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Fort Victoria Post Journal February 1847

1847 February

Monday 1^st February. Overcast with slight drizzling rain, wind Easterly. The people employed as ∞ labor book: sawing flooring, raising oak & collecting stones & cutting cedar logs. No arrivals from any quarter & no trade either in furs or provisions.

Tuesday 2^nd Gloomy & lowering with rain in the evening & a strong breeze from the Eastward. Men employed as yesterday. Two skow loads of stones are now collected for the Granary foundation. The herrings are now very abundant in the harbour, by which numbers of wild fowl are attracted to the place.

Wednesday 3^rd Blowing a perfect hurricane from the South East last night, snowing almost all day with the wind more moderate from the same quarter. 6 men were to day squaring sleepers, Minie repairing ox chains and the rest employed as yesterday. No trade.

Thursday 4^th Stormy weather with frequent showers of rain, wind Easterly. Minie employed repairing ploughs & the others employed as yesterday.

Friday 5^th Had heavy fall of snow with a strong breeze from the South East. Nothing remarkable.

Saturday 6^th Gloomy & lowering with a fresh breeze from the South East. The result of the week's works are as follows: 145 2in plank sawn, 26 sleepers, 3 pieces 10ft long & 3 pieces 40ft long sq^d ∞ Granary, 2 pieces 40ft long 1ft sq^r squared ∞ skows & several large pieces ∞ Granary hauled out ∞ oxen, 2 1/2 skow loads of stones collected ∞ foundⁿ of d^o. 10 pieces 20ft long of spruce sq^d ∞ saw at Esquoi^t, 5 1^s futtocks 12ft long & 33 10ft pieces cut ∞ New Vessel, 4 spaces of the upper flooring of ~~house~~ Store N^o. 6 laid with plank, & 40 cedar logs hauled out of woods and about 20 bus. grain thrash^d by Indians. No trade.

Sunday 7 Cold & sleety with a strong breeze from the S.E. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 8^th Blowing fresh from the S.E., weather generally clear. This morning the men breakfasted at 9 o'clock instead of before they turn out which was the case since Nov^r. Operations in hand as last week & the people employed as ∞ the labor book. Some of the Sanetch tribe arrived this afternoon & brought a few small furs for trade. Lemon was employed moving the rocks where the Granary is to be built. Had an excursion to day the way of Sailor's plains in search of oak crooks for the New Vessel & marked some on that side for the people to cut.

Tuesday 9^th Keen frost overnight which left a thin coating of ice on the harbour, light airs from the North^d. Snitlum & son arrived this evening & brought some furs which are not as yet traded. Some Kawitchins also arrived with some trifles for trade. This evening 5 hands were employed digging between the island & the shore to lay the Granary foundation & the S1 clay is found deeper than expected which will much retard that operation. The others employed as yest^d.

Wednesday 10^th Mild weather throughout the day, but had very keen frost overnight. Men employed as yester^d: 17 beavers & otters & other furs were traded to day from Snitlum. One of our young heifers was found to day with calf which was brought in by M^cPhail. Dupuis for a part of the day carting. L. Dibeau driving oxen instead of Soke who is sick.

Thursday 11 Overcast with heavy rain in the afternoon, wind light from the N. West. Several parties of Kawitchins arrived to day & traded some fresh cod fish and dried salmon, 8 martens were also traded from the same party. The people employed as usual. Lecuyer & Friday on the sick list.

Friday 12 Heavy rain all the forenoon & all last night with light airs from the N. East. Some martens & raccoons were traded to day from Kawitchins. Snitlum & party left this {place} about noon & being bound to Nisqually, we sent some documents we had here for Vanc^r by him to be deliv^d to Dr. Tolmie. The people employed as yesterday. Lecuyer & Friday {on} sick list. Bahia being unable by a sore foot to perform out door work was employed to day & yest^y cleaning arms.

Saturday 13^th Overcast with occasional showers, wind light from S.E. This week's operations come to the following results viz^t: 1 oak crook 12ft long & 32 of 10ft long cut, 36 pieces 10ft long ∞ Granary squared, 164 boards 10ft long 2in thick sawn, six skow loads of stones collected ∞ Gran^y foundⁿ, about 30 solid feet of clay & sand removed from site of d^o., about 6 acres of land ploughed & about 20 bus. grain thrash^d, several ploughs & axes repaired by Minie . No trade to day in furs, in provisions a few wild fowl.

Sunday 14^th Alternately clear & cloudy with a strong breeze from the South ~~Eas~~ West. About 3 P.M. a Brig called the Henry from Boston arrived here & anchored at pt. Ogden. She touched at the S. Islands & was 53 days on her passage from that place. The Captain's object in touching here is having seventeen passengers on board for Oregon & being short of provisions. She confirms the news previously brought by the Vanc^r of the settlement of the Oregon boundary. 49^o – [56] being the line of demarcation.

Monday 15 Raining almost all day, wind Easterly, light. Several articles of provisions were to day supplied the Brig Henry to be settled by a Bill on G. Abernathy, Esq^r, Wallamette. Lecuyer & Friday still on the sick list & the others employed as last week.

Tuesday 16 Generally cloudy with light variable winds. The people employed as usual. Bill Edwards the American employed here since July last having seemingly got tired of our company; this morning solicited & obtained leave to join his countrymen in the Brig Henry. Mess^rs Lawton, Shaw, Douglas & Reeves, passengers on board the Brig from the Islands engaged a party of Songes to convey them to Nisqually & left this {place} for that place about 3 P.M. By them a letter was sent to the Board of Management with an A/c of the supplies advanced the Brig & an order on Mr. Abernathy for the payment thereof.

Wednesday 17 Mild but generally cloudy. Early this morning the Cadboro arrived from San Francisco with some hides & bags of tallow which were landed in course of the day. The Brig Henry is still in the offing. The people employed as yesterday except the party who were collecting stones, who were to day squaring logs for the saw. Some Indians arrived to day from the vicinity of Fraser's River & Kawitchin, the former report that Fraser's River is not yet navigable from ice, consequently Nisqually must be the Cadboro's destination from here, the latter traded a few furs & other trifles.

Thursday 18 Fine pleasant weather with a light Northerly wind. 30 barrels flour & a case of sundries were to day shipped on board the Cadboro for Nisqually. The people employed as yesterday. No trade.

Friday 19th Mild weather with occasional showers of rain. Men employed as usual except those who were sq^g yest^y who were to day digging between the island & the shore & collecting stones.

Saturday 20^th Fine & mild with variable winds. Early this morning the Cadboro left the harbour for Nisqually. Mr. Mouat the 1^st Officer with whom the men would not sail, took his passage on board the Henry for Columbia River. The principal results of our week's work are as follows: 31 oak top timbers, 5 2ⁱⁿ ft timbers 12ft long cut ∞ New Vessel, 40 logs ∞ saw, 12ft long hewn in the woods 166 2ins plank 12ft long sawn, about six skow loads of stones collected ∞ Granary foundⁿ, about 20 bus. grain thrash^d, 4 spaces of the flooring of N^o. 5 laid, about 8 acres of land ploughed. We have this evening laid the foundation in stones of the first buttress ∞ Granary. Trade, a few martens & a few other trifles from Tlalums & Kawitchins, the former being the first Tlalum party who visited us since last autumn.

Sunday 21^st Generally clear with light variable airs. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 22^nd Fine pleasant weather with a strong breeze from the Westward. Men employed as usual except 4 hands & some Indians, who were employed this afternoon it being low water, erecting the 1^stbuttress. No trade worth mentioning. Friday {on the} sick list & Bahia unable to do any thing but cleaning arms with his sore foot.

Tuesday 23^rd Wind blowing strong from the South East with frequent showers of rain. Men employed as yesterday. Had six hands & all our disposable Indians at work this afternoon erecting the 1^st buttress ∞ Granary foundation. Friday still {on the} sick list.

Wednesday 24^th Overcast with a strong breeze from the South East. We had the sawyers this evening employed erecting the foundation of the Granary & the others employed as usual. Nothing to enter respecting any fur trade & provisions is equally scarce.

Thursday 25^th Mild pleasant weather. We were employed till 10 o’clock last night erecting the Granary foundation it being then low water. Consequently the men so employed were allowed a few hours in the house before turning to this morning. No occurrence worth noticing. Trade for some time back extremely dull. We had all our furs dusted & aired & carried from the Indian Shop.

Friday 26^th Mild weather as yesterday. No trade worth mentioning. The people employed as yesterday. The second buttress has been completed about 10 P.M. last night & the third was comm^d this evening. About 3 P.M. Jealthac {variation of 'Jeealthuc'} who went with the Americans to Nisqually a week ago returned this evening having letters from that place together with a Copy of N Reqⁿ ∞ Out. '47.

Saturday 27^th Mild & warm with light variable airs. Nothing transpired out of the ordinary course of affairs. The principal results of the week's operations are as follows: 140 2in plank sawn, 20 logs ∞ saw hauled out of woods, about 12 acres of land ploughed, two stone buttresses ∞ Granary foundation erected, 4 spaces of the upper flooring of N^o. 5 laid, 41 oak timbers of 10ft & 4 timbers of 12ft cut ∞ New Vessel, about 25 bushels of grain thrashed by Indians.

Sunday 28^th Mild & occasionally overcast with a light breeze from the South East. John Lemon's wife departed this life about 3 P.M. after a long illness of three months: her complaint was an affectation of the lungs.

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