TROPICAL FORESTS 
71 
a flexible stick like a bow used to shoot arrows (Fig. 15). The 
string from your shoes will do in making such a bow if you have 
no other cord. For the use of flint see firemaking in the 
Arctic, p. 136. 
Much easier, of course, is a burning glass if you have one and 
are where you can get enough sun to use it. In the absence of 
a regular glass, which is an excellent thing to carry in your 
pocket, a suitable substitute can be made if two of the members 
of the party have watches with crystals of approximately the 
same size. Take the two crystals, place them back to back and 
fill the space between with water. This will focus the sun to a 
point sharp enough to start a blaze. 
Once you get a fire the best thing to do, as far as future needs 
are concerned, is to follow the example of the natives and carry 
it with you from place to place. This is done by using a fire 
stick, a piece of dry, fibrous, soft wood that smolders like punk 
and can be blown into flame whenever needed. The dry husks 
from a coconut make good material for this purpose. 
FOREST DANGERS 
The creatures that are most dangerous to man are small and 
inconspicuous for the most part and belong to the insect world. 
Mosquitoes generally are the most prevalent kind of noxious 
insect and in many cases are the carriers of yellow fever and 
malaria. You don’t have to worry about yellow fever, as you 
have been inoculated against it, but there is no such protection 
against malaria. Hence you should guard against mosquito 
bites as much as possible. Since mosquitoes fly only in the 
evening and at night, the best way to escape infection is to get 
