Pioneer Life or 30 years a hunter by Philip Tome. 18th century.

Pioneer Life.


Or 30 years a hunter.

By Philip Tome.

“Taking salt and flour with us we pushed up our canoe to a place called Round Island”.

“We now brought our venison together, and built a scaffold on which we placed it to dry. It may well here to describe the manner of preserving Elk’s meat in the summer. It is first cut into thin slices and salted down in the skin. We always carried a bag of salt with us for that purpose. Two large poles are laid across crotches about five feet high, and a number of smaller ones are laid across these. After the meat has lain a sufficient length of time in the skin, it is spread upon this scaffold, and a slow fire built under it. The fire is gradually increased and the meat turned until it is dried through. In this state it is called jerk”.

“My father commenced mending his moccasins”.

“They came up pine creek with a keel boat loaded with flour, pork, sugar, chocolate, tea, and all kinds of clothing for the men”.

“We all had fishing lines”.

“I called to Strawbridge to throw the axe at the snake”.

“During the winter when the river was covered with ice, the deer would fall into the air holes and become an easy prey (to the wolves). We took off the skin and if the deer did not prove to be very good, we would leave half of it to the wolves, but if it was good, we left the refuse parts to encourage them in pursuing the deer”.

“On leaving the house we always put on a pair of woollen socks and leggings over our shoes to protect our legs from the snakes”.