m when a mouse appears in its exclosure.

XIII

FIRE-MAKING

The art of fire-making was known among these people at a very remote
time. The earliest method appears to have been through the agency of
iron pyrites, called "cozgeen" or "igneen," and from the latter has
been derived "ignek," the Tigara word for fire. Two pieces of "igneen,"
being struck together, would emit a spark; a small-sized heap of tinder
being placed on the ground the operator would continue striking the
glancing blows until a lucky spark ignited the mass. The operation, to
say the least, must have required a great amount of patience on the
part of the operator. It was the only method of fire-making known for a
great length of time; then the second method was happily discovered.

It had been found that a small round stick with a piece of flint
inserted in the end, revolved by hand, would bore through bone, ivory
or even stone. Later on some inventive genius introduced the bow and
string, to revolve the instrument more rapidly, while a wooden
mouth-piece was used to exert pressure and to steady the instrument. It
is still in use for boring, a piece of wire having replaced the flint.
After the introduction of the bow and string and the mouth-piece, it
was found that the rapidly revolving tool excited friction enough to
produce fire. That was the second method known, but it did not displace
the "igneen" which continued in use until rendered obsolete by the
well-known flint and steel. This last is of comparatively recent
introduction, iron not having been known in Alaska until the past fifty
or sixty years. The domestic match, however, has now almost displaced
all the other methods, although the flint and steel are still in use
with some of the older smokers.

XIV

INSTRUMENTS

Man is more poorly endowed, both as regards speed and natural weapons
of defense, than almost any other member of the animal kingdom. Had it
not been for his superior intellect from the first, he would
undoubtedly have been exterminated long ago. From the earliest time he
has been forced to exercise his ingenuity to make amends for the
natural inferiority he labored under in striving for his food, yet he
has advanced step by step until he has proved his superiority by
subduing all the other creatures of his kingdom, standing to-day
without a rival, his only capable adversary being his fellow man.

There was, of course, a very early prehistoric time, at wh