ought to have known better, have 

 quoted it as the origin of the primeval method of obtaining 

 fire by rubbing two sticks together. We know that fire 

 has been obtained in this way, for it was a common method 

 amongst savages and was practiced by the Indians of this 

 continent in early days. But that two branches moved 

 by the intermittent action of the wind and cooled by both 

 wind and rain could ever attain the temperature of the 

 ignition point of wood is simply incredible. Almost all 

 violent storms of wind and rain are accompanied by thun- 

 der and lightning, and it is quite possible that the lightning 

 may have set fire to the dry rubbish lying at the foot of 

 the tree that was struck. This has actually occurred in the 

 forests of Maine. 



189 



