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Victoria Post Journal September 1846

1846 September

Tuesday 1^st September. Fine clear weather. Captain Kellett and some of his officers were to day on shore & purched {sic} several articles from us for dollars amongst which were two cows, killed for use of the ship's companies. These officers left late in the evening expecting to leave the Straits for Panama. M^cPhail while in search of his cattle found one of the oxen dead in a swamp behind. Men employed as yesterday.

Wednesday 2^nd Serene and pleasant with a strong Westerly breeze. Early this morning the Herald & Pandora took their final departure from this place for this year. The people employed as usual, ploughing, harrow^g, building & roofing as ∞ labor book. 130 bus. potatoes were traded to day from the Songes.

Thursday 3^rd Weather still continues fine & pleasant. We had six bales of the New Caledonia fur packed & pressed to day. 5 hands craddling the wheat at C{lover} Point field & the rest employ^d building, roofing & ploughing as usual. Some potatoes & fresh salmon were received in course of the day from the Songes.

Friday 4^th Blowing strong all day from the South West & the weather became cloudy in the afternoon. 12 packs of the Nez Perce & Colville furs were dusted & pressed to day. Men employed as usual except Minie who was reaping. Some potatoes & salmon were traded from Songes & Kawitchins. Friday still on sick list.

Saturday 5^th Very warm weather. Men employed as usual. Week's labor as follows: 6 acres of land cross ploughed & 20 harrowed, 27 boards 12 ft long sawn, the roof of #5 completed, the cross beams & stanchions prep^d & put up in both the New Stores, rafters ∞ ox stable cut out by the men & hauled ∞ oxen, 320 cov^g nails made, about 8 acres of wheat reap^d, the Dairy cov^d with bark, 6 boards 30ft long sawn, 18 packs of furs dusted & aired & press^d, Potatoes are daily being traded from Songes & Kawitchins. Had the people employed this afternoon binding & carrying spring wheat.

Sunday 6 No change in the weather & the day passed away quietly as usual.

Monday 7^th Clear pleasant weather with a strong Westerly breeze in the afternoon. Allard with six hands putting up rafters on ox stable, five men reaping spring wheat, 3 in quest of cattle & 3 ploughing & the others employed as last week. Some potatoes & fresh salmon were traded in course of the day from Songes & Kawitchins. 5 more bales of the Nez Perce & Snake Country furs were packed this afternoon.

Tuesday 8 Fine weather till 4 P.M. when it turned cloudy & had a shower of rain. 6 loads of spring wheat were bound to day & carted in, 3 more bales of the furs were packed & pressed, viz^t Ft. Victoria, Langley & Nisqually furs ∞ Outfit 1845. The people in the afternoon employed as yesterday.

Wednesday 9^th Generally clear with occasional light showers of rain. Almost all hands were to day reaping wheat and oats. Some fresh salmon were received from the Natives. No trade in furs.

Thursday 10^th Fine pleasant weather. Men employed as yesterday. We had our furs ∞ current Ou^t beat & aired to day & the Nisqually beef casks pickled. 4 barrels of salmon were traded & salted. This morning a canoe left this {place} for Langley by which a letter was sent to Mr. Yale.

Friday 11^th Overcast with wind light from the Eastward. 6 loads of spring wheat were bound & carted in this forenoon, Allard with two hands preparing boards for weather boarding the front of the Main House, some finishing of the platform in stable, Minie employed in the forge & the others as usual ploughing, craddling &c. Some few salmon were received from the Songes. We had a few Ouahu potatoes taken up this afternoon in the garden.

Saturday 12^th Alternately clear and overcast, had a very heavy shower of hail about noon accompanied with thunder. The people empl^d much the same as usual. The result of the week's work is as follows: 46 boards 12ft long & 2 of 20ft long sawn, a considerable portion of our grain housed, the rafters put up on stable & partly cov^d, the byre covered with cedar bark, about 8 acres of oats reaped & 20 of spring wheat, 6 acres of land cross ploughed & about 7 first ploughed, 20 boards prepared for weather boarding the front of the Main House & sundry iron works performed, 10 spaces of between the foundaⁿ blocks of Store #5 filled up with slabs. Little or nothing now doing in the fur trade.

Sunday 13^th Had some hoar frost in course of last night, fine pleasant weather all day. The pease sown in June are not likely to ripen, we shall therefore have to cut them green as they are, for fodder for our working cattle.

Monday 14 Beautiful weather with hoar frost over night. Almost all hands were to day binding the oats, reaping spring wheat & cutting pease. No trade in furs. About 40 fresh salmon received from the Songes. We are under the necessity of cutting our pease green, owing to the cattle being constantly found in the fields & part of the spring wheat will have to be cut down in the same state from the same cause.

Tuesday 15 Fine weather still continues. People employed cutting pease & reaping wheat except Allard who is employ^d preparing boards for weather boarding the Main House. Six ploughs have been under way for a part of the day preparing land for winter wheat. In the afternoon a team of oxen was carrying in the oats. A party of Cape Flatteries arrived to day but brought nothing but oil for trade.

Wednesday 16 No change in the weather. Allard & Lazard weather boarding Main House, two men roofing stable, 3 ploughing, 2 carting in oats & the rest binding wheat except the two sawyers, steward, watchman &c. Our dairyman shot an elk within two miles of the fort whilst feeding along with the cattle on the plains. We have this morning reaped the last of our grain. A few salmon were brought in to day by the Songes. That article is not so abundant this year as the last, consequently we must depend on other sources for the ensuing year's supply.

Thursday 17^th Beautiful weather with light airs, the mornings are however very foggy. Men employed much the same as yest^y. In the afternoon we began lifting our potatoes & brought in 30 bushs. About 11 A.M. H.M.S. Cormorant arrived from Nisqually: Messrs Sangster and Holland came as passengers, the former is to proceed on board of her to Beaver Harbour Johnston Strait. Mr. S. brought advice from Vancouver to the 7^th inst. Some few articles were packed up for Cap^t Gordon this afternoon for his North^d trip.

Friday 18^th Clear weather as usual with a strong breeze from the South West. Early this morning the Cormorant left on her North^d trip. Men employed lifting potatoes, prep^g boards ∞ Main House, plough^g, roof^g &c. Some Cape Flattery Indians arrived to day with oil, which we cannot trade for want of casks. 219 bus. potatoes were taken up to day.

Saturday 19^th Overcast portending rain. Men empl^d as usual. Week's work as follows: 50 boards 1in 11ft long & 2 of 20ft long sawn, about 10 acres of ~~land~~ wheat sown, reaped & housed, 6 of pease cut, about 15 acres of land ploughed, 440 bus. potatoes taken up & carted in, 189 of which taken up to day, 100 boards dress^d ∞ weather boarding Main House, a pair of cart wheels repaired, 200 cov^g nails made, the ox stable roof^d & three plough shares rep^d by Minie . Little or no trade in furs. Goods to the amount of 90 dollars sold during the week, principally to the Cormorant crew.

Sunday 20 Overcast with a strong breeze from the South West. No occurrence of any note.

Monday 21 Fine pleasant weather, wind strong from the South West. Men employed as follows: 4 squaring logs ∞ saw, 3 putting up weather boarding on Main House, 1 prep^g cellar for potatoes, 1 rep^g fanning {machine} & the others as on Saturday. 186 bus. of potatoes were taken up in course of the day. No trade in furs & very little in provisions. Gravelle was all day in search of his oxen without find^g them.

Tuesday 22 Occasionally overcast, people employed as yesterday. 159 bushels potatoes were taken up to day. Our best stallion was taken in a few days ago for the purpose of breaking him in for the plough & this morning Dupuis having from inexperience lengthened the rope with which he was tied, that he might have more freedom in the stable, the result was that he was most unfortunately strangled shortly after he had left him there this morning. Two packages of furs were this evening packed & press^d for England.

Wednesday 23^rd Mild weather as yesterday. We had 4 puncheons of furs examined, aired, dusted, pack^d & press^d to day. 144 bus. potatoes were taken up in course of the day, 72 of which were put in N^o.2 Cellar making 825 bus. in all deposited there. Some few mistakes were found in the packing of the Vanc^r fur puncheons, such as martens marked instead of minks, which were of course rectified.

Thursday 24^th Had thick fog early this morning, succeeded by a clear warm day. We had 6 bales of the Victoria, Langley & Nisqually furs ∞ Curr^t Outfit, dusted, aired & packed. 126 bushs. potatoes taken up. The men employed much the same as usual.

Friday 25^th Beautiful weather as yesterday. All the Victoria, Nisqually & Langley furs ∞ Curr^t O^t .are now packed & press^d for England. Some moths having been found in the Langley furs, we had them out before the sun all day. In the evening one of the Ind^ns who attends the Shop brought one of them home dead this evening, having been caught by a panther. 108 bus. potatoes were taken up to day & housed. No trade of any kind. Allard finish^d weath^r board^g the M{ain} House this evening.

Saturday 26^th Fine pleasant weather with light variable airs. This week's labour is as follows: 34 logs for saw squared, 29 boards of & 2in 10ft long sawn, about 20 acres of land ploughed, the front of Main House weatherboarded, 7 bales & 8 puncheons of furs packed & pressed for England. 1085 bus. potatoes {illegible word or words} taken up to day, making 828 bus. during the week. A party of Cape Flatteries arrived this afternoon & brought a letter from Captain Kellett importing his having left the Straits on the 9^th. We have now 12[6]8 {unclear, perhaps '1238'} bus. potatoes taken in including this & the last week.

Sunday 27^th Had vivid lightning in course of last night, fine warm weather in course of the day. Several canoes of Cape Flattery Indians arrived in course of the day. The Chief & family are lodged within the stockade for the night.

Monday 28^th Had a heavy shower of rain overnight & pleasant weather throughout the day. Men employed as ∞ labor book, ploughing, making doors & shutters ∞ New Store, squaring & lifting potatoes. 2 sea otters & 1 pup with other sundries such as oil & minks were traded to day from the Maccahs. 108 bus. potatoes taken up to day & housed.

Tuesday 29^th Had some rain over night, weather generally overcast throughout the day. The people employed the same. All the Cape Flatteries left in course of last night. This day 117 bus. potatoes were taken up & housed.

Wednesday 30^th Raining for some time during the forenoon, afterwards kept fair. About noon the Cadboro entered the harbour from Col^a River with a cargo of furs & our O^t. ∞ this O^t. with Serv^ts Orders. She left Vanc^r on the 10^th. Men employed as usual. All the furs were disch^d this afternoon from the Cadboro. 171 bus. potatoes were to day taken up.

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