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Fort Victoria Post Journal April 1847

1847 April

Thursday 1^st April Fine pleasant weather with light variable winds. The B^qu Cowlitz was towed out of the harbour in course of the afternoon to the outer anchorage. Letters & other documents were given to Captain Weynton for Vanc^r he being now clear of our harbour. 8 men were this day squaring oak for New Vessel, 2 delving ground for potatoes in garden, 1 covering & preparing second dairy, Lazard repairing carts, Minie making larger hooks & staples ∞ new store windows than those at present there. Kamakeea again sick with his leg. No trade. The Cowlitz saluted the fort on leaving the harbour which we returned.

Friday 2^nd Clear weather with a strong breeze from the South West. About 9 A.M. the Cadboro arrived from Langley which she left on the 27^th ult^o. We began discharging her cargo in the afternoon, which consists of wheat, pork & empty beef barrels. The people employed as yesterday. The B^qu Cowlitz is still anch^d in the offing.

Saturday 3^rd Generally overcast with a light breeze from the South East. Men employed much as usual. The Cadboro had been discharged & loaded in course of the forenoon. She is now 4 pm ready to leave for Vanc^r. Week's work as follows: 20 posts for ∞ Granary mortised, also four sills ∞ d^o. mortised, 8 logs from 20 @ 30 ft 12in sq^r of oak squared, all the chimnies rep^d, the sec^d dairy cov^d, about 16 acres of land ploughed, 10 hooks made ∞ shutters of New Store & sundry other minor jobs performed about the Estab^t.

Sunday 4^th Blowing strong from the South West. Weather generally clear. The Cowlitz & Cadboro are still at anchor being unable to proceed on their voyage by the contrary winds.

Monday 5^th Blowing strong from the Eastward & weather overcast. About 9A.M. the Cowlitz and Cadboro left this {place} & were soon out of sight having had a favourable wind. We had 15 bushels pease sown & harrow^d to day on the other side James Bay & 2 1/2 bus potatoes planted in the garden being the first this year. Friday with two Indians were boiling pickle, drained off the Nisqually beef. People employed as ∞ labor book, sowing, harrowing, building, raising oak, pit sawing &c. No trade.

Tuesday 6^th Raining heavily in course of last night, clear pleasant weather throughout the day, wind light from the South West. People employed as usual. 9 bushels pease were sown to day & harrowed. A wolf which had been killed some time ago by strychenine was buried to day. A Langley Indⁿ arrived in the evening & brought some furs which are kept at present in store for security. Kamakeea, being unable to perform outdoor work with a sore leg was to day attending Indians picking potatoes. Mr. M^cKay has been ill for the last two days by a cold attended by headache: he is now I am happy to say recovering.

Wednesday 7^th Mild & overcast with light drizzling rain. 12 bushels pease were sown & harrowed to day. Some pease were also sown in the garden. Men employed as usual except Lazard who was making tables ∞ dairies. 50 martens & 5 beavers were traded from the party who arrived last night.

Thursday 8^th Fine and warm with light variable airs. 5 bushs. of pease were to day sown & harrowed. People employed as usual. We have now got 41 logs of oak from [20 @] 40 ft squared for plank ∞ New Vessel which will be sufficient for outside planking. The party are now raising oak beams. About 5 pm Cotè arrived with the canoe that left this {place} with English packet on the 23^rd ult^o having as passengers from Nisqually Messrs. Sangster & Keane {Kane} who are to remain here for the present.

Friday 9^th Generally clear with a strong South Westerly breeze in the evening. Had the horses to day ploughing land for oats, oxen hauling out fence poles, 5 hands making fences with Indians, 4 squaring oak beams ∞ New Vessel & the others employ^d as usual. 10 beaver & otters were traded from Kawitchins. Some crops, cabbage & beet seeds were sown to day in the garden & was also some raddish seed being the first this season.

Saturday 10^th Clear pleasant weather with a strong breeze from the South West. No strange arrivals & no trade of any consequence. The result of our week's operations are as follows: 5 plank of 3 in thick 18in broad & 40 ft long sawn ∞ New Skows, 16 oak logs from 20 @ 30 ft long sq^d ∞ plank & 5 oak beams sq^d ∞ New Vessel, 41 bus. pease sown & harrowed, about 3 acres of land ploughed, about 80 yds fencing made & 800 yds d^o. repaired, 2 ox yokes made & some iron work made by Minie , 17 stands ∞ cattle put up in cow shed, the second dairy cov^d & shelving put in d^o., about 30 bus. grain thrash^d & 10 fan^d. The impure pickle drained off 200 Nisqually beef casks, boiled, the scum skim^d off, cooled & returned to the same casks.

Sunday 11^th Beautifully clear weather with light variable airs. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 12 Fine weather still continues. The people employed as ∞ labor book, ploughing, harrowing & sowing oats, collecting stones ∞ Granary, squaring oak beams ∞ New Vessel &c. No trade worth noticing. 18 1/2 bush. oats were sown to day & harrowed.

Tuesday 13^th Fine & warm as yesterday with light variable airs. The people employed as yesterday except Kamakeea who was assisting Friday pickling the Nisqually beef casks. 15 1/2 bus. oats were sown to day. We had four ploughs & four harrows under way & the field of oats being finished in the afternoon began ploughing the potatoe field. Some Songes traded 5 beavers, 2 otters, 1 bear skin & a few other furs this afternoon. Some beet root were sown in the garden.

Wednesday 14^th Serene & beautiful. Several Skatchets arrived in course of the day & traded 14 beavers, 2 otters, 12 lynxs, 4 martens & a few other small furs. Some Langley Indians arrived about the same time. 13 bus. oats were sown & harrowed, being now in all 47 bus. sown this spring. People employed as usual.

Thursday 15^th Very warm weather, with light variable airs. Had 10 men & our engaged Indians employed till noon erecting the fourth buttress ∞ Granary foundation. They were afterwards at their usual occupations. No trade worthy of notice.

Friday 16^th Fine weather still continues. People employed the same. No trade, nor any occurrence worthy of notice.

Saturday 17^th Serene & beautiful weather. The people were employed at their usual occupations. The principal results of the week's operations are as follows: 8 oak crooks ∞

after transoms ∞ New Vessel squared, 10 skow loads of stones collected, one buttress built ∞ Granary foundation, 47 bushels of oats sown & harrowed, about 15 acres of land ploughed, about 100 yds fencing repaired, 32 bushs. wheat fanned & about 20 thrashed & 15 of oats, 80 Nisqually beef casks repickled, 2 ox yokes made, the door of Store N^o. 6 lined on the inside with inch boards, new hooks & staples made ∞ window shutters of d^o., one wheel barrow made & 2 1/2 bus. potatoes planted in the garden, with an additional quantity of earth placed round the apple trees in the orchard. No trade of any consequence to day.

Sunday 18^th Overcast with some rain in course of the day. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 19^th Had some rain over night, weather generally clear throughout the day with a strong breeze from the South West. We began opening drills for potatoes this morning in the field & 3 carts carting dung ∞ d^o., 2 ploughing, 1 harrowing & the others as last week, collecting stones, repickeling beef &c. No trade. Vegetation is now rapidly advancing, many bushes being in full blossom. Our wheat is now becoming quite green.

Tuesday 20^th Mild and overcast people employed at their usual occupations. No trade worth mentioning. We have now got the fourth buttress erected for the Granary foundation & two more middle ones are still wanting to complete the principal ones for which we are daily collecting stones. We have 4 carts employed carting manure for the potatoe field.

Wednesday 21^st Weather same as yesterday. Men's employments the same. Some Tlalums arrived in course of the day but brought nothing for trade. Mr. Holland with one hand is employed making fine salt for the butter. The Nisqually beef casks are now all repickled.

Thursday 22^nd Fine and warm with light variable airs. Had 7 men employed to day erecting the Granary foundation, the tides not falling now sufficiently low we must at present abandon that operation. No trade, nor any strange arrivals.

Friday 23^rd Had a heavy shower of rain this forenoon with a strong breeze from the South East. Mr. Kane, who accompanied Mr. Sangster from Nisqually, crossed the Straits this morning to the Tlalum Village in a Songes canoe. Our interpreter accompanied him across. People employed as yesterday, except those collecting stones who were to day squaring pieces.

Saturday 24^th Beautiful weather with light variable airs. Gagnon has been employed to day whitewashing the roofs of the new stores with a mixture made of lime & glue. Week's operations are as follows: viz^t six skow loads of stones collected ∞ Granary foundation, one stone buttress made ∞ d^o., drills opened in 10 acres of land & about 8 acres manured for potatoes, the usual quantity of grain, about 20 bus thrash^d, about 200 yds of fence repaired & about 1/2 acre of land delved in the garden, 12 rakes made by Lazard & parts ∞ win^g machine mortised by Minie & some iron works rep^d by the same man. No trade to day worth noticing. Our potatoes being now all expended except 400 bus. kept for seed, we were under the necessity of grinding wheat with our hand mill & issuing out an equal quantity of flour & pease instead of potatoes, being for each such as follows: 10 1/2 oz. coarse flour, 5 qt pease, 1/2oz. grease & the usual quantity of salt salmon, 34 filling up pieces & 1 wallplate were squared for the Granary.

Sunday 25^th Beautiful weather with light variable airs. About 1 pm the Beaver arrived from the North: the news from that quarter is upon the whole favorable. She made a quick passage of 11 days from Ft. Simpson, considering her having called at Bellakoola.

Monday 26^th Fine weather still continues had a strong breeze from the South West in course of the day. Had to send 10 hands to cut wood for the Steamer, the rest as last week. Shipped to day on board the Steamer: 20 barrels salmon & 200 empty barrels for Nisqually, we got the wood shipped on board by Indians, letters & other documents were written this afternoon & handed to Captain Doud {Dodd} he is therefore ready to leave for Nisqually to morrow morning. Three foals were found to day by the dairy men.

Tuesday 27^th Fine pleasant weather & blowing fresh from the South West. About 9 AM the Beaver left the harbour for Nisqually. Almost all hands were to day employed planting potatoes. Little or nothing done in the fur trade, but got several deer & some wild fowl from Kawitchins.

Wednesday 28 Generally overcast with heavy rain in the evening. 11 hands were to day employed cutting wood for the Steamer & the rest employed as yesterday, planting potatoes &c. Some dried salmon & cod fish were traded from Kawitchins.

Thursday 29^th Overcast with a little rain during the day but rained heavily over night. Were busy all day planting potatoes and manuring the field. No trade.

Friday 30 Fine weather with a light breeze from the South West. 9 hands cutting wood ∞ Steamer. About 10 AM Mr. Kane arrived with the party who accompanied him from the Tlalum Village, all safe. About 6pm the Beaver arrived from Nisqually & brought a letter from Dr. Tolmie but none from Vanc^r. The Cowlitz and Cadboro were reported to have entered Baker's Bay safely from this place about the 14^th inst.

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