Fire-making Apparatus in the U. S. National Museum — John Shaqi
Fire-making Apparatus in the U. S. National MuseumHough, Walter
History
Fire-making Apparatus in the U. S. National Museum
Hough, Walter
Firemaking; Indians of North America -- Implements
[Illustration: Fig. 8. Fire-making Set.
(Cat. No. 11976, U. S. N. M. Pai-Ute Indians, Southern Utah.
Collected by Maj. J. W. Powell.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 9. Fire-making Set.
(Cat. No. 22022, U. S. N. M. Shoshone Indians, Wind River, Wyoming.
Collected by Maj. J. W. Powell.)]
The Pai-Ute 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 fire. The
Australians are said to have practiced fire-making by rubbing in the way
mentioned. This is the only observation collected of its occurrence in
America. It is, in all probability, a difficult, unusual way; only
practiced under pressure of necessity among the Utes. They take great
pride in their skill; to be a quick fire-maker is to achieve fame in the
tribe. They are fond of exhibiting their art to white travelers in the
hope of gain.
Another form of hearth (fig. 8) is made of yucca flower stalk, like
those of the Apache and Navajos. The drill is of tule reed, set with a
very hard wood head. It is suggested that the reason for splicing the
drill is that the hard wood of the kind used for the head (greasewood)
can not be procured in pieces long enough to make the whole drill. This
set is apparently one used as a fixture in the Ute domestic economy, the
squaws having to light the fire. The duty is mainly relegated to the
females in several other Indian tribes, and among the Eskimo. Mr. Catlin
says that the Sioux objected to letting the squaws have their portraits
painted, saying that their women had never taken scalps, nor done
anything better than make fires and dress skins.[6] The hearth and drill
last figured are respectively 20 and 23 inches long, while in the
hunting set (fig. 8) the length is 7 and 18 inches.
The Wind River Shoshones are also represented (fig. 9). The hearth is of
hard wood, rudely hacked out, and rounded. Upon the slanting edge are
eight holes, or shallow depressions, prepared for the drill, with
notches cut in to meet them from the sides. The drill is a willow
branch, 25 inches long, with a hard wood head mortised in, and served
with buckskin. It is most probable that sand was used with this set,
because, if the parts are not models, it would be necessary to use it on
sticks of equal hardness like these. I am inclined to believe that they
are models, from their appearance, and from the difficulty of setting up
a pyrogenic friction upon them even with sand. They were collected some
fifteen years ago by Maj. J. W. Powell.
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