

34 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



forcfcclng the deiign of thefe iflanders, who, like 

 the moil favage people, take a pleafure in burning 

 the dry herbs which they find in the glades. Pre- 

 fcntly one of my guides had the imprudence to 

 fet on fire a large bufh. The air at that time 

 was quite flill ; but a light wind, which fprang 

 up a fhort time after, carried the flames to the 

 garden, and I had the mortification to fee a part 

 of the palifade furrounding it confumed, without 

 being able to flop the progrefs of the fire. 



The manner in which the natives of this 

 country procure fire, well deferves to be de- 

 scribed; it is not fo expeditious as a good flint 

 and flccl, but they have the advantage of find- 

 ing almofl every. where the fubflance which pro- 

 duces it, for all they want is a bit of bamboo. 



This is their method : they fpiit into two equal 

 parts a piece of bamboo a demi-meter long ; in 

 one of thefe pieces they make a longitudinal flit, 

 and fhape the other to a fharp edge, leaving it 

 only four centimeters in width. They put fome 

 of the fcrapings of the fame wood in the hollow 

 and underneath the flit of the largeft piece, which 

 they place in a horizontal pofition, with the 

 convex part uppermoft ; they then introduce the 

 other piece into the middle of the flit, where 

 they have made a notch to receive it, and prefTing 

 it ftrongly they caufe it to make the motion of a 



faw, 



