FIEE-MAKING APPAKATUS. 



585 



the point of the steel. These articles are kept in a rush i^ouch of 

 twined weaving. A much ruder pouch of fishskin is in the Museum. 

 The Japanese tinder-box has two compartments, one with a damper 

 for the tinder, and the other larger one for the flint and steel. This box 

 is a familiar object in Japanese kitchens yet. The mounting of the steel 

 in wood is an improvement on holding it between the fingers (fig. 58 and 

 59). JSTo one it seems ever thought of so mounting the steel in Western 

 countries. The matches are broad shavings tipped at both ends with 

 sulphur, and are the Japanese rendering of the "spunks" used with our 

 tinder-box. 



FiiT. 60. 

 Smokers' Steike-a-light. 



(Cat. No. 1281.38, U. S. N. M. Tokio, Japan. Gift of the Japanese Department of Education.) 



Smokers in Japan carry a very small strike-a-light (fig. 60). The 

 cloth poucli with a long flap that can be rolled around several times and 

 tied, contains the three essentials, flint, steel, and tinder, the latter of 

 burnt cotton. 



