Their grow’s here Large Berch trees…on the Root
of the branches of the Said tree, grows Large Knobs of wood of Different
form’s, which they style posogan, which posogan is of great service to the
Natives, they use it to strike Light to, as we do touch wood… its Substance
Resembles Spunge…once Light is Very Difficult to put out…will Glow and Bur’n till
Consum’d to ashes and never Blaze.”
~James Isham, Hudson’s Bay, 1743-49
“They employ tree mushrooms very frequently
instead of tinder. Those which are taken from the sugar maple are reckoned the
best; those of the red maple are next in goodness, and next to them, those of
the sugar birch, for want of these, they likewise make use of those which grow
on the aspen tree.”
~ Peter Kalm, Canada, 1749
"Maple trees usually have large growths on
them, which are cut and dried in the sun, making a sort of touchwood which the
Canadians call tondre."
Jolicoeur Charles Bonin,
Memoir of French and Indian War Soldier, 1750's
“…fungus that grows on the outside of the
birch-tree…used by all the Indians in those parts for tinder…called by the
Northern Indians Jolt-thee, and is known all over the country bordering on
Hudson’s Bay by the name of Pesogan…there is another kind…that I think is
infinitely preferable to either. This is found in old decayed poplars, and lies
in flakes…is always moist when taken from the tree but when dry…takes fire readily
from the spark of a steel: but it is much improved by being kept dry in a bag
that has contained gunpowder.”
~Samuel Hearne, Northern Canada, 1772
“I said to them…you Fools go to the Birch Trees
and get some touchwood,”
~David Thompson, Lake Athabasca, 1790s
“This induced me to resolve not to travel more
by land without my gun, powder and shot, steel, spunge and flint, for
striking a fire…”
~Patrick Campbell, Canada/New York, 1792
“A Canadian never neglects to have touchwood for
his pipe”
~David Thompson, Red Lake River, 1798
4 comments:
I've created very few fires by flint and steel; none using fungus. I really should practice up.
Good idea Gorges. I always recommend it, even if one is using some modern tool for fire lighting.
This is great information. Would you know what these different materials correspond to in today's terms (chaga, amadou, etc)?
Thanks.
I will email you Ross.
Regards, Keith.
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