The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-07-13
FIRST MAPLE SUGAR.
A CLAIM THAT ITS DISCOVERY WAS
ACCIDENTAL.

The Story Of the Indian squaw Who Boile
Moose Meat For Her Lord In Sap From
Maple Trecs-How the Careleysness o
Moqua Brought Her Praise,
1t does not appear that any record wa
made of aboriginal methods of tapping tn
maple and converting Its sap into sugar
nor is the Oldest maple old enough to tel
us, though it had the gift of speech or sign
making Ineligible to us. We can onl,
guess that the primitive Algonquin labori
ously inflicted barbarous wound with hi.
stone hatchet and with stone gouge GU
place for spout SO far settling tn,
fashion, which was long followed by white
men with only the difference that better
tools made possible. Or we may CUES.
that the Indian, taking hint from his lit
tie red brother. Niquasese, the squirrel, who
taps the smooth barked branches, broke
these of and caught the sap in suspended
vessels of birch bark, than which no cleaner
and swecter receptacle could be imagined.
Doubtless the boiling was done in the
earthen kokhs, or pots, some of which had
capacity Of several gallons. According
to Indian myths, it was taught by heaven
sent instructor.
The true story of tho discovery of maple
sugar making Is in the legend of Woksis,
the mighty hunter. Going forth one
morning to the chase, he babe Moqua, the
squaw Of his bosom, to have a choice cut
of moose meat boiled for him when he
should return, and that she might be re-
minded of the time he stuck a stake in the
snow and made straight mark out from
1t in tho place where its shadow would
then fall. She promised strict compliance,
and as he departed she hewcd off the de-
sired tidbit with her sharpest stone knife,
and filling her best kokh with clean snow
for melting hung it over the fire. Then
she sat down on bearskin and began en-
broidering u pair of moccasins with vari-
ously dyed porcupine quilts.
This was labor of love, for the moe
casins, of the finest deerskin, were for her
lord. She became so absorbed in the work
that the kokh was forgotten till the bark
cord that suspended it was burned off and
1t spilled its contents on the fire with a
startling, quenching, scattering explosion
eAAso AAi'Su e'io hi5Nah Ni'i euCdii uutl
smoke, She lifted the overturned vessel
from the embers and ashes by stick
thrilst INTO lts four cornered mouth, and
when 1t was cool enough to handle she re-
paired II with new bail OF bark, and the
kokh was ready Tor service again. But
the shadow of tho stake had swung so far
toward tho mark that she knew there was
not time to melt snow to boil the dinner.
Happily she bethouSht her Of the great
maple behind the wigwam, tapped merely
Tor the provision OF pleasant drink, but
the sweet water might serve better pur-
pose now. So she filled the kokh with sap
and hung 1t over tho mendcd fire. In
spite OF impatient watching it presently
began to boil, whereupon she popped the
ample ration OF moose meat into 1t and set
cake OF pounded corn to bake on the tilt
ed slab before the fire. Then she resumed
her embroidery, i'll which the sharp point
OF each thread supplied its own needle
Tho work grew more and more interest
ing. The central figure, her husbands
totem oil the Dear, was becoming so life
like that it could easily be distinguished
from the wolves, eagles and turtles of the
other tribal clans. In imagination she al
ready Dcheld tho moccasins on the feet of
her noble Woksis, now stealing in awful
silence along the warpath. now on the
neck OF tho fallen foe, now returning iu-
bllant with triumph or fleeing homeward
from defeat to ease the shame Of failure
by Kicking nor, IN which case she felt her
Sell bearing, as ever, hcr useful part so
she dreamed and worked, stitch by stitch,
whllo the hours passed unheeded, the
shadow crept past tho mark, the kokh
boiled low, and the CAKE gave forth the
smell oil burning. Alas, tho cake was
biackelcu crisp, ana, TO- the once Juicy
piece or meat was q shrivcled morsel in
the midst OF d gummy, dark brown sub
stance
she snatched kokn ana cake from the
Iro, ana thch, hearing her husband conf
ing, she ran ana ND herself i'll the nearest
thicket OF cVergrcens, for she knew that
when he found not whereWlth to aprease
the ragoof hunger he would be seized with
a more terrible one against her. Listening
awhile with quaking heart and catching
no alarming sound, but aware instead of
an unaccollntable silence, she ventured
ptl Il ,I i,,t., 4 h.,