Page:Firemaking Apparatus in the U.S. National Museum.djvu/39

 FIRE-MAKING APPARATUS. The Anderson River set is a very complete and interesting outfit. It was collected many years ago by C. P. Gaudet. The parts are small for convenience of carrying. It is the custom of those who live in snow- (u)vered regions to wrap the drill and hearth together very carefully to keep them dry, as these are the essential parts of the apparatus. It does not matter about the mouth-piece or bow. In this ex- ample there is a groove cut along the bottom of the hearth in order to facilitate tying the drill and hearth securely together. The hearth is a square block of soft wood with three central holes (fig. 30). The other parts of this set are also worthy of consideration. The mouth-piece is set with a square ])iece of black stone. The part held in the mouth is very much chewed. One of the wings has a hole for tying, as has the hearth. This is an usual Eskimo precau- tion to prevent small objects from being lost in the snow. The drill is short, being only 7 inches long. The bow is the fibula of a deer, ])ierced at each end Tor the frayed t hong of sealskin. It has a primi- tive look, but it admirably serves its purpose. The Point Barrow set was col- lected by the most successful ex- pedition under charge of Lieut. P. H. Ray, U. S. Army. The knuckle- bone of a deer serv^es as a mouth- piece, the cup cavity and its gen- eral shape fitting it for the pur- ])ose admirably. The drill is regularly made of light pine wood; it is slightly smaller in the middle. The hearth is a rudely rounded piece of pine. A fragment has been split off, and on this surface a groove has been cut and three fire holes bored along it. The thong is without handles; it is used to tie the parts together wljen they are not IQ H. xMis, H2, pt. ^ 3Q . Fig 30. Fire-making Sbt. U. S. N. M. Eskimo of Anderson Rive Collected by C. P. Gaudet. )