The Dickinson press., 1891-02-14
PRIMITIVE PEOPLE
METHODS THEY PURSUED IN COOK
ING THEIR FOODS.
A Synopsis of y Lecture by Professor
Morse-The Antiquity of Cooking-Orig-
inal Manner of Applying Heat to Meats
n Observation-Disclosures Huta.

A Synopsis OF y Lecture by Professor
Morse-The Antiquity of Cooking-Orig-
inal Manner of Applying Heat to Meats
and Observation-Disclosures Huts.
Professor Morse gave his second lect-
ure on primitive People" at Academy
hall, and spoke particularly of fircplaccs
and stoves. In opening he briefly re-
viewed his first lecture, making special
reference to the fact that men and ami
mails adapt themselves to their surround
ings. Thus dogs and cats in civilized
homes cat corn and oatmeal, while cows
in Iceland will cat salt fish as a steady
diet, though neither of these animals
would eat such food in the ordinary
natural state.
Proceeding to the subject in hand,
Professor Morse cited the finding of
TAXED cakes with the Egyptian num-
mics as evidence of the antiquity Of
cooked food, and of the universal prim-
tive fashion among savage or primitive
peoples of cooking food in vessels resting
on three rounded stones, which mar
very early found out were better than
four. This method was employed by
the North American Indians, the Esqui-
maux, the modern Firms, and even by
the Irish in the Seventeenth century.
Another method employed was the
cooking of meats in baskets of water
with hot stones. Some tribes of the
North American Indians cooked corn,
grasshoppers, and perhaps other delica-
cies by placing them in clay lined bask-
cts, with red hot Goals, and shaking the
baskets back and forth and blowing off
the ashes and cinders till the contents
considered a turn.
ESQU1MAU HUTS.
The kitchens of New Zealand and Cey-
Ion arc but rough primitive forms of
many that are seen in Germany and Eng
land, except that in the former cases
the fires are out of doors. English and
German tireplaces are far behind the
American stove and cooking range, and
are really survivals of prehistoric times
though the hearths for the fires are raised
and arrangements made for the escape of
the smoke.
Succeeding the period of placing pots
on three stones ovcr the fire comes their
suspension by some support, a familiar
method being by means of three sticks
fastened together at the top. The Esqui-
mau suspends his kettle from the ceiling
ofhis ice hut by means of cord or hide.
And here the lecturer departed from his
subject to describe how the hut is built
spirally, with blocks of ice and of dome
shape The hut is lined with skins, so
thai what little of tho ice melts will not
drop da@n on the occupants in the form
of water
These '.ti are warmed by open crude
oil lamps, in which is moss saturated
with oil, and over them are suspended
the kettles. The oil comes from the
blubber of the whale. seal and similar
animals, and is obtained by the women
and children, whose principal businessit
is in the winter time to chew blubber to
get the oil. Under the hut there is usu-
ally a large supply of blubber stored for
winter use.
Professor Morse describes the stoves
of China and Japan, and showed two
patterns of what appeared to be earthen-
ware portable stoves, about the size of
bean pots. Other stoves are rough clay
or brick affairs, with openings for wood
and varying numbers Of holes on top for
the accommodation of cooking utensils,
aud none have arrangements for the di-
rect escape Of the smoke out of doors.
EARLY METHODS OF LETTING FIRE.
Some of these eastern stoves have
shrines or symbols over the tireplaces to
keep out evil spirits, and in some of them
a light is kept burning, or u little food
or some other trihe placed by way Of in
volsing the care Of some good spirit over
the food that is to be cooked.
In closing, the lecturer had something
to say about primitive modes of creating
and preserving fire, followed by some in
teresting experiments with crude appli-
ances. The origin of fire is not known,
nor its first %discoverer, but the discovery
must have been followed by atremendous
stride of advancement by the humanrace.
Probably fire wa first used as a religious
rite, and by many savage nations it has
been worshiped as a god; after that it
was probably used for cooking, and then
for other purposes.
Some people never learned the art of
making fire, but took good care never to
be without it. Emin Pasha, whose rescue
from the heart of Africa Stanley sought,
vouches for wondrous tales in that region
to the effect that in some sections of Cen.
trail Africa bands of chimpanzees occa,
sionally raid the native villages with
lighted torches.
DNofaccor Morca s11,, cf, .o{ a1 %1,,.ao ,,,at1,
DDS of starting ires-one by rubbing /,
piece of bamboo with a sharp edged
stick; another by rubbing a stick i'll ;
groove on a piece of wood, and a thirt
by means of a fire drill. None of thes'
methods brings a direct blaze, but vii
produce a spark from which a fire ma,
be brought by coazing with finder. TIL
fire drill was the most successful of tn
experiments on this occasion, and was &C
companied by considerable smoke, bu
no fire. The drill is a simple arrange
ment of wood and cord, by which a sticl
is kept rapidly revolving On a piece Q
wood, and in a fraction of a minute ere
ates smoke and sparks.-Salem Gazette
Remarkable Rescue.
AASnGCA Jul lttAu, 1 1d1l1uC1uS Ill.
makes the statement that she caugh
cold, which settled ON her lungs; sh
was treated for a month by her famil,
physician, but grew worse. Hetold he
she was a HOPELESS VICTIM OF CONSUME
TON and that no medicine could cur,
her. Her druggist suggested DR.. King
New Discovery for Consumption; sh,
bought a bottle, and to her deligh
found herself benefited from first dose
She continued its. use and after takin,
ten bottles, found herself sound an,
well, now does her own homework an
is as we'll as she ever was.-Free tria
bottles of this Great Discovery at J. ]
Freeman's Drug Store, large bottles 5Ot
and S1.OO.
oBERoN'5 LAST COUNCIL,
u, on some woodland lawn, you see a ring
I darker hue upon the paler grass
The strange green growth which children 4