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Post by intothewest1836 on May 26, 2011 23:34:18 GMT -5
how much meat and how did the trappers carry buffalo meat? then how was is eating?
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Post by beaudro on May 27, 2011 1:25:07 GMT -5
One of my favorite topics, it tells a lot about the way the mountain man lived. It clears up many hollywood myths.
The companies would leave St.Louis in the hundreds, some would drop out along the way, some were picked up along the way. They would often meet up in certain places with other companies and other employees of the same company. This was all for the sake of keeping trade goods moving. A big part of the trade goods was meat. Since the parties were so big, it took a bunch of meat, however some meat was intended to be taken to a fort, where the company was traveling to in the first place. Sometimes meat was bought along the way. Here's Wilson Price Hunt, 1811, meeting the snake indians.
We bought from them (snake indians) nearly two thousand pounds of dried buffalo meat which, with the more than four thousand that our men had prepared, loaded all our horses but six. It took a lot of work to make sure this meat was cared for and delivered.
I spent the 5th making all necessary arrangements for procuring food for several days, until we had news from Mr. Reed. I had the dried meat inspected and aired.
He leaves to hunt again, and just a few days he's writing this. On the 7th I returned to our camp of October 28. We had wasted nine days in futile explorations. We had caught eight beaver; but we had eaten the dried meat, for its quality is superior to beaver meat. Much of the dried meat they had found was used up real soon, in the midst of trying to keep food for his party, he writes this. I cached still more goods on the 8th, distributing to each member of our party all that remained of our food. Every person had five and a quarter pounds of meat. We had, besides, forty pounds of corn, twenty of fat, and nearly five pounds of bouillon tablets. That had to keep more than twenty people alive.
What that means is , they went through a lot of meat, and fast. Here's Townsend: On the morning of the 25th, we commenced baling up our meat in buffalo skins dried for the purpose. Each bale contains about a hundred pounds, of which a mule carries two; and when we had finished, our twelve longeared friends were loaded. Our limited term of absence is now nearly expired, and we are anxious to return to the fort in order to prepare for the journey to the lower country.
Bales of meat were real common, here's townsend again talking about drying meat: On the borders of this stream, as usual, is a dense belt of willows, and under the shade of these we sit and work by day, and sleep soundly at night. Our meat is now dried upon scaffolds constructed of old timber which we find in great abundance upon the neighboring hill. We keep a fire going constantly, and when the meat is sufficiently dried, it is piled on the ground, preparatory to being baled.
It wasn't easy keeping all that meat safe either... This evening the roaring of the bulls in the gang near us is terrific, and these sounds are mingled with the howling of large packs of wolves, which regularly attend upon them, and the hoarse screaming of hundreds of ravens flying over head. The dreaded grizzly bear is also quite common in this neighborhood; two have just been seen in some bushes near, and they visit our camp almost every night, attracted by the piles of meat which are heaped all around us.
If there was never any buffalo, the west would have been a barren wasteland, for everyone, Indian or White. The buffalo was truly the oasis of the west.
Here's an example of a typical buffalo hunt , while a large party is traveling through buffalo country. (speaking as a leader of the party) Seven hunters , who are HBC deserters we hired, came back to camp today with good news of spotting a large herd of buffalo. This would be our first hunt and many of us had never seen buffalo or knew how to hunt them. We are instructed as what will take place. A total of 25 hunters will mount with limited equipment on horseback, each will remove his coat and anything un-necessary from his saddle. He will carry 5 balls of ammunition in his mouth and gallop full speed at the buffalo of choice, he then pours an ample amount of powder down his barrel and spits a ball on top of that , thumping the butt of the rifle against the pommel of his saddle , if a successful shot is made he then moves quickly to another buffalo. All this procedure making no waste in movements or time. As the herd moves with the hunt, about 50 of us are making preparations to make meat. In the summer we must hurry, before meat turns to rot. Several men will gather willow limbs and construct large structures for hanging meat over a fire, others are bringing firewood as it can be found. The remaining men will perform the task of the butcher, cutting the choice meats thin and hurrying to the willow drying racks. By the end of the day we had over a dozen willow drying racks spread out over a few miles, each having a few men to stay and guard until the meat is packed. The hides of the buffalo are spread out , staked, and then scraped clean, when they are dry enough they are taken and used to prepare the bales for our supply of meat. Our party was not equipped with a weigh scale, it is left to the skill of our hunters who are experienced with the knowledge of weights, a very useful skill in the trade.
The night of our buffalo hunt was a scene of it's own. The hunters roast the fresh buffalo , you can hear the sizzle of each in several camps, the talk of the days hunt and the whiskey kegs are the only concerns through the night. For 3 days we remain here making meat.
That was a long story, I apologize,, Now, from here on out the only food source they might have is that dried meat, no fresh humb ribs, and no whiskey to wash it down. Occasionally someone will come in with an antelope, or mountain sheep, but it won't last but one evening. Each night they'll break off into groups , they are traveling so there isn't much time. Sometimes it's a group of about 6 or 7, and each will be giving a sheet iron kettle , about a gallon size. They'll boil water and drop dried meat into it , when they have plenty of corn they will ad that. Almost always at breakfast they will do this again and corn will be had. If no corn, it's a sign of hard times and someone must do some trading with the Indians soon. Not once have I ever read of these guys just eating dried meat, like we do today, I don't see why not, but even when starving I can't find it being done. Their eating habits were certainly different, no snacks , but more important I think they did not eat alone, in front of someone else. That may be because of the military like manner they were led , we had manners on eating not long ago in our lifetime,, although thats all changed now.
I think it's likely that their dried meat needed to be boiled, otherwise it's a risk of bacteria and they knew that. The jerky they made normally had no salt or cure , except for the smoke process. That alone probably preserved the meat , but outside, packed in parfleche, exposed to humidity, I would certainly boil it. I dry mine without salt , or curing agents. I prefer it that way but I have to keep it in plastic bags until I leave with it. I often boil it at camp, but much of it gets passed around and shared before supper too.
Incidentally, to clear up a myth, when the trappers used the term "make meat" , it means the butchering, drying and baling of that meat. Today many will say "lets go make meat" when they are talking about going deer hunting. To make meat is to process and preserve , not to hunt. Another hollywood thing I suppose.
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Post by intothewest1836 on May 27, 2011 1:45:29 GMT -5
but wat about other then buffalo. is there no salt out west? or pepper?
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Post by beaudro on May 27, 2011 5:51:19 GMT -5
I think you mean meat, other than buffalo, on a large scale? Fish is probably the next source of food on a large scale. because of the salmon brought from the Oregon Country, Antelope, elk, mountain goat, big horn sheep , and deer is probably last on the list. Hard times is another story, I don't think one could put together a real accurate list of that, anything goes there. Salt and pepper , thats an easy one. Osborne Russell: Russell also bought some black pepper to spice up his meals. He didn't need to buy salt, as it could be gathered for free
Larpenteur: each had his small sack containing pepper and salt mixed, and used it as he thought proper.
inventory of Steam boat Diana: 2 bags shot ,1 hlf barrel mackreal ,1 bottle pepper sauce, 2 boxes rasins, 2 boxes cod fish, 2 dz thimbles box
Ruxton: An enormous olla [earthen pot] was procured, and everything was bundled pell-mell into it, seasoned with pepper and salt and chile.
I carry salt, pepper, coffee, corn and dried meat , it's something easy to take that doesn't need an ice chest. You can take sugar and chocolate also, both were favorites of the fur trapper.
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Post by Cody ( The Patriot ) on May 27, 2011 13:42:02 GMT -5
Beaudro tell them about the indians fishing and cooking them in the sticks
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Post by beaudro on May 27, 2011 15:33:52 GMT -5
Good to see you around Cody! I can't figure out which story your referring to , and if it's the one story of the Indians catching, cooking and eating so fast I cannot find it , it's near time to go to work now. I'll look more tonight. It goes something like this , A small party of trappers in a boat going down river, stop for the night.
As we reach the bank three Indians appear, keeping their distance. We begin to make preparations for the night and are soon entertained by the three neighbors as they commence to make their own preparations. One begins to build a fire, another takes out a hook and line while the last catches a grasshopper for bait, upon casting the baited hook immediately he retreives a small fish , with no wasted motion the fish is cleaned and placed on the now blazing fire to cook. In just a few moments the trio is eating supper , we have yet to unload provisions from our boat and they have already finished supper.
It's something like that, I'll have to keep looking and find the original story.. Hope it's the one your talking about.
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Post by intothewest1836 on May 27, 2011 16:11:02 GMT -5
i made dry fish jerky a few times. you want to be real carefull. my wife learned this from her group. salmon is the best to dry. soak in a brine of salt for at leasts one day. a dehydraten machine does not get hot enough for thick pieces so i use smoker outside. it needs to be hot enough to dry but not to cook. 150 is the temp the books say. smoke cures better than just heat from oven. we keep ours rapped in paper at rendevous it will last over a week. fish will have a strong taste if eating it plain. it is better to boil with corn.
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Post by ThunderMoon on May 27, 2011 23:56:07 GMT -5
Was it not Wyatt Earp that learned you have to allow air and turn it all the time,when he was hauling in a wagon?
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Post by whitedove on May 28, 2011 15:08:35 GMT -5
Hello, When you say pell-mell pertaining to being bundled...what do you mean by that?
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Post by beaudro on May 28, 2011 15:14:03 GMT -5
I think pell-mell in Ruxton's journal means mixed ingredients with no measures.
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Post by ThunderMoon on May 29, 2011 23:10:17 GMT -5
My brother in law dryed mountain lion,it was great,tasted like turkey jerky..The bear he got was pretty good,but had to pepper the heck out of it cuase it tasted like a bear smells...
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Post by whitedove on Jun 6, 2011 22:09:11 GMT -5
Sugar and Chocolate.. has anyone here ever heard of Chocolate gravy.It's an old receipe,that was passed down thru my family.It's more than 45 yr old receipe from my Grandma.I don't know for sure how far back.I guess I could ask at my Family Reunion. By the way....you tell some good campfire stories.We all enjoy them...would you please share some more...... thanks
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Post by beaudro on Jun 7, 2011 1:11:17 GMT -5
I"m not a story teller, i just quoted a few of the original fur trapper journals of the rocky mountains. Thats where I get the research to re-enact the fur trade. From hundreds of books, and hundreds of online resources, I read a lot , thats all Joe and I do most of the time. Our goal is to recreate the life of an 1830's trapper. whitedove, that knife you found could probably best be identified by posting on Bernard Levine's collector forum. www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/691-Bernard-Levine-s-Knife-Collecting-amp-Identification You will have to study the directions on how to post a picture, they will need to be good pictures as well, they won't answer your post if your picture isn't good enough. Read a few of the existing posts on there and you will understand what they are looking for in pictures. I have a copy of Levine's knife guide , if I can see a real good picture of the knife it's possible I could get close to identifying it , but not as close as the guys on that website. Many of the guys on that forum collect knives for a living, they will know most likely what you have. I have worked with a lot of metal over the years, but in the last several years I have kept it to items I can only document in the early 1800's fur trade. For a mountain man there isn't much actually , the traps are the one thing he used that amounts to much iron or steel work and we don't see many re-creating them. The groups I'm involved with try to encourage more correct goods , I'm working on a tutorial book that shows how traps were made in history, when I finally get good pictures I will try and post some of that.
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Post by intothewest1836 on Jun 7, 2011 1:45:06 GMT -5
I have one of beaudros traps it is my favorite and works good. i also have new house traps but they dont fit in the time good. Im trying to find where the trappers were frying cucumbers. my wife did this with her group. it was good. i cant fine it in books now. fry is hard to find.
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Post by beaudro on Jun 7, 2011 2:20:37 GMT -5
Thanks for the good words Joe, I try to make a good trap, thats why I'm so slow! Sewell Newhouse possibly had a few traps out west, but he wasn't making them on a large scale until almost 1850 , his name doesn't show up in any documents , but there was a few who tried to cash in on the trade and he would be a likely candidate. The real hard part is findinig out what those earliest traps looked like , would they look like a Miles Standish with the rounded jaws , or would they be square like the makers of St.Louis? Most you see today are late 1800's Oneida Community style where he eventually started making them out of. What we need to see is his earliest trap, when he was making them one at a time. Newhouse does have the elusive wrench I've been wanting, but the one I've seen is cast iron.
Frying is a little hard to find , it wasn't done often. A batter is even harder to find, but have no fear I have found it. From the journal of Robert Cambell "When the supplies were brought up in the Summer, about two pounds of bread each, for one-hundred men were brought in for the feast, made once a year, - and only then did they have bread. Flour cost one dollar for a pint cupful The trappers would made a feast of batter fried in melted buffalo tallow - a sort of fritter and call their friends around to partake. Each man brought his pan and his knife, and very little liquor would be sold out - except to the old trappers. The single men among the trappers would mess half a dozen together. The air was pure and perfectly healthy. Every man, on-going to the cities would come back after spending his earnings. It was a bold, dashing life. " That may have been the early funnel cake?
Ok, for cucumbers... James O'Pattie and his men were held in New Mexico by the Mexicans. In this jail of sorts, they were treated fair actually, much like Jed Smith in California. There was a mexican girl who brought the men food daily , it wasn't much and O'Pattie talks about the conditions and mentions the food they were given. " we had derived from the generous nourishment she so kindly furnished us, and compelled by hunger to eat the food set before us by our jailors; and confined principally to dried beans, or corn boiled in water, and then fried in spoiled tallow. A few times she brings us cucumbers which were placed in flour and fried in the tallow, the same flour they took from us.." This was in September 1832 , it's something to note they were still raising vegetables for as long as they could. They could be dried however, it's not unusual to find dried squash all year long. Now someone can run with the fried pickle thing.
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