[Lewis]
Thursday May 9th 1805
Capt. C. killed 2 bucks and 2 buffaloe, I also killed one buffaloe which
proved to be the best meat, it was in tolerable order; we saved the best of the
meat, and from the cow I killed we saved the necessary materials for making
what our wrighthand cook Charbano calls the boudin (poudingue) blanc, and
immediately set him about preparing them for supper; this white pudding we all
esteem one of the greatest delacies of the forrest, it may not be amiss
therefore to give it a place. About 6 feet of the lower extremity of the large gut
of the Buffaloe is the first morsel that the cook makes love to, this he holds fast
at one end with the right hand, while with the forefinger and thumb of the left he
gently compresses it, and discharges what he says is not good to eat, but
of which in the s[e]quel we get a moderate portion; the mustle lying underneath
the shoulder blade next to the back, and fillets are next saught, these are
needed up very fine with a good portion of kidney suit; to this composition is
then added a just proportion of pepper and salt and a small quantity of flour;
thus far advanced, our skilfull opporater C_____o seizes his receptacle, which
has never once touched water, for that would intirely distroy the regular order of
the whole procedure; you will not forget that the side you now see is that
covered with a good coat of fat provided the anamal be in good order; the
operator sceizes the recepticle I say, and tying it fast at one end turns it inward
and begins now with repeated evolutions of hand and arm, and a brisk motion of
the finger and thumb to put in what he says is bon pour manger; thus be
stuffing and compressing he soon distends the recepticle to the utmost limmits
of it's power of expansion, and in the course of it's longtudinal progress it drives
from the other end of the recepticle an much larger portion of the [blank space
in MS.] than was prevously discharged by the finger and thumb of the left hand
in a former part of the operation; thus when the sides of the recepticle are
skilfully exchanged the outer for the iner, and all is compleatly filled with
something good to eat, it is tyed at the other end, but not any cut off, for that
would make the pattern too scant; it is then baptized in the missouri with two
dips and a flirt, and bobbed into the kettle; from whence after it be well boiled it
is taken and fryed with bears oil until it becomes brown, when it is ready to
esswage the pangs of a keen appetite or such as travelers in the wilderness
are seldom at a loss for.
Dave Chapman
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