COOKING AND EATING. 155

avalent crus et gluants. D’autres fois ils tétent ces pauvres bétes pour se
procurer le méme régal’”’!.

In the south, the Navahoes and Apaches delight in horse and burro
meat; nor do they despise that of the prairie dog, after which the cactus
berries (Opuntia arborescens) will occasionally form a welcome dessert. With
the fruit of the Yuccata baccata the same Indians make also a sort of jelly
or soft candy, and in by-gone days they likewise utilized for alimentary
purposes the berries of the juniper and the seeds of some species of grasses.

Conspicuous among the roots and plants eaten by the Hupas is the
soap-root (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) which is esteemed for its size and
abundance. The bulbs are baked in pits lined with rocks, with a fire built
on top and the leaves of the wild grape and the wood sorrel added to
improve their flavour. Those aborigines also put to contribution for the same
purposes the fresh shoots of many plants, as well as the seeds of grasses
of the Compositae family.

In the north, many plants and roots are likewise relished by the Dénés,
to which the white man would never give a thought. Without mentioning
those the gathering of which shall form one of the chief subjects of a subse-
quent chapter?, we have the wild onion (Allium cernuum), which is eaten,
root and leaves, either raw or slightly roasted in the ashes. So is the dog-
tooth (Erythronium giganteum), the root of which is considered excellent.

In the cow-parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) it is the inner part of the
growing stalks which is preferred. It is often used while fresh and without
any preparation save the stripping of its fibrous envelope. But if fire is at
hand, a Carrier will generally treat it to a slight roasting through the flames
previous to peeling off the stalk.

The marrow of the willow herb (Epilobium spicatum) is also much
esteemed as are likewise the leaves of the Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium),
which are usually simmered in a little water until no liquid remains.

Another article of food, cheap because very common but not the least
prized by the westerners, is the hair-like lichen (Alectoria jubata), which
grows hanging from most coniferous trees, especially the Douglas fir. The
natives wash it so thoroughly that it loses its colouring matter, after which
they mix it with dough as one would do with raisins, and bake the whole.
The lichen has then on the cake the same effect as a copious application
of yeast powder. The Carriers are very fond of this, and they claim that
thus prepared it is very sweet and savoury. Prior to the introduction of flour
they cooked it with grease.

This wild alimentary resource recalls to mind the tripe de roche, a
species of lichen of the Gyrophora genus, which grows in the far northeast.

“ Autour du Grand Lac des Esclaves, p. 71.
* See Chapter XIII.