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Fort Victoria Post Journal January 1847

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1847 January

 

      Friday 1st  Jany 1847.  Blowing strong from the S. West.  Weather generally cloudy with a little rain. The people were enjoying the New Year ½ pt. rum being served out to each of them.  

      Saturday 2nd  Fine clear weather all day,  with a fresh breeze from the South West.  Week's work as follows:  91 boards 2 in & 13ft long sawn, 84 logs ∞ saw squared, 13 crooks of oak cut & squared ∞ New Vessel, 5 spaces of the lower flooring of No. 6 laid, 299 bushels of wheat fannd with wing machine. Snitlum arrived this evening & brought a few furs for trade.   We had our big boar gelded this evening & one of the sows was found with 5 young ones. 

      Sunday 3rd  Blowing strong from the S. East with frequent showers of heavy rain.    

      Monday 4th  Overcast with a moderate breeze from the N.N. East.  4 large beaver & 1 land otter & some few small furs were traded from Snitlum to day.  Some Cape Flatteries arrived but brought very little for trade. 10 hands were sent this morning to square sills for the Granery, 4 pit sawing & 4 raising oak, the others as usual. 

      Tuesday 5th  Hard frost over night. Beautiful clear weather throughout the day.  Wind fresh from the North. Several rush mats were traded to day from the Songes which are intended for Ft. Vancouver.  Different employments as yesterday.  All the land otter packs for Sitka were to day pressd. 

      Wednesday 6th  Keen frost last night also with some snow.  Beautiful weather throughout the day.  Wind light from the Northward.  3 beavers & a few minks were traded from some Kawitchins who arrivd this afternoon.  Men employed as usual.  Some goods for Forts Simpson & Stikine were packed up to be forwarded ∞ Steam Vessel.  

      Thursday 7th  Beautiful weather with light variable winds. Two canoes of Cape Flatteries arrived & brought only 1 large beaver for trade.  The people employed as on Monday, squaring wood ∞ Granery, raising oak ∞ New Vessel, pit sawing & making cart wheels, Indian lads cutting fence poles.  

      Friday 8th  Had some hard frost last night also.  Fine clear weather throughout the day.  The different operations in hand going on as usual.  No trade except some rush mats from the Songes.  

      Saturday 9th Frosty weather still continues but is more overcast to day than usual.  People employed the same.  No trade. The week's work is as follows vizt: 3 1st futtocks, 22 top timbers of oak cut & sqd,  137 boards 12ft long sawn, 6 sills, 6 posts, 7 beams, 5 beltings squared ∞ Granery, 1 cart wheel made,  173 bus. wheat fand & measd which with 299 of last week make 472 bus. Victoria wheat now cleand & measd, several fence poles & pickets were cut & split by the Indn lads & carted out of woods by Lecuyer & 200yds of the fence repd & these poles & pickets put on top for security. 

      Sunday 10th  Had a heavy fall of snow in course of last night.  Wind N. East & weather overcast throughout the day.  

      Monday 11th  More snow in course of last night which disappeared throughout the day.  Wind mod. from the Eastd which increased to a gale towards night.  The men were employed as last week.  Kamakeea on the sick list with a swollen finger.  No trade.  We had the potatoes in our cellar turned over by Indians in course of the day. 

      Tuesday 12  Stormy & sleety weather  wind Easterly.  All hands employed as usual, squaring, raising oak, & flooring No. 6, & pit sawing. Kamakeea was at work his sore finger having got better.  No trade of any kind.  

      Wednesday 13  Very stormy with a heavy fall of snow.  Wind S.E.  Work in hand as usual.  No trade.  

      Thursday 14th  Keen frost all night & snowing all day.  Wind strong from the N. East.  No occurrence of any note. 

      Friday 15th  Frosty weather still continues with snow.  Wind Easty.  The people employed as yesterday.  The oak party have now to go the length of Cedar Hill for crooks none being found nearer.  No trade. Ice on the lakes behind upwards of 1in. thick. 

      Saturday 16  Blowing a gale from the S. West for a great part of last night.  Keen frost towards morning & snowing almost all day.  Operations of the week are as follows:  23 oak timbers 10ft, 7 timbers 16 ft. & 4 timbers of 12 feet cut, 157 boards 12ft sawn, 13 posts, 15 beams & 11 belts for Granery squared, several logs ∞ fence cut by Indns & hauled out of woods by the oxen, 4 spaces of the flooring of No. 6 laid,  about 46b 148 bus. wheat cleaned ∞ fang machine.  Part of our potatoes has been injured in the cellar by the frost.  Six of our engagd Indians whose time expired to day was paid off for their services at the usual rate.  All the wheat of our crop of '45 now remaing & fand transferred to Depot amounts to 620 bus. 

      Sunday 17th Blowing strong from the Northward all night & during the day with keen frost which still continues.  Weather clear.  The ice on the ponds behind is now 4 inches thick.  Such severe frost has not before been experienced since our arrival here.  

      Monday 18th  Keen frost still continues.  Wind Northerly & generally overcast with snow.  Men employed much the same as last week: squaring timbers ∞ Granery, raising oak, sawing & lining boards on edges.  We began this morning thrashing out our grain.  6 Indians & Louis Satakarata were are employed at that work.  12 Indians were hired this evening for six months at the rate of 5 blankets each for that period.  We have the misfortune, not withstanding our precautions in securing them, to lose a considerable portion of our potatoes by the frost.  Kamakeea is again laid up confined to the house with his sore leg, he was however employed to day cleaning our guns.       

      Tuesday 19th  Snowing all night & during the day which now lies 8 ins. thick on the ground.  Wind light from the N.E.  Dupuis & McPhail were this morning sent off to the plains for all the cattle which they brought in & had them fed with hay & straw about the barns.  The others employed as usual.  Kamakeea laid up with his sore leg.  No trade. 

      Wednesday 20th Snowing almost all day.  Wind Easterly.  The people employed as yesterday. No trade.  About 2 P.M. the Beaver arrived from Nisqually on her way north.  The intelligence from that quarter is upon the whole favourable.  38[tt] cedar shingles were received from Nisqually. 

      Thursday 21st  Raining almost all night & blowing strong from the South East.  Mild throughout the day.  People employed the same.  Several articles were to day shipped on board the Steamer. Minie & Kamakeea sick list. 

      Friday 22nd  Keen frost overnight which continued throught the day.  Wind mod. strong from the Northd.  The otters for Sitka & the butter with sundry other articles for the use of the vessel were to day shipped on board the Beaver.  Minie & Kamakeea still on sick list & the others employed as yesterday except Dupuis who was sent in search of cattle with McPhail.  I regret to say that one of our steers was found dead on the plains behind as no external marks of violence could be seen on the carcass, it must have perished from cold or starvation. 

      Saturday 23 Frosty weather still continues.  Wind light from the Northward.  All our Indians were to day employed shipping wood on board the Steamer.  The result of our week's work is as follows: 140 boards 10 ft. long sawn, 5 posts, 10 beams 40ft long, 5 belts, 8 wallplates & cross beams ∞ Granery squared,  7 1st futtocks 2ft long, 9 floor timbers 16 feet long & 35 top timbers 10 ft long cut ∞ New Ship.  About 40 bushels of oats & wheat thrashed by Indians, 100 logs ∞ saw hauled out of woods & rafted across, & about 60 bush. Langley wheat fanned ∞ winng machine. 

      Sunday 24th Very cold weather with a strong breeze from the Northd.  The harbour was to day nearly frozen over.   

      Monday 25  Generally clear with a light wind from the East.  Early this morning the Beaver left for the North.  Charbonneau & Gabriel were sent to Esquoimalt this morning to cut cedar logs ∞ foundation of Granery & the others employed as last week, raising oak, squaring, pit sawing &c.  No Trade.  I went to Esquoimalt to day with the men & found the lagoon frozen over & the ice so strong that we walked over it to the head of the bay. 

      Tuesday 26th  Blowing a gale from the Eastward all night.  Mild weather throughout the day & thawing.  Men employed as yesterday. Trade, 2 beavers & several mats. All the floor timbers for the New Ship are now cut, but not squared.    

      Wednesday 27 Mild weather with a light wind from the Eastd.   The frost & snow begin now to disappear.  The people employed as usual.  Thomas Ouamtany with a party of Indians are employed at Esquoimalt hauling out cedar logs ∞ foundation of Granery. Some mats & other trifles were traded from the Songes.  

      Thursday 28th  Mild weather, wind light from the South East, the snow has not as yet disappeared.  People employed as yesterday.  No trade either in furs or provisions.  Nor any strange arrivals.  

      Friday 29  Weather mild as yesterday. All hands employed as usual.  No trade worth mentioning.  Lecuyer employed carting straw up to the cow house for the cattle. 

      Saturday 30  Weather heavy & overcast but very mild.  The snow has now nearly disappeared.  The week's work is as follows: 7 first futtocks, 5 floor timbers, & 23 top timbers ∞ New Vessel cut, 161 boards 11ft long sawn ∞ floorg, 50 logs ∞ saw sqd also 2 posts, 5 belts & 2 wallplates ∞ Granary sqd as were also 4 pieces 40 & 46 ft long fr 14 to 24ins. sqd ∞ New Skows cut for seasoning, about 20 bus. wheat thrashd & fannd, 100 cedar logs cut at Esquoimalt for the foundation of Granary, & part of them taken out of woods by the Indians, several pieces ∞ Granary & logs ∞ saw hauled out woods ∞ oxen. 

      Sunday 31st  Raining heavily all night. Weather beautifully clear throughout the day. Nothing remarkable.   

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