furring trip continued 1931

After we got our home telt Pop started at the bear fat first he cut off a block about a pound it looked like fat back[pork] then he cut it in striped about three eights square cut off about two inch square packed it in a large bake pot [dutch oven] hung it over a low fire so it would not burn let it simmer. whole it was simmering he cut a fir tree about eight inches in diameter. cut off ta three foot length and hewed the centre out into what we call a trough. this he would pour the bear grease into till near full this trough would hold about four or five pots of grease.each time he filled the bake pot and rendered ot out he would keep pouring the grease in. if he thought this one would not hold all the grease which it usually didn't he would make another trough. it would take over two hours to render out a pot full of fat. this fat is easy to burn if you had too much heat. but pop was very particular anything he did was perfect.besided if it's burned you would have to throw it away.if it was a large fat bear like this one was he would not finish it in one day. but he would continue till it was all done. the scruncheons he would put into a birch rind bush -qua-jue. thats what it sounded like this is a piece of birch bark about a eighteen inches square he would fold the ends in such a way that it would from a sort of pan split a piece of stick and clip it on the four corners like clothes pens to hole it together. but before folding it it had to be heated to make it soft it would fold then without breaking.as it happened pop did not finish it all that day . that night the schrunchens wass cold I had my first ever. meal of bear schrunchens. to this day I have never lost the taste for bear schrunchens they are one of the best tasting foods I ever ate.The next ady we headed over to Island pond. still setting fox snares and otter traps we left early in the morning it was real foggy but we had no worrys because pop knew the country better then anyone. I remember we were crossing a small marsh just heading into some spruces when I looked to the left and saw something I mentioned it to pop we stopped pop tried to figure out what it was I thought it looked like a lion. pop said what in hell is it he kept looking at last he said it's got to be a dry juniper. so we left it at that. we went on to Island pond there our wigwam was looking shabby Pop said I think we will build a new wigwam here. I liked the idea. he said it's early in the day we will go see if theres any bear up on the hill. but we will take a deer for a little fresh meat and to bait the country for foxes. it was beautiful open country thousand of partridge berries. I remember it was two o'oclock in the day Pop said the only thing moving now would be a bear. deer he said is all lying down. we didn't see any bear so we lay down on the barren ground. the three uf us. in about a hour I looked and saw an animal I thought it was a wolf. I told pop look a wolf. he said thats a deer just got up and was stretching himself looked real funny. He said I go and shoot it. just as he was getting the deer. I looked below on the marsh there was a fox trotting along stopped to sniff the grass. I told uncle charley I said I got to go after it young as I was I thought I could do better then he could. because I knew he was going to loose the fox. just as he left pop fired a shot at the deer. he did not completely kill it. he shouted to me come over and finish it off I was scared stiff of the shot gun but I went. I crawled over to where he was hiding behind a bush he gave me the gun it was so heavy I could not hold it up and woild surely miss pop crawled out lay down and stuck up hie knee told me to rest the gun on it. as I was getting ready to fire the deer started to get up but I was fast enough to get get the shot off and knock and knock it back down. it was a doe so again that evening we roasted marrow bones. I dont know if everyone uderstands what I mean when I say roast marrow bones the micmac people do. but I think I have explained it somewhere. how we stick the boanes in the fire cook the marrow inside then break the bones open and eat the marrow.Uncle charley lost the fox as I expected. I looked and saw him way down in the bottom of the hill peeping around the tucks [ small short spruce] the fox was long gone we waved to him to come on back.our wigwam was only about half a mile from us so it did not take us long to get back. Pop said now I start at the new wigwam. he cut eight logs about ten inches in diameter about fifteen feet long there was no short of logs this was long before the bud worms ate all the trees.We looked for a good level spot took out all the rocke made it right level we then hauled all ther logs squared them pop cut them to fit down close he took an empty bottle we had filled it with water left a small bubble and used this as a level. after the logs was in place he hewed the inner sides flat. pop then cut small poles for rafters. there was alot of small nice trees so it did not take him long to cut what he thaught was enough. it was coming on dark by now pop said we will try to finish the wigwam on our next trip. we brought bach hunch of meat this we hung up inside the wigwam [ hunch ] you cut the muscle of the hind leg cut down by the un joint at the first joint go down take off at the hip. you will do this with the quarter hung up.The next morning we headed back to home telt . this is the only route where we backtrack on our the same trail. we did not bother to check any gear because because we just set it out a day before.on our way back we stopped th look at what pop thought was a dry juniper there was nothing there. pop said I'll be darn that was an animal. we wakled up to where we saw it there was lage moose footing there pop said and it was right in shot too.

furring trip continued 1931

the next morning I awoke to the sound of what must have been half dozen night owels all around the shack when pop nade in the fire they went wild seems like they were trying to out dfo each other making all kinds of sounds. Pop made brealfast pan cakes and with some left over beaver liver and tail the guts [entrails] were added to this a real feast. as I mentioned there were some good bear grounds up on the mountain. Pop said today I go look for bear. You fellows fool around close by don't get lost . Pop knew how easy it was for uncle charley to get lost. He left so did we. we went out to set some muskrat traps and some for snares making sure our camp droke was in sight all the time this was easy because it was all open country.we took our lunch with us Uncle charley was like that he would boil the kettle even if we were only half a mile from the shack. we got back just after dinner. I was fooling around near the shack looking for rabbit paths aroung two o'clock in the afternoon when I heard a shot way up on the mountain. knowing pop was gone bear hunting I had this wonderful feeling of expectation I cant explain but it was like I knew pop had shot a bear. a little after four o'clock pop came back he had the full bear pelt [skin with all the fat on it] we never used to eat much bear maet so he only brought couple meals but he did bring the kydneys. they are delicious when fried. thay are made up of alot of small kidney like meat but by god look out when they are frying because they splatter awful. your hand would be all reb burned spots by the time you get them cooked. but that did not bother us.we stayed there the next day as well because pop sculped all the fat off the bear skin, [sculp] seprate all the fat from the shin. then he weht and set out some otter traps noty too far outbecause he said there were some good otter rubs he knew of [rubs] a place where otters keep sliding in the water till the ground is right smooth. I said we did not eat much bear meat but that evening uncle charley fried some for supper. I devoured some I awoke up three o'clock the next morning doubled up with pains in my stomach. I had to go out in the dark sleepy and frightened. trying to have a bowel movement but was bound up solid there I was squatted down bawling for more then a hour with no movement. I hunched up in the shack snooching nobody could sleep nor could anyone do anything for me. pop made breakfast they had theirs but I could not touch anything. we left when it came daylight pop took the bear all his stuff he also took my little bundle.[pack] because I was too sick we travelled all before noon with me not feeling any better. we boiled the kettle they ate but I still could not. around two o'clock that evening my bowels moved I squatted behind a rock pop must have been watching because I hear him say by he's loosening up now he was just as anxious as I was because I was just a little fellow miles away from civelization ? we were heading bact to aus-too beag. our home telt as we called it.it was near dark when we got there I was beginning to feel a bit better. my stomach was not paining or crampy.

furring trip 1931 continued

we continued on this time we were heading for this one is hard to spell it wont br right. but I'll try to spell it as it sounds. ta-we-gon cheech. This name I still dont know what it means. but here again was a smaller log cabin. as we were nearing this cabin Pop noticed a pond up left he said there was beavers in the pond. we walked to where it was sure enough there was a great big beaver house. Pop stood by the beaver dam told us to go drive them out. we did the first one came out broke water in mid pond Uncle charley took his gun but didn't fire if he did we would not have got the beaver. It dove and the next time it came up was where pop was he shot it pulled it ashore. the next one did not come up till it was where pop was again he shot it. as he pulled it ashore he shouted thats enough to go to jail for. if caught this was surely to be a jail sentence. And I dont think he ever did trust Uncle charley. though he had no reason not to.Pop sculped the two beavers this is where you take the bone out the same as they do with a seal. he took out both livers cut out the gall bladder which was almost as big as a cup held it in his hand snipped off the top told me to come here and open my mouth I did he stuck the end of the gall bladder in my mouth and said you will be healthy all the fall if you drink this ever the obdiet I drand it all and would have thrown my guts out if I did not force myself to keep it down. he then cut off the tails took the small intistines [what we call beaver guts] squeezed all mugin out or all the digested browse out plaited it ripped the paunch open washed it took it with us. When we got to the cabin which was only a short distance away. Pop made a fire outside the cabin took the beaver tails dipped them in water held them over the fire till they expanded like baloons then he peeled off the outer layed cut the tails in four inch peices dumped the liver and tails in our boats kettle threw in a hand full of salt and let it boil.this took only a short time to cook. by now all the taste of beaver gall was gone from my mouth I was ready to eat and eat I did till I near burst the liver and tail was real good. the intistines too longer to cook. but we had plenty time we just let it boil when pop thought it was cooked he took a small sharp stick and punched it if the stick pierced it easly it was done. he took this and wrapped it in birch rind so the jays would not get it we would eat it later.we went through the same routing the boughing bunks cutting wood brushing off spiders that fell from the rafters. by now it was dark we would lie around a bit enjoying life then turn in . pop said we might stay here again tomarrow I want to check out some bear grounds we had not yet got our bear.

continueing furring trip 1931

Every morning pop used to get up make a fire in the wigwam. then the first thing he would do was climb this tree and look around. One of the few mornings he did not get up this was sunday. I awoke up saw he was still lying there I felt right big I jumped out and ran for the tree and climbed up it was a nice sunny morning not cold I sat on a limb for about half hour. I glanced down from my perch and saw flames shooting from the roof of the wigwam the birch rind was afire. I shouted as hard as I could All afire in about four seconds pop came out the door of the wigwam with a packing camp draped over his head. [packing camp a square piece of cotton duck for making our bundle] this also we we used for our door. you would just flick it to one side when you go in or out. this time pop came out through it. we happed to have some water there so he doused the fire with it. what happened was Uncle Charley got up made on a fire lay back and went to sleep again. he did not bother to move some birchrind that was close by the fire. what happens to birch rind when it's too close to heat it rolls up if it's on a little bump it will roll down if your fire is down side it will roll close to the fire and catch afire also catching other near things afire then it spreads this time the closes thing to it was the side of the wigwam it was also covered with birch rind. After pop got the fire out he hauled on his skinboots went out and climbed the tree. in about a minute he hurridely came down the tree without saying a word he took his gun and went out the path for the open marsh. after he left I scrabbled up the tree looked all around saw nothing after awhile I saw pop behind some spruce tucks about half a mile away then I saw a deer. saw Pop take aim and fire as. I watched the deer run off it went a short ways and fell down. I watched as pop hauled the paunch out of the deer took some meat and the head I stayed there till pop got close to the droke the came down and waited. I was close to nine years old but I was good at climbing trees. that evening pop swong the head. a funny way to say it. this was where you would hang the head close by the fire on a long string a short piece of wire would be used close to the fire so it would not burn off. after it was set up you lay back and spun the head around it would keep slowly spinning around one way then the opther. as it slowed down you wouild give it a little nudge with the poker to keep it spinning [ poker a piece of birck stick about three feet long one inch diameter. used to poke the fire. I got to mention something here before I forget it one time we camped with uncle john Benoit and ruben stride. Uncle john cut a poker a spiece of birch. like I discribed above. he took his crooked knife and drew or cut all the bark off it unknown to us he intentionly left a small speck of bark on one end hardely noticable you would not notice it if you were not told. he put it on his side of the camp. after awhild larry went in his camp while going in he took up the poker turned around and through habit poked at the fire. Uncle john was standing there talking as larry poked the fire uncle john jumped right over the fire grabbed the poker from larry grabbed his blanket and started to wipe the ashes off the poker. frightened Larry. he said look what you done you put the wrong end of the poker in the fire did you not see the piece of rind I left that part had to go in the fire. boy you going to bring us bad luck.
getting back to the deers head. it would take about five or six hours to cook the head . usually it would be ready about twelve or one o'clock in the night. how I hated it when they used to call me up I wopuld be too sleepy to eatpop used to say go back to sleep we'll leave some for you. They would always leave the tongue for me and of course the brains the brains I liked better.
At this wigwam we would only stay one night if it was not a sunday we never travelled on sundays. every sunday Pop used to read the new testement. he was not a good reader but I understood it. so I was well versed in the bible at a very young age. I remember that sunday night I dreamed about an aeroplane seems in my dream the plane for some reason went right straight up in the air. next morning monday morning we left just coming daylight as we came out of the droke we saw a partridge I dont knoe why but pop put a shell into his gun and fired at the partridge. it went straight up in the air right out of sight all of a sudden I remembered my dream. from then on I would always dream something to compare to what would happen the next day. this went on till it became weird and frightening. we walked on down a hill to a place called signy sigh. I will never know why this place was called so. but it was a nice pond always beavers there I thind this was what made it so attractive.

continuing with my first furring trip 1931

We stayed fopt the night at this wigwam going through the same swarm of spiders. but by now I was used to feeling a large spider crawling down my shirt. I would just pull out the tail of my shirt and skake the spider out.this wigwam was situated in swamp and spruce marsh land not to my liking I loved the ones that was in a droke on high barren ground. where you could go out on a rock and see for miles. I was always on the lookout for animals.
We left crow brook early the next morning continuing to set out our gear. our next stop would be John Louis-ek really loved this place here was a large sort of log cabin here again was the next main stop over we would probabely stay here for two or three days Pop had two or three off shoots where he set out otter traps and fox snares. he would perhaps mane a set of otter moulds. because any furs we caught on our next trip around checking out gear would be dried here. there was also good bear groung in the area. but on this trip we did not see any bear. we did catch a glimpse of one on the way here but by the time we got where we saw it was gone and we did not stop to look around beacuse it was evening and we wanted to got to the cabin. there was a well worn path leading from the barren ground in to the cabin.a few big rabbit paths this I would always notice because I always set a snare or two. Pop was not fussy about Rabbits but he would eat some if I caught one and cooked it.we went over the same routine hear again boughing the bunks cooking supper wallow through the spiders.I loved this place as I did many others. I had not yet fired a shot gun. this would come later.this trip we only stayed here for two days.the next morning we left early again our next stop would be slide hang up.why they did not give it a micmac name again I dont know.we traveled up beautiful country on the south side of through hill. up at the top was a very large rock it was split at the bottom and joined at the topyou could walk in one side and out the other about twenty feet this is why the called it trough hill before my time our people used to leave messages here and perhaps a piece of tobacco anything they left would be wrapped in birch rink[bark] usually a not saying when they were here. we had a string of otter traps along the way. out towards the western end we came to a great big open. thousands of partridge berries partridge by the hundreds which Pop never bothered with he did kill one with his walking stick once because I asked him to grumbling now you have to eat it. which I did that evening. as we turned left to top a rise the sun was shining beautiful just right of us was a big cross about twenty feet high I was really surprised when I saw it because as far as I knew Pop did not put it there or he would surly have told us about it I asked him how did that get there he said Bert Organ put it there this surprised me more then ever because I thought nobody was ever in this country except us. seem bert was there sometime before with some surveyers, any way he did not talk too much about it and I forgot about it. we went on down the other side of the barren ground to where another wigwam was this was slide hang up. that's what they used to call it anyway. this wigwam was in another beautiful spot dry ground a big tall fir tree close by where pop and I used to climb to the top for a lookout. Uncle charley wouldn't dare climb a tree too scared.

continuing my first furring trip 1931.

After we got everything back to the wigwam Pop took the meat and took out all the muscles cut them down the middle about a quarter inch from through then he started to roll the neat out cutting it as he did when he finished he had a thin layed of meat like a thick piece of cloth he did the same with the other side when he finished it looked like a small blanket he hung this up inside the wigwam. he did this with the rest of the meat when he finished our wigwam looked like a slaughter house. now he shaved all the deer skins. I went with him to cut tan this was my learning process.the next year I would have to do it on my own. he finished this as I have already explained somewhere already. when everything was all done Pop said now I go look for a bear this could take two days longer if it rained. but there was only so much time for bear hunting because he had to make skinboots for himself and me. Uncle charley had to make his own Pop used to do most everything to prepare the skin for him but that was as far as it went. the reason it was harder to get a bear was because if it rained the bear will not come out . he would only come out on damp days if he was really hungry perhaps after couple days of steady rain. we could not waste time waiting for him because when october came in we had to start setting our gear [fox. lynx. snares. otter traps. now the walking began it would not end till a month or so after when we were ready to go home. we would start to set the snares and traps almost as soon as we left the wigwam. whenever we came to a good deer trail we would set a snare or a nice brook we set an otter trap but the otter traps were usually already there from years before same with some snares .We continued like this all day till we came to our first wigwam it was called crow brook I dont know why they did not give it a micmac name. but perhaps non native ways were slowly emerging. this was a small wigwam we remained there for one night hoping we wopuild not get heavy rain because this wigwam was on low land could easily flood.

continuing furring trip 1931

when we got to the wigwam I started to pick boughs for our bunks. Uncle Charley went to cut some wood Pop said he would go back to make another trip with most of what was left under the canoe. when I had finished boughing the bunks I made a fire in the middle of the wigwam there was no floor just some small rocks for a fire place. as the fir started to burn the Spiders started to come down on their webs in the hundreds big ans small. I beated it out doors but when Pop and uncle charley got in the wigwam they didn't mind the spiders. as the big spiders crawled over them they would just pick them up and throw them in the fire. so I lost my fear of them. but that fall when I came home there was a big spider on the bed mom screamed I went in right biggery took up the spider to carry it out it wriggled I hung onto his leg he opened up something like a big set of pliers on his head and clamped on my thumb I screamed and shook it off never touched one since.. In a couple of hours the spiders had all settled down. but that night now and again one would crawl over your face. this would happed every time we went to another wigwam.By the time Pop got backsupper was ready we were in for the night. Pop said tomarrow [ I forgot to add in the last chapter when pop shot the stag by the pond he all so took the skin and shaved the fur off where we put up the canoe. this would be for skinboots but it was not a well seasoned skin we would have to wait for mid october or november to get well seasoned skins for out skinboots they would not leak like earlier skins] So the next morning Pop went out for our first and only big caribou hunt for the fall this is when he would shoot as many as four or five big stags to get enough fat for the fall because after that they would be all rutty and poor. he wouild also shoot a doe or two they would be fat also Pop was an expert on knowing fat deer just by looking at them. this doe meat we would dry for the fall. when it was dried you could eat it raw it was really good. it was good boiled also but we mostly ate it raw as we travelled. That evening I waited for pop the sun went down still he did not show up it came dark still no pop. ten o'oclock still he did not come twelve o'clock still he did not come I used to poke my head out onder the covering of the wigwam door and listen . Uncle charley used to say dont worry I've known him to be late many times he's o.k. but still I could not rest one o'clock in the morning I poked my head out again I thought I heard a rustle way back at the end of the droke I listened sure enough I could hear his walking stick striking the windfalls pop had a habit of hitting a tree or windfall. with his walking stick which he carried all the time. I went in and lay down on the bunk and waited I could hear his footsteps now as he got by the door he threw down his load I heard it hit the ground like a thump on the hard groung a sould I would always wait for in all the years after that. a sound I loved to hear I knew we would eat when I heard it. He had shot Five stags and two does he han all the fat from the stags we hung it up all around the wigwam to dry off it would keep all the fall when dried. Now he said tomarrow morning we go to work. We will bring all the meat back to the wigwam and the skins. The skins he would shave some he would tan some he would dry . perhaps for racquets [snowshoes] later in the winter.