Fire-making Apparatus in the U. S. National Museum

by Walter Hough

Plate LXXXI.

Fig. 57. Strike-a-light. Flint, steel, tinder-box, and rush-pouch.
Cat. No. 22257, U. S. N. M. Ainos of Yezo, Japan. Collected by B. S. Lyman.

Fig. 58.

Fig. 59. Tinder-Box (showing mounted steel, flint, and bundle of shaving matches; box one-third natural size).
(Cat. No. 127137, U. S. N. M. Japan. Gift of the Japanese Department of Education, Tokio.)

To strike a light the Aino takes out the cork with the steel attached and stirs up the tinder with the sharp point. He then holds up the flint in his hand over the box and strikes a spark down into it. He then transfers the coal to his pipe, or material for fire, or fire-stick, with the point of the steel. These articles are kept in a rush pouch of twined weaving. A much ruder pouch of fishskin is in the Museum.

The Japanese tinder-box has two compartments, one with a damper for the tinder, and the other larger one for the flint and steel. This box is a familiar object in Japanese kitchens yet. The mounting of the steel in wood is an improvement on holding it between the fingers (fig. [58] and [59]). No one it seems ever thought of so mounting the steel in Western countries. The matches are broad shavings tipped at both ends with sulphur, and are the Japanese rendering of the “spunks” used with our tinder-box.

Fig. 60. Smokers’ Strike-a-light.
(Cat. No. 128138, U. S. N. M. Tokio, Japan. Gift of the Japanese Department of Education.)

Smokers in Japan carry a very small strike-a-light ([fig. 60]). The cloth pouch with a long flap that can be rolled around several times and tied, contains the three essentials, flint, steel, and tinder, the latter of burnt cotton.

List of specimens described and figured.

	Catalog No.	Name.	Localities and Tribes.	Collector.
Text fig. [1]	74379	Fire-making set	Sitkans, Alaska	John J. McLean.
[2]	20644	do	Bella Bella, British Columbia.	James G. Swan.
[3]	127866	do	Quinaielts, Washington	Charles Willoughby.
[4]	24096	do	Klamaths, Oregon	L. S. Dyar.
[5]	77193	do	Hupas, California	Lieut. P. H. Ray, U. S. Army.
[6]	19640	Hearth	Washoes, Nevada.	Stephen Powers.
[7]	17230	Fire-making set	Pai-Utes, Southern Utah	Maj. J. W. Powell.
[8]	11976	do	do	Do.
[9]	22022	do	Wind River Shoshones	Do.
[10]	128694	do	Mokis, Arizona	Mrs. Tilly E. Stevenson.
[11]	127708	do	Zuñi, New Mexico	Col. James Stevenson.
12	69850	Slow match, punk	do	Do.
[13]	25268	Hearth from cave	Silver City, New Mexico	Henry Metcalf.
[14]	130672	Hearth	Apaches, Arizona	Capt. Jno. G. Bourke, U.S. Army.
[15]	9555	Fire-making set	Navajos, New Mexico	Dr. E. Palmer.
[16]	15396	do	Costa Rica	W. M. Gabb.
[17]	129970	do	Ainos, Japan	Peabody Museum, D. P. Penhallow.
[18]	[65]	Sacred fire-drill	Idzumo, Japan	R. Hitchcock.
[19]	129971	Fire-making set	Somalis, East Africa	Peabody Museum, Dr. Chas. Pickering.
[20]		Taveita men making fire.
Pl. LXXIV	{10258}	Fire tools	Frobisher Bay and Cumberland Gulf.	L. Kumlein.
[21]	{9833}
[22]	{10295}
[23]	{14252}			Capt. C. F. Hall.
[24]	{34114	Boring set	do	L. Kumlein.
Text fig. [25]		Fire drill	East Greenland	From Holm and Garde.
[26]		Boring set	do	Do.
Pl. LXXV [27]	10128	Fire Bag	Holsteinberg, West Greenland.	Capt. C. F. Hall.
Text fig. [28]	1978	Hearth with cement	Mackenzie River	B. R. Ross.
[29]	1963	Hearth	do	Do.
[30]	1327	Fire drill	Anderson River	C. P. Gaudet.
[31]	89822	Fire-making set	Point Barrow, Alaska	Lieut. P. H. Ray, U.S. Army.
Pl. LXXVI [32]	{89500	Boring set	do	Do.
	{89630
	{89424
Pl. LXXVII [33]	{25021	do	Sledge Island, Alaska	E. W. Nelson.
	{44978
	{45108
Text fig. [34]	33166	Fire-making set	Norton Sound, Alaska	Do.
[35]	38601	Hearth	Cape Vancouver, Alaska	Do.
Pl. LXXVIII [36]	{37961	Fire-making set	Chalitmute, Alaska	Do.
	{36325
Pl. LXXIX [37]	127520	do	Kassianamute, Alaska	I. Applegate.
Text fig. [38]	127819a	do	Koggiung, Bristol Bay, Alaska.	W. J. Fisher.
[39]	127819b	do	do	Do.
Pl. LXXX [40]	55938	Fire-making set	Bristol Bay, Alaska	Charles L. McKay.
Text fig. [41]	72514	Hearth and drill	Kadiak Island, Alaska	W. J. Fisher.
[42]	129775	Fire sticks (model)	Malays	After Wallace.
[43]	130675	do	Samoa	Harold M. Sewall.
[44]	1861	Strike-a-light	Fort Simpson, British Columbia.	B. R. Ross.
[45]}	128405	do	Mackenzie River District	E. P. Herendeen.
[46]}
[47]}
[48]	75516	Tinder-box	England	L. and M. Farmer.
[49]	130431	Wheel tinder-box	Broadalbin, New York	F. S. Hawley.
[50]	129693	Strike-a-light	Boulogne-sur-mer, France	Edward Lovett.
[51]	{22431	Flint and steel	Otoes, Kansas	J. W. Griest.
{8481	Belt with flint, steel, etc.	Assiniboins, Dakota	Dr. J. P. Kimball.
[52]	22104	Strike-a-light	Cheyennes, Arkansas	Dr. W. H. Barry.
[53]	6972	do	Comanches, Texas	Dr. E. Palmer.
[54]	126576	Flint and steel	Guadalajara Indians, Mexico.	Do.
[55]	130607	Pipe-lighting outfit	Koords, East Turkey	Rev. A. N. Andrus.
[56]	130311	Strike-a-light	China	George G. Fryer.
Pl. LXXXI [57]	22257	do	Ainos, Japan	B. S. Lyman.
Text fig. [58]}	128137	Tinder-box	Japan	Japanese Department of Education.
[59]}
[60]	128138	Strike-a-light	do	Do.