The flint and pyrites method is the ancestor of the flint and steel. The
latter method came in with the Iron Age. It is found in the early
settlements of that period. A steel for striking fire was found in the
pile dwellings of the Ueberlinger See.[58] The Archæological Department
of the Museum has a specimen of a strike-a-light of the early age of
iron in Scandinavia. It is a flat, oval quartz stone with a groove
around the edge; it is thought to be for holding a strap by which it
could be held up and struck along the flat surface with the steel. It is
scored on these surfaces. The specimen in the Smithsonian is from the
national museum at Stockholm. In Egypt it is believed to have been used
for a long period, though there is no data at hand to support the
conclusion.[59] In China it has been in use for many centuries. Chinese
history, however, goes back to the use of sticks of wood. The _briquet_
must have been carried nearly everywhere by early commerce from the
ancient countries around the Mediterranean, as it was into new lands by
later commerce.
Many persons remember the tinder-box that was taken from its warm nook
beside the fire-place whenever a light was wanted; the matches tipped
with sulphur used to start a blaze from the glowing tinder are also
familiar to the older generation. The tinder-boxes in use in this
country were just like those in England from time immemorial down to
fifty years ago (fig. 48). Mr. Edward Lovett, of Croydon, England, who
has studied this matter thoroughly, calls attention to the resemblance
of the old English tinder-flints to the neolithic scrapers. These
scrapers, picked up at Brandon, can scarcely be discriminated from those
made at the present time at that place, and there is a suspicion that
the present tinder-flint has come down directly from neolithic times.
The old English steel, or “Flourish,” (fig. 48) is the characteristic
shape, and has been carried by English commerce into many places. A
picture of a strike-a-light used by the Lenguas of Brazil, seen lately,
shows the unmistakable old “flourish.”
[Illustration: Fig. 48. English Tinder-box (with flint, “flourish,”
and bundle of spunks.)
(Cat. No 75516, U. S. N. M. England. Collected by Louis and Maurice
Farmer.)]
The tinder-boxes had also a damper to extinguish the tinder of burnt
linen and to keep it dry. The lids were furnished often with a candle
socket. This feature, says Mr. Lovett, has led to their preservation as
candle-sticks long after they were superseded by matches.
[Illustration: Fig 49. Wheel Tinder-box.
(Cat No. 130431, U. S. N. M. Broadalbin, N. Y. Presented by F. S.
Hawley.)]
Many devices were invented in order to improve on the crude way of
holding the flint and steel in the hands to strike the spark into the
tinder-box. One of these was the wheel tinder-box (fig. 49). The
compartment near the wheel held the tinder. The flint was placed in a
socket on the sliding lid, and the wheel was turned by unwinding a
string from off its axle with a sharp pull as in spinning a top. The
flint was pressed against the rapidly revolving wheel and a shower of
sparks fell into the tinder. The tinder pistol, whose name suggests its
use, was another device.[60]
Other devices were intended to be carried in the pocket, and were
probably brought out by the introduction of tobacco and the need of
smokers for a convenient light.
[Illustration: Fig. 50. Strike-a-light (Briquet).
(Cat. No 129693, U. S. N. M. Boulogne-sur-mer. France. Collected by
Edward Lovett.)]
The pocket strike-a-light is still used. The one shown (fig. 50) was
bought in 1888 by Mr. E. Lovett, at Boulogne-sur-mer. They are still
used by the peasants and work-people of France. An old specimen in the
Museum of this character is from Lima. The roll of tinder, or “match,”
is made of the soft inner bark of a tree.
Among many of our North American tribes the flint and steel superseded
the wooden drills as effectually as did the iron points the stone
arrow-heads.
Some of these tribes were ripe for the introduction of many modern
contrivances. Civilized methods of fire-lighting appealed to them at
once. Among the Chukchis, Nordenskiöld says, matches had the honor of
being the first of the inventions of the civilized races that have been
recognized as superior to their own.[61] It was so among our Indian
tribes; the Mandan chief “Four Bears” lighted his pipe by means of a
flint and steel taken from his pouch when George Catlin visited him in
1832.[62]
The Otoes (Siouan stock) made use of the flint and steel shown in fig.
51. The flint is a chipped piece of gray chert, probably an ancient
implement picked up from the surface.
The steel is a very neatly made oval, resembling those of the Albanian
strike-a-lights,[63] or the Koordish pattern, (fig. 54). Here arises one
of the perplexities of modern intercourse, perhaps both of these steels
were derived from the same commercial center.
The flint, steel, and tinder were always carried in a pouch, usually
suspended from a belt as in specimen No. 8481 from the Assiniboins
(Siouan stock) of Dakota. This is a buckskin waist-belt, beaded and
fringed, ornamented with bells of tin. It supports a flapped pouch for
the flint, etc. The tinder used was fungus.
[Illustration: Fig. 51. Flint and Steel.
(Cat. No. 22431, U. S. N. M. Otoe Indiana, Kansas and Nebraska.
Collected by J. W. Griest.)]
The pouch of the Cheyennes (Algonquian stock) is compact, and neatly
made of leather (fig. 52). The equipment is complete and of a superior
order. The bone cup is used to hold the tinder while striking a spark
into it. It is the tinder horn of early days, a cow’s horn which was
used to hold tinder before sheet-iron boxes came into use. The Lenguas
of Brazil use a horn for the same purpose.[64] In the Aino set, (fig.
57), and the Eskimo strike-a-light, (fig. 45), can be seen this feature.
The tinder with this set is rotten wood. Nearly all Indians know the
value of fungus tinder.
The Comanche Indian strike-a-light is a similar pouch to the one
described, but much poorer in equipment (fig. 53.) A broken rasp, a
piece of chert, and a piece of spunk, is enough for the purpose, and a
bag made from a saddle skirt to hold them, completes the outfit.
The flint and steel is still used nearly all over Mexico, Dr. Palmer
informs me. There is at present a manufacture of gun and strike-a-light
flints at Brandon, England, whence they are shipped to Spain, Mexico,
Italy, and other civilized countries. Doubtless this flint from
Guadalajara (fig. 54) came from Brandon. It is real calcareous flint,
such as does not exist in this country. The flint is the “swallow-tail”
pattern. The tinder is of prepared fungus sold in little packets.
[Illustration: Fig. 52. Strike-a-light (flint, steel, tinder-horn,
spunk, and pouch).
(Cat. No. 22104, U. S. N. M. Cheyenne Indians, Arkansas. Collected
by Dr. J. H. Barry.)]
The Koords of Bhotan, Eastern Turkey, carry a pipe pouch containing
besides flint, steel, and tinder, a pipe pick and a pair of pincers, to
transfer the lighted tinder to the pipe (fig. 55). The tinder is
prepared from a fungus, probably _polyporus_ species. The steel, shaped
like an old-fashioned bell pull, is a very good form for holding in the
hand.
[Illustration: Fig. 53. Strike-a-light. (Pouch for holding flint and
steel.)
(Cat. No. 6972, U. S. N. M. Comanche Indians, Texas. Collected by
Edward Palmer.)]
The Chinese strike-a-light is the customary appendage to the pipe pouch.
It is a very ingenious way of combining the steel with a pouch in which
to keep the flint and tinder (fig. 56). In Thibet they are made very
large and are finely decorated. One owned by Mr. W. W. Rockhill has a
curving steel between 5 and 6 inches long, finely carved. The pouch was
trimmed with encrusted silver set with jewels.
The Ainos of Japan use flint and steel for striking-a-light, this method
having supplanted the generation of fire by sticks (p. 551.) This outfit
shown (fig. 57, pl. LXXXI) is complete. The shoe-shaped steel is
attached by a piece of sinew to the cork of a small wooden bottle
containing the soft charcoal used as tinder. The flint is a small piece
of ferruginous silex. With this set is a piece of stick which retains
fire for a long time. It is the root of the _Ulmus campestris_, or
_lævis_, formerly used for the fire-drill (see fig. 17), but has come
into a secondary place since the introduction of the flint and steel.
[Illustration: Fig. 54. Flint and Steel.
(Cat. No 126576, U. S. N. M. Guadalajara Indiana, Mexico. Collected
by Edward Palmer.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 55. Smokers’ Pipe-lighting Outfit (showing
flint, steel, pipe-pick, and pincers).
(Cat. No. 130607, U. S. N. M. Koords of Bhotan, eastern Turkey.
Collected by Rev. A. N. Andrus.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 56. Strike-a-light.
(Cat. No. 130311, U. S. N. M. China. Gift of George G. Fryer.)]
Plate LXXXI.
[Illustration: 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.]
[Illustration: Fig. 58.]
[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: 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 Name. Localities and Collector.
No. Tribes.
Text fig. 1 74379 Fire-making set Sitkans, Alaska John J. McLean.
2 20644 do Bella Bella, James G. Swan.
British Columbia.
3 127866 do Quinaielts, Charles Willoughby.
Washington
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 Maj. J. W. Powell.
Utah
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, do Do.
punk
13 25268 Hearth from Silver City, New Henry Metcalf.
cave Mexico
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 Idzumo, Japan R. Hitchcock.
fire-drill
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 L. Kumlein.
Cumberland Gulf.
21
{9833}
22
{10295}
23 Capt. C. F. Hall.
{14252}
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 Capt. C. F. Hall.
Greenland.
Text fig. 28 1978 Hearth with Mackenzie River B. R. Ross.
cement
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 {25021 do Sledge Island, E. W. Nelson.
33 Alaska
{44978
{45108
Text fig. 34 33166 Fire-making set Norton Sound, Alaska Do.
35 38601 Hearth Cape Vancouver, Do.
Alaska
Pl. LXXVIII {37961 Fire-making set Chalitmute, Alaska Do.
36
{36325
Pl. LXXIX 37 127520 do Kassianamute, Alaska I. Applegate.
Text fig. 38 127819a do Koggiung, Bristol W. J. Fisher.
Bay, Alaska.
39 127819b do do Do.
Pl. LXXX 40 55938 Fire-making set Bristol Bay, Alaska Charles L. McKay.
Text fig. 41 72514 Hearth and Kadiak Island, W. J. Fisher.
drill Alaska
42 129775 Fire sticks Malays After Wallace.
(model)
43 130675 do Samoa Harold M. Sewall.
44 1861 Strike-a-light Fort Simpson, B. R. Ross.
British Columbia.
45} 128405 do Mackenzie River E. P. Herendeen.
District
46}
47}
48 75516 Tinder-box England L. and M. Farmer.
49 130431 Wheel Broadalbin, New York F. S. Hawley.
tinder-box
50 129693 Strike-a-light Boulogne-sur-mer, Edward Lovett.
France
51 {22431 Flint and steel Otoes, Kansas J. W. Griest.
Belt Assiniboins, Dr. J. P. Kimball.
{8481 with Dakota
flint,
steel,
etc.
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 Do.
Indians, Mexico.
55 130607 Pipe-lighting Koords, East Turkey Rev. A. N. Andrus.
outfit
56 130311 Strike-a-light China George G. Fryer.
Pl. LXXXI 57 22257 do Ainos, Japan B. S. Lyman.
Text fig. 128137 Tinder-box Japan Japanese Department
58} of Education.
59}
60 128138 Strike-a-light do Do.