Trail Foods. Byrd. The Secret History.
William Byrd II (March
28, 1674 – August 26, 1744)
“The Portable Provisions I would furnish our Foresters
withal are Glue-Broth and rockahomini : one contains the Essence of Bread, the
other of Meat.
The best way of making Glue-Broth is after the following method:
Take a Leg of Beef, Veal, Venison, or any other Young Meat, because Old Meat
will not so easily Jelly. Pare off all the fat, in which there is no Nutriment,
and of the Lean make a very strong Broth, after the usual Manner, by boiling
the meat to Rags till all the Goodness be out. After Skimming off what fat
remains, pour the Broth into a wide Stew-Pan, well tinn'd, & let it simmer
over a gentle, even Fire, till it come to a thick
Jelly. Then take it off and set it over Boiling Water,
which is an Evener Heat, and not so apt to bum the Broth to the Vessel. Over
that let it evaporate, stirring it very often till it be reduc'd, when cold,
into a Solid Substance like Glue. Then cut it into small Pieces, laying them Single
in the Cold, that they may dry the Sooner. When the Pieces are perfectly dry,
put them into a Cannister, and they will be good, if kept Dry, a whole East
India Voyage.
This Glue is so Strong, that two or three Drams,
dissolv'd in boiling Water with a little Salt, will make half a pint of good
Broth, & if you shou'd be faint with fasting or Fatigue, let a small piece
of this Glue melt in your Mouth, and you will find yourself surprisingly refreshed.
One Pound of this cookery wou'd keep a man in good heart above a Month, and is
not only Nourishing, but likewise very wholesome. Particularly
it is good against Fluxes, which Woodsmen are very liable
to,
by lying too near the moist ground, and guzzling too much
cold Water. But as it will be only us'd now and then, in times of Scarcity, when
Game is wanting, two Pounds of it will be enough for a Journey of Six Months. But
this Broth will be still more heartening if you thicken every mess with half a
Spoonful of Rockahominy, which is nothing but Indian Corn
parched without burning, and reduced to Powder. The Fire
drives out all the Watery Parts of the Corn, leaving the Strength of it behind,
and this being very dry, becomes much lighter for carriage and less liable to be
Spoilt by the Moist Air.
Thus half a Dozen Pounds of this Sprightful Bread will
sustain a Man for as many Months, provided he husband it well, and always Spare
it when he meets with Venison, which, as I said before, may be very Safely eaten
without any Bread at all.
By what I have said, a Man needs not encumber himself
with more than 8 or 10 Pounds of Provisions, tho' he continue half a year in
the Woods. These and his Gun will support him very well during that time, without
the least danger of keeping one Single Fast. And tho' some of his days may be
what the French call Jours maigres, yet there will happen no more of those than
will be necessary for his health, and to carry off the Excesses
of the Days of Plenty, when our Travellers will be apt to
indulge their Lawless Appetites too much”.
“After these necessary Matters were settled, I ordered
1000 lb
of Brown Biscuit, & 200 lb of white to be provided,
& 6 Baggage Horses to carry it, at the rate of 3 Baggs containing 200 lb. each
Horse. As for meat I intended to carry none, but to depend intirely upon
Providence for it. But because the Game was not like to be plentifull till we
got above the Inhabitants, I directed all the men to find themselves with 10
day's Provision. I augumented my Number of Men to 17, which together with 3 which
Firebrand undertook to get made up the Complement of 20. For these I provided
Ammunition after the Rate of 2lbs of Powder a Man, with Shot in proportion”.
Byrd. The Secret History.
“We, on the part of Virginia, that we might be sure to be
punctual, arriv'd at Mr. Kinchin's, the place appointed, on the 19th, after a
Journey of three days, in which nothing Remarkable happen'd.
We found three of the Carolina-Commissioners had taken
Possession of the House, having come thither by water from Edenton, By the Great
Quantity of Provisions these Gentlemen brought, and the few men they had to eat
them, we were afraid they intended to carry the Line to the South sea.
They had 500 lbs of bcaon and dry'd Beef, and 500 lbs of
Bisket, and not above three or four men. The misfortime was, they forgot to provide
Horses to carry their good things, or else trusted to the Incertainty of hireing
them here, which, considering the Place, was leaving too much to that Jilt,
Hazard.
On our part we had taken better Care, being completely furnisht
with everything necessary for transporting our Baggage and Provisions. Indeed we
brought no other Provisions out with us but 1000 lbs of Bread and had Faith
enough to depend on Providence for our Meat, being desirous
to husband the publick Money as much as possible. We had
no less than 20 men, besides the Chaplain, the Surveyors and
all the Servants, to be Subsisted upon this Bread.
However, that it might hold out the better, our men had been Order'd to provide
themselves at Home with Provision for Ten days, in which time we judg'd we should
get beyond the Inhabitants, where Forest-Game of all sorts was like to be plenty
at that time of the Year”.
“One of our Men Spy'd three Buffaloes, but his Piece
being loaded only with Goose-shot, he was able to make no effectual Impression on
their thick hides; however, this Disappointment was made up by a Brace of
Bucks, and as many Wild Turkeys, kill'd by the rest of the company. Thus
Providence was very Bountiful to our Endeavours, never disappointing those that
Faithfully rely upon it, and pray heartily for their Daily Bread”.
Byrd. History of the Dividing Line.
