[Regia-NA] Re: Making Fire

[rmhowe]

John Shulver wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
>         A few years ago Roll and myself did a bit of research into
> firelighting using flint & Tinder and I seem to remember that the tinder was
> seeped in saltpetre solution which makes it catch easier and smoulder for
> longer. And yes before anyone says that saltpetre was not around in our
> period it occours naturally as crystals in the bottom of dung heaps!
> 
>         Train

I'm fairly certain saltpetre was mined in times pre-gunpowder,
but it would take some effort to find it. I have 
technology series references to ancient times, some of which are
currently on loan to Rebecca (Soapster) the Contrary. Forbes
and Singers for example. All nine of Forbes Series on Ancient
Technology and the first four of Singers History of Technology.
Volume II of Dumas, and diverse other technology books back to
Roman authors generally, a few Greeks.

It can be had from old graveyard soils as well. In fact better.
Especially the smaller graveyards that had reuse every two
years or so and the bones redeposited in ossuaries or catacombs
beneath old cities like Paris. There are eighteen miles of them
under Paris, mostly dating from the 1800's when all the
graveyards had filled up and the city itself was under
massive redesign to a more modern model. The catacombs
were mines for the materials, quickly later reused for ossuaries.
Some two miles of the bones are on tours according to
what I have listened to on TV and they even have their
own police force. Somehow with the French that figures.
Must be some pretty heated political battles in the
afterlife...

This was something they published in improvised munitions
books from WWII and after. Complete instructions are given
for making it from the soils with illustrations. They
are usually in the Black Books series, Volumes I-III.
These days those are commonly found from Paladin Press and 
Desert Press. I would not want to be seen on their mailing 
lists though. The hundreds of books are quite commonly available
at gun shows here. In point of fact Canada has banned some 
for good reason. Some real-life experimenters were following 
the How to Kill series.

Magnus, who knows both how to build things and take them apart
rapidly as well. 

I just saw eight Lincoln reenactors coming down a staircase.
I wonder if they will develop a sky-diving team like the
Flying Elvises.