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CAMPING OUT
BY
FRANK A. BATES
(Matasiso)
AUTHOR OF “GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA,” “STORIES OF
LAKE, FIELD AND FOREST,” “HOW TO MAKE OLD
ORCHARDS PROFITABLE,” ETC.
New and Revised Edition
BOSTON
THE BALL PUBLISHING CO.
1914
Copyright, 1909,
By The Ball Publishing Co.
A portion of this first appeared in a different form in the columns of “The Amateur Sportsman & Sportsman’s Magazine,” and thanks are due the publisher of that magazine for permission to republish.
The chapter on cleaning fish was written specially for this volume by Mr. Leslie F. Bosworth. It needs no eulogy.
To my Friend
FRANK W. BRETT, M.D.,
THE COMPANION OF MANY CAMPS, AND THE FRIEND
OF MANY DAYS,
THIS LITTLE BOOK IS
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
BY THE AUTHOR
In laying this new edition of “Camping and Camp-Cooking” before the reading public, it becomes my duty—the most pleasant that falls to the lot of a writer—to express my thanks for the kind reception of the little book. That it has been a success is proven by the kind words of practical people. Hence, but little change has been made in the body of the book; but an appendix has been added on the care of the health, the reason for which will be found therein expressed.
F. A. B.
Vacation time brings to many the desire for out-door life, as a refreshment for mind and body. There seems to be a strain of wild blood in the most of us, that impels us to leave the haunts of man, occasionally, and getting out into the wildwood, to live close to nature for awhile. The expense of summer hotels and camps deters many, and the cost of hiring professional guides for those who wish to get rid of the formalities of such resorts and do not know how to care for themselves, prevents others.
There are many who like to leave their work for a few weeks and go to the woods or lakeside. They have neither the time nor the inclination to adopt the life of the professional trapper who lives by the chase and sleeps on the soft side of a slab. They want rest; they wish for pleasure; they require three square meals a day, and they want the food well cooked, not too full of ashes, and not too different from that to which they have been accustomed for the other forty-nine or fifty weeks of the year. To this class, the business man, the clerk, the mechanic, to every one who wishes to camp out and does not know how to do it and still keep his self-respect, this book is addressed.
It is the result of an experience of over twenty years, during which the writer has spent many months in the woods, and fitted out many other parties for their summer vacations. Over the camp fire, while discussing methods with other campers, or instructing the learner “how to do it,” he has been asked many times to put his ideas into shape for publication. Here they are, and it is his hope that everyone who takes this little book with him to camp, may enjoy himself to the limit.
Frank A. Bates.
A camping outfit should be light and compact with all unnecessary articles eliminated and all needful ones included. That reads a little funny, but it is the gist of the whole question and the biggest question that was ever presented to a man. That is, you will think so when you are trying to get a 100-pound outfit over a swampy carry on a rainy day and while laying up over a spell of wet weather afterward. In the first place, you wonder why you brought so much truck, and in the second place, why you did not bring many other things. So it seems needless to say that the composition of an outfit depends, to some extent, on the individual taste of the camper, and more upon the character of the trip.
No sane man would carry the same amount of “duffle” on a walking trip that he would if he went with a team, or if he was to be in a permanent camp during the whole of his trip. Hence, I propose to classify them into two sorts—walking trips and permanent camps. But before I set down the list of impedimenta I want to moralize a little.
I confess that I enjoy the comforts of life, and as many of the luxuries as my purse or circumstances will allow; and while I have enjoyed many tramps with nothing but what I could easily carry in my knapsack, I enjoy one much better if I have more conveniences, and very few vacationists care to “rough it” too much in the short time they have for their annual trips, and there is no need to do so.
One of the finest woodsmen and grandest of men, “Nessmuk,” has written a book which is a criterion for the man who can stand that kind of trip; but what sort of a vacation do you suppose a city clerk would have if he patterned his trip after this model? The question was not needed; he simply would not try it; for the average city clerk is not so big a fool as he appears to the average country dweller. So let it go at that. To get back on our trail again. A party would not need the same outfit in July that he would require in October—and while there is no sense in sleeping cold at night because of a lack of blankets, there is also no use for a sleeping-bag for a July camping trip, and in this judgment of the actual necessities is where the average camper fails.
The majority of camping parties occur in the warm season when game birds and animals are protected by law, and there is no need for a gun, but most men will confess to a feeling of greater security when there is a firearm in camp. A light revolver will serve all purposes to drive away marauding animals or to while away a dull hour at target practice, and a little practice will render it thus available.
In the fall of the year the fishrod will be replaced by the shotgun and rifle, but it is always well to have a line and a few hooks in the ditty bag. A few fish will make an acceptable change in the diet, even if a deer hangs at the tent door.
The following lists have been compiled from the experience of many years in fitting out parties for the woods and are intended to cover everything that is needed and with the idea that the man who reads them knows but little about the subject and wants to know all about it; and as parties will vary in number of persons composing it, I have individualized the items.
OUTFIT FOR A TRIP OF TEN DAYS ON FOOT—SUMMER OR FALL.
For the Party.
Clothes, bedding, etc., for each man.
Food for Each Man.
OUTFIT FOR TEN DAYS IN PERMANENT CAMP—SUMMER OR FALL.
For the Party.
To the previous list add:
For Each Man.
To the list of clothes, etc., add:
Food per Man.
In regard to the cooking apparatus much can be said. There is a golden mean between bare necessity and absolute convenience, that must be estimated by the character of the trip. When walking, with the lightest possible amount of “duffle,” a tin plate may be used to cook everything that cannot be spitted or baked in the ashes. For a camp kettle on a walking trip I use a common tin pail with riveted ears to hold the bail. Do not let the water boil out of it while on the fire. Throw it away when you get to the end of the trip. In permanent camp this is replaced by a “graniteware” kettle, which forms the vehicle for many a savory stew and chowder, besides the more plebeian potato and onion. I prefer this form of kettle, even if it be a little cumbersome, for if the water boils away, as it sometimes will in spite of all precautions, you will not be left with a bottomless dish.
The coffee can may also be a tin pail, but in whatsoever form it may be, see that it is so made that it can be hung over the fire. Eschew all patent contrivances for making coffee; they are a delusion and a snare for the feet of the unwary, and utterly unnecessary. The tight can for condensed milk is a necessary thing when moving about; to prevent waste a screw top is best.
The fry pan is an important part of the outfit, but not the most important. In it may be cooked the entire food for the party—meat, fish, bread and even the coffee. But look out that it is of a convenient pattern for transportation. Get a ten-inch thin iron pan, with a socket on one side for a temporary handle, or have the handle entirely removed, and fit it with a portable handle to screw to the side. This detachable handle may be used to lift any dish from the fire.
But because you have a pet fry pan, with automatic accessories, do not become a slave to it. Use the broiler on all possible occasions. The stomach of the camper will stand many severe strains, but it will finally rebel if treated to too much grease. Use as little of this lubricant as possible, and you will be surprised at the small quantity needed.
The remainder of the kit, with the exception of the baker, needs no special comment; and of that piece of apparatus, I have long been in doubt whether it was a desirable article for the camping outfit.
Personally, I never use the baker, as I prefer to bake my bread in the fry pan, and my fish I roll in wet paper or leaves and bake in the ashes. With a desire to advise those who disagree with me, I wish to say that I was with a party who used an oven which accompanied a cooking outfit, and it worked nicely. In fact, the whole apparatus was without reproach, and was evidently the result of practical experience. If I could afford it, and had the room for its transportation, I should use one just like it, when I had a large party to provide for, as it saved time and some trouble; but it was no better than the more primitive method of the “bean hole,” which will be discussed later.
A rubber blanket of some description is very necessary, and I prefer the poncho with a slit in the middle to enable it to be put over the shoulders in case of rain as well as to lay beneath the blankets while sleeping, to keep off the dampness of the earth. If this pattern cannot be obtained have two eyeletted holes made in one edge of a rubber sheet, far enough apart so that it may be looped around the neck. The ordinary blanket may be of any character that is desired. I use a light wool blanket together with a light cotton blanket, both double and uncut, for summer use, and a regulation sleeping bag for cooler weather. The latter may be made of oiled duck lined with the summer blankets, or with one or more quilted puffs made of calico and cotton batting.
The cloth bag—size of a pillow case—is a very convenient article to be filled with leaves or fir spills; this, however, is not indispensable, for a good pillow may be extemporized of a pair of shoes with a person’s outer clothing laid over them. The small cloth bags will be found convenient in packing remnants of food, sugar, coffee, etc., which is so easily scattered by the ordinary paper packages becoming broken.
Now a word in regard to clothes. Eschew caps, helmets and straw hats, and wear a soft felt hat, the softer the better; it will stand rain, will not get broken, will keep the sun out of the eyes and can be used for a multitude of purposes from acting as holder for a hot pan or kettle to stopping a hole in a stoven boat. Canvas clothes are a delusion; they make a lot of noise in the brush and are uncomfortable when wet. Wear a suit of old woolen clothes with a light flannel shirt; no vest is needed. These garments are comfortable and warm, even when damp, and are easily dried. Look out for your feet; wear good, solid leather boots, and change your socks every night, washing out and drying each night the pair worn during the day. This little attention to the comfort will prevent sore feet on a long tramp. The remainder of the articles seem to explain themselves. Never wear new boots.
There now remains the question of food, and it is the most difficult of all to handle, since there is such a diversity of taste. I have endeavored to apportion the ration to a healthy man’s appetite and have considered that there will be more or less fish, game, berries, etc., gathered by the party. If there is no one who can cook, of course food must be procured already prepared. But it seems very improbable that some of the party will not take sufficient interest in this most important requisite of camping to secure information from his feminine relatives or friends, and practice sufficient to enable him to make a good cup of coffee, a respectable flapjack and to fry a pan of fish. With the materials set down in the list, with what fish, etc., will be brought in, an ordinary camp cook will, in a permanent camp, supply a different menu nearly every day in the week. For instance, a party of three would be provided with 18 pounds of meat for ten days; this would include 3 pounds ham, 4 pounds bacon, 5 pounds salt pork and 6 pounds corned beef. The pork would be used in baking beans and frying fish, and the others for broiling and hashes, while flapjacks, johnny-cakes, pan-cakes, rice and fruit puddings could be concocted from the list.
One of the foremost considerations which confronts the camper is shelter; for upon it depends, to a large extent, his health and comfort. Of course, the character of this shelter depends upon many things: individual preference, location of the camp and facilities for transportation. But the first consideration is a tight roof and protection from cold winds.
He is a poor woodsman, indeed, who in a forest cannot provide himself with protection from the weather. But every man who wishes to camp is not a woodsman, and is the man who is looking for advice. Woods frequenters sleep many nights with nothing but the blue canopy of heaven for a roof, and men have camped for weeks with only a square of canvas for a “dog tent.” But although I have tried both plans and thoroughly enjoyed myself, I must confess that I hanker for a good wall or shanty tent when the winds blow cold or the rain falls wet, and these things we must always expect.
If camp is located where transportation by team or water is available, when the temperature is above freezing, carry a wall tent, with a fly. It admits of better ventilation than an A tent, gives more head room for the sleeper and weighs but a trifle more. By all means do not omit the fly. Without this, in a driving rain, the water will beat through in a fine spray and dampen everything inside. Moreover, it is almost impossible to avoid hitting the canvas, sometimes, and the result is that whenever the wet cloth is touched from the inside it will start a leak unless the canvas is very thoroughly waterproofed.
In pitching a tent, select a suitable site, on top of a little knoll if possible, with the ground as level as may be. Do not under any circumstances pitch it in a hollow or gully where the water will run in. Clear off the brush, remove all bunches from the ground and carefully pitch the tent. See that all is clear before raising and that the guys hang evenly and run smoothly.
Next, dig a trench about six inches deep all around the outside, and about six inches from the canvas. Be sure not to neglect this precaution or you may awake in a puddle of water, which is not conducive to a happy frame of mind. Also remember that dampness will contract the cloth and ropes; so before you go to bed, slacken the guys a little or, if it rains in the night, you may awake with a tent pin flapping about your ears, the cloth torn or the tent blown down.
If there are only one or two in the party, and especially if weight is a consideration, a “shanty tent” is desirable. One which I have just completed is 6 ft. high in front and 2 ft. high in back, 7 ft. long, 6 ft. wide, with fly. No poles are needed if there are trees, for the head rope which goes across the front at the top is stretched between two trees and the tent guyed from that. The front of the tent may be lifted for an awning, when not needed to close the tent, by supporting the canvas on poles. With this tent there is sufficient length for a tall man, width enough for two to sleep comfortably and room enough to stow the “duffle,” while there is sufficient head room at the rear to afford good ventilation for a small party. I prefer this pattern of tent to all others for the reason that there is less lost space in ratio to the weight, with more convenience, than in any other style known to me.
Now, so far as a substitute for a comfortable tent is concerned, there is a wide range for choice. When traveling rapidly on foot, with as little impedimenta as possible, a simple square canvas, furnished with loops at two sides and large enough to shelter a man, will amply suffice. When the time arrives to make camp a pole is lashed across two trees or supported on crotched sticks, the canvas is thrown across it and pinned down by the side loops and the camp is ready. If you wish to shut up one end cut some evergreen boughs and stick them thickly in the ground at that end; this will break the wind. Build your camp fire in front of the opened end and you will be comfortable.
If you desire to travel lighter still, or are caught in the woods without shelter, a few minutes’ work will suffice to build a “lean-to.” To erect this structure find two trees about four to six feet apart, or drive two poles into the ground. Lash another pole across them about five feet from the ground for a ridge pole. Cut five poles about eight feet long and lay across this, with one end resting on the ground to form the roof. Cover these poles with bark, laid shingle fashion, or with a thick layer of evergreen boughs. It is astonishing how heavy a rain a bough roof will shed if properly laid on. Now stick some poles at the two sides, with the tops lashed to the side roof poles, wattle in some brush and you have a camp that will keep you dry and with a good fire in front will be as warm as a log house, for the heat of the fire is all reflected down by the slanting roof.
If you have no time for so elaborate a construction, cut a pole, rest one end in the crotch of a tree, the other on the ground. With this for a ridge pole lean up poles and brush on each side till you have room for your shelter. If you have no axe to cut a pole, find a leaning tree or a fallen log, or even a boulder, and pile brush against it, having first thrown down a lot of boughs for a bed. This sort of a structure is capable of infinite variation.
Sometimes in cold weather it becomes necessary to have some shelter more substantial than a tent or even a bark shanty, especially when a prolonged stay is to be made at some central place. A log hut will provide for this, and when timber is plenty can be made with no other tools than a narrow axe. Do not be too extravagant in your idea of size. A small building is more easily kept warm than a large one and a house 8 × 10 feet will shelter four men.
Cut straight logs about 8 inches in diameter. Nine logs 11 feet long for the back; three logs 11 feet long, and sixteen logs 4 feet long for the front; eighteen logs 9 feet long for the ends.
Clear a level place free from brush and lay two 11-foot and two 9-foot logs on the ground in the form of a square, with the ends of the logs notched to hold them in place, with notches deep enough so that the next log when similarly fitted will lie snugly on top. Now proceed to pile the logs up like a cob-house, notching each log at the corners and using the long logs for the back and two of the short logs for the front to provide for a door in the center, where the ends of the logs should be held by a pole on each side. When the short logs are used up put on the long ones. The logs of the front and back should be laid with the butt and top alternated to keep them level, but the ends of the camp should have the butts all laid toward the front to form the pitch of the roof and those with the greatest taper should be selected for the ends.
For the roof, cut poles 13 feet long, lay them lengthwise and notch them into the top logs of the ends. Then cover with birch or hemlock bark. Lay poles across to prevent the high winds from displacing it and throw on evergreen boughs to break the force of the rain.
If it be desired to have a pitch roof cut short logs to fill in the gable ends and hew down the pitch to the desired angle. Fill all crevices with moss, grass or clay. A door may be made of slabs split from a cedar tree and hung on leather or rawhide hinges.
For fittings build two bunks of poles across the narrow end and fill them with fir browse. There will be room enough to stow personal belongings at the foot of the bunks and they will add to the warmth. If a camp stove is used place it at the back opposite the door and run the pipe through the roof. If no stove is used, make a fireplace of rocks laid up in clay and have a hole in the roof for the smoke to go out. If dry wood is used the smoke in the room is not offensive, for a very little fire will warm the place as much as is desirable. Do not use cedar wood for the fire, for the sparks will fly all over the place.
If desirable, many elaborations of this building can be made. If a chimney is desired build it of stones and clay and build the wall into it, so as to leave the chimney half inside and half outside.
In preparing for camp, one of the most important questions to be settled is the choice of companions. Nowhere will human nature be developed as in the camp, where quarters are limited and when there is no opportunity to get out of the way and stamp down “that ugly feeling” that the best of us have at times. If there is a single bristle on a man’s back it will rise on an uncomfortable rainy day in camp. If a man is a gentleman he keeps his coat on and it bothers no one but his own conscience; but a surly grumbler, a gourmand who must have just what he wants to eat, irrespective of how much trouble it may make, or a selfish, lazy man, will disturb the feelings of all the rest.
And a word of advice here. Constitute one man, the best-posted and most equal-tempered man in the party, as captain; and when a man makes himself obnoxious and will not be reasoned with, let the captain call assistance, if necessary, and either cool him off in the nearest lake or quietly escort him to the nearest point of embarkation and bid him a long farewell; at all events, remember next year that he is not eligible for membership.
Make the party small (four is enough, three is better), for many reasons. There is less chance for argument, crowding is avoided, and transportation facilitated. If the party is necessarily larger, divide it up into squads, so that the man in charge of the party may not have all his own fun spoiled in attending to the needs of others. Make one man paymaster and do not ask him to shoulder the whole expense of the trip, but make an estimate of the cost and hand over your share in advance. Then when the trip is over, cheerfully settle up, and if you are not wholly satisfied, do not put up a kick, but swallow the dose and remember it the next time.
More than that, always remember that life is too short to grumble or fight, and if any campmate makes himself too obnoxious, get rid of him, or manage to get a letter calling you home on important business. You go to camp to get needed rest and escape the fights of a busy life, and no man has a right to interfere with another’s pleasure; always provided that the other party behaves like a man himself.
Now let us suppose that you have procured your outfits, selected your camp ground, and have arrived at the place. Set to work quickly to select a site for the tent, and get it ready for occupancy at once. All hands take hold under the direction of your captain, and the work will all be over in a short time. Pitch the tent and get your beds ready; make a fireplace and get wood for a fire, so the cook will be able to tend strictly to his cooking. If Joe or Tom grabs his rod the moment it is taken from the conveyance, unless he is so ordered by the captain, just insert your fingers under his coat collar and politely kick a little sense into him.
When you get your first meals do not give way to the abnormal appetite always generated by fresh air and exercise, but eat moderately until you get accustomed to the changed conditions, and thus avoid a multitude of ills. It is disgusting to a sensible man to see a campmate gorge himself and then wake everyone in the small hours of the night groaning with colic. A sick man in camp is a nuisance at the best, and if the sickness is caused by the sufferer’s own fault he will hardly get much sympathy.
Again, if you have any liquor in camp, put it in the hands of the most level-headed man in the party, and use it only moderately. I am not preaching a temperance lecture, but the use of liquor should be in moderation, if used at all. When drinking, hunting and fishing go together, the hunting and fishing get poor attention.
The first night that you are in camp will probably be destitute of many of the conveniences, for you seldom get well settled. About all that is really necessary is to get the beds well established and a light supper prepared.
The next day, get all the camp luxuries fixed up. Make some hooks on the trunks of the nearest trees to hang the odds and ends on. These may be nails, or they may be forked twigs pinned to the wood. Sort out the provisions and put them where they will keep sweet and dry. Do not lay the pork on the sugar bag, nor the salt against anything else.
The beds are of prime necessity. If you must economize on anything, let it not be on the bedding. If you are where you can get plenty of fir or spruce boughs, you have the finest bed in the world. Cut a large supply and spread them over the sleeping place. Start with the larger pieces and lay a row along the head of the bunking place. Then work toward the foot, lapping them like shingles till the bed is at least seven feet long. Next start again at the head and put on another layer, forcing the butts down into the first layer. Continue this process, using smaller branches with each layer, finishing off with the fine tips on top. Make this bed as thick as you can, for it will settle with use. When you have nothing else to do, put some more fir tips on the top. Lay the rubber blankets on this, and make up each man’s blanket separately, so that he can easily crawl into it and cover up, without disturbing the others.
If “fir browse” is scarce or absent, make a pole bed. Cut four sticks with a crotch at one end. They should be at least three inches in diameter. Force these into the ground so that the head and foot of the bed shall be about seven feet apart, and so placed that poles of about the same size shall lie across the head and foot. Across the poles lay other smaller ones close together till the frame is wide enough to accommodate the party. On this foundation lay the brush or dry leaves.
When nothing else is available, and I am in a camp that is to be permanent, I generally buy a bale of cheap hay, if I can get it. There is generally a farmer who can supply it, or it can be obtained at the point of disembarkation and brought in with the luggage. This may seem fussy, but I am supposed to be writing for the benefit of people who are accustomed to soft beds, and who come to camp to enjoy themselves. If you wish to “rough it,” spread your blanket for one night on the ground beneath the starry sky. The next night you will have a bed made.
A convenient bed is made of a strip of canvas, 6½ feet square, doubled and sewn together at the sides, with the ends open. When you put it up, drive four crotched sticks into the ground at the four corners and stretch on poles placed on these crotches.
The next important adjunct is the camp fire. It seems almost superfluous to tell a man how to build a fire, but it is an old saying, that “It takes a wise man or a fool to make a good fire.” I take it the reader classes himself as neither. The cooking fire will be the most important. If you have flat stones, lay up a fireplace, placing the stones close enough together so that the fire will play all around the kettle, and with a space long enough to hang two pots. It is a good idea to have a low place in front wide enough to set on the fry pan, and high enough so that you may haul the live coals between them. This will save you holding the pan in your hand all the time you are using it.
If you are in a permanent camp where there are plenty of rocks, build a pier of stones about three feet high, leaving a hollow in the center for a fireplace, which may have a bottom of turf.
This device will save a good many back aches. Make the fireplace at the back a little narrower than the fry pan, and wider at the front. On this you may boil your potatoes, make your coffee, and fry your fish at the same time. The rocks will hold the heat, and food may be kept warm while waiting, if care is taken to have the stones on the top flat and level; in fact, I have often stewed fruit, etc., with the dish on the edge of the fireplace.
In temporary camp, cut three logs, about a foot in diameter; lay one for a back log, two for side logs, build your fire on top with small stuff, and when it falls in coals you have a convenient place to set your fry pan, coffee can, etc.
Remember that a small fire is better than a large one. With the latter you cook your face more than your food, and there is more liability of spoiling the cooking.
Hard wood is better than pine or spruce; the coals are what you want, and the longer they will remain hot the better for the cook. By no means use hemlock or cedar, as the sparks fly all over everything, burning the towels and the cook, soiling the food and setting fire to the surrounding dry leaves.
Although I prefer “frying pan bread,” I want an oven to bake beans, fish, etc., and construct it as follows: Dig a hole in the ground, preferably on the side of a knoll; line it with rocks, if possible; build a fire of hard wood within it and keep it up for a half hour at least, till the rocks or the surrounding earth is very hot; rake out the coals and ashes, leaving three to four inches of live coals and ash in the bottom. Put in whatever you have to bake, cover with the ashes. The length of this operation will depend upon so many conditions that it will be impossible to set a time, but a little experience will soon settle the question.
The evening camp fire is a great comfort, and is an altogether different proposition. Select a place in front of the tent, and some ways from it, and place a big log, or pile up several smaller ones with stakes to hold them in place, for a back log. Build the fire in front of it. Start the bottom with fine dry chips, branches, or shavings, place larger dry branches on these and top off with good sized pieces. After it is well alight, it will consume damp or even green wood. The back log will reflect the heat into the tent, and will hold the fire for a long time.
Supposing that you wake in the morning with a steady rain pouring down. Do not try to make a shift with “cold grub.” That is the time you need a warm meal. Put your rubber blanket over your shoulders, and go out. If you are wise, you will have prepared a store of dry soft wood, which will be stored in the tent, but if you have used it up or have neglected this precaution, hunt up a pine log or a dead pine tree, and chop off the outside; you will find plenty of dry wood inside. Rake open the ashes in the camp fire, where you will probably find plenty of live coals, put on your dry chips, cover with pine, fir or spruce boughs, blow up the fire and you will soon have heat enough to keep the tent dry, and coals enough to cook by. It will take a pretty hard rain to put out a good fire if once under headway.
If there are any mosquitoes, as when are there not, fasten the netting over the opening of the tent. Hard wood splinters will do the trick. Keep this netting in place as much as possible. It is much easier to keep these pests out, than to get them out afterwards. If these insects are too troublesome use the Insect Repellent freely. There are numerous preparations which can be purchased ready made. The most of them answer the purpose very well. But if you wish to make it yourself, the following recipe, furnished me by Dr. L. O. Howard, the U. S. Entomologist, is easily mixed and very good.
| 2 oz. | Oil of Citronella |
| 2 oz. | Camphor |
| 1 oz. | Oil of Cedar |
The recipe furnished by “Nessmuk,” one of the best old sportsmen that the country ever knew, is made as follows:
| Pine Tar | 3 oz. |
| Castor Oil | 2 oz. |
| Oil Pennyroyal | 1 oz. |
Simmer the tar and castor oil together; when well amalgamated add the oil of pennyroyal, and set to cool. It is well not to have the mixture too warm when the pennyroyal is added, because it may evaporate, and it is the real life of the mixture. Bottle and cork it tight. Use copiously and you will have no trouble with the pests of the woods. It is equally efficacious for black flies, mosquitoes or horse flies, and will do no injury to the skin. Please wash your hands, however, before you mix the bread.
The remarks that follow are intended for the novice in the Waltonian pursuit, rather than for the experienced angler or camper, the latter probably knowing from experience how to care for and dress his catch to his own satisfaction, and probably in a better manner than the writer; but for the benefit of the uninitiated I will attempt to describe what I consider, after several years’ experience in the sport of Uncle Izaak and the care of the results, the best methods of procedure.
One of the most important points to be considered is, What means shall we employ to insure our fish being in good condition on our arrival at camp or at the point where the catch is to be cleaned.
The angler who fishes the stream can, of course, only put his fish in the creel, but if the sun is bright, a layer of damp moss will prevent the fish from drying, which is of the utmost importance. But to the boat fisher the ensuing remarks are of salient value. It has been my experience that if the boat used has not a fish-well built in it, it is best to use an open-mouthed knit fish bag, made of extra heavy cotton cord with an inch mesh, which can be hung over the shady side of the boat, thereby keeping the fish in their native element, and generally alive for a long time, away from the sun. This is of the utmost importance, as the sun has a very detrimental effect on the fish, oftentimes softening them so that dressing them in a presentable or skillful manner is out of the question. The result of this is generally more bones in the frying pan than fish.
We have now arrived at the point where the fish, after having furnished sport for the angler, are of no use until some of the party displays his skill with the knife, and the speed and results exhibited by one who will take pains to render himself thoroughly conversant with the following instructions will be a revelation to the man who spends an hour in cleaning a dozen fish for his supper.
After landing, the first question often asked is, “Who has a knife?” and everybody pulls one out, ranging from a penknife to an 8-inch hunting knife, neither of which, in my mind, is worth a last year’s bird’s nest, for reasons which we have not here space to explain. After trying all shapes, kinds and sizes, I for my own use prefer the shape shown in the cut.
This may be made out of a good pocket knife, by breaking its back and fitting a hardwood strip in slot for blade and winding the entire handle with strong twine.
The advantage in the blade being at an angle is in its tendency to always cut deeper into the flesh, instead of coming out of the cut, thereby enabling the user to make long, clean cuts down each side of the dorsal fin, which can then be removed entirely, leaving none of the annoying small bones to cause an inelegant flow of language on the part of the hungry sportsman and numerous cuts on thumb and forefinger.
After seeing that your knife has a keen edge, pick out a firm-fleshed yellow perch from the bag, grasp firmly in the left hand, belly down, the hand being closed firmly along the sides to prevent the sharp points of the gill covers entering the hand. Make a cut crosswise at the nape of the neck, insert point of knife in cut and run entire length of fish, each side of the dorsal fin, which can then be removed entire by catching the lower end between the thumb and knife blade and pulling quickly upward toward the head. Then grasp the flap of skin at the nape between the thumb and the point of the knife and pull outward and downward, tearing the skin from the side down nearly to the anal fin; repeat this on the other side; then grasp in the same manner the skin on the under side as near the vent as possible, so that both sides may be removed at the same time, and tear quickly down to the tail, the anal fin nearly always coming off with the skin; pull off the head and the entrails will come with it, the whole operation requiring five cuts with the knife and eight motions of the hand, and less time than it takes to tell it.
In dressing white perch, first scale them thoroughly, which operation consists in holding knife blade at an angle of about 100 degrees to the skin of the fish; press lightly and by a series of quick, short, scraping movements from the tail toward the head, remove all the scales thoroughly. The dorsal fin is best removed as in dressing yellow perch. Next, with fish in left hand, belly up, make a downward cut from directly back of the pectoral fins to a point just back of the gills; insert point of knife into this cut and run entire length of belly, continuing down one side of anal fin, make a cut on the opposite side and remove the fin entire; turn the fish over, sever the neck at the nape, and the head and entrails will be removed as in previous case.
Pickerel should be thoroughly scaled, and afterwards cleanly scraped with the knife until the slime is entirely removed, leaving the fish nice and white, which takes away all the disagreeable muddy flavor so common in this fish. Fins should be removed as in previous cases.
Of all fish that the novice may be called on to dress, the Hornpout, bullhead, or Eastern cat-fish, as it is variously called, will probably give him the most trouble. The best and quickest way is to remove fins by cutting down each side and tearing out; cut the entire length of the belly to a point a little beyond the vent; then sever the head from the body from the under side, without cutting the skin; grasp the body with the fingers of the left hand, take the head in the right and a quick pull will take off head, skin and entrails entire, if a little care is taken in starting the operation.
Of all fresh-water fish the trout is the easiest to dress, no knife being needed. Remove the gills and entrails with the thumb and forefinger, wash thoroughly, and the fish is ready for the pan.
In closing, a word to the camper. Never use fish that have lain in the sun or have begun to soften. They are not only less palatable than freshly caught fish, but at times positively dangerous to the health. Take all such fish, chop them up and take them, with the entrails and other refuse of the cleaned fish, out to the fishing ground and throw them overboard. If this is done daily at the same spot, especially if near some sunken ledge, you will be able to catch a dinner there at any time, as the fish will congregate there in large numbers. This is called ground-baiting.
Every man who goes camping in the woods, at a distance of more than five miles from civilization, and does what nearly every man does do, i. e., “take a walk to see the country,” is liable to miss his way and if he is not lost, the camp is. I have talked about this with a few people who have been in that unenviable position and the answer to the question is difficult and varied. “You just can’t tell what you would do.” You may theorize all you choose beforehand, but when the time comes and your brain is bewildered, you would take the most solemn oath that your compass is wrong. It is a most horrible sensation to find that you do not know how to get out of the woods, with perhaps miles of almost trackless forest before you; the one safe place, perhaps, is only a short distance away, but you do not know where that way is.
I have roamed the woods for thirty years, sometimes being in camp from May 1st to December 1st. I have hunted summer and winter in strange localities, as naturalist, sportsman and surveyor, and while I do not know as much woodcraft as I wish I did, I have had some experience in getting lost—and finding myself again; in fact, I have a faculty for getting lost. When I am following a rare or unknown bird I endeavor to keep my eye on it, irrespective of the direction in which it may take me, sometimes across country and often in circles, and when I get ready to resume my quiet path I know not where I am. So I have adopted a positive maxim: “Whatever you do, do not get rattled and lose your head.”
I often have had to caution a “novo” who looked to me for instruction in the woods, to remember the above every minute, and to add to it “Always carry a compass and never think that it lies.” Most people have heard of local attraction in the compass, and they always think they have found it. There is only about one per cent. of the country that will show anything of the kind and even then it would not deflect the needle enough to carry the traveler far astray. If it were deflected, the needle would keep you from wandering in circles in which lies the greatest danger of being lost.
Now supposing that you are camping on the shore of a lake in the woods, and you want to look over the neighborhood. Your first duty is to look at a map of the locality, if you have not already done so, so that you may have a general idea of the characteristics of the surrounding country; especially of the trend of the hills, the locations of streams or roads or the direction of the coast or lake shore, as compared with your camp. If you cannot do this do not go.
When you find that you do not know where you are, and you are positive that the sun is setting in the east or in some other impossible quarter, endeavor to make up your mind as to where you are within a radius of five miles, and think in which general direction lies some river, road or other landmark, and then set up a stick or blaze a tree in that direction. If it is not too late in the day, make up your mind in which direction you ought to go, set your compass, take a bearing on some prominent tree or other mark in that course, and go to it. If the woods are so thick that you cannot pick out a mark, set up a peeled stick or blaze a tree once in a while so you can look back and see your trail. When you have gone as far in any direction as you are certain of your course, lay it out again, always by compass, and you will come out somewhere at a place that you will recognize as leading to some known point.
If it is late in the day, do not wander around in the dark, but pick out a comfortable place, cut some boughs to lie upon and to build a lean-to; gather fire-wood enough to last through the night or as long as you want it to, and make yourself as comfortable as possible until morning. If you are fortunate enough to have some lunch with you, you will probably get a fair night’s sleep. You will not starve in one night, and you can usually find something to eat, even if it is not so nice. In very few places would there be the slightest danger of molestation from any source. Next morning you may follow the instructions for getting out, as shown in the preceding paragraphs.
Methinks I hear someone say, suppose you have no map, compass, matches, etc. I reason that you are a rational being and if you have not these things you will not be foolish enough to go out. If you do not know how to provide yourself with the necessary comforts, you have not read this book understandingly.
In the case of a hunting party in the deep woods, it is the custom among the parties with which I have been associated, to have a “lost call.” We generally separate in the morning to hunt in different sections, which are duly allotted beforehand, so that each member knows just where the other men ought to be. In case any one of them becomes so overcome with the ardor of the chase, or in the following of wounded game, that he does not know how to get back to camp, he gives the call, three shots of the rifle in succession. If not replied to, the lost one starts in the direction that he believes the camp to be situated, repeating the signal occasionally. Usually he is heard before much time has elapsed and is answered. If he does not show up by dark, a search party is formed, and he is trailed by the light of birch bark torches, or the lanterns. Seldom is a man compelled to stay out all night.
The following receipts for cooking are the result of many years’ actual experience, and have all been tried in actual camp-life. They are all comparatively simple, and may be prepared by aid of the utensils mentioned in these pages. The materials may generally be easily obtained at the stores, when fitting out, or of the farmers in the neighborhood.
It is assumed that a certain judgment will be exercised in the selection of rations, to govern the personal tastes of the various members of the party, and the resources of the surrounding country. One would not expect to have a variety of fresh vegetables in the Maine Woods; nor would it be reasonable to neglect such opportunities when offered. Hence a selection is presented, which may be presumed to fit all conditions.
There is a favorite saying in camp, that “the Lord sends grub, but the devil sends cooks.” This expression is old and homely, but it is apt, and many times, when it is the turn of the greenest man in camp to get dinner, we find reason to consider it true. We have seen an old woodsman toss together a few ingredients and turn out a meal that would cause our stomachs to cry, “Encore, encore,” and we have most of us experienced the sad results from guides who pretended to be finished cooks and had the whole party homesick before they had been in camp three days. The best supplied camp cuisine in the world would not keep off the “blue horrors” when in the hands of such bunglers.
Of course, everyone must first learn the how to do it, and equally of course some fail to ever learn. The latter could not boil water without burning it. I well remember my own first experience, and I remember, too, the experiences with some of the boys that I have tried to teach to cook.
The genuine camper is, certainly, the man who, taking but little food with him, lives upon the spoils of his rod and gun. This is, in most cases, impracticable to the ordinary camper. In the first place, it takes some experience to do it. In the second place, but few desire to do so, and there is no reason why they should. A party can live just as well in camp as they can at home, if they wish to, and can afford it. And also a party can live on a dollar a week apiece, if they choose; and live well, too.
Baked Bread:—Put in the mixing dish (I use the stew pan), 1 quart of flour, 4 teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and a teaspoonful of salt, and mix together; then work in a little butter with the hand or mixing spoon, add cold water, stirring all the time, till you have a stiff dough without lumps. Turn it out on a plate, wash the dish thoroughly, grease the inside so the dough will not stick. Put the dough back in the dish, cover it with a tin plate, place it on the coals in the oven, and cover with the hot coals and ashes that you have just raked out. Leave it for from one to two hours. A little experience will be needed to know just how long to bake it, for a rock oven, with a heavy bed of coals, will bake more quickly than a hole in the ground with pine embers. (N. B. I use double the quantity of baking powder in camp, that I use at home, because I have found it necessary to obtain the desired result. Why it is, I do not know.)
Spider-cake:—Mix 1 pint wheat flour, 1 teaspoonful salt and 2 of baking powder. Add water to make a thick batter. Grease the fry pan, and turn in the batter; bake very slowly over the fire. As soon as the crust forms on the bottom, so that it can be moved without breaking, loosen it in the pan with a thin knife, and shake it occasionally to keep it from scorching. When baked on one side, turn it over and bake the other side. (This is not called spider-cake on account of the insects that might fall into it, while in process of cooking, but because in olden times the fry pan was called a spider.)
Flapjacks or Batter-cakes:—Mix 1 quart of flour, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 4 of baking powder, and 4 of sugar or a little molasses. Add water to make a thin batter. If you have milk, it may be used instead of the water, to the benefit of the cakes. A teaspoonful of condensed milk dissolved in the water is also good. Grease the fry pan and drop in enough batter to make a thin layer. As soon as the cake browns on the under side, slip a thin knife or cake-turner under it and turn it over. When baked, take it off onto a plate, placed where it will keep warm: grease the pan again and repeat the operation. The best results will be obtained by keeping the inside of the pan smooth, and using as little grease as possible. This receipt may be varied in many ways. A mixture of corn meal and flour in equal parts will give variety.
Rice-cakes and Oatmeal-cakes are simply the above mixture with the addition of 2 cups of boiled rice or rolled oats or hominy mixed with one-half the above quantity of flour. If eggs are obtainable, one or two stirred into the batter just before cooking, improves the cakes immensely. If whortleberries or dangleberries or blueberries are in season, stir in a cupful. The boys will like them. My experience has taught me that an extra quantity of berry flapjacks will be about the right size. Maple syrup, molasses, or sugar, may be used with these.
Boiled Rice:—Wash clean 1 pound of rice, and put in 2 quarts of boiling water with 2 teaspoonfuls of salt. Boil one-half hour. Take off and drain, cover the dish tightly and set aside to steam.
Corn-meal Mush:—Have a dish of boiling water, salted to taste. Sift in the cornmeal slowly with the one hand, while stirring briskly with the other, until the porridge is thick enough. This may seem very trivial, but it takes patience to do it properly or it will be full of lumps of dry meal. Set it on one side the fire and steam slowly for 15 minutes. If your patience is not sufficient for this process, mix your meal in cold water to make a thick batter. Have your dish of water boiling, and turn in the batter slowly, so as not to stop the boiling. When properly done, and it is not so easy either, this makes a good dish for the camper. The remainder may be put one side until cold, sliced in pieces about one-half an inch thick, and fried in butter. This is improved by dipping the slices in beaten egg, before frying. If the mush has not been properly made at first, the slices will fall in pieces.
Milk Toast:—If you have any stale bread in camp (as when do you not, if anybody goes near a bakeshop on the visit to town), make it up for milk toast. Put on the stew pan, with a cup of milk. Put in a pinch of salt, a generous lump of butter, and allow it to come to a boil. In the meanwhile toast your bread to a nice brown, and when of the right complexion, drop it into the boiling milk.
Cereals:—Of these various preparations, their name is legion, and nearly all of them have directions for cooking, printed on the package. I have tried a number of them, and the receipts hold as good in camp as at home. This is not, however, a guarantee that the rule will always hold good. Why it is I do not know, but some things cannot be handled the same in camp as when prepared over the stove at home.
There are various makes of prepared flours in the market, under as many various names. As a rule they are very handy to the camper, as they are put up in small packages, by which the necessity of breaking out a large package is avoided, and they also avert some mistakes of omission common to men doing work they are not accustomed to do.
Fils-d’une-chienne:—Fry out the fat from some salt pork. Soak hard-tack in water till it is soft. Drop it in the hot fat and cook.
Beef Stew:—Take 1 pound of lean meat, wash clean, and put it in cold water over a slow fire. Cook until the meat falls in pieces when stirred; this will take from 3 to 4 hours, during which time there must be enough water to cover the meat. Now add about a quart of sliced potatoes, a small onion, sliced very thin, and cook until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Camp Stew:—Prepare the beef by boiling as in the previous receipt, except that a large onion is needed, and it must be added at the same time the meat is put on. When the meat is done, add the potatoes as before, and a can of tomatoes. Flavor with salt, pepper and curry powder. Just before serving, take some wheat flour and mix with water to make it about the consistency of cream; beat it together thoroughly so there will be no lumps; have the stew boiling, and turn in the flour, which will thicken the liquid. This dish may be varied by the addition of any or all of the vegetables which may happen to be within reach. Carrots, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, parsnips, etc., should be peeled and cut into dice of about a half-inch in diameter. These vegetables should be cooked a little longer than the potatoes. So far as the meat component goes, almost any flesh is suitable. The leftovers from the broiled steaks or chops; chickens or fowls, ducks, grouse, shore birds or any other meat from the roast or spit; the greater the variety, the better the stew. If fresh meat is purchased, get the neck, shin, bottom of the round, or any of the inferior pieces in preference to the, so-called, choicer cuts. Although not so tender, they have a far richer flavor. It is needless to say that venison, rabbits, or squirrels are adapted to this dish.
A word of caution just here may not be out of place. When making venison stew, look out that the meat has been well bled and hung for forty-eight hours, if possible. Otherwise you will think you have been taking a dose of Epsom salts.
When preparing rabbits and squirrels, skin and dress, then soak the flesh in salt water over night. This will remove the strong flavor, which is obnoxious to many.
Turtle Soup:—Parboil the meat in water, in which has been put a small handful of salt, for about a half hour. Take out the meat and throw away the water. Put the meat in fresh cold water and stew slowly till it will pull into pieces; add a sliced onion and four large sliced potatoes, season with salt and poultry dressing (sage, savory, thyme and pepper or other fragrant herbs will do as well), and thicken the same as the Camp stew. This is for the common “mud turtle,” and be it known that an unreasonable prejudice exists against this animal. Properly prepared, it is a dish for the gourmet.
Skunk Stew:—I was in doubt whether to insert this here, on account of the prejudice that some people have against this animal. Properly prepared, it is really a delicacy. When you catch a skunk, of course you kill him, if you can, before he explodes. If the odor is strong, hang the carcass over a smudge of hemlock twigs, being careful not to scorch the fur. Skin and dress, being careful not to break the musk-glands, which must be carefully removed. Put in cold water over a slow fire, and boil for an hour, or as long as any fat will rise to the top. Skim off this fat and carefully preserve it in a bottle, against the time when the baby has the croup, or you yourself have a sprained muscle; it is very penetrating. Throw away the water, and boil the meat with a sliced onion in fresh water, till the meat will slip off the bones. Add sliced potatoes and season with salt, pepper, and a very little sage or poultry dressing. Many a man has become a confirmed mephitiphagist after partaking of the above without knowing what he was eating until he had finished his meal.
Lob-scouse:—Boil corned beef till the excess of salt is out of it. Drain off the water and fill up with fresh water; put any vegetables that you happen to have, except the potatoes, and boil till the meat will come to pieces; about half an hour before it is done, add some sliced potatoes and hard bread. This is not a dainty dish, but it affords a variety when the stomach is cloyed with a hard-times diet. Start with cold water.
Fish Chowder:—Fry out two slices of pork in the bottom of the kettle, and when well cooked, turn in 2 quarts of boiling water. Add 6 large potatoes, sliced thin, and cook until they can be broken by the mixing spoon. Have about 3 pounds of fish cut into convenient pieces, which should now be put in and cooked till it will break in pieces. Then add 1 quart of milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. When it comes to the boiling point, break in 12 crackers. Set it off the fire till the crackers are steamed soft and serve. Some think that the chowder is improved by the addition of a small onion, sliced thin, and added when the potatoes are put in.
Fish Chowder, Southern Style:—Cover the bottom of the pot with slices of fat salt pork; over that put a layer of sliced raw potatoes; then a layer of chopped onions; then a layer of fish, cut into pieces, leaving out all the bones possible; on the fish put a layer of crackers, first soaked in water or milk. Repeat the layers, except the pork, till a sufficient quantity is obtained. Each layer should be seasoned with salt and pepper. Put in enough cold water to moisten the whole mass well, cover the kettle closely, and cook slowly for an hour or more. When it appears rather thick, stir it gently and serve.
Webster Chowder:—The famous Daniel Webster lived in the section where my ancestors passed their lives, and his neighbors, for miles around, gleaned a portion of their sustenance from the contiguous waters. Many of them were professional fishermen and their wives were famous cooks in the direction of these products. As Webster’s Chowder was a noted receipt, it being said that he furnished the following to his friends, we need no excuse for its insertion here.
“Cod of 10 or 12 pounds well cleaned, leaving on the skin, cut into slices of 1½ pounds each, preserving the head whole; 1½ pounds clear, fat salt pork cut in thin slices; slice twelve potatoes. Take the largest pot you have, try out the pork first, take out the pieces of pork, leaving in the dripping; add to that three pints of water, a layer of fish so as to cover the bottom of the pot, next a layer of potatoes, then two tablespoonfuls of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, then the pork, another layer of fish and the remainder of the potatoes; fill the pot with water enough to cover the ingredients; put it over a good fire, let the chowder boil twenty-five minutes; when this is done have a quart of boiling milk ready and ten hard crackers split and dipped in cold water; add milk and crackers, let the whole boil five minutes. The chowder is then ready and will be first rate if you have followed the directions. An onion is added if you like that flavor.”
Once or twice each summer, it was the custom of the farmers to make up a party and go to some beach for a picnic. A chowder was considered a necessary adjunct of the festivities, and I still retain lively recollections of the quality of this toothsome dish. Perhaps it was flavored with the sauce of youth and hunger, but it was good then and is now.
Clam Chowder:—Shuck out a peck of clams and add to the chowder instead of the fish. For those who have never learned the art of shucking clams, the shellfish may be put on the fire in a kettle, with just enough water to cover them. Please use hot water, turned over the clams, so as to avoid trouble with the Society for P. O. C. T. A. When the clams open their shells, take the kettle off the fire, turn them out into a pan to cool, saving the liquor to use in the chowder. Shell out the clams. Make the chowder as by the first receipt given, using as much of the clam water as is necessary; the children will take care of the remainder as a beverage. Do not put the clams into the chowder until it is nearly done, or they will be tough.
Bean Soup:—Wash 2 quarts of beans, and either put them to soak over night or parboil them till the skins begin to peel off. Scrape clean one pound of salt pork and cut into thin slices. Boil the beans for an hour or longer if necessary, then mash the beans into a pulp; put in the pork and cook slowly for another hour. Stir occasionally so it will not burn. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It is a fussy job to make this and not burn it, and at the same time have it good; but it is worth the while.
Pea Soup:—Take a ham bone, from which the most of the meat has been sliced. There is no objection if it has been once boiled. Put over the fire with cold water and cook until the bone will slip out of the meat. Then add split peas and cook till soft. Have some cubes of bread, about one inch square, prepared, fried in lard or butter. When the soup has thickened, which it will do as soon as the peas are cooked soft, put in the bread, and serve immediately.
Oyster Stew:—Half a cup of oysters (shucked, if you please), with a very little water; simmer over the fire till the beards wrinkle. Turn in a pint of milk, a piece of butter, salt and pepper; let it come to a boil, stir in a little thickening, and it is ready to eat. Don’t burn your tongue.
Unless camping in a game country, we seldom have any other meat than what may be brought into camp on the occasional visits to town. But it has been thought advisable to treat the subject as if there were a market within easy access, for the benefit of those who may be thus advantageously placed. Deer, bear, hares, squirrels, rabbits, grouse, quail and shore birds, however, will be at times available. And as the acme of the camper’s art is to live, so far as possible, off the country, due attention will be paid to those dishes which can be prepared from those products. No hard and fast rules can be made, for individual preferences vary to such an extent that what would be luxury to the one, would be starvation to another. Nevertheless, it may be considered that all wild meats should be well done, except in the case of an occasional chop from some member of the deer family. With fowl, however, it is different. All dark meated birds should be rare done; all white meated birds well cooked. I consider that criticism of a man’s epicurean tastes is pure impudence, if not insult. It is none of my business if a man wants to make a salmi of his woodcock: I simply deplore his taste or ignorance.
I shall commence with what has probably been brought in when the party arrived, so the cook will not have to hunt far to know how to cook supper. Beef, pork, lamb, ham, bacon, sausage, etc.
Broiled Steaks:—Camp is a poor place for tough meat; so when you buy, get something so that you can, at least, stick a fork in the gravy when it is cooked. Have a good bed of hardwood coals, if possible. At any rate, have no smoke. Put the broiler over the hot coals and get it hissing hot. Then put on the steak and hold it over the fire till one side is seared; turn the other side to the fire and sear that, after which it should be turned back and forth till cooked to suit the taste. Lay on a warm plate, put on a liberal piece of butter, a little salt and pepper, and give thanks that you have been given a palate to appreciate good food. This rule applies to lamb as well as beef; to venison as well as to pork chops. In cooking pork chops, however, my preference is, to heat the fry pan very hot, drop in the meat, and cook till well done. If there is no broiler, this plan may be followed with any meat, but a little butter must be used, if there is not sufficient fat in the meat to prevent its sticking to the pan. But by all means, use as little grease as possible, and have the pan hot, to start with, so as to quickly sear the surface and keep in the juices. In cooking meats, in the fry pan, if there is any fat left, especially that from pork and bacon, turn it into a clean can (I use the empty condensed milk cans), and save it to fry fish.
Fried Salt Pork:—Slice clear, fat pork; slash the rind edge, so it will not curl in the pan; scrape off all bits of salt or other attachments; put in a cold fry-pan and cook till well done. Do not get the pan too hot, for it will burn the grease, and spoil the flavor. Drain off grease and serve with hot potatoes. Good salt pork is smooth and dry. Damp, clammy pork is unwholesome.
Broiled Salt Pork:—Slice thin and toast on the broiler, the same as steaks. Or hold the slices over the fire, on the end of a green switch. Look out that the smoke from the drippings does not reach the meat.
Fried Bacon:—Slice thin and drop into a hot pan. Watch carefully that it does not cook too much, or it will be hard and dry; remove each piece as soon as it is done and drain dry. Some cooks always lay the cooked meat on paper to absorb the grease. Do not soak in water before cooking; it renders it hard when done.
Ham and Eggs:—Fry the ham the same as pork. When cooked, break the eggs separately into a cup, and drop into the hot fat. The white of the egg will spread out and should be turned up against the yolk as soon as it gains sufficient consistency; this prevents the outside of the albumen from becoming leathery. The object of breaking the eggs into a cup before dropping into the pan, is to avoid getting an ancient egg among the others.
Fried Sausages:—Cut the links apart, prick each sausage with a sharp fork so they will not burst in cooking. Place in the cold fry pan, and cook until well done. It is not safe to eat any pork product unless it is well cooked.
Boiled Beef:—Put the meat into boiling water, so that it will be covered and cook till tender; about 15 minutes to the pound will generally be sufficient. Use a teaspoonful of salt for every 5 pounds of meat, added when it is nearly cooked. This method will be proper for corned beef, also, but omit salt and use cold water. If the beef is not corned, just before it is done allow the liquor to boil away to about a pint, season with pepper, and thicken with flour; this makes an excellent gravy. If no gravy is desired, the liquor should be set one side till cool, the hardened fat removed and saved to fry with. Afterward, if desired, this liquor may be used for a foundation for a vegetable stew.
Hash:—Take of boiled beef, or the scraps left in slicing the boiled ham, one part; cold, boiled potatoes, two parts. Chop into small bits, and warm up in the fry pan with a little pork fat. If desired this may be varied in several ways. Have the fry pan hissing hot. Put in a little pork fat and drop in an onion, sliced very fine. Stir rapidly, so it will not burn. Have the hash prepared, which roll into flat croquettes, dip in sifted corn meal and fry brown in the fat, from which the pieces of onion have been removed. Or, have the pan half filled with clean, sweet grease (lard, or beef drippings), slightly salted. Break one or two eggs into the hash and mix thoroughly; roll into croquettes or balls, drop into the hot fat and fry brown. The fat should be as hot as it can be without burning.
Barbecued Meat:—Ribs of mutton, thin pieces of beef, rabbits, squirrels or almost any other flesh can be prepared in this manner. Lay your meat on the broiler over hot coals, so as to singe the outside immediately. After a few minutes, move away from the intense heat a little and cook till done through, basting frequently with the following dressing:
Barbecue Dressing:—One pint of vinegar, half a can of tomatoes, two teaspoonfuls of red pepper (chopped pepper-pods are better), a teaspoonful of black pepper, same of salt, two tablespoonfuls of butter. Simmer together till it is completely amalgamated. Have a bit of clean cloth or sponge tied on the end of a stick, and keep the meat well basted with the dressing as long as it is on the fire. The preparation of this dish is a lot of work, but it pays.
Fried Egg on Hash:—Make your hash of meat and potato; fry out the fat from a few slices of pork; roll your hash, wet with enough water to make it stick together, into flat cakes large enough for a single service, and fry brown. Lay in a dish where they will keep warm; grease the fry-pan and drop in the eggs in couples, and fry till the whites congeal; roll the edges of the white over the yolk and slip off on to the hash cakes, one couple to each cake. When served, which should be as soon as the egg is done, break the yolk and let it run down over the cake.
This word, like sweet Charity, covers a multitude of sins. I might read you a homily on the sin of killing the creatures of the wood and field; but I am not going to do it, for several reasons. First ’twould do no good, for you would keep on killing. Second, it is none of my business anyway. My business now, is to tell you how to cook so that you will come out of the woods well and hearty, and without a bad case of dyspepsia. With this digression, I want to start in with a few words of advice. In the first place, always bleed your game as soon as killed. The flesh of an animal that has not been bled is not fit to eat. Always let the animal heat get out of the body before you cook it. The fact that it will not rest well on your stomach is proof positive that it is not healthful. So unless you are on the verge of starvation, heed these words. Fish is the only meat that is not subject to this rule.
Fried Squirrel:—The most common four-legged game that the ordinary camper will get, are squirrels and rabbits. The latter, however, are not suitable for food till the late summer, and in most sections are protected by law for a certain season of the year. We, however, are not just now interested in the getting of them, but the cooking. Skin and dress them carefully, and parboil for half an hour in salt and water, to take out the strong flavor. Drain off the water, drop the meat in the pan, with a bit of butter and a dash of curry powder, and brown. Those who like the gamey flavor, sometimes soak the squirrels in salt and water for an hour, wipe dry, and broil over the coals with a slice of pork fat laid over the meat to baste it so it will not be dry.
Fried Rabbit:—Dress four rabbits; parboil in salt and water till the bones will slip out of the meat. Drain off the water and fry the meat in butter. It is much better if the bones are all taken out before frying, although not at all necessary.
Woodchucks, porcupines and skunks are not strictly game, but they are fully as edible as other animals, and, if properly cooked, very delicate. They should be parboiled thoroughly, and then roasted or stewed like any game.
Roast Woodcock or Quail:—Dress and impale with a green stick (black birch is the best for the spit), and put a slice of fat pork on the end of the spit, so the fat will drip down over the bird as it roasts. Have a large quantity of very hot coals; thrust the stick into the ground in front of the fire, in an inclined position, so the bird will be over the heat. Turn frequently, in order to cook on all sides and also to avoid burning. The hotter the coals, the better the bird, for the intent is to sear over the outside as quickly as possible to avoid loss of the juices. Any small bird, like snipe, plover or other sandpipers may be cooked in the same manner.
Rabbit Curry:—Dress two rabbits and boil till the flesh will come off the bones. Take the bones out and put the meat in the kettle with a large cupful of the water in which it was boiled. (Do not use too much of this liquor; it will make the curry taste rank.) Add two slices of bacon, cut in strips; season with curry powder, salt and pepper. If you have it, put in a small glass of Burgundy. Cook slowly for twenty minutes. Have dish lined with boiled rice; take out the meat from the stew, and lay it in the dish; thicken the liquor left in the kettle with a little flour rubbed up in cold water; turn over the meat in the dish. Serve.
Roast Grouse au naturel:—Take out the “innards” and fill the cavity with the following dressing. Roll crackers into crumbs and mix with a little salt, pepper and sage; turn a little hot water on to moisten the crackers. Put this in the bird, cover with a thin slice of pork and sew the skin together tightly. Have a pail of water in which stir clay until it is of the consistency of thick porridge or whitewash. Now take the bird by the feet and dip into the water. The clay will gather on and between the feathers. Repeat till the bird is a mass of clay. Lay this in the ashes, being careful to dry over the outside of the clay, before you get it into the fierce heat of the fire. Bake it till the clay is almost burned to a brick. Rake the bird out of the fire, and rap the ball of clay with a stone or stick, till it cracks open. The feathers and skin will all come off with the clay, leaving the meat as clean as possible. This is the perfect way of cooking game. Any fowl or animal may be cooked in the same way. If you try ducks, woodchucks or hedgehogs chop an onion and add to the stuffing.
Partridge Fricassee:—Divide your birds into joints and roll them in flour; put in the fry pan a generous lump of butter, heat very hot and put in your pieces of bird. Cook for about ten minutes, then add water to keep from burning and cook slowly till the meat is tender. Take up the meat and put in a dish; turn in the pan enough water to make a gravy, thicken it with a little flour rubbed up in cold milk; salt it a little and pour it over the birds.
There is such a difference in fish taken from different waters, that any general rule for cooking may lead to distaste and disappointment by reason of the poor quality of the flesh. Fish taken from sluggish, muddy waters are decidedly inferior to the same species taken from the cold, clear streams and ponds. Soaking in salt and water before cooking will improve these inferior fish, but all the preparation in the world will not make them taste like the fish caught in clear waters. Again, if you have not a fish car or net, or a well in the boat, by which means they can be kept alive till they are ready for use, always kill your catch at once, and keep them out of the sun. Fish that have lain in the sun for a half hour are unfit for food. Reference to the article on Fish Cleaning, by Mr. Bosworth, will give you needed instructions, which it will be well to follow. Trusting that you have studied this, I will say no more on the subject, but proceed to the cooking.
Fried Perch:—Have the pan well supplied with hot fat. If there is not a supply in camp, fry the fat out of a half-pound of salt pork. Roll the fish, previously skinned and well washed, in corn meal or cracker crumbs. If you wish to do it up in real fine shape, roll them first in well beaten egg and then in crumbs. Drop in the fat and fry brown, turning frequently, so as to have them evenly cooked. Serve hot. This rule holds good for all kinds of fish not over a half-pound in weight. If larger, either cut them in slices across the body, or slice the meat of the sides from the backbone.
Boiled Fish:—Do not attempt to boil a fish under three pounds in weight. Have your water boiling. Put in a couple tablespoonfuls of salt, and drop in your fish. It is a good plan to wrap it in a clean white cloth, so it will not fall in pieces. Cook until the fish will easily cleave away from the bones. A three-pound fish will cook in half an hour or less, and about five minutes for every extra pound may be considered about right. But there is a difference in species. Too much cooking will spoil the flavor of some fish, the salmon for instance, or the lake trout. Serve with some sauce.
Fish Sauce:—Have a quart of water boiling in the stew pan or the fry pan. Put in two tablespoonfuls of butter, one teaspoonful of salt. Mix in a cup three tablespoonfuls of flour rubbed up in a little cold water till the lumps are all broken, and it is of the consistency of cream. Stir this into the boiling water slowly, so it will not form lumps, and the sauce will thicken. Milk in place of the water is preferable, or half milk and half water. If you want a sour sauce, add a teaspoonful of vinegar, but do not use milk, it will curdle. A glass of wine in place of the vinegar is an improvement, especially when served with boiled trout.
Baked Fish:—Take a fish of not less than three pounds; scrape and wash it well; prepare stuffing composed of cracker or bread crumbs, a little salt and pepper, a small lump of butter, seasoned with sage or poultry dressing, mixed with a very little boiling water; if you have eggs drop one in and mix thoroughly. Put the stuffing in the cavity whence the entrails were removed, not too tightly, and sew up the opening. Rake the hot coals out of the bake-hole, put a thick layer of green grass (if there should happen to be some mint in it all the better), over the hot ashes, lay the fish on this, put on another layer of grass, rake the hot coals over all, and build a fire on top. Bake for an hour. If you like the flavor put a small onion in the dressing. A few slices of bacon, laid over the fish before covering, will improve the flavor.
Small fish may be prepared for the table by baking between the layers of grass, but it will not take so long to cook them. In fact, when on a long tramp, in light marching order, I prefer to cook them this way, rather than to lug a fry pan.
Skewered Fish:—Sharpen a small straight stick and take off the bark. Thrust this through small fish and slices of bacon alternately, and hold over the hot coals. They will cook in a few minutes. Look out that they do not drop off the stick at the last stage of the game.
Broiled Fish:—Take off the heads and split down the back, leaving the skin over the stomach intact. Lay on the broiler with strips of fat pork or bacon laid across, and cook over hot coals. Mackerel and bluefish do not need the fat meat, but they are by no means injured thereby.
Planked Fish:—This is the quintessence of camp cookery, and is so easy that it is a wonder that more people do not use the method. Have a hard wood plank, large enough to hold the fish, laid out flat. And do not throw away the plank after using; it improves with use. Split the fish down the back, as for broiling. Tack it to the plank, skin side down. Skewer on strips of bacon, and stand up before a hot fire. Be sure to have a good sized piece of bacon on the head end, so the dripping fat will baste the fish. Cook until you can easily thrust a sliver into the thickest part of the meat. Take off the plank, and dress with salt, pepper and butter, and do not be afraid to put on enough butter. Lay on all you think the state of the supply will allow, and then shut your eyes and put on another piece. Serve hot.
Baked Fish, Lumberman Style:—Take a fresh caught fish and rub it in soft clay from the river bank, against the scales and gills. When the clay is set a little, roll the whole fish in a blanket of clay, till the body is completely covered. Dry in the heat of the fire for fifteen minutes; bury in the hot coals and ashes till the clay is hard. Rake the brick out of the fire and crack it open with the hatchet. The fish will split in two pieces; the spine can be easily taken out; the “innards” are shrunk to a little ball, which can be flipped off, and the scales are stuck on the clay. Dust on a little salt, and you have a meal fit for—a hungry hunter.
Fried Oysters and Bacon:—(Little Pigs in Blankets):—Cut fat bacon in very thin slices. Lay on each piece a large oyster, dust on a little salt and pepper, and fold the oyster inside the bacon, securing it with a sliver or a wooden toothpick. Heat the fry pan very hot and drop in the “pigs” and cook about four minutes. The bacon must be cut as thin as possible and the “pigs” cooked only enough to make the bacon palatable. Some never eat the bacon at all, but are contented with the flavor it gives the oysters.
Fried Clams:—Shuck out the clams, selecting the large ones. Roll them in cracker crumbs or in corn meal, and fry them in deep fat.
Fish Balls:—Take the fish left over from the fry at dinner and pick out all the bones. Chop up the cold boiled potatoes, in the proportion of one of fish to two of potato, season with salt to taste; break in an egg and mix thoroughly. Form into balls or flat croquettes, and fry in deep fat.
Baked Clams:—Build an oven of rocks, on bottom and sides, top left open. Build a hot fire and keep it burning till there is a heap of hot coals and ashes, and the rocks are heated through. Rake out all the bits of unburned wood which would burn and smoke the bake. Throw on a layer of rock-weed to cover the ashes; lay the clams on this, with a few ears of corn for a relish, cover with more weed and throw an old piece of sail over the heap. Bake till the clams will slip in the shell. Uncover, and serve with melted butter and vinegar.
When they can be procured, eggs are the refuge for the hurried meal, or for lunch; but do not run away with the idea that any old way is right to cook them. A plain boiled egg may be delicious or it may be a clammy mass. Of course individual taste will govern the length of time they are cooked. A soft-boiled egg should be cooked 3 minutes, if dropped in boiling water. If wanted for a cold lunch, put them on in cold water and let them come to a boil, then cook 20 minutes. You will be surprised how mealy and palatable the yolk will be. Some people have the water boiling furiously, then set off the fire, drop in the eggs, cover and let them set 6 minutes.
Fried Eggs:—Grease the fry pan, as if for cooking flapjacks. Have it hissing hot; break the eggs into a cup, one by one, so as to be sure that they are fresh; turn into the fry pan, and when the white, which has run out, is congealed, turn it in toward the center. Cook till it is of the desired consistency. The egg may be turned over, if it is desired that the yolk be hard. Eggs fried in too much fat will be leathery and indigestible, but if a little care be used, and the above directions followed, they may be as easily digested as if soft-boiled.
If egg sandwiches are desired for lunch, put one of the fried eggs between two slices of bread, flavor with salt and pepper. Have the size of the sandwich to fit the single egg. This is better than to make the double egg filling for the whole slice of bread.
Scrambled Eggs:—Break the eggs in a dish, and beat the yolks and whites well together. Grease the bottom of the fry pan with butter, drop in the eggs and stir till done. Look out that it does not stick on at the bottom. Season with salt and pepper, after serving.
Omelette:—Break four eggs into the mixing dish: beat them well, and season with salt and pepper; rub a tablespoonful of flour in four times that quantity of milk, till it is smooth; pour into the eggs and beat all together. Have the fry pan well greased with butter, pour in the mixture and let it cook till the bottom is well set, and the top will not run; slip a thin knife under one side and turn one-half over onto the other. Cook as much as desired, turning occasionally, so that it will be evenly cooked. Don’t let it burn onto the pan; if it shows signs of burning before it is sufficiently cooked, drop a little piece of butter in the spot where the danger lies, and hold off the fire for a moment.
Ham Omelette:—Mince some boiled ham, season to taste with a little curry, or other condiments, and lay a large spoonful on the omelette before you turn the two halves together.
This fancy omelette may be varied in many ways. Minced beef, lamb, cheese, or even fish like salt cod and smoked halibut, gives the omelette a distinctive flavor.
Omelette aux Fine Herbes:—Break eight eggs in the stew pan, to which add a teaspoonful of chopped shallot or mild onion, one of chopped parsley, half a teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, and two large tablespoonfuls of cream; beat them well together. Put two ounces of butter in the fry pan, set over the fire, and as soon as the butter has melted, so the egg will not stick, pour in the mixture, and stir quickly until it begins to set; hold it a moment till a crust forms on the bottom; turn one-half over the other, and serve. It must not be done too much.
Fricasseed Eggs:—Boil a half dozen eggs hard and slice them. Chop very fine a small onion, a little parsley or celery-leaves, and two or three mushrooms; put a generous lump of butter in the fry pan, season with salt and pepper; when the butter is melted, lay in the vegetables and heat thoroughly, but do not brown; add a gill of milk with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed in for thickening; lay in the eggs, let it come to a boil, and serve.
All vegetables should be carefully looked over and washed in cold water. If to be boiled, drop them in boiling water, and if the water in the kettle gets low during the process, fill up with boiling water, never with cold. Keep the kettle covered, if possible, and drain off the water as soon as cooked. Some very strong flavored vegetables are improved by boiling in two waters. That is, when they are partly cooked, drain off the water, and fill up with fresh hot water. The question is often asked, how long shall we boil them? I never found any hard and fast rule. Perhaps the following table will be of assistance, but the time is variable. Small potatoes will cook five minutes quicker than large ones. It is a safe rule to cook until you can easily stick a splinter in the fleshy parts.
| Potatoes, boiled | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Sweet potatoes, boiled | 45 minutes |
| Shell beans, boiled | 60 to 90 minutes |
| String beans, boiled | 60 minutes |
| Green peas, boiled | 20 to 40 minutes |
| Green corn, boiled | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Asparagus, boiled | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Cabbage, dandelions, spinach and other “greens” | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Turnips, parsnips and carrots | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Onions | 45 to 60 minutes |
Pay the farmer for what you take, or you may find yourself, as well as the vegetables, in hot water.
Boiled Potatoes:—Wash thoroughly in cold water; cut out all the decayed parts. Drop them in hot water and boil till you can easily stick a sliver into the largest. Drain off the water and set one side to steam. Select all potatoes for a boiling of about the same size, so one will not be cooked before another, as they are liable to burst their jackets and become water-soaked or lost. If the potatoes are very old, peel off the skins, put a handful of salt in the water in which they are to be boiled; have the water very hot and cook as quickly as possible.
Mashed Potatoes:—After boiling, peel and mash thoroughly with a stick or the bottom of a clean bottle. Stir in salt, pepper, butter and enough milk to make the consistency that of dough.
Baked Potatoes:—Cut off the ends, bury in the hot ashes and leave there for an hour, or until you can pinch them with the fingers.
Boiled-fried Potatoes:—Peel the skins from cold boiled potatoes and slice. Have the bottom of the fry pan covered with “screeching hot” fat. Drop in the slices and stir frequently to prevent burning. When they are slightly brown they are ready to serve.
Stewed Potatoes:—Cut cold boiled potatoes into small pieces. Put in the stew pan with enough milk to cover them. Season with salt, pepper and butter, and stew gently, stirring occasionally, until the milk is nearly boiled away.
Lyonnaise Potatoes:—One quart cold boiled potatoes cut small, three tablespoons butter, one of chopped onions and one of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper, fry the onions in the butter, and when they are yellow, add the potatoes; stir with a fork, being careful not to break them; when hot add the parsley and cook two minutes longer. Serve at once.
Potato Salad:—Ten medium-sized cold boiled potatoes, cut into small pieces; one small onion, chopped fine; half a dozen hard boiled eggs; chop the whites fine, mash the yolks and add to them one teaspoon each of ground mustard and sugar, one tablespoon of melted butter, some salt and pepper. Rub all together well and put in the potatoes, with about four tablespoonfuls of salad dressing. (This can be purchased in bottles, and will save much trouble in making.) Add about half a cup of vinegar. If you can get some celery, chop up about as much as there is of the potato, and mix all together. Lettuce, kale, parsley or any green salad plant will do instead of the celery, or the salad plant may be omitted altogether, in which case, be more sparing of the vinegar in the dressing.
Boiled Green Corn:—The flavor of the corn is better preserved if it is cooked in the husk. Pull off the outer husk, turn down the inner leaves, pull off the silk and turn back the inner husk and tie the ends. Put some salt in the water as soon as it comes to a boil and drop in the corn. Do not let it stay in longer than is necessary to make it soft. If one does not wish to cook it this way, follow the same plan after taking off the husk.
Succotash—(so called): Cut the corn from the cob and shell the beans. The proportion should be two-thirds corn and one-third beans. Put into the kettle with a generous piece of pork, and boil till tender. Take out the pork, drain off the water, add a cup of milk and a piece of butter the size of an egg, and stir over the fire till it boils up. Take off the fire and season to taste with salt and pepper.
This is not the real succotash of the south-eastern section of Massachusetts, where it was first transmitted from the Indian to the first settlers. Nearly every one of the old colonial families has its receipt for this dish, and few of them are alike in their detail. They are all good enough. Suffice it to say that the body is composed of salt beef, pork, chicken, veal, and in many cases the remnants of the dinner, whatever it may have been, in the line of meat, saved by the frugal housewife. Here is one method as given me by one of the old-time mothers of the Cape.
Cape Cod Succotash:—Boil a piece of salt beef for an hour till the salt has got soaked out of it. Drain off the water and fill up with fresh, cold water. Put in some chicken, a piece of pork about a quarter as big as the beef, and boil till it all comes to pieces. Scrape off the corn from the cobs and put in with about half as many beans, and cook till the beans are tender. Season to taste. Of course green shell beans are what is intended in the above.
Boiled Beets:—Wash the beets, but do not break the skin, for that will make them bleed, and thus lose some of the sweetness. Put them in boiling water, enough to cover them, and leave till they are tender. Drain off the water and drop them in cold water, when the skin may be easily rubbed off. If there are any left from the meal, slice them into a shallow dish and cover them with vinegar. This is a splendid relish.
Pork and Greens:—I am requested to mention the variety of plants which may be used for this homely dish. No one needs to go hungry in the country, for the fields are filled with edible plants. Their list would be legion, but I will mention a few: Dandelion, nettles, milkweed, spinach, beet-tops, turnip-tops, mustard, narrow dock, cowslip (marsh marigold), kale, poke, brussels sprouts, cabbage, purslane, shepherd’s purse, and a myriad others. Any of the above, cleaned and boiled till tender with a generous piece of pork, and served with boiled potatoes, is not only satisfying, but is an excellent corrective for the system. Of course, it is understood that the young plants or shoots are the portions to be used. You might as well try to get nourishment from a piece of wood, if you try to use them after the hard fiber has formed in these plants.
Stewed Tomatoes:—Peel by pouring boiling water over them, when the skin will easily come off. Cut up in the stew pan, throwing out the hard and unripe parts. Stew gently until they come to pieces; season with butter, salt, pepper and a little sugar if desired.
Baked Beans:—This New England dish is almost a sine qua non in the Eastern woods camp, and is seen nowhere else in its perfection. Pick over a quart of beans, discarding all poor ones. Parboil until the skin starts. Drain off the water and throw it far away from the camp, for it does not smell particularly sweet. Put half the beans in the bean pot, then a generous junk of fat salt pork, then the rest of the beans, so that the pork shall be bedded. A little salt and some molasses, the quantity depending on the taste, will complete the list. Pour in enough hot water to cover the beans. Put on the cover of the pot, and set in the hot ashes of the bean hole, just before you go to bed. Rake the coals over it, put a few sticks on top, so the ashes will keep hot, and go to bed. In the morning rake out the bean pot, and you will find them nicely baked, and redolent of that aroma so dear to every Yankee. If you do not relish it, so much the worse for you, and so much the better for the rest of the party, for there will be more for them.
Macaroni:—Break the sticks of macaroni into convenient lengths; put in the stew pan with hot salted water and cook till tender. Stew half a can of tomatoes till you can mash them up with the spoon and pick out the skin and the hard lumps; put in a lump of butter, a little salt and pepper, and thicken with flour and water, rubbed smooth. Pour this over the macaroni and serve.
At the earnest request of a friend, but with fear and trembling at the possible results, do I include this chapter in these notes. There is no shadow of doubt that men have gone hungry in the midst of plenty, from the lack of knowledge of the food that was all around them. But the average camper, with his meager knowledge of mycology, generally feels that eating wild mushrooms is much like living over a powder magazine. If a person of average intelligence will take the pains so to educate himself that he can surely identify the edible varieties, and it needs no more than that, there is no more danger than is present in eating the fish you catch from the lakes. But if you are not positive that you can identify each specimen as you gather it, let it go, and confine yourself to those that you do know are harmless. My experience in this direction has been so limited, that I am obliged to copy, in most cases, from the experience of others. There is no space here to go into descriptions of species, but the literature on the subject is so easily obtainable, that there seems no need to do so.
Broiled Russula:—Thoroughly clean the top or peel off the skin; place the cap on a gridiron over a hot fire, gills downward, and heat through, but do not scorch. Turn over and repeat the process; lay on a hot plate, gills upward and drop on a piece of butter with a little salt and pepper.
Vegetable Oyster—A. ostreatus:—This species grows out of the sides of trees and stumps. Broil the young and tender specimens the same as in the last instance; or they may be fried in butter, or in batter, or in fact any way that the real oyster is cooked. As a stew it is delicious.
The Elm Mushroom, a species of the last named family, is cooked in the same manner, but the flavor is decidedly that of fish.
Shaggy-mane Coprinus:—Put in a stew pan with a little milk, add a piece of butter, a little pepper and salt.
Or, put about two ounces of butter in the stew pan with a teaspoonful of salt and a little pepper, with a slight pinch of powdered mace or nutmeg. Put in a pint of mushrooms and stew for a few minutes; then add a little milk and stew for about twenty minutes, or till they are tender. Thicken the gravy with a little flour rubbed up in milk.
Stewed Chanterelle:—Soak the mushrooms in milk over night; chop up some boiled meat, chicken, veal or lamb preferred; mix and stew till tender; flavor with salt and pepper.
Vegetable Beefsteak:—Slice young specimens and broil over the coals, the same as you would a nice cut off the rump. Do not spoil it with too much condiment.
Fried Clavaria:—This delicious fungus is very common and so free from insect enemies, that pounds of it may be gathered in almost any woods. Simply fried in the pan with butter or oil, and properly seasoned, it has furnished an addition to many a meager meal of the ones who understood its value.
Puff Balls:—Pick out the specimens with white meat (they turn black as they grow older), fry in butter and serve on toast. They are as good as eggs.
After you have tried these and have become a confirmed mycophagist, you will have obtained literature on the subject and know how to adapt the cooking to the characteristics of the species.
Warning:—Be sure that you have young specimens, clean and free from the ravages of insects.
Rice Pudding:—Boiled rice, about a quart; one can of condensed milk; one-half cup of sugar or molasses; ground nutmeg or mace to taste; sufficient water to keep it from burning; one or two eggs, if you have them: stir together and cook over a slow fire for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Good, hot or cold.
Corn-starch Pudding:—Heat three pints of milk to boiling, and watch it that it does not boil over; have three tablespoonfuls of corn starch rubbed up in a little cold milk; add two eggs and a little salt, beat it together, and when the milk is boiling stir the mixture into it. It will immediately thicken up, when it must be taken from the fire, turned out into a dish, and set one side to cool. Serve with sugar and milk.
Tapioca Pudding:—Buy the “minute tapioca”; it saves time. If you have only the other kind, soak it in milk till it swells up soft. Stir into a quart of the jelly, or the advertised allowance of the “minute” brand with enough milk to make the quantity, two eggs, a little salt, spice to taste, and set over the fire till it comes to a boil. Set off the fire, and just before serving, put in a dash of lemon juice or ½ teaspoonful of essence of lemon.
Apple Slump:—Fill the kettle half full of sliced and cored apples; sprinkle on a little spice, one cup of sugar or molasses; cover over and cook for a few minutes. Prepare a crust the same as for bread or biscuits, stirring ½ teaspoonful of salt and two of baking powder into a pint of flour, and wetting with milk or water till it makes a stiff dough. Lay this dough over the top of the apples, cover and steam till the crust rises and you can thrust a sliver into the crust without the dough sticking to it. Set off the fire and keep covered till needed. Serve with pudding sauce, or with milk and sugar.
Pudding Sauce:—One pint of water in the stew pan; mix three tablespoonfuls of flour in a little cold water and rub it to a smooth paste: when the water boils, put in a small lump of butter, a cup of sugar, a little spice, and when the sugar is dissolved stir in the flour paste. If the water is boiling when the flour is put in, it will thicken up into a jelly. Just before serving stir in a little lemon juice or extract. If this flavor is put in too soon, the savor will evaporate. This sauce may be made of milk if you have it. If condensed milk is used, dilute it with water, and do not use so much sugar.
Plain Flour Pudding:—Mix a quart of flour, and a tablespoonful of baking powder, and a teaspoonful of salt in water enough to make a thick dough. Dip a cloth bag in hot water, dust the inside with dry flour, put in the dough, and tie up, leaving room for the pudding to swell. Place in boiling water enough to cover the bag, and boil for two hours. Serve with syrup or pudding sauce.
Plum Pudding:—One quart of flour, three-fourths of a pound of raisins, three-fourths of a pound of fat salt pork well washed and cut into small pieces, two tablespoonfuls of sugar or a little molasses. Mix in just sufficient water to wet it well. Some think it is improved by the addition of a tablespoonful of baking powder stirred into the flour before mixing. Boil in a bag, as in the case of the plain flour pudding. The pudding will come out of the bag easier, if it is plunged into cold water for an instant, as soon as it is taken out of the kettle. Do not let it set in the bag. All bag-puddings must be kept covered with water and kept boiling violently all the time they are on the fire. Also they must be mixed with as little water as possible. Otherwise they will either be soggy or will be a mush from absorption of the water in the pot.
Fig Pudding:—Cut 6 figs in pieces, cover with cold water and let it come to a boil over a slow fire; put into a dish and add 2 teaspoonfuls of sugar. Beat up an egg with a pinch of salt and a tablespoonful of sugar, one of flour, and stir it into a half pint of boiling milk. As soon as it thickens, pour the mixture over the figs in the dish. I have forgotten where I saw this receipt, but I am going to appropriate it and the author will please accept my thanks right here, if he sees this, for it is good.
Coffee:—The finest drink for the camper is good coffee, but there is more coffee spoiled in making than would drown all the fraternity. Coffee boiled is coffee spoiled. The simplest method is to put in the can one tablespoonful of finely ground coffee for each person to be served, and one more for the pot. When the water is boiling hard, turn in a cupful for each person and one more for a possible extra. Cover tight and set where it will keep hot and not boil, for fifteen minutes. The grounds will settle of their own accord. If wanted in a hurry, let it set a few minutes and then stir with a clean stick. This will saturate the grains more quickly, but it is at a slight expense of aroma.
Black Coffee—(Café noir): Have a percolator or large strainer; put in one cupful of ground coffee to each quart of water. Have the water boiling and pour it slowly through the percolator. The surface of the water should be just above the coffee in the strainer, when the allowance is in the pot. Keep it hot, but do not let it boil. A good strainer is made of a piece of gauze sewn on to a ring of wire a little larger than the mouth of the pot. Keep the pot covered tightly.
Gloria:—Make the same as café noir. Sweeten well and pour a little fine brandy over the bowl of a spoon, into each cup. Set fire to the spirit, and when half consumed blow out the fire and drink. A good quality of brandy must be used or it will not blaze.
Tea:—Use a teaspoonful of tea to each cup. Have the water boiling, and use fresh water. Put the tea in the pot and pour the water over it. Let it set for a few minutes, in a warm place, to “draw.”
And now, in the hopes that these records of camp experiences may save some unlucky wight, who spoils the dinner because he did not know how to cook, from the “cobbing” that he richly deserves, we will close with the line of the poet who had just had a square meal:
This subject was not forgotten in the design of this little camp companion, but the danger from the administration of drugs by incompetent hands is great, and the author felt that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and something that should be avoided. However, some of the readers have expressed opinions in the matter, and requested its insertion. In the preparation of a new edition of the book, a good opportunity presented itself, and a little advice is herewith offered. The author still advises that a physician be consulted, if it be possible, not only on account of the danger of taking a wrong medicine or too much of a proper one, but because few people are really competent to make a proper diagnosis.
In the list of supplies, a harmless laxative and a convenient stimulant, both familiar to every one, were included. In the majority of cases, these, with plenty of hot or cold water, will suffice for a remedy until proper medical advice can be obtained. It is considered only common sense that a convalescent or semi-invalid would come provided with remedies furnished by his medical adviser; but it is the unexpected that confronts us, and it is hoped that the same common sense may be used in such cases.
Illness in camp is generally due to one of three causes: injuries, disturbances of the digestive functions, or exposure. In the first case, accidents are generally due to carelessness, and perhaps in the other cases the same fact may be true; so, perhaps, the advice to observe proper precautions and KEEP WELL, may be thoroughly applicable.
Dislocations and broken bones are the province of the surgeon; but if the reader thinks he will ever need the knowledge, “First Aid to the Injured” is easily acquired before leaving for camp.
Simple cuts sometimes become inflamed, and should, then, be kept wet with cold water bandages. If a disinfectant is needed, Seiler’s Antiseptic Tablets are preferable to either Carbolic Acid or Corrosive Sublimate, both of which are exceedingly dangerous.
Burns and scalds should be bandaged and kept wet with cold water. A poultice of scraped raw potato will relieve inflammation. Sprinkle flour over the surface of the wound. Especially remember that it is needful to keep the air from the inflamed surface, therefore do not remove the bandages often. For Sunburn, apply linseed oil and limewater (Carron-oil). Bruises and sprains should be treated with hot water, applied with a cloth as hot as can be borne. I have used Haynes’ Arabian Balsam for many years and it has seldom failed. It works more quickly than the hot water and is more convenient when on a tramp.
Blistered feet are a nuisance and may generally be avoided by using proper foot-wear and ordinary attention to cleanliness. If a blister come, prick it, wash with hot water and cover with a tallowed cloth. Rub the inside of the sock with dry soap.
For choking, a sharp blow between the shoulders will usually dislodge the obstruction. If a fishbone lodges, which cannot be reached, swallow a bit of dry bread. A gargle of vinegar is said to soften a fishbone, but I have never tried it.
Stings and bites of insects are more troublesome than dangerous, and the irritation will generally be alleviated by salt and water. Pennyroyal leaves will allay irritation and also keep away the pests.
Ivy or dogwood poison will generally yield to any astringent wash like soda or ashes. An infusion of the leaves and twigs of the Spicebush, when it can be obtained, will cure the worst case. For inflamed eyes, use hot water bandages.
Nosebleed can generally be stopped by dashing cold water on the back of the neck. If serious, plug the nostrils to form a clot; but see that the blood does not run down the throat to cause suffocation. If the case is obstinate, put the feet in a pail of warm water and add hot water to it until it is unbearable.
Among the digestive troubles, disturbance of the bowels due to change of water and diet is the most common. In the case of constipation, a good dose of physic, followed by plenty of fresh water, will generally suffice. For this purpose a dose of Salts is as good as anything. Or mix a teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar with as much sugar, put in a glass of water, stir it well and drink. If taken before breakfast or on an empty stomach, relief will ensue in a short time. If the bowels are loose, a dose of Rhubarb will generally suffice as well as for the contrary condition. The principal point to be gained in any case of bowel disturbance is to clear the tract of any fermenting matter. If a diarrhœa becomes troublesome, make an infusion of blackberry vines and roots. I have found the running variety best. But be very careful not to check too quickly or a worse condition may be induced.
Occasionally a case of ptomaine poisoning appears, which may be caused by canned goods, especially if you are not careful to empty the can at once. Clear the bowels thoroughly and feed on milk and eggs for a day. If the patient does not recover at once, consult a doctor.
Headache is generally due to a disordered stomach, but may be induced by a cold or by getting over-heated. In the first case a dose of physic, and a good night’s sleep, will effect a cure; the ordinary treatment for a cold will fix the second; and in the last case, pack the head in ice or very cold water. If the patient gets stupid and breathless, take him into the shade, strip the upper body, douche the head with cold water and fan vigorously to induce respiration.
Heartburn (so called) is a common result of too much fatty food, and the handiest remedy is to pound up a little charcoal, mix with water and drink. Another troublesome result of a disordered stomach is the eruption known as Hives. Wash with saleratus and water, and take Cream of Tartar as directed in a former paragraph. Do not put on any greasy salve.
Exposure or carelessness in changing the clothing often results in what is commonly called a “cold.” A few hot drinks and a night under warm blankets will usually bring relief; but if it get troublesome, drink plenty of hot water or tea, wrap in blankets and sweat it out. If the stomach revolts at the hot water, make an infusion of the leaves and twigs of the snapwood (Benzoin odoriferum) or of checkerberry leaves (Gaultheria procumbens). When the disturbance is seated in the bowels, it often results in a colic, for which there is nothing better than black-pepper tea. Pour hot water over a teaspoonful of pepper to make a large cupful and drink as hot as possible. The remedy is nearly as bad as the disease, but not as fatal.
Neuralgia may generally be eased by cloths wrung out in hot water and applied to the affected part. If in a tooth that is decayed, a hot raisin will often soothe the pain. In earache apply a roasted onion as hot as can be borne. I cannot recommend any of the popular headache remedies. They should never be used except by a physician, and even in that case are often dangerous. I shall not explain this as it may be considered libel by the doctor.
If there is sore throat, a cold water bandage will generally relieve it by the next morning. For an aggravating cough an infusion of Mullein leaves (Verbascum) drunk freely will afford relief. Nothing is really necessary except to allay irritation and hot water slowly sipped will often be sufficient.
A combination of exposure, indigestion and fatigue, that often comes to the camper, sometimes results in an inflammation of the pleura, indicated by an excruciating pain in the side. This may be allayed by a mustard plaster. Watch that it does not blister; for in camp that may prove very serious.
Muscular cramps generally affect the legs, and in this case, get the feet warm, rub the part affected briskly, and straighten out the toes, forcibly if necessary. Hot stones wrapped in cloth or even cloths wrung out in hot water will serve to warm the feet.
If a medicine case is considered necessary, a box containing the following materials is suggested, in addition to the remedies mentioned on page 15.
I cannot recommend Carbolic Acid nor Corrosive Sublimate as antiseptics. The tablets are better and perfectly safe.
Above all, mix all remedies with common sense. If you carry drugs, be sure to know their action before you start from home.
The suggestion was made that I give instructions for the use of Nature’s Remedies as found in the herbs and bushes, which would be very apropos if it were not for the fact that it would require a special botanical knowledge, instruction in which has no place here, and more time would be required in preparation than can usually be spared in camp. As well, an amount of space which the publisher would probably hesitate to provide. A few of them, however, are very useful and generally easily obtained. If a person has the necessary botanical knowledge, a remedy for any illness could, I have no doubt, be readily obtained near at hand in almost any camp; and if the reader wishes to charge his mind with the subject, the following list, with the aid of a little previous study, may be valuable.
Ginger-bush; spice-bush (Benzoin odoriferum) will break up a cold, relieve the irritation of ivy or dogwood poison, and incidentally cure the worst case of erysipelas. Steep the leaves and twigs in water and apply internally, externally and eternally.
Checkerberry; boxberry; teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens) will make a pleasant drink that will help break up a cold or cure indigestion. It is a fact, however, that almost any aromatic herb, (not poisonous), will make a good tea, the principal effect being due to the hot water.
Climbing wax-work root (Celastrus scandens) seethed in lard, will make a salve that will prove almost magical in case of burns either of fire or sun.
Bayberry root (Myrica cerifera) or Barberry bark (Berberis vulgaris) makes a good gargle for sore mouth or a wash for inflamed eyes. Do not be alarmed if you swallow a little of the infusion, it will do you good.
Blackberry root (Rubus Villosus) is valuable for bowel complaints.
Boneset or thoroughwort (Eupatorium) cures a cold; but be careful not to use too freely.
Dandelion root (Taraxacum dens-leonis) stimulates the appetite and aids digestion.
High-bush Cranberry bark; Cramp-wood (Viburnum opulus) is used for cramps in the stomach and bowels.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) allays an aggravating cough.
Partridge-berry vines (Mitchella repens) relieves retention of the urine.
Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides) is a remedy for the stomach-ache or wind in the bowels.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) or Prickly-ash berries (Xanthoxylum) is a remedy for ague.
Of the common household materials, pepper-tea is a convenient irritant for bowel trouble. Mustard poultice is too well known to need comment. A roasted onion is a good poultice for a boil or abscess, and a poultice of tobacco leaves, generally common in any camp, will serve to apply to boils, stings, poisonous bites, etc. Use this latter carefully for it is a powerful poison, and the external application may produce an unpleasant result.
The preparation of these remedies is usually by infusion, which should be prepared from a handful of the leaves, bark or roots, placed in a dish and about a pint of boiling water turned over it, allowed to stand in a warm place to simmer for a time and drank warm generally.
Sweet Fern (Comptonia asplenifolia); Wild Cherry (Prunus Virginiana) bark or fruit; Hardhack or Steeple-bush (Spiraea tomentosa); or Mountain Cranberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) are all remedies for diarrhœa which may be used on occasion. Nearly any astringent is useful in this case, but should be used only when the case refuses to yield to the action of a cathartic.
Poplar bark (Populus tremuloides); Spearmint (Mentha viridis) or almost any kind of mint which may be found in the nearest low land; or Button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) will serve as a febrifuge in case of a severe cold from exposure.
Gold-thread (Coptis trifolia) which is usually common in swamps: or Oak bark (Quercus sp.) are valuable in checking the canker or sore mouth which often comes after a diet of salt meats.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginica) is a common remedy for irritated skin and many other ills, but I have never seen that it did much good other than to lubricate the surface.
Sweet-flag root (Acorus calamus) relieves the pressure of wind in the stomach and bowels, due generally to fermentation. This is a disagreeable condition and I have known obstinate cases to be cured by nibbling a bit of the root occasionally.
Labrador tea (Ledum latifolium) when the camper is far enough north to find it, makes a pleasant drink and is preferable to coffee or “store” tea. It is tonic and pectoral, giving the habitual user a sensation of comfort and cleanliness of the system.
New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.
A table of contents has been added.
Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up the paragraphs.
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources. Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.
The following corrections have been applied to the text (before/after):
| Page | Source | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1 lb rice | 1 lb. rice |
| 19 | ... enough apart so so that it ... | ... enough apart so that it ... |
| 21 | ... respectable flap-jack and ... | ... respectable flapjack and ... |
| 21 | ... while flap-jacks, johnny-cakes ... | ... while flapjacks, johnny-cakes ... |
| 82 | ... the kettle, with ... | ... the kettle with ... |
| 93 | ... smoked halbut, gives ... | ... smoked halibut, gives ... |
| 100 | ... No one need to go ... | ... No one needs to go ... |
| 104 | Stewed Chantarelle | Stewed Chanterelle |
| 105 | ... to taste: sufficient ... | ... to taste; sufficient ... |
| 119 | ... of 1-8 grain ... | ... of 1/8 grain ... |
| 120 | ... or dogwool poison ... | ... or dogwood poison ... |
| 127 | “Punkey-dope” | “Punkey dope” |
| 128 | Sore-throat | Sore throat |