16 The fire-drill used at the Shinto temples of Ise is far more
complicated in construction, and certainly represents a much more
advanced stage of mechanical knowledge than the Kitzuki fire-drill
indicates.
17 During a subsequent visit to Kitzuki I learned that the koto-ita is
used only as a sort of primitive 'tuning' instrument: it gives the right
tone for the true chant which I did not hear during my first visit.
The true chant, an ancient Shinto hymn, is always preceded by the
performance above described.