The Magical and Cerevwnial Uses of Fire. 357
In Central Australia one way of making fire is by this sawing method. A longitudinal groove is cut on the back of a shield for the accumulation of hot dust, and a spear- thrower is used as a saw. The shields are made of powdery wood, the spear-throwers of hard wood.^ Two men sit opposite to each other holding the shield down with their feet and keeping it steady. Each holds one end of the spear-thrower, which they saw vigorously backwards and forwards till fire is produced.
(c/) Sawing witJi flexible iho7ig? This is a variant of the sawing method just mentioned. The stick is generally of soft wood, such as hibisais, a wood which powders readily and "bites." The thong is usually a strip of cane. One end of the stick is sometimes split in two and kept open by means of a small stone. Tinder is then inserted in the fork, and round it the thong is placed, the ends of which are pulled alternately. The stick is sometimes stuck up vertically, sometimes held horizontally on the ground. Occasionally the flexible thong has small toggles at both ends, which act as handles.
{e) Thong-drill and bozu-drill. This is an improvement on the drilling method which heads our list of processes. A thong is passed two or three times round the spindle, the ends being pulled alternately. A second person must steady the spindle by pressing it down from the upper end. The Eskimo are the only people who can manage to work this thong-drill single-handed. The upper end of their spindle is sometimes furnished with a mouth-piece. This they hold firmly between their teeth, thus steadying the spindle. From quite early years these good folk are constantly "on the chew," since their leather thongs are
^B. Spencer and F. J. Gillen, Native Tribes of Cenlral Australia, pp. 584- 586; :>M(\. Northern Tribes of Central Australia, pp. 618-619.
" For a full record of fire-making with a flexible thong, with its geographical distribution, see H. Balfour, Jour. R. Anthrop. Inst. vol. xliv. January- June, 1914, pp. 32-64.
