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Indians of the Yosemite Valley and Vicinity - Their History, Customs and Traditions by Galen Clark
page 37 of 82 (45%)
sand, in the center of which are laid a few flat, fan-like ends
of fir branches. A fire is then made near by, and small stones
of four or five pounds in weight are heated, with which they warm
water in some of their large cooking baskets, and mix the acorn
meal with it to the consistency of thin gruel. This mixture is
poured into the sand basins, and as the water leaches out into
the sand it takes with it the bitter quality--the warm water
being renewed until all the bitter taste is washed out from the
meal sediment, or dough.

This is then taken, and, after being cleansed from the adhering
sand, is put into cooking baskets, thinned down with hot water to
the desired condition, and cooked by means of hot stones which
are held in it with two sticks for tongs. The mush, while
cooking, is stirred with a peculiar stirring stick, made of a
tough oak sprout, doubled so as to form a round, open loop at one
end, which is used in lifting out any loose stones. When the
dough is well cooked, it is either left _en masse_ in the basket
or scooped out in rolls and put into cold water to cool and
warden before being eaten. Sometimes the thick paste is made into
cakes and baked on hot rocks. One of these cakes, when rolled in
paper, will in a short time saturate it with oil. This acorn
food is probably more nutritious than any of the cereals.


INDIAN DOGS.

The Indian dogs, of which every family had several, are as fond
of the acorn food as their owners. These dogs are made useful in
treeing wild-cats, California lions and gray squirrels, and are
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