FIRE, COOKING, AND VESSELS. 



239 



century.^ In North America it is described among Esquimaux 

 and Indian tribes.^ It was 

 in use in Mexico,^ and Fig. 

 22, taken from an ancient 

 Mexican picture-writing, 

 shows the drill being twirl- 

 ed; while fire, drawn in the 

 usual conventional manner, 

 comes out from the hole 

 where the point revolves. 

 It was in use in Central 

 America,^ in the West In- 



Fig. 22. 



dies,^ and in South America, down as far as the Straits of 

 Magellan.^ 



The name of " fire-driU " has not, however, been adopted 

 merely with reference to this simplest form. This rude instru- 

 ment is, as may weU be supposed, very wasteful of time and 

 power, and it has been improved by several contrivances which 

 so closely correspond to those applied to boring-tools, that the 

 most convenient plan is to classify them together. Even the 

 clumsy plan of the simple fire-drill has been found in use for 

 boring holes. It has been mentioned at page 187, as in use 

 for drilling hard stone among rude Indians of South America, 

 and, what is much more surprising, the natives of Madagascar 

 bored holes by working their drill between the palms of their 

 hands,'^ though they were so far advanced in the arts as to 

 make and use iron tools, and of course the very drills worked 

 in this primitive way were pointed with iron. 



The principle of the common carpenter's brace, with which 



' Glas, 'Canary Islands;' London, 1764, p. 8. 



^ Klemm, C. G., vol. ii. p. 239. Schoolcraft, part i. p. 214. Loskiel, p. 70, 

 Lafitau, ' Moeurs des Sauvages Ameriquains ;' Paris, 1724, vol. ii. p. 242. 

 3 Kingsborough, Selden MS., Tatican MS. 



* Brasseur, ' Popol-Yuh,' pp. 64, 218, 243. 



* Oviedo, ' Hystoria General de las Indias ; ' Salamanca, 1547, vi. 5. ' 



* Spix and Martins, vol. ii. p. 387, and plates. Purchas, vol. iii. p. 983; vol. iv. 

 p. 1345. Molina, vol. ii. p. 122. Dobrizhoflfer, vol. ii. p. 118. Garcilaso de la 

 Vega, * Comentarios Eeales' (2nd ed.) ; Madrid, 1723, p. 198. 



^ Ellis, ' Madagascar,' vol. i. p. 317. 



