Outdoor Life and Indian Stories / Making open air life attractive to young Americans by telling them all about woodcraft, signs and signaling, the stars, fishing, camping, camp cooking, how to tie knots and how to make fire without matches, and many other fascinating open air pursuits. Also, stories of noted hunters and scouts, great indians and warriors, including Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, General Custer, Pontiac, Tecumseh, King Philip, Black Hawk, Brandt, Sitting Bull, and a host of others whose names are famous; all of them true and interesting

by Edward Sylvester Ellis

How to Make Fire Without Matches

In olden times, before the Indians had matches, and even before they had the flint and steel that our grandfathers used for making fire, they used rubbing-sticks. Many people have tried to make fire in this manner, but few have succeeded. As a matter of fact, it is not a very difficult thing to do if you know how, as the Indians did. In fact, they grew so expert that they could make fire almost as quickly as we can strike a match. The easiest and surest method of doing this is to use the bow-drill. The tools necessary consist of a bow, or bent stick, about two feet long, with a stout leather cord attached to each end. The drill consists of a straight piece of wood pointed at each end. One end of this rests in a drill-socket, which is simply a piece of wood with a small notch in it for the top of the fire-drill. This piece of wood is held in the hand, while the other end of the fire-drill is placed in the fire-board. This consists of a thin piece of wood with small pits cut about half an inch from the edge, and with a notch extending from the edge into the middle of the pit. The leather thong is given a single turn about the fire-drill and then by drawing the bow backward and forward the drill is caused to rotate very rapidly in the fire-board. After a short while the dust which comes out of the notch grows hot and becomes a glowing coal, which can be easily ignited into a blazing fire.

THE FIRE-DRILL

There are many ways of building a camp fire, but the Indian's way is the best. The Indians always used to laugh at the white men because they said that they built such a big fire they could not get near it, while the Indian built a little fire and could get close to it. The fire must be built systematically. First, get dry, small dead branches, twigs, fir branches and other inflammable material and place these loosely on the ground, being sure that the air can draw under and upward through the mass. Next place some heavier sticks in the form of a pyramid with the tops of the sticks close together, and so on, until you have built the camp fire to the required size.

HOW TO BUILD A FIRE

Take every care to prevent the spreading of the fire, and do not build it too close to the tent or to inflammable pine trees. There is always danger of starting a disastrous forest fire by carelessness with a small camp fire. Remember that it is criminal to leave a burning fire, and always to put the fire out with water or earth. If the fire is to be used for cooking, it is well to confine the heat between two large logs, or, if baking is to be done on it, it is best to build an oven with large stones. But the Indians were usually content with open fire.

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