In frontier speak acoutrements are "budgets"

[hyltoto]

I've been reading the Draper manuscripts, and on numerous ocassions differnt folks have mentioned collecting the "budgets" of the less fortunate native participants of their numerous skirmishes. Examples: horns and bags, blackets, baskets, and cooking pots. Usuaally had to burn the blankets because of lice.

Just a bit of trivia for y'all

[T*O*F]

Just a bit of trivia for y'all

Now you know what a "fussbudget" is, if you're old enough to remember that term.

[Randy Hedden]

I have seen the word "budget" many times in an 18th century context and it usually referred to a wallet or a small bag or pouch. Did your source actually list horns and bags, blankets, baskets, and cooking pots as budgets or was it referring to anything that might have been in a bag or pouch?

Randy Hedden

www.harddogrifles.com

[J.D.]

I have understood the "budget" to be a civilian version of the haversack, used to carry items other than food. Or more accurately, a civilian version of a haversack type bag not used exclusively for carrying food items.

That may not be the case, but that is my understanding.

[hyltoto]

Yep, in the interviews, there is one specific mention of a bowl made of wood strips wovwn so tight it would hold water as well as blankets etc. (collected their budgets) It has been very enlightening reading these intervies and letters.

Here is some more: instead of imitating bird calls etc. the fovorite tactical signals of the indigenous warriors was blowing across their powder measures. Now the term powder measure is never used, it is universally mentioned as a "charger".

In the four books that cover the bulk of the Draper interviews I bought passing through West Va; I have never seen the word ram-rod even once. It is referred as "wiping stick" universally. In one letter, an old pioneer told of how his friend had to use the "wiping stick" to finish off a bear (shot it through the ribs) after he ran out of balls.

[Randy Hedden]

Yep, in the interviews, there is one specific mention of a bowl made of wood strips wovwn so tight it would hold water as well as blankets etc. (collected their budgets)

I think that what myself and others have been saying is that the budget was a bag or pouch. This definition of a budget was well known back then. The actual word budget would not include the contents of a budget even if the contents were collected by being inside a budget.

Randy Hedden

www.harddogrifles.com

[James Rogers]

Y
In the four books that cover the bulk of the Draper interviews I bought passing through West Va; I have never seen the word ram-rod even once. It is referred as "wiping stick" universally. In one letter, an old pioneer told of how his friend had to use the "wiping stick" to finish off a bear (shot it through the ribs) after he ran out of balls.

Many think "ramrod"  is not an 18th century term at all but they are mistaken. I have seen photocopies of original 18th century English gunmakers paperwork that clearly refers to "ramrods" .  Bag, sack, poke, etc. 

[Harrod]

We don't have the funds. I'ts not "in the budget".

[Pit]

A budget is a pack.It can be a blanket roll,backpack,snapsack,I read a really cool referance to natives liking to use striped pettycoats for thier packs.If you carry a bundle of some sort it is called a budget.