102 



THE PIMA INDIAN^S 



[ETH. ANN. 26 



serving as a door when purchased, and the fact that a "Melicano" 

 wanted it caused its owners great astonishment and amusement. 

 Indeed, the Pimas manifested a lively interest in our purchases of 



liouseiiold articles and never 

 I'ailed to laugh at the spec- 

 tacle presented by the little 

 wagon half buried beneath 

 its load of unassorted 

 objects. 



Bird cage. The cages 

 made by the Pimas are 

 all of the same character, 

 whether they are made for 

 tlie large eagle or for the 

 snuiU Sonora dove, as in the 

 case of the specimen" figured 

 (fig. 17). They are of arrow- 

 wood, laid up in log-cabin 

 style or tied to transverse 

 bars, as in the house doors. 

 KidJid frame. It is to be 

 remembered that the pecu- 

 Har form of carrying basket 

 is made possible by the use 

 of the wooden frame. It is 

 fully d(>scribed on page 140. 

 Fire drill. In primitive times fire was kindled by the Pimas by 

 means of a two-part drill (fig. 18, «),* the simplest and most wide- 

 spread form of fire drill. The operator knelt upon the ends of the 

 hearth stick and twirled the upright stick Itetween his palms. The 

 hearth was of saguaro wood or of 

 any other soft wood if that were not 

 obtainable. Tinder was not used, 

 the flame being developed in any 

 infiannnable material as soon as the 

 smoke began to arise from the dust 

 accumulated at the point of the drill. 

 Witli the advent of the whites 

 flint and steel were used to kindle fire. 

 The men carried these, with a little *'"'•"• birdcage 



cotton for tinder, in leather pouches (fig. 42). Fire was preserved 

 at eacli "vallage or camp in an old stump whenever practicable. 



a This sppciraen has an arched top and a single piece of pine board for a floor. It is 32 cm. long Ijy 

 23 cm. wide and 15 cm. high. 



b The drill hearth in the collection is 0.313 m. long and 21 mm. wide. The spindle is OS cm. long and 9 

 mm. in diameter. 



Fig. lU, h. Ho 



