Page:Firemaking Apparatus in the U.S. National Museum.djvu/13

FlKE-MAKING APPARATUS. a9 [ Klamaths of Oregon. The maiu part of the drill is either a reed, or a straight sprout, usually the former. At one end a short piece of very hard wood — greasewood, sarcoba- tus vermiculatus — is set in and lashed with sinew. It resembles the Shoshonian arrows, which are foreshafted in this way. They also use sand in common with other neighboring tribes. The Pai-Utes, of Southern Utah, make their hearths of a short, rounded piece usually of the sap- wood of juniper. It is tied to the drill with a thong of buckskin when not in use (fig. 7). The drill is like the usual one, just described. This is the common form of the PaiUte apparatus. The small, two-holed hearth of rounded form, and the shortened, spliced drill are for con- venience of carrying, this kind be- ing used by hunters while away from the lodges. Mr. S. J. Hare says that the men do not usually make the fire, except when out on a hunting excursion. At the lodge it is the squaw's duty to make the fire when it is needed. The PaiUte is rarely at a loss to get fire ; he is master of various devices. Mr. Hare, who was among the Utes for some time, states that when the Indian is in need of a light he uses either the flint and steel, the drill, or, if these are not at hand, he takes two branches, and rubs one up and down on the other, soon getting lire. The Aus- tralians are said to have practiced fire-making by rubbing in the way mentioned. This is the only obser- vation collected of its occurrence in America. It is, in all probability, a difficult, unusual way ; only prac- ticed under pressure of necessity among the Utes. They take great Fi^'. 8. Fig. 9. FiREMAKixG Set. FiRE-MAKixG Set. (Cat. No. 11976, U. .S. N. M. I'ai- IHe Indians, Southern Utah. Col- lected by Maj. J. VV. Powell.) (Cat. No. 22022, U. ,'!. N. M. Sho- shone Indians. Wind Kiver, Wy- oming. Collected by Maj. J. W Powell,)