The art of making fire

to the men of ancient times the art of making fire was as important and as difficult as life itself one method was to strike together two stones one of flint and the other containing iron in some form another method produced Fire by rubbing two pieces of wood one against the other while the people of Southeastern Asia many years ago learned to make fire by compressed air using an extraordinary contrivance known as the fire piston or fire syringe this consisted of a hollow tube closed at one end and a round stick which could be inserted into the top of the tube Tinder was placed usually at the bottom of the round stick then when this stick or plunger was driven down quickly the Tinder took fire and burned