stick be thus worked, the hands must gradually slide down it until they reach the point. The solitary Kaffir would then be obliged to stop the stick, shift his hands to the top, and begin again, thus losing much valuable time. But when two Kaffirs unite in fire-making, one sits opposite the other, and as soon as he sees that his comrade's hands have nearly worked themselves down to the bottom of the stick, he places his own hands on the top, continues the movement, and relieves his friend. Thus the movement of the stick is never checked for a moment, and the operation is consequently hastened. Moreover, considerable assistance is given by the second Kaffir keeping the dust properly arranged round the point of the stick, and by taking the part of the bellows, so as to allow his comrade to expend all his strength in twirling the stick. . . . . Some of my readers may, perhaps, remember that English blacksmiths are equally independent of lucifer matches, flint and steel, and other recognised modes of fire-raising. They place a small piece of soft iron on the anvil, together with some charcoal-dust, and hammer it furiously. The result is that enough heat is evolved to light the charcoal, and so to enable the blacksmith to set to work."[1]
In many other parts of Africa the method of obtaining fire by twirling the upright stick is known and practised.
The Maori gets fire by using the wooden knife. He pushes the knife backward and forward along a groove previously made in a flat piece of wood, and the fine charcoal-dust which collects at the extremity of the groove, when ignited, is placed in a lump of soft flax, and waved to and fro until it bursts into a flame.
The names for fire in New Zealand are Kora, Kapura, Ahi, Mapura, Maute, Ngiha, Pahunu, Mura, and Kanaka. The sticks used in rubbing are named Kauati and Kaureureu, and the name for both sticks Rororu. The dust caused by rubbing is named Para, the process of rubbing Kauoti, and the flame Pukuroa.[2]
The Tahitian procures fire by rubbing the fire-sticks exactly after the manner of the Maori.[3]
The Dyak of Borneo twirls the upright stick. "There is, however, one improvement on the ordinary mode. Instead of merely causing a pointed stick to revolve upon another, the Dyaks use instead of the lower stick a thick slab of very dry wood, with a deep groove cut on one side of it, and a small hole on the other bored down to the groove. . . . . He places the wooden slab on the ground with the groove undermost, and inserts his pointed stick in the little hole, and twirls it rapidly between his hands. The revolution of the stick soon causes a current of air to pass through the groove, and, in consequence, the fire is rapidly blown up as soon as the wood is heated to the proper extent. . . . . Some tribes merely cut two cross grooves on the lower piece of wood, and insert the point of the fire-stick at their intersection."[4]
- ↑ The Natural History of Man. J. G. Wood, vol. I., p. 101.
- ↑ Te Ika A Maui, by the Rev. Richard Taylor, M.A., F.G.S., p. 370.
- ↑ Polynesia, by G. F. Angas, p. 286.
- ↑ The Natural History of Man, by J. G. Wood, vol. II., p. 502.
Other methods of procuring fire are used by the Dyaks. The besiapi, as described by Mr. Wood, "consists of a metal tube about three inches in length, with a piston working nearly air-tight
