July 16, 1793. Daily excerpts from the Journal of Alexander MacKenzie on his Voyage Of Discovery to the Pacific Ocean.
“The weather of this morning was the same as yesterday; but our fellow travellers were in no hurry to proceed, and I was under the necessity of pressing them into greater expedition, by representing the almost exhausted state of our provisions. They, however, assured us, that after the next night’s sleep we should arrive at the river where they were going and that we should there get fish in great abundance.”
“Though our stock of provisions was getting so low, I determined, nevertheless, to hide about twenty pounds of pemmican, by way of providing against our return. I therefore left two of the men behind, with directions to bury it, as usual, under the place where we had made our fire.”
MacKenzie has hidden, or cached, dried pemmican at several stages along the way, as he knows that they will be needing these provisions for the trip home. It’s a balancing act to lighten the loads and still have enough food to get his expedition to the sea, and back. Any extra food they can get at this time will be very welcome.
“Our course was about West-South-West by the side of the lake, and in about two miles we came to the end of it. Here was a general halt, when my men overtook us. I was now informed, that some people of another tribe were sent for, who wished very much to see us, two of whom would accompany us over the mountains...when I represented the low state of our provisions, one of them answered, that if we should stay with them all night, he would boil a kettle of fish-roes for us. Accordingly, without receiving any answer, he began to make preparation to fulfill his engagement. His wife...filled a kettle nearly full of water, and poured the roes into it...When the stones were sufficiently heated, some of them were put into the kettle, and others were thrown in from time to time, till the water was in a state of boiling; the woman also continued stirring the contents of the kettle, till they were brought to a thick consistency; the stones were then taken out, and the whole was seasoned with about a pint of strong rancid oil. The smell of this curious dish was sufficient to sicken me without tasting it, but the hunger of my people surmounted the nauseous meal.”
Not exactly caviar or sushi, but apparently close enough.
Picture 1. Boiling water by using hot stones.
“In the meantime four of the people who had been expected, arrived, and, according to the account given of them, were of two tribes whom I had not yet known. At four in the afternoon we parted with our late fellow-travellers in a very friendly manner, and immediately forded the river. The wild parsnip...luxuriates on the borders of the lakes and rivers…We now entered the woods, and some time after arrived on the banks of another river...which we also forded...In a short time we began to ascend, and continued ascending till nine at night. We walked upwards of fourteen miles, according to my computation, in the course of the day, though the strait (sic) line of distance might not be more than ten. Notwithstanding that we were surrounded by mountains covered with snow, we were very much tormented with mosquitoes.”
Some things never change.
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