http://issuu.com/thereenactor/docs/the_re-enactor_issue_44pdf
This publication is FREE online, and it contains articles, and a world wide listing of groups and traders.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
18th Century Historical Trekking.
18th Century Historical Trekking. What Do
We Get Out Of It?
Someone asked me recently how did I manage wearing
sheepskin moccasins. What happens when I am in swampy ground and they get wet,
do I have to turn them inside out to clean them? My answer was that I simply
dry them slowly by the fire, and if there is no fire then they stay wet.
So what do I get out of Historical Trekking? I get a
feeling of my own worth and abilities. I feel a strong sense of satisfaction
knowing that I can cope. This is a feeling of self-reliance and
self-sufficiency. Despite the fact that people know that we participate in living
history so that we can experience an 18th century lifestyle as it
was back then, they still can not get used to the fact that they will not be as
comfortable sleeping on a bed of sticks and bracken fern as they would be on a
modern camp mattress. Daniel Boone is quoted as saying:
“It was on the first of
May, in the year 1769, that I resigned my domestic happiness for a time, and
left my family and peaceable habitation on the Yadkin River, in North-Carolina,
to wander through the wilderness of America, in quest of the country of
Kentucke, in company with John Finley, John Stewart, Joseph Holden, James
Monay, and William Cool”.
The key words here are “resigned my domestic
happiness”, that means that Boone knew that his time in the woods, no matter
how much he loved it and was contented with it, was not going to have the
comforts of home. You have to be as realistic as you can if you wish to
experience that 18th century lifestyle. Let us just for a moment
place ourselves on the trail in the forest 300 years ago, what are we thinking?
What are we doing?
When I go on a historical trek, I am aware of the
dangers that existed back then, wild animals and perhaps unfriendly Indians. I
walk as quietly as I can, and every now and then I stop and listen. On this
particular trek I am working as a Ranger for a community. They have had trouble
with raiding Indians and before the militia can muster, the raiding parties
have disappeared back into the forest. My job is to look for sign, and if I
find sign that there are Indians in the area, then I have to try and get back
to the community and warn them.
When I make camp at night I will simply lay on the
ground with no shelter unless rain or snow threatens. I may make a bed of fern,
but that is all. I will not light a fire for fear of being seen, so I will find
a place out of the wind, perhaps a place with natural shelter. My food must be
eaten cold, for that purpose I have brought along some cooked meat, cheese and
bread. I also have some dried food stuffs in my pack just in case.
I can not tell how long I will be out. This Ranging is
a hit and miss venture at best. I could be in the wrong place at the wrong
time, and the enemy may slip past me without either of us knowing the other’s
presence. But I must try, I must think of the various possibilities regarding
where they may be coming from and which trail they may take.
It is Autumn, an Indian summer. The leaves are still
on the trees and bushes, enough to give the Indians cover. One last raid before
winter? Could be. It is getting chilly at night now, I have been out for a week
and my cold rations are gone. Now I eat
a little oats in cold water. It tastes good on a cold night. This is comfort, I
have a good blanket and dry clothes. I have a spare woollen shirt and weskit
rolled up in my blanket that I can put on over my other under clothes and under
my frock if I get cold.
One time when a friend and I were on the Great Lakes
in winter, our boat got swamped by a sudden storm. We were still a good 100
yards from shore, and had to get into the water and swim our boat to shore. The
wind still blew a gale, and the rain hammered down. Whilst my friend unloaded
the boat as fast as he could to minimise the damage to our supplies, I got a
fire going and started to construct a shelter frame. Then we both finished the
shelter together, I got my oilcloth over the frame and tied down, and my friend
used the boat sail to give us more cover.
We stripped off our wet clothes and hung them over a
rope to dry in front of the fire. I had made the fire large, so we could get
warm fast and dry our clothes. We sat in our breechclouts, blankets and wool
caps passing the port and watching our clothes steam. It was one of the best
times I have ever had.
Monday, 27 August 2012
Off Topic-Off The Grid
I have had many requests to produce an Off The Grid video/DVD. As I have lived off the grid for over 30 years this was not hard to do. So the Off The Grid DVD will be available soon, & I will advertise it on this blog when it is ready for sale. The video itself plus 10 other videos that will be on this DVD are already completed. All I have to do now is send a hard copy off to my agents & await confirmation that it is ready to go.
Off The Grid itself contains information on basically how we live Off The Grid, our water & power supply, sewage & grey water disposal, lighting, gardens, cooking, washing & more. For those of you that may be interested, I will include the Index of videos below:
Off The Grid itself contains information on basically how we live Off The Grid, our water & power supply, sewage & grey water disposal, lighting, gardens, cooking, washing & more. For those of you that may be interested, I will include the Index of videos below:
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Saturday, 25 August 2012
White Woodland Indians.
Zach Weisenburger
, and toldme he hoped I Should make as Good a heron, as
one John Honewell an English man that had Lived
with ym Near thirty years, and was maried amongst
them and had Severel Children, this Night they
placed me between two Indians, with a String Round
my middle, and Each End made fast to my Companions,”.
The Pote Journal 1745.
Footwear For Travelling.
“Thirsday 23d This day at
about 5 in ye morning
we began to pack up our
bagage in order for marching,
I had my hands Loosned
from behind me after
they presented me with a Considerable quantity
of their bagage to pake
up for my Load to Carrey To
menus, they also took my
Shoes from me & Gave
me a pair of Dears Skin
mogisons Such as they wear
themselves, and Told me
they was better and much
Preferable to Shoes To
march in.”
The Pote Journal 1745.
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Handmade Antler Pins & Needles By Yooper.
Yooper is one of our group members in America, and he makes a lot of his own gear. Below is an image of part of Yooper's sewing kit, showing the antler needles and pins he made himself. I think there is something very special in producing something practicle like this and actually being able to carry it with you and use it when needed.
I think these pins and needles are a work of art, beautiful.
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
nalbinding (needle binding) By yooper on our forum.
http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/post1812.html#p1812
This post by one of our forum group members.
This post by one of our forum group members.
QUICK RESEARCH II - BOTTLE GOURDS & TEA. A Link.
http://myneighborwellington.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/quick-research-ii-bottle-gourds-tea.html
I found this article to be a very interesting read, well worth checking out. Sara seems to be covering more of the 17th and 18th century of late.
Keith.
Keith.
Monday, 20 August 2012
Quotes from the Diary of John Bartram.
At night I hung up my blanket like a hammock,
that I might lay out of the reach of the fleas,
troublefome and conftant guefts in an Indian
hut ; but I found my contrivance too cool for
a
place open on all fides,
About break of day it began to rain,
and the Indians made us a covering of bark
got after this manner: They cut the tree
round through the bark near the root, and
make the like incifion above 7 feet above
it, there horizontal ones are joined by a
perpendicular cut, on each fide of which they
after loofen the bark from the wood, and
hewing a pole at the fmall end, gradually tapering
like a wedge about 2 feet, they force
it in till they have compleated the feparation
all round, and the bark parts whole from the tree,
one of which, a foot diameter,
yields a piece 7 feet long and above
3 wide : And having now prepared four forked
fticks, they are fet into the ground the longer
in front ; on these they lay the crofs-poles
and on them the bark. This makes a good
tight fhelter in warm weather. The rain was
quickly over, but as it continued cloudy, we
did not care to leave our fhed. Here our Ihdians
fhot a young deer, that afforded us a
good
feaft.
Their way of roafting eels is thus;
they cut a ftick about three foot long, and as
thick as one's thumb, they fplit it about a
foot down, and when the eel is gutted, they
coil it between the two fides of the ftick,
and bind the top clofe, which keeps the eel
flat, and then ftick one end in the ground before
a
good fire.
the night following it
thundred and rained very faft, and took us
at a difadvantage, for we had made no fhelter
to keep off the rain, neither could we fee it
till juft over our heads, and it began to fall.
One of our Indians cut 4 fticks 5 feet long,
and ftuck both ends into the ground, at 2 foot
diftance, one from another ; over thefe he fpread
his match coat and crept through them, and
then fell to finging : in the mean time we were
fetting poles nflantwife in the ground, tying
others crofs them, over which we' fpread our
blanket and crept clofe under it with a fire
before
us and fell faft afleep.
I waked a little after midnight, and found
our fire almoft out, fo I got the hatchet and
felled a few faplings which I laid on, and made
a roufing fire, tho' it rained ftoutly, and laying
down
once more, I flept found all night.
John
Bartram 1743. Travells from Pennsylvania to Canada.
Monday, 13 August 2012
A New Blog. Check it out.
Orthodox Candles is all about candles and candle making. Well worth checking out if you have an interest in making your own candles.
http://www.orthodoxcandles.com/
http://www.orthodoxcandles.com/
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Friday, 10 August 2012
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Woodland Indian Travel.
Their Travels they perform
altogether on foot, the fatigue of which they endure to admiration. They make
no other provision for their Journey, but their Gun or Bow, to supply them with
Food for many hundred miles together. If they carry any Flesh in their marches,
they barbicue it, or rather dry it by degrees, at some distance, over the clear
Coals of a Wood fire; just as the (haribees are
said, to preserve the Bodies of their Kings and Great men from Corruption.
Their Sauce to this dry Meat, (if they have any besides a good Stomach) is only
a little Bears Oyl, or Oyl of Acorns; which last they force out, by boyling the
Acorns in a strong Lye. Sometimes also in their Travels, each man takes with
him a pint or quart of Rockahomonie, that is, the
finest Indian, Corn, parched, and beaten to powder.
When they find their Stomach empty, (and cannot stay for the tedious Cookery of
other things,) they put about a spoonful of this into their Mouths, and drink a
draught of Water upon it, which stays their Stomachs, and enables them to
pursue their Journey without delay. But their main dependence is upon the Game
they kill by the way, and the natural Fruits of the Earth. They take no care
about Lodging in these Journeys; but content themselves with the shade of a
Tree, or a little High Grass.
When
they fear being discover'd, or follow'd by an Enemy in their Marches; they,
every morning, having first agreed where they shall rendezvouze
at
night, disperse themselves into the Woods, and each takes a several way, that
so, the Grass or Leaves being but singly prest, may rise again, and not betray
them. For the Indians are very artful in following a track, even where
the Impressions are not visible to other People, especially if they have any
advantage from the looseness of the Earth, from the stiffness of the Grass, or
the stirring of the Leaves, which in the Winter Season lye very thick upon the
ground; and likewise afterwards, if they do not happen to be burned.
When
in their Travels, they meet with any Waters, which are not fordable, they make
Canoas of Birch Bark, by slipping it whole off the Tree, in this manner. First,
they gash the Bark quite round the Tree, at the length they wou'd have the
Canoe of, then slit down the length from end to end; when that is done, they
with their Tomahawks easily open the Bark, and strip it whole off. Then
they force it open with Sticks in the middle, slope the underside of the ends,
and sow them up, which helps to keep the Belly open; or if the Birch Trees
happen to be small, they sow the Bark of two together; The Seams they dawb with
Clay or Mud, and then pass over in these Canoes, by two, three, or more at a
time, according as they are in bigness. By reason of the lightness of these
Boats, they can easily carry them over Land, if they foresee that they are like
to meet with any more Waters, that may impede their March; or else they leave
them at the Water-side, making no farther account of them; except it be to
repass the same Waters in their return.
Robert Beverley 1705.
More on Ranger Trail Foods.
JOURNAL OF ROBERT ROGERS THE RANGER ON
HIS EXPEDITION FOR RECEIVING THE
CAPITULATION OF WESTERN
FRENCH POSTS
(October 20th, 1760, to February 14. 1761)
The 8th I halted at this Town to Mend Our Mogosins, & Kill some Deer, the
Provisions I brought from Detroit, being entirely Expended, I went a hunting
with ten of the Rangers, and by 10 o
Clock Kill'd More Venison than we Wanted.
On the 10th Set out Travelled E : S : E : half a Mile, Cross'd a Meadow three
quarters of a Mile Wide, East half a Mile S : S : E One Mile, S : E : half a Mile
Cross'd a Brook running East, travelled S: E (23) Four Miles and Cross'd a
Brook run[n]ing E: by N: Travelled S: E: One Mile, E: N: E: One Mile,
Cross'd a large Creek about ten Yards Wide, it Runs W : S: W : E : S : E : half
a Mile, travelled up a Small Brook about half a Mile to our left where we en-
camped; this Day on our March Kill'd tree Bears & two Elks besides other
Game.
On the 12th travelled S : E : half a Mile, East two Miles, Cross'd a River about
20 Yards Wide on the Ice, the River runs N : Travelled S : E : half a Mile, E :
by N : half a Mile. S : E : One Mile, East One Mile, & came to the same River
we Cross'd this Morning, at this place it is about 23 Yards Wide, a Swift Cur-
rent runs South, at this River encamped, this evening went a hunting for Beaver
killed some.
13th. At this Town I stayed till the 16th in the Morning to Re-
fresh my Party, & get some Corn of the Indians to Boil with our Venison.
[Signed:] Rob Rogers
New York February 27th 1761
http://archive.org/stream/journalofrobertr00roge/journalofrobertr00roge_djvu.txt
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