Sala Faruq works as a museum assistant at the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Town San Diego. We are thrilled to present her first post at GBH! (CR)
When traveling by stagecoach, passengers were only allowed 40 pounds of luggage. Travelers packed clothing and blankets, and firearms were common, as well as some type of water container.
In the 1800s, there were several options available for canteens — metal and wood were popular. Perhaps the most versatile material for a canteen, though, was the gourd.
A gourd is 
"any of several trailing or climbing plants related to the pumpkin, squash, and cucumber and bearing fruits with a hard rind." This titan of the plant world is durable, lightweight and watertight. It grows in a variety of shapes and sizes. And in addition to tropical and semi-tropical zones throughout the world, the gourd can be found in the temperate climates of California and the Southern United States — the route of the Overland stagecoaches!
In San Diego County, the Kumeyaay (pronounced: KOOM-eh-YI) have used the gourd for a variety of purposes for hundreds years. Jamacha means "wild gourd" in the Kumeyaay language. The city of Jamacha represents the area in the Kumeyaay territory where the wild gourd grows.
You can make your own gourd canteen just as the Kumeyaay did, and passengers on the Overland coaches may have done. Why not experience an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic bottle?
The materials to make a gourd canteen are simple and easy to obtain. If you want to create your own canteen, check-out my "How To" (PDF)....
How to: The gourd canteen (Note: This project requires adult supervision!)
Materials you'll need:
- Canteen gourd (approx. 6 inches in diameter)
- pencil
- paraffin
- tapered cork (approx. 1 inch in diameter)
- gravel
- 1/2-inch leather straps (approx. 72 inches in length)
- sand paper (120, 220, and 400 grit)
- microwave and microwavable dish
- towels or oven mitts
- X-acto® knife and/or small hacksaw
- tacky glue or leather glue
- long-handled spoon
Step 1: Cut opening
To prepare the gourd for drinking, a spout needs to be cut in the top of the gourd (see Figure 1). Start with clean canteen gourd. With a pencil, trace the outline of the cork on the top of the gourd. Cut the shape out using an X-acto® knife and/or small-tooth hacksaw (see Figure 1). Surround the cork with sandpaper and file the edge of the opening smooth using 120, 220 and 400 grit sandpaper respectively.
Step 2: Clean the inside
The gourd contains seeds and dried fibrous pulp, which need to be removed. Use a long-handled spoon to break up the contents. Be careful not to damage the opening for the cork! As you break up the pulp ball into smaller pieces, pour the pieces out through the spout opening. Repeat this process as necessary to remove the larger pieces of pulp and seeds. To remove the finer pieces of pulp, pour a handful of gravel into the opening, cork and shake vigorously. Uncork and pour out the pulp and gravel. Repeat this process several times until the gourd is clean. This procedure may take a fair amount of time.
Step 3: Seal the inside
Break paraffin into small pieces and put into microwave dish. In increments of 30 seconds, heat the paraffin in the microwave until it melts. Paraffin has a low flash point , so proceed carefully with this process!
Once the paraffin has melted, remove it from the microwave. Next, heat the gourd in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make it warm. You may need additional heating time. Go slowly (10 second intervals) — you want the gourd warm, not burned. Remove the warm gourd using a towel or oven mitts. Quickly pour the melted paraffin into the gourd opening, cork and swirl the melted paraffin around until it begins to feel heavy. Then, immediately pour the excess paraffin back into your microwave dish and heat again. Repeat this process at least three times to make sure you have coated the inside completely.
Step 4: Create the sling
To make a sling to hold your gourd canteen, cut leather into a ½-inch strip, approximately 72 inches in length. The length may vary according to how far you want the canteen to hang from your shoulder.
From the leather strip you just cut, measure and cut two strips the circumference of your gourd, with an extra ½ inch overlap. Glue one strip diagonally across your gourd, overlapping where the pieces come together (see Figure 2). Before glue dries, loop one end of the remaining leather strip under the diagonal strip at the top and tie in a knot. Then, press the diagonal strip down firmly. Repeat this process for the other side.
Let the glue dry for 24 hours and you will be ready to use your gourd canteen!
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