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Victoria Post Journal November 1846

1846 November

Sunday 1^st Nov^r. Generally overcast but mild. This forenoon the 1st Lieutenant & two other officers of the Cormorant took down depositions from two of our men who had circulated some scandalous reports about Mr. Thomas one of the officers of the Cormorant.

Monday 2^nd Wind blowing strong from the Eastward, weather overcast portending rain. 10 of our men with 8 of our Indians were employed to day cutting wood for the Steamer. We had all the Snake Country furs received by the Steamer from Nisqually dusted & aired before the fire in the Hall as the weather would not admit of others being sent outside. 3 men superintended by Mr. Holland were putting new pickle on the beef lying in store.

Tuesday 3^rd Heavy rain all last night. Continued fair during the day. 7 hands were to day cutting wood ∞ Steamer which is now ready to start with the Columbia tomorrow morning for Fort Langley. We were busy to day also airing the furs before the fire in the house & packing them. 180 bus. salt & other packages were shipped to day on board the Columbia for Langley.

Wednesday 4^th Mild weather. About 7 A.M. the Beaver with the Columbia in tow started for Fort Langley. We have this evening finished packing & pressing all the furs lately received ~~from~~ for England. 9 beaver & other small furs were traded from a party of Skatchets who arrived last night.

Thursday 5^th Weather very wet & stormy. Our people employed as usual as ∞ labor book. Very little done to day in the way of trade with the Natives. Our drivers are now employ^d hauling out logs ∞ fences.

Friday 6 Alternate showers & sunshine. People employed as usual, cutting & hauling out fence poles, draining fields & we have this evening finished the winn^g machine which works tolerably well.

Saturday 7^th Had some hoar frost over night, weather clear & pleasant throughout the day. Early this morning the B^qu Vanc^r entered the harbour from the Sandwich Islands having on board some salt, sugar & molasses from that place. Week's work as follows: the winn^g machine made, 30 boards 20 ft long 1in & 50 2in plank sawn, 200 logs ∞ fence cut & 120 hauled out ∞ oxen, C{lover} point field rolled & furrow^d, a house int^d as water closet built behind House #3 & sundry other jobs performed about the place.

Sunday 8^th Blowing a gale from the South East all night which continued throughout the day with heavy rain. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 8^th 9^th Blowing strong from the South East with heavy rain all night. Weather wet & disagreeable during the day. Employ^d as ∞ labor book planing boards ∞ weather boarding House N^o. 3, cutting & hauling out logs ∞ fences, pit sawing &c. Sent all our Indians down to the Vanc^rthis morning to discharge the salt but none could be got ready. No trade in furs. Some casks flour were given out of Depot for the Cormorant.

Tuesday 9^th 10^th Mild & generally overcast. Began discharging the salt from the Vanc^r. About 10 A.M. 40 bbls. flour were supplied the Cormorant from Depot & 5 steers were taken in for slaughter this afternoon for said ship. Our people employed as usual except the 4 sawyers who were sawing plank for Captain Gordon, that gentleman giving us his carpenter instead to straight edge boards for the fur box.

Wednesday 10^th 11^th Very stormy overnight with heavy rain, wind South East. Men employed as usual. Had all our engaged Indians attended by Ouamtany discharging salt from the Vanc^r. Had two steers killed to day ∞ use of H.M's. Ship Cormorant.

Thursday 11^th 12^th Strong South East wind with frequent showers of heavy rain. Had 8 hands cutting wood ∞ Steamer & 8 planing boards ∞ fur box & the rest employed as usual. No trade worth mentioning except 6 small deers from Kawitchins.

Friday 13^th Generally clear, wind fresh from the South East. A party of Skatchets arrived this afternoon & traded 24 beaver with some other small furs. Men employed as usual. Gravelle was seriously hurt to day by having got jam^d between a tree & the ox chains when hauling out logs. Dr. Nutt of the Cormorant very kindly dressed his wound & the sick Island^r landed from the Steam^r is rapidly recov^g under that gentleman's care.

Saturday 14^th Overcast with a fresh breeze from the Eastward. People employed as yesterday. Week's work as follows: about 300 logs ∞ fence cut & hauled out, 24 boards 2in sawn, 8 large hinges with hooks & 10 small d^o. with hooks made, 110 boards ∞ fur box straight edged, 21 cords of wood ∞ Steamer cut, the two upper windows hinged on Store N^o.5, 2458 1/2 bus. salt discharged from the Vanc^r, since Wednesday about 40 bus. wheat fan^d ∞ fan^g machine, the ~~Col~~ Vanc^r water casks coop^d & the beef casks in store were also repaired ∞ cooper. No trade to day worth mentioning.

Sunday 15^th Showery with a strong breeze from the South East. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 16^th Generally cloudy with a light breeze from the South East. Men employed much the same as last week, cutting & hauling out logs ∞ fences, hinging &c. doors & shutters to new Stores. The remainder of the salt has this evening been disch^d from the Vanc^r. Several deer & geese traded from Kawitchins.

Tuesday 17 Beautiful clear weather, with light variable winds. Had to employ two carts with all our Indians to collect, cart & carry stones for ballast to the Vanc^r with our scows. Work of the others same as yesterday. No trade in furs. Some articles of provision were supplied the Cormorant in course of the day.

Wednesday 18^th Mild weather, people employed the same. About 10 A.M. H.M. Sloop Cormorant left this harbour for Esquoimalt preparatory to a final departure from this coast. Had all the sugar with 20 barrels molasses discharged to day from the Vancouver. Had an old useless cow killed to day ∞ use of the Cormorant. Mr. Ashby the Purser is still here with the bakers & is to settle all accounts before leaving. M^cPhail brought in one of the cows with calf this evening.

Thursday 19^th Raining all night & for a great part of the day. Had the remaining part of the molasses discharged to day from the Vanc^r. That ship is now being smoked & her company pass the night on shore except the watch. Men employed as usual, cutting & hauling out fence poles, preparing wood ∞ weather boarding Main House, pit sawing boards ∞ flooring New Store. We have George Aitkin now employed making hooks & staples for window shutters. He got over his recent complaint under the care of Dr. Nutt. Gravelle is also now enabled to perform duty his recent wound being but slight.

Friday 20^th Fine pleasant weather with a light breeze from the South East. Early this morning the officers & men left here by Captain Gordon on Wednesday joined the ship in the offing & all accounts being settled he left this {place} about 9 A.M. for S^t. Blass{sic}. Men employed as usual. Late in the evening the Beaver with the Columbia in tow arrived from Ft. Langley & brought all the exports Mr. Yale had on hand, together with his accounts for the year.

Saturday 21^st Generally clear with a fresh breeze from the Westward & some heavy showers of rain. Week's work as follows: all the window shutters & doors hinged on Store N^o. 5, about 100 boards planned & beaded ∞ weather boarding House N^o.3, nails & some axes made & repaired by Aitkin & Minie , three oil casks headed by Bayfield, 20 cords wood cut ∞ Steamer, about 120 yds fencing made with logs cut & hauled out ∞ d^o., 60 boards 2in sawn ∞ flooring new Stores, 4 skow loads ballast carted down from the fields & shipped on board the Vancouver, all the potatoes in store & roothouse turned. We had all the wood shipped on board the Steamer to day & that vessel will leave tomorrow morning for Nisqually. All the despatches from the S. Islands & elsewhere were this evening sent on board. Trade, some few ducks & geese. All the furs on board the Col^a from Langley were landed to day with some other small packages.

Sunday 22^nd Fine clear weather with light breeze from the westward. Early this morning the steam vessel left for Nisqually. Remained quiet.

Monday 23^rd Mild weather but very cloudy. No rain. Had a part of the men cleari^g fort & putting up a platform between the men's houses, two carting stones with 2 horses & carts for ballasting the Vanc^r, Allard & party weather board^g House N^o. 3 & the rest as last week except G. Aitkin & Minie who were making stove pipes. Little or no trade. Had all the Langley as well as our own furs dusted & aired in the hall to day preparatory to being pack^d for England.

Tuesday 24^th Mild weather as yesterday with some rain over night. Had all our Indians with two carters getting ballast for the Vancouver. The wood for the frame work of the fur box was shipped on board this evening. 5 hands were to day also clearing fort & making platforms & the rest as usual. Had 2 bales & 1 puncheon of our own & Langley furs packed for Eng^d. No trade worth noticing.

Wednesday 25^th Generally clear with a light breeze from the South East. Sent three hands on board the Vanc^r this morning to build the fur box & our Indians with carters are still busy ballasting her. ~~the~~ We had this evening finished the weather boarding of House N^o. 3 & the others employed as usual.

Thursday 26^th Occasional showers with a strong breeze from the South West. About noon the Beaver arrived from Nisqually with Messrs Douglas & Work as passengers. She was saluted from our bastions as well as by the Columbia & Vanc^r. Our people employed making fur box, making platforms & fences. Little or no trade.

Friday 27^th Fair weather wind strong from the Eastward over night. Had the Steamer's cargo from Nisqually disch^d to day, with 601 bundles shingles shipped on board the Columbia. People employed as yesterday, making fur box, ballasting the Vanc^r & performing sundry other jobs about the Estab^t. Trade, a few deer & ducks from Songes.

Saturday 28^th Beautiful weather, wind light & variable. Week's operations as follows: 80 2 in plank & 20 1in boards 12 & 20ft long sawn, the front of House N^o.3 weather boarded, six skow loads of ballast collected, carted & shipped on board the Vanc^r, about 40 logs ∞ fence hauled out & as many cut, part of the fur box built, all the shingles shipped on board the Columbia, stove pipes made & fenders made ∞ d^o.

Sunday 29^th Mild weather, wind light from the Northward. Read prayers ~~on Shor~~ here to day at which the officers of the ships in harbour attended.

Monday 30^th Raining during last night & had some showers throughout the day. Sent six hands this morning to assist in building the fur box on board the Vanc^r. Thomas with our Indians still ballasting that ship & our three carters employed carting down stones ∞ d^o., 4 pit sawing. Nothing coming in now for trade. Lemon arranging & transplanting apple trees in our orchard. Were busy to day supplying the Columbia’s crew with a few articles from Depot together with the retiring servants to Woahoo. Every thing is now shipped on board the Columbia for Woahoo & on board the Beaver for Nisqually. Mrs. Ross & family left this {place} in the evening & embarked on board the Beaver for Nisqually.

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