Page:Researches into the Early History of Mankind and the Development of Civilization.djvu/250

240 they have not learnt to smoke tobacco. It prevails, or has done so within modern times, in South and West Africa, and it was in use among the Guanches of the Canary Islands in the seventeenth century. In North America it is described among Esquimaux and Indian tribes. It was in use in Mexico, and Fig. 22, taken from an ancient Mexican picture-writing, shows the drill being twirled; while fire, drawn in the usual conventional manner, comes out from the hole where the point revolves. It was in use in Central America, in the West Indies, and in South America, down as far as the Straits of Magellan.

The name of "fire-drill" has not, however, been adopted merely with reference to this simplest form. This rude instrument is, as may well be supposed, very wasteful of time and power, and it has been improved by several contrivances which so closely correspond to those applied to boring-tools, that the most convenient plan is to classify them together. Even the clumsy plan of the simple fire-drill has been found in use for boring holes. It has been mentioned at page 188, as in use for drilling hard stone among rude Indians of South America, and, what is much more surprising, the natives of Madagascar bored holes by working their drill between the palms of their