Broth offers the sylvan cook the opportunity of his
life, for the limits of its variety have not yet been
discovered.

Fish

Needless to say, fish are best when they are
freshest, though a few hours make no appreciable
difference. To dress scaly fish, hold by the head and
scale to tail on each side. Head, side and belly fins
can be cut off at a stroke. Make cuts on each side
of the back-fin and take this out. Trout, if small,
are cleaned by severing head and gills and pulling
them and the entrails all out together. Trout are
scraped of slime. Heads and tails of small trout are
left on. A slit down the belly will lay bare the
entrails of large fish. Wash and salt. A Marble fish-
knife is a boon if many fish are in prospect.



144 The Way of the Woods

Boiled: If camping in a district where salmon, lake
trout, and other large fish may be reckoned upon, a
napkin or other piece of cloth should always be
taken along to pin the fish in when boiling, else it will
go to pieces in the kettle. Clean and cut off head,
tail, and fins. Either whole fish or pieces of two or
three pounds' weight may be used, pinned up in the
cloth. Double the whole fish up if too large for the
kettle. Most people prefer to place a small piece of
pork inside the napkin. Cover with well salted
boiling water and boil slowly until done. Eat with
butter or fish sauce (see below).

Broiled: Clean and open down the back. Heads,
tails, and fins of small trout need not be removed.
Place in the broiler with a slice of pork or bacon
across each half. Do not broil too long or the fish
will lose its flavour, dry up, and harden. Guides gene-
rally commit this fault.

Roasted: Clean a small fish, thrust a piece of bacon
or pork into the belly cavity, salt on the outside,
and impale upon a forked stick, which is then stuck
in the ground near the coals and turned occasionally,
or the toaster is cut longer and held in the cook's
hand. As this can only be done with one fish at a
time, it is usual for each camper to roast his own
fish. There is no better way of cooking trout and
some other fish than this, as all the juices and the
flavour are perfectly preserved. It is even better, with
trout and other delicate fish, to roast without pork
or bacon, in order to preserve the true flavour. In
this case the fish must be well salted inside and out.
Larger fish may be split down the back and roasted
on triple-pronged toasters cut from shrubs.

Skewered: Skewer a half-dozen small fish and as



Cookery 145

many pieces of bacon or pork, alternately, sandwich
fashion, upon a stick, and roast.

Planked: This is advantageous only with flat fish,
like sunfish, though any kind may be planked. Clean,
split up the back, and tack with wooden pins upon
a flat piece of wood or bark, tacking slices of bacon
or pork over the upper part of the fish as it is stretched
on the plank, which may be sharpened and thrust
into the ground before the coals or merely propped
up before them.

Fried: Sever backbone in several places to prevent
curling up in the pan. Fish are lightly rolled in
cornmeal and fried with sliced pork or bacon. The
tendency is to fry too long, thus destroying the
flavour. However, if the fish are very small, they
may be fried crisp, like whitebait. In this case the
heads of small trout are not removed. If no meal
is available, dry crumbs will do as well. A drop of
lemon juice brings out the flavour.

Scalloped: This has a rather " citified'* sound and
takes some time, but may be easily tried for a change
when time is no object and you have eaten your fish
for days in every other conceivable way. Boil
four pounds of fish until it flakes. Prepare a sauce
as follows: Melt a piece of butter, size of egg, add
spoonful flour; stir until smooth; do not brown.
Add 2 cups water, in which have been dissolved
6 large spoonfuls evaporated milk, \ teaspoonful
salt, and a little pepper; stir until it boils. Place
fish in pan in reflector, cover with the sauce, and
brown. .

Baking in Clay: First find your clay, and there' s
the rub, for the proper stuff is very, very, rare. The
fish need not be cleaned in any way, but is salted and



146 The Way of the Woods

filled with bacon, covered completely with the clay,
and buried in the hot coals of the fire, where it may
remain, if about a pound in weight, for f of an hour;
if anything, less. Break the clay and the fish is
supposed to fall out ready for eating, leaving his
fins and hide adhering to the clay. The entrails
will be but a hard mass and may be dropped put,
like a bullet. I have tried this often, but, for want
of good clay or this or that, never had much luck.
More to be recommended is

Steaming in the Coals: Draw the fish without
removing head or fins, salt well, and, if desired, fill
with pork or bacon. Wrap it in several layers of
large leaves previously dipped in water and lay in
the hot coals until done. The time necessary for this
is hard to judge and must be learned by experience.
However, there is a good deal of leeway before the
fish is overdone, as the steam keeps it from drying up.
On taking from the fire remove the leaves and serve.
If you hit it just right you will taste the most delicate
fish that you ever put into your mouth.

I am so fond of steamed trout that I never fail to
take with me a dozen sheets of parchment paper (the
kind in which butter is sold) in which to wrap my
fish, as it is often difficult to find leaves large enough
in the north woods. Any kind of paper will do.
After wrapping up, the bundle should be doused
several times in water. "Steam-baked" trout are
the ne plus ultra of woods cookery.

Chowder: Cut the fish into pieces not larger than
two inches square, removing all the bones -possible.
Guides leave most of them in, but it will pay in the
end to cut away even the ribs from trout, as they
are very bothersome. Cover the bottom of the kettle



Cookery 147

with layers in the following order : slices of pork,
sliced raw potatoes, chopped onions, fish, hard
biscuit soaked (or bread). Repeat this (leaving
out pork) until the pot is nearly full. Season each
layer. Cover barely with water and cook an hour
or so over a very slow fire. When thick stir gently.
Any other ingredients that are at hand may be added
when the chowder is building. (From " Seneca's"
Canoe and Camp Cookery.)

Another Chowder: Prepare fish as above. Boil in
plenty of salted water three sliced raw potatoes, three
chopped onions, a large spoonful of rice, and a little
paprika (half cup Julienne if available) for half an
hour. Then add the fish and half a cup of diced
pork and boil until done. Guides prefer more pork.

Sauces. White Sauce for Boiled Fish: Melt slowly
in pan piece of butter size of an egg and stir in thor-
oughly one heaping dessert-spoonful of flour until
smooth ; add teaspoonful salt, a little pepper. Make
a cup of milk with hot water and Peerless Milk or
2 dessert-spoonfuls milk- powder. Mix well while
boiling.

Another. Put 2 tablespoonfuls butter and same
of flour into a hot pan and mix into a smooth paste
over the fire. Pour over them a pint of hot water
(best is that in which the fish has been boiled) and
stir in well. Boil up once and season. A few drops
of lemon may be added. (''Seneca.")

Mustard Sauce (best for coarse fish): Melt butter
size of large egg in pan and stir in i tablespoonful
flour and half teaspoonful mustard. Boil up once
and season.

Sweets

Most campers are satisfied to accept flapjacks,



148 The Way of the Woods

fried mush and molasses or syrup, and stewed fruit
as full value for all sweets ; but occasionally a fit of
ambition attacks a cook to do something out of the
ordinary, in which case he may work it off on one of
the following recipes.

Baked Rice Pudding. Boil a pint of rice ten minutes,
then add a quart of ' 'milk- water " (made of Peerless
or dried milk), salt, a cup of sugar, and (if available)
a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg. Stir up and put
into a greased deep tin pan or the kettle. Bake
carefully in the fire until well browned (an hour or
more according to the fire, which should not be too
hot).

Boiled Fruit Pudding. Add to ordinary biscuit
dough half a cup of sugar and roll out to a thickness
of not over a quarter inch. Place the fruit (stewed
apples, peaches, apricots, or prunes, etc.) in the
centre and roll up tight in a cloth. Place in boiling
water and cook half an hour. Serve with

Brandy Sauce. Melt together butter half size of
egg, half cup sugar, and stir in teaspoonful flour and
pinch of salt. When smooth add two cups boiling
water (little less than two lumbermen's tin cups) and
boil five minutes. Take off and add a large spoonful
of "something strong," brandy preferred (A. & F.).
The sauce is very good without any spirits.

If the camp boasts a deep tin baking-dish or some
dish that will do as well, the cook may try a

Baked Fruit Pudding. Dough as for biscuit with
half a cup of sugar added. Roll out thin (J- inch),
and line the inside of the greased tin. On bottom
put thick layer of fruit (apples best) sprinkled with
sugar (and cinnamon if on hand), then another
similar layer, and so on until the dish is full, putting



Cookery 149

small pieces of butter on the top layer over the sugar,
and wetting down with a little water. Sprinkle all
lightly with flour and cover all with the rest of the
rolled out dough, crimping down the edges to join
the inside lining of dough. Make three short cuts
through the top with a sharp knife for air-holes and
set in hot ashes (but not too hot). In about an hour
it should be done. A fork thrust in will tell. Brandy
sauce will improve it. I have often made this pud-
ding in the pan of the baker, with a single layer of
fruit.

Baked Fruit Dumplings (can be baked in re-
flector). Make the sugared dough, roll out, and
cut into disks about 6 inches in diameter. Place
a suitable quantity of fruit (stewed dried apples
best if no fresh ones) in the middle of one, lay a
second on top, and crimp down the edges all round.
When ready place dumplings in the baker-pan and
bake like biscuits. Brandy sauce.



CHAPTER IX

MAKING CAMP

IF the journey leads through country known to
one of the party it will be possible to stop at regular
camping places, as these are likely to be found at
convenient distances along the route. If, however,
another party has camped on such a spot only a
short time before, it is well to avoid it or camp at
some distance to one side, for the first-comers will
have been remarkable people if they have not left
garbage enough about to attract swarms of flies.
The chief advantage of old camp-grounds is that
in all probability there are good water and plenty
of wood at hand, the two chief requisites of the
camper outside his shelter. If the country is un-
familiar and time does not press it is well to be on the
lookout for a good camp-ground not too late in the
afternoon, so as to have at least two hours to make
camp before dark. If you see a comparatively open
place with some level ground, if possible not too close
to the water, but in the neighbourhood of some good
fishing-ground, disembark there and have a look over
it. In the north woods one must not be too fastidious.
Ideal camping places, especially in regard to smooth
open ground, are too often few and far between, and
it is frequently necessary to manufacture a tenting
ground by hewing and clearing and pulling, This

150



Making Camp 151

is not the least interesting part of camping, and
many of the camp-grounds to which I have become
most attached were nothing more than tangles of
underbrush when we first attacked them with our
axes. A good landing place for the canoes is a great
advantage, the best being a flat rock or bank with
fifteen inches or more of water immediately in front,
so that the canoe may be brought side-on to the shore.
It is a general maxim that mosquitoes are more
troublesome on low swampy ground and near the
water than higher up, but the north woods insects
are not slaves to rules laid down in books and they
will be on hand wherever the camp is situated. The
tent should be pitched some feet above the level
of the water and on such ground that, in case of rain,
no water will run into the tent. If necessary shallow
trenches may be dug on the dangerous sides.

Having chosen the camp-ground the party, if
consisting of four or more, may be divided into two
squads, one of which proceeds to clear Temporary
the ground and pitch the tents, while the Camps
other "rustles" wood and makes the fire. If there
are but two persons they will do better to work to-
gether, at least at first, unless the weather is fine
and there is plenty of time, in which case they may
divide the labour as between the squads above men-
tioned until the time comes to put up the tent. The
space to be enclosed by the canvas walls should be
cleared with the hatchet of all growth that cannot
be pulled up with the hands, care being taken not to
leave any sharp shrub-stumps standing that will
cause discomfort and puncture the poncho or rubber
bed. If the ground is soaked a fire may be made



152 The Way of the Woods

on the site and left burning for an hour or more.
Then put out thoroughly. The tent should stand
so that the wind will not blow into it or the camp-fire
will soon smoke you out. A pleasant view is a boon
if the wind will allow. If there are two tents they
should be pitched opposite each other at such an
angle to the wind that it will blow through the lane
between them, which must be wide enough to allow
of a big camp-fire. Look about for any dead or
weakly trees that might be blown down upon the
tents by a gale. If any suspicious ones are found
fell them.

More than two men are in the way unless the tent
Pitching a is a monster. Cut the following poles
Wall-tent and stakes (for a ;J x 9 tent):

Ridge-pole, straight, 10 feet long.

Two front poles, forked, about 10 feet long.

Back pole, forked, about 8 feet long.

Two side poles, light, plain, 8 feet long.

Four strong stakes, 3 or 4 feet long.

The canvas is brought to the spot and the ridge-
pole run through the holes in front and back. If the
tent is up-to-date it will be provided with sleeves
about six inches long extending from the top holes
and bound to the ridge-pole with their own strings.
These sleeves prevent insects from entering the tent
at those points. The back forked pole is then driven
perpendicularly into the earth and the ridge-pole
laid across it. In front the two longer forked poles
are driven into the earth, one at each side, and crossed
at the forks, over which the fore end of the ridge-
pole is laid, the three poles being lashed together.
The four stakes are then driven firmly into the earth,



Making Camp 153

each about a yard from one of the tent corners, and
the corner guy-ropes attached to them. The tent is
then firmly pitched, but the other guy-ropes must be
made taut so that the canvas is well stretched. This
is done, not by staking down each rope, but by laying
one of the side poles on each side in the angle made
by the corner stakes and their guy-ropes, and lashing
the other guy-ropes to the side pole. If necessary
the side poles may be lashed to the corner stakes.
This in my experience is all that is needed, for unless
there is a very gale blowing I never use tent pins
with tents that are provided with sod-cloths inside,
upon which stones, poles, or extra duffle may be laid,
thus pinning down the bottom of the tent. Tent-
pins may be used of course if thought necessary.
The above may seem a complicated way of pitching
a tent, but in practice it is the very reverse. Fifteen
minutes are sufficient to cut and trim the poles. Once
up the tent is there "for keeps. " The two fore poles
need not be forked, as they are lashed with the ridge-
pole. In the camp shown in our frontispiece it will
be seen that we used two canoe setting-poles.

Of course the great advantage of the crossed poles
in front over the old method is, that there is no per-
pendicular upright in front to bar entrance to the
tent door.

I could never see the use of guys for wilderness
tents; it is easier to take a turn round the stake.

The important thing in pitching a tent in this
manner is to have the corner stakes properly placed
in order that the tent shall be straight. Pitching
Most old woodsmen are somewhat careless A-Tents
about pitching tents and get them up anyhow, but



i54 The Way of the Woods

a little care and a straight eye will make a good job
of it with little bother. Wall-tents are rather heavy
for rope-ridges, which, however, are generally at-
tached to A-tents, sewed along the ridge with a
loop or extra rope projecting at each end, the rope
being stretched between two convenient trees, or
one tree and two forked poles crossed, the end of the
rope being fastened to a stake. Where no trees are
available the crossed poles may be used at each end.
If the tent is suspended between two trees it will sag
and must be braced up by placing forked poles under
the rope at each end and near the tent-corners.
A-tents may also be pitched with poles, like the wall-
tent, and I for one prefer that manner, as the tent is
stiffer when so pitched. Tent-pins are necessary,
and they should be stout.

Cut two forked poles and a ridge-pole which is laid
across them. The dimensions should fit the tent.
Pitching a The top of the tent is tied to the ridge-
Lean-to pole by the ropes provided for that purpose
at regular intervals, the pole being under the canvas.
The tent, if up to date, will have a front which may
be rolled up out of the way, or thrown back over the
tent, or staked out in front as a portico. The three
poles are braced in front by two guy-ropes, one at
each corner. At the back a stout stake is driven at
each corner and the corner ropes attached thereto.
A pole is then laid from stake to stake (outside and
underneath) and the remaining guy-ropes tied to it.
The tent should have a sod-cloth, which will render
pinning down unnecessary, but this may be done at
two or three points at back and sides. Our frontis-
piece shows a lean-to tent with front rolled up.



Making Camp 155

A lean-to should be pitched with particular at-
tention to the direction of the wind, so that smoke
and eventual rain will not enter. On the ground from
pole to pole in front a small log should be laid. (See
frontispiece.)

For the present we will ignore the labours of the
cook and wood-cutter, and proceed to "fix up" our
tents.

Preparing the beds is a task too often left until
dusk, especially when blankets are used and some

kind of a mattress must be improvised.

mi 1 -^11- j 1 Bed-making

The popular one is the browse bed, and

its aromatic elasticity has inspired a whole poetic
literature of its own. Now the truth about browse
beds is that, if well made, they are good, nay, more,
they are delicious. But a carelessly made one is hard
and humpy, and most are of this description, for the
reason that the right kind is not made in a few minutes
but in thirty at least. The best material is the balsam
fir, on account of its delicious and wholesome odour
and the resiliency of its boughs. Hemlock and spruce
come next in the order of fitness. Fell and drag a
couple of thick young trees to camp and lop off the
fans, the more the better. It is immaterial whether
you begin to lay the bed at foot or head, but for the
sake of convenience the head is the better, as then
you back gradually out of camp. You therefore lay
a thick row of fans at the back of the tent, butts
towards the door and convex side up. Stick them
in almost perpendicularly and bend them over: the
idea is to get springiness. Lay the next row six
inches below the first, i.e., thrusting in the butts
that distance from those of the first layer. Proceed



1 56 The Way of the Woods

on this plan until the whole ground is covered with a
thick, smooth, springy mattress, paying particular
attention to the rows that will come under the hips.
Over this bed spread the tarpaulin or rubber blanket
or ponchos, and lay the blankets or sleeping-bags over
all. The trouble with many browse beds is that the
evergreen fans are merely strewn over the earth and
not thrust into it; they therefore flatten out hard at
once. The best browse bed will harden in two or
three nights and must then be remade, some of the
fans being renewed. If one cares to take particular
trouble a layer of thick moss may be put down under
the fans to add softness. In semi-civilised districts
meadow-hay stacks may be borrowed from with
advantage.

Another mattress is made of a portable empty
bed-tick about 6J feet long and 2\ wide, which is

filled in camp with browse, grass, leaves,
Bed-tick -11-1 j .ca

or any available dume.

There are two kinds of stretchers, both of stout
canvas, preferably brown. One is of a single thick-
Stretcher ness with pockets at the sides for poles;
Beds the other is double so that it can be filled

with browse, hay, or leaves, and is therefore to be pre-
ferred, being softer and much warmer, as the single
stretcher makes a cold mattress. The method of use
is as follows: logs six inches in diameter are laid at
head and foot and slightly levelled on top. Stout
poles, flattened at the ends, are thrust through the
pockets of the stretcher and nailed to the logs. The
poles must be springy but stout enough to keep the



Making Lamp



sleeper from sagging to the ground. On breaking
camp the nails are withdrawn and preserved. If the
logs prove too low flat stones may be placed under
them. Some lay the poles in grooves, cut in the logs
or over forked stakes, but these methods are not
conducive to the proper rigidity of the
poles, which is needed to keep taut the
canvas. This must be of the stoutest
variety, or it will speedily lose shape
when used for this purpose. A sheep-
skin makes a warm bed of a stretcher,
which is then pretty nearly ideal,
though somewhat difficult to put up.
For permanent camps there is nothing
better.

Of course those fortunate persons
who use air mattresses need not
bother themselves with all these bed-
making problems. (See Sleeping-bags
under Personal Outfit.)

A line may be stretched under the
ridge-pole from which to hang articles
of clothing, etc. Forked Tent-fur-
sticks may be set up along nishings
the sides of the tent to lay guns and
rods on, though, if the tent has a
sod-cloth, as it should, they may be
laid on that, as the cloth is waterproof and the weight
will help make the tent tight. If mosquito-bars
are in the kit get them out and fasten them up.
Place every man's knapsack or other personal bag
at the head of his bed. Clear the space in front of
the tent of underbrush.



FIG. 27.

Candlestick of
Bark and Split
Stick.



158 The Way of the Woods

Having made the tent habitable, proceed to put
up the dining or provision fly, which is either brought
Dining-fly a ^ on ^ separate or improvised out of un-
used ponchos and rubber blankets, thrown
over a framework of poles, and secured with marline.
(See full-page picture facing page 70.)

No furniture is admissible in temporary camps,
unless an exception be made in favour of a light
folding table, or a roll-up table-top, such as may be
had of a dealer, but the latter costs $2 and is too
small to be of much use (2x3 ft.) If carried a
frame of forked sticks may be constructed for it.

Meantime the cook and wood-cutter have been
busy. The north country produces hard and soft
Firewood wo ds, the former being generally con-
sidered exclusively suited to making fires,
as they burn slowly and give lasting coals, while soft
woods burn out rapidly and are apt to spark, en-
dangering the tents and the forest. The best north
country firewoods are, approximately, in the order
of excellence, hickory, the oaks, ash, black and
yellow birch, maple, beech, white birch, etc. Dry
pine among the soft woods is much prized, especially
in wet weather. It may here be remarked that the
birches and maples are sometimes called soft woods
in the north. The regular soft woods are used only
in emergencies. Dry bark, especially that of hemlock,
makes a quick, hot fire and is therefore liked for
cooking. Driftwood is generally soft and therefore
good only to start fires with. Green wood burns
best in winter, having less sap. It is almost ex-
clusively used at all seasons for camp-fires that are
meant to last.




o

z
z
o

LU



Making Lamp 159

For kindling, the forest staple is white birch-bark,
the woodsman's friend, which will ignite even when