MOUNTAIN TREES 



the freshly fallen nuts are gathered. 

 When the nut sacks are full the ponies 

 which have been tethered close to the 

 camp are again saddled and the merry, 

 gaily dressed party makes its way to the 

 villages below. 



The acorns are soon shelled, stored in 

 bags and hung high on the rafters of the 

 wickiup or stored in enormous baskets, 

 perched on platforms or bowlders out of 

 doors and out of the reach of rodents. 

 From time to time as they are required 

 for food they are taken down and 

 ground in a mortar to a very fine flour 

 or meal. This is placed in a porous bas- 

 ket and warm water slowly poured over 

 and through the meal until the bitter 

 tannin is leached out. The process re- 

 quires about four hours. Once prepared 

 the meal is immediately cooked into a 

 mush and consumed the same day. The 

 Indians are very fond of it. Personally 

 I cannot say it is unpleasant eating. The 

 prepared mush has a reddish appear- 

 ance and a rich nutty flavor and is con- 



86 



