The new era., 1860-07-19
sAuK RAPIDS, MIN, THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1860

which Light wood is kept burning The
kettles Care arranged over this fire in
two rows, from six to ten in each. row,
hung on poles which rest on posts set
at each end of the fire. They use ket-
ties OF various sizes, from those con-
tanning SIX quarts to twenty gallons -
These kettles they keep canstantly
replenishing as their contents evaporate
over the fire. When the liquid is boiled
down to thick sirup, it is strained
through flannel, and allowed to stand
and cool. After it has stood suf
ficient time for the sediment to settle to
the bottom, it is taken, Il small quantity.
at time, and boiled over slow fire
until it reaches the point Of granting
which is ascertained by very careful in
spection The kettle is thon removed
from the FIRE, and the sugar stirred by
hand, very rapidly, with kind of pad
die as it cools. BY this process the su-
gar becomes perfectly grained aud dry,
and as soft and light as the best kinds
of the southern brown, sugar, and some
times, when manufactured with care, Is
as white nearly as the crushed sngars OF
market. 1t is then put into bark boxes,
packed tight. and covered over the top
with a piece Of bark scwed on with
bark string.
They manifest much ingenuity in the
process Of sugar making The barks
for catching the sap are very rudely
made Bot their bark pals, and boxes
for preserving their sugar, are con-
structed with much skill and frequent
ly with much taste The bark of the
white birch IS very serviceable to them
in a great variety ofways. They make
their canoes Off, and without it would
hardly be able to make any craft in
which to navigate their lakes 1t seems
indispensable in making sugar. AT least
they could find no other material which
they could use to so good advantage IN
various parts of the process. 1t forms
the covering of their lodges, and it IS
not unfrequently converted into house
hold utensils
A single family Of the more Industrious
class will not unfrequently have out from
one thousand to two thousand barks in a
season, for catching sap. Some fami-
lies make from four hundred to a thous-
and pounds of sugar in a season, be.
sides what they consume during the time
of making | have never seen maple
sugar manufactured by our white peo-
ple so fine favored and so beautiful in
appearance, as is made by the best
manufacturers of the article in the 1ndi.
an country. 1t is TO soma extent an ar
ticle Of commerce with them They ex
change it with their traders for goods
and provisions
1t will be easily perceived that th'
dependence of the Indian for regula
and sufficient supply Of food is very pre-
p carious. "They have neither store
house nor barn" and provide for the fu
ture scarcely more than "the birds Q
the air" 1t would be difficult for them
were they disposed to provide much Of
stock beforehand, in their present mod
of life. Meat and fish. which CONSTITUTE
the largest part of their diet, they hav'
no means long to preserve IN state II
for use. In the winter season the
mioht preserve them, but in the summe
thew could not. Small quantities ar
sometimes smoked and dried, but it 500
,. becomes worthless They are wlthor
: the means of preserving fish and me'
. with salt. s...-...
! But the chief difficulty is, that the
are improvdent and idle. Their tho
, seldom seem to extend to the future :
:, To obtain supply for the present M t
!. :, ment is all they concern themsely'
= about. They are not troubled abo'
= the storm till it comes, and content then
selves to sslet the morrow care Tor Il
ia things of ITSELF" But the storm oft'
i does come. They cock their last mo
m sci at night, and depend on their net
i spear for the next days supply Is
!, = the winds blow and the storm swee
9 over the lake. The waters are agitate
ed they cannot embark their canoes, tn
be. cannot visit their nets. The storm la
I, for days. What shall they do iiTh
n have nothing with which to satisfy hu
ed dlieer, and must suffer till the storm ce'
Is es Or, the usual supply of provisic
I'M at a particular place or seasonlfaiis fr
ret some unforeseenca cause. y They are !
en- yond the reach Of assupply from oil