FIRE-MAKING APPARATUS. 555 



It is au auomaly that the African, to light the fire to smelt the iron 

 out of which he forges his remarkable weapons, should use sticks of 

 wood. 



2. ESKIMO FOUR-PAKT APPARATUS. 



The arts of the Eskimo yield more satisfactory results to students of 

 comparative ethnology than those of any other people. 



In all their range the culture is uniform ; one finds this fact forced 

 upon his observation who has examined the series of specimens in the 

 National Museum, where they are arranged in order by localities from 

 Labrador to southern Alaska. Prof. Otis T. Mason's paper on Eskimo 

 throwing-sticks * gave a new interpretation to this fact and i)owerfully 

 forwarded the study of ethnology by showing the classificatory value 

 of the distribution of an art. 



Professor Mason points out that though the Eskimo culture is uni- 

 form in general, in particular the arts show the modification wrought 

 by surroundings and isolation — tribal individuality, it may be called — 

 and admit of the arrangement of this people into a number of groups 

 that have been subjected to these influences. 



The Eskimo fire-making tools in the Museum admit of an ethno- 

 graphic arrangement, but in this paper it is not found necessary to 

 make a close study of this kind. From every locality whence the Mu- 

 seum possesses a complete typical set, it has been Jigured and described. 



The Eskimo are not singular in using a four-part apparatus, but are 

 singular in the method of using it. The mouth-piece is the peculiar 

 feature that is found nowhere else. 



The drilling and fire-making set consists of four parts, viz: 



The mouth-piece, — sometimes a mere block of wood, ivory, or even the 

 simple concave vertebra of a fish, or the astragalus of a caribou. More 

 often, they show great skill and care in their workmanship, being carved 

 with truth to resemble bear, seals, whales, and walrus. The seal is 

 tlie most common subject. The upper part is almost always worked 

 out into a block, forming a grip for the teeth. The extent to which 

 some of these are chewed attests the power of the Eskimo jaw. Fre- 

 quently the piece is intended to be held in the hand, or in both hands, 

 hence it has no teeth grip. In the under part is set a piece of stone, in 

 which is hollowed out a cup-shaped cavity to hold the head of the drill. 

 These stones seem to be selected as much for their appearance as for 

 t heir anti-friction qualities. They use beautifully-mottled stone, marble, 

 obsidian, and ringed concretions. 



The drill is always a short spindle, thicker than any other drill iu 

 the world. It is frequently of the same kind of wood as the hearth. 



The thong is the usual accompaniment of the fire drill. It is raw- 

 hide of seal or other animals. The handles have a primitive appear- 

 ance; they are nearly always made of bears' teeth, hollow bones, or 



• Mason.— TUrowing-sticks in the National Museum. Smithsonian Report. 1884. 



H, p. a79. 



