396 



REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



Vancouver Island, employ it. The Indians of the Eio Negro, Amazon, 

 and Orouoco Rivers in South America pierce the hardest stones with 

 a twirling stick and sand. It is found also in Japan and Madagascar, 

 giving it a range coextensive with the simple fire-drill. 

 Fig. 51 shows the working of this drill in making fire. 



A shallow depression is first made near 

 the edge of the hearth in order to give 

 the spindle " bite." From this depression 

 a slot is cut down the side of the hearth 

 as a duct for the wood debris which has 

 been ground off. The operator then takes 

 the spindle by its upper end between the 

 palms of his hands and inserts the lower 

 end in the shallow depression. In twirl- 

 ing, a strong downward pressure is given 

 to the spindle. The hands, which neces- 

 sarily move down through the combined 

 pressure and the back and forward mo- 

 tion, must be returned quickly to the top 

 of the spindle without allowing the air to 

 get under the lower end of the latter. 

 After continued friction, evidences of 

 combustion are seen in the ground off 

 wood meal. In shaping the lower end 

 of the spindle, it is absolutely necessary that its point should be in con- 

 tact with the bottom of the shallow depression, otherwise it will " bind " 

 against the edges of the depression and defeat the object. 



The usual statement that a spark is ground out, igniting the dust, 

 shows an error of observation. The heap of dust collected in the slot, 

 which is an essential feature, smoulders until enough heat has been 

 evolved to produce ignition by spontaneous combustion. 



Flame is never directly secured by this apparatus ; the coal must be 

 placed in contact with tinder, or other ignitible substance and fanned 

 into a blaze with great caution. Usually much smoke is generated in 

 the operation. 



Great dexterity and quickness are often shown by the natives in 

 starting fire from the glowing coal. This part of the process requires 

 as much care and skill as the securing of the spark. The selection and 

 preparation of tinder must be carefully made and everything must be 

 ready beforehand as in a chemical experiment. 



(b) Cord and bow four-part drills. — Several improvements of the 

 simple drill have been made by savage inventors. These improve- 

 ments are shown in the cord drill, the bow, or mouth-drill, and the 

 pump-drill. The first is used by the Eskimo, by some tribes of JSTorth 

 American Indians, and by Dyak tribes. It adds to the spindle of the 

 simple drill an upper bearing, called a hand-rest, and it revolves the 



Fig. 51. 



Making Fire with Simple, Two-stick 



Apparatus of the IIupas. 



(Cat. No. 77193, I'. S. N. M. Hum Indiana, Califor- 

 nia. Collected by Lieut. P. H. Ray, U. S. A. ) 



