178

Art of Travel.

the notch slightly hollowed out ; another is roundly pointed at one end. The black fellow, being seated on the ground,

holds down one end of

the notched stick with

each foot, fig. 2, and

placing the point of

the other stick into

the notch, twirls it

rapidly and forcibly

between the palms of

his hands. In doing

this his hands gra- dually slip down the

stick, and he has to

shift them rapidly up

again, which loses

time : but two people, seated opposite, can alternately take up the rubbing, and more easily produce fire. A little of the above-mentioned powdered charcoal is dropped into the notch during the operation. In a very few minutes red-hot powdery ashes commence to work up out of the notch, which falling on a small heap of tow, or of dry tow-like bark, or lint, or cotton stuff, is quickly blown into a flame. The Africans carry the drill-stick, which in shape and size is like an arrow, in a quiver with their arrows, and the fire-block-a stick three inches long and one in diameter, of a different wood-as a pendant to their necklace.

A plan more practicable to an unpractised hand is that in use among some of the North American Indians. I copy the illustration of it from Schoolcraft's work upon those people.

One person works the " drill-stick " with a rude bow, and with his other hand holds a piece of stone or of wood above it, both to steady it and to give the requisite pressure-gentle at first, and increasing judiciously up to the critical moment when the fire is on the point of bursting out. Another man puts his hands on the lower piece of wood, the "fire-block," to steady it, and holds a piece of tinder ready to light it as soon as fire is produced. If a serious emergency should occur, it is by no means hopeless to obtain fire after this method. A large party have considerable advantages over

Fig. 2.

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