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Fort Victoria Post Journal June 1846

1846 June

Monday 1^st June Heat very oppressive with thick haze toward evening. Garipie putting a gun-wale to the skow. Allard & 9 hands building Store #6, 2 gardening, Lecuyer carting straw to the cattle shed on the hill and the others employed as last week. 23 gns. oil and other trifles were traded from a party of Sanetch.

Tuesday 2^nd Weather very warm with but little wind. Friday has again resumed duty having got the better of his complaint. The other men employed as usual. We had the last of our wheat thrashed to day: The barley is the only part of last year's crop now unthrash^d. 109 gns. oil with other trifles were traded in course of the day from Cape Flattery & Sanetch. A party of Songes arrived this morning from Langley & brought letters from that post announcing the arrival of Mr. Anderson there from the interior.

Wednesday 3^rd Weather still continues fine. Almost all hands are now employed building Store #6 the principal posts of which were put up this evening. 1 large sea otter, some hayquois & a little oil were traded from a party of Cape Flatteries. Ouamtany & 10 Indians employed baling {sic} out the stagnant water out of the well dug last autumn between there & C{lover} point & deepening it.

Thursday 4^th The weather became overcast in the evening. Light variable airs throughout the day. We had all the pieces & 18 beams with two wallplates of Store #6 put up to day at which 18 men and 12 Indians were employed. One of the wild oxen which we had yoked in the plough some time ago, having been let loose & hobbled & consequently hurt his fore legs, was to day taken in for the purpose of dressing them, and after having been let free attacked Jack Kaau whom he had severely hurt in the face. That man will most likely be some time confined to the house with his wound.

Friday 5^th Generally overcast with a fresh Westerly breeze. About 9 A.M. a strange ship anchored off the harbour, which turned out to be the Rosalind of London with a full cargo of coals for H. Majesty's Steamer Cormorant which is daily expected here under sail with an additional supply of coals to be landed at this place for her use. Our people were employed principally laying blocks under the sleepers of the New Store & putting up wallplates & binding on #6.

Saturday 6 Mild weather but overcast, portending rain. Men's employments to day were principally putting up rafters on #6 & nailing inch boards on there for shingles. The results of our week's operations are as follows, viz^t: the beams of Store #6 tenoned & [13] mortised into the posts & beltings & the whole erected & filled up with wallpieces, bound with wallplates & six upper beams, 8 pairs of rafters also put up, the well in C{lover} point hollow baled out & partly dug, 101 bus. wheat fann^d. The whole of our last years crop of wheat, including fall & spring is now fann^d & measured 912 bus. No trade to day worth mentioning.

Sunday 7^th Weather very warm & partially overcast. About 4 pm. a large party of Sinahomish & Skatchets arrived here by way of Clover point, one of whom put a bdle {of} furs into the Shop for security until to morrow. In consequence of some old quarrel between them & the Songes the latter began to fire upon them from the opposite side, some of the balls falling amongst our people in front of the Ft. We had therefore to interfere & put a stop to such bold proceedings.

Monday 8^th Warm & sultry. Light variable airs. 23 beaver & otter were received to day principally from Skatchets. In the afternoon a canoe left for Nisqually by which letters were forwarded to Fort Vancouver & Nisqually. Captain Hepplewhite of the Brig Rosalind sent a letter by her to Captain Duntz{e} announcing his arrival in these straits with coals ∞ use of H. M's Squadron. We had two poles 40 feet high erected to day on the open ground along the sea, on the south side of the Fort as land marks to indicate the entrance to the harbour.

Tuesday 9^th Generally clear with a strong Westerly breeze. We began this forenoon shingling Store #6 at which almost all our disposable hands were employed. No trade of any consequence.

Wednesday 10 Blowing strong from the South West with clear weather. We had this day the well in C{lover} Point hollow dug as far as we could dig it, being 9 feet with but indifferent success, very little water appearing in the bottom. People employed as yest^y except Kamakua who was pickling the provisions casks lying in Depot. 3 men were to day after a wild cow that had calved but could not bring her in. Satakarata is confined to the house with a complaint which he has had for a long time i.e. spitting blood and Jack Kaau is not as yet recovered from the wounds he received on the 4^th No trade worth mentioning.

Thursday 11^th No change in the weather. Peoples employments the same. Had all our engaged Indians with some Indⁿ women & children clearing & hoeing potatoes. Part of the potato seed planted in the field has failed & we are now under the necessity of replacing it by some more.

Friday 12^th Weather as usual throughout the day. Different employments the same. Satakarata & Kaau, sick list. No trade. Had a spar 46 feet long hauled out by oxen for the Rosalind.

Saturday 13^th Serene and beautiful with light variable airs. Some gulls eggs & cod fish was the only trade to day. Some straw berries were also brought in for the first time this season. Our labor this week shows the following results viz^t: the rafters put up on and the 1/3 of one of the new stores roofed with small shingles, about 40 pieces 3 & 4 in. & 6 feet long sawn for the projection of the roof over the wallplate, the well at C{lover} Point hollow finish^d as far as we could at present do so, half of potatoe field cleared & hoed & about 40 bus. barley thrash^d.

Sunday 14^th Beautiful weather with a light breeze from the South West in the afternoon. About noon a ship appeared in the offing which was piloted into the harbour by Mr. Sangster. She is the Admiral Moorsom Captⁿ M^cKnight from England via the Sand^h Islands with goods for this place and the Columbia River. Documents relative thereto were deliv^d by Captⁿ M^cKnight this evening.

Monday 15^th Very warm weather but cool at night with some signs of frost in the air which has blighted some of our potatoe crop. This morning at 7 o'clock Mr. Holland with 6 hands in the ships gig & a canoe left for Point Wilson with the English Express, whence Francois X. Coté takes charge of it to Nisqually, and is to proceed thither in the canoe from Pt. Wilson & on his arrival there is to go on with it to Ft. Vancouver. Some Cape Flattery Indians arrived this morning & had only 1 [mod^y] sea otter with 75 gns. oil for trade. About 30 packages of goods were landed to day from the ship. As the goods are mix^d in the ship’s hold there is some difficulty in finding the NW packages.

Tuesday 16 Raining this morning, afterwards became fair when some packages of goods were landed from the ship. The operation of discharging goes on very slow, as the proper number for this place cannot quickly be found. No trade worth ment^g. People dressing shingles & covering New Store. About 6 pm. Mr. Holland arrived from point Wilson where he had left Coté last night pursuing his way to Nisqually.

Wednesday 17^th Cool over night & warm throughout the day. Wind light and variable. People employed as yesterday. About 3 P.M. two of the Fisgard boats arrived from Nisqually & brought letters from that place & Vancouver. A letter was received from Captain Duntz{e} requesting the coals on board the Rosalind to be landed at the Co{mpany'}s Estab^t here & a officer of the Co{ompan}^y to take tally of them in being landed. We were also detained the whole of the day by the NW packages being mixed on board the Adl Moorsom with these for the Col^a. Consequently there was none landed. Lieut. lang with two other officers & 30 men came in the Fisgard boats.

Thursday 18 Fine & warm with a few light showers of rain. Very few packages were landed to day, not being at hand in the ship's hold. Minie employed making shingling nails of hoop iron & the others as usual. Jack Kaau having got over his wound is now employed at keeping watch.

Friday 19^th Raining for some time in course of the day, wind South West. About 10 AM. Mr. Jolomley left for Nisqually with the barge for instructions from Captain Duntz{e} about the disposal of the Rosalind. By him letters were sent to Dr. Tolmie. Some shot was landed in course of the day in buckets the casks having been taken on board. Men employed principally about roofing the New Store. Some fresh fish was traded from Songes. No furs.

Saturday 20^th Fine weather continues, wind blowing fresh from the South West. Charpentier & Minie were to day making shingling nails & the others as yesterday. Week's labour as follows: 49 boards 10 ft long 1 in sawn about 4tt shingles planed, 1/3 roof of Store #6 roofed with shingles, 4tt shingling nails made with some iron works made ∞ Brig Rosalind, blocks placed under the sleepers of both the New Stores, about 80 bus. barley thrash^d & potato field N^o. 1 partly hoed & cleared ∞ Indians. {illegible} almost all the NW O^t landed from the ship & secured in store. No trade worthy of notice. The Brig Rosalind was taken in to the harbour this evening & now lay close to the Admiral Moorsom. Some letters were received this evening from Mr. Yale one of which is for the Board of Management.

Sunday 21^st No change in the weather, light variable airs. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 22^nd Weather generally clear. This morning the Rosalind was taken along side Steamer’s Wharf & moored there. 7 1/4 tons coals were disch^d from her in course of the afternoon. Garipie with 3 Islanders & 2 Indians were sent this morning to Cedar Hill to split shingles. A few packages were landed to day from the Admiral Moorsom being all that is to be landed here. We still want 3 serons tob^o. & 2 kegs shot which are to be taken on to Col. River, as they cannot now be found without delaying the ship too long here. No trade worth mentioning. Men employ^d ∞ labor book. This morning the Indians who accompanied Coté with the express to Nisqually ret^d & brought a letter from Dr. Tolmie announcing the safe arrival of the Express at his place.

Tuesday 23^rd Very warm weather with light variable airs. Lecuyer & Gabriel with each a horse & cart discharging coals from the Brig, Mr. Ross keeping tally thereof. About 20 1/2 tons have been disch^d to day. Different employments as follows: 1 repairing wheelbarrows ∞ coals, 1 making shingling nails, 2 making hay, 4 splitting shingles at Cedar Hill, two roofing, 3 planing shingles, 1 thrashing barley. All our grain is now thrashed. Letters were to day written to Vanc^r to be sent by the Admiral Moorsom which is now ready to sail for that place. Dibeau sick list.

Wednesday 24^th Clear weather with a strong breeze from the South West. People employed as yest^y except Minie who was fanning barley with Gagnon. 21 tons coals were discharged to day from the Brig. Lieut. lang’s men were supplied this afternoon with some biscuit, rum & sugar. Sick list, Dibeau & Friday & also M^cPhail. The Admiral Moorsom was detained here all day with high winds.

Thursday 25^th Heavy rain all night, generally clear throughout the day. Paid a visit to day to our Cedar Hill party who are getting on as well as might be expected. 160 gns. oil, 7 beavers & otters & 1 small sea otter were traded from Cape Flattery Indians. Late in the evening Mr. Cholmondley {likely the same man referred to on the 19^th as Jolomley} of the Fisgard returned from Nisqually & brought letters from that place, on H.M. Service to Lieut. lang & one from Dr. Tolmie ordering Walter Ross to Nisqually as his assistant John Ross. Dibeau & Friday sick list. About 15 tons coals have been disch^d to day.

Friday 26^th Overcast with light rain throughout the day. 4 hands were shingling Store #6, 3 planing shingles, 1 cutting wood ∞ Coal Shed, 2 carting coals & the others as usual. John Ross is still ill, as is also Friday. About 5 P.M. three vessels appeared in the offing, supposed to be the Cormorant Steamer with two Ships of War. Tsoughelum arrived this morning and traded 19 martens, 7 minks & 1 bear skin. 1 large beaver & 10 raccoons were traded from a ~~Skat~~ Whutlumie chief. Coals disch^d amounts to 29 tons.

Saturday 27 Raining heavily this morning & for a great part of the day, wind Easterly. Lecuyer was the only carter at the coals. A few trifles were traded to day from the Skatchets. About 8 AM. the ships seen yesterday in the offing anchored off the harbour which proved to be the Cormorant Steamer with two surveying ships the Pandora and Herald commanded by Captain Kellett. Very little trade in furs, several articles were sold for cash. Captain Gordon of the Cormorant & Kellett landed about noon & had a walk round our premises. Week's work as follows: 40 boards 12 ft long 1 in thick sawn, the two ends of the roof of Store #6 shingled, 10.000 shingles split at Cedar Hill & about the same number planed here, 4 window shutters made & several of our fields cleared of fern by Indians, 107 tons coals disch^d from the Rosalind ~~and carted~~ by Lieut. lang’s men & carted to the Coal Shed by our horses, 21 pieces cut ∞ Coal Shed by our people & hauled out by our oxen, about 60 bus. barley fanned by Minie & Gagnon.

Sunday 28^th Fine clear weather wind South West. Captains Kellett and Gordon on shore about 11 AM. & had a ride on horse back as far as Cedar Hill.

Monday 29^th Beautiful weather with light variable air. Gagnon and Garipie were sent off this morning with a party to split shingles at Cedar Hill, Lemon and Keave cutting wood ∞ Coal Shed & the others employed as on Saturday. About 4 pm. we finished roofing Store #6 & began planning shingles for #5. This morning we had an ox killed ∞ use of H.M. Ships Herald & Pandora. About 30 1/2 tons of coals were disch^d to day from the Brig. John Ross & Friday still sick.

Tuesday 30^th Generally overcast with rain in the evening. Lazard & Gabriel squaring oak ∞ fur press, Keave whose wrist is a little swelled, repairing fences & the others employed as usual. 1 sea otter with about 200 gns. oil traded from Cape Flattery George & party. Captain Kellett with his officers surveying the harbour. 29 1/4 tons coals disch^d from the Rosalind.

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