Notes on Aborigines by William Scott, 1871-1928 - Page 15

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                                                                       - Making Fire -

They had a simple and quick way of
making fire. They used two pieces of the dry
flower stem of the grasstree about a couple
of feet long one piece
say about an inch in diameter the other about
half that - A strip was taken off the thicker
one exposing the softer interior; the fire maker
then sat on the ground holding this piece firmly
with his feet then placing the end of
the thinner one where  on the side where
the strip had been taken off and pressing it
firmly and
holding it between the palms of his hands
he caused it to revolve swiftly the result with  
the result that it soon wore its way through
its way through,  and the nearer it got to
heat stage the swifter it was revolved, smoke
began to appear and finally a little burning dust
would rop through into the fine soft fine bark
placed in readiness to   secure it then was gently
blown into a flame - The work only took
a very few minutes - I  never quite succeeded in my
attempts in this direction - I can remember
when a flint stone and tinder box were used in our
household to get a light - not so very much better I

(written in left side margin) think than the Blackfellows way

continued