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Fort Victoria Post Journal March 1847

1847 March

Monday ~~29th~~ 1^st March. Raining almost all day. The people employed as last week except four men who were squaring & Minie repairing ploughs. This evening the remains of Lemon's wife were consig^d to the tomb.

Tuesday 2^nd Alternately clear and cloudy, wind light from the South East. People employed the same. One of our last spring calves was killed at the cow house in course of last night by the wolves, a bait with strychenine was consequently this evening placed there.

Wednesday 3^rd Beautiful weather with a light breeze from the Westward. 5 hands were to day squaring down the oak & 4 cutting oak pieces. Two cows with calves were taken in to day. Indians collecting stones, 72 bus. pease were fan^d to day & yest^y. No trade.

Thursday 4^th Beautiful weather, wind light from the Southward & Eastward. 10 hands were to day hewing oak crooks as also were 8 Indians conducted by Ouamtany. No Trade. Nor any strange arrivals

Friday 5 Had a heavy fall of snow over night & continued snowing for sometime this forenoon, wind fresh from N.E. People employed as yesterday except Kamakeea, who is again on the sick list. No trade.

Saturday 6^th Keen frost last night which continued all day with a cold piercing wind from the South ~~Eas~~t North. No trade worth mentioning. The result of this week's work is as follows: 154 2in plank sawn, 19 oak crooks 12ft & 18 of 10ft long cut & 68 crooks squared on two sides, 100 bus. grain fan^d & about 30 bus thrash^d, about 8 acres of land ploughed, a quantity of stones collected ∞ Granary foundation & sundry other minor jobs performed about the Estab^t. Three men are now confined to the house viz^t: Kamakeea, Friday & Bahia, the two latter however perform some duty by cleaning arms.

Sunday 7^th Very keen frost last night which continued throughout the day with a strong cold wind from the North. Had to feed the cattle this morning at the barns with all our straw, they having collected there in large numbers.

Monday 8^th Fine clear weather with frost as yesterday but the weather became milder towards evening. The ice in several places is now 4 or 5 inches thick. Men employed principally as last week except the ox drivers who were hauling out logs for the saw, the ground being too hard to admit of ploughing. No trade worth mentioning. Bahia, Kamakeea & Friday who were on the sick list for some time back resumed duty this morning.

Tuesday 9^th It frose hard last night also & the ice is ov a half an inch thick in the harbour. We were employed this afternoon erecting the third buttress & employed all the stones collected. The other men occupied as usual.

Wednesday 10^th Snowing all day, wind Easterly. People employed the same. About 2 P.M. the Cadboro arrived from Nisqually with a cargo of beef & shingles from that place. The harbour is still cov^d over with a slight coating of ice.

Thursday 11 Snowing for sometime this forenoon. About noon it became quite mild &h & the snow is rapidly disappearing. Had all our Indians employed discharging the Cadboro & the men employed at their usual occupations. No trade. Had some hay & straw carted out to day for our cattle.

Friday 12^th Mild weather, thawing rapidly & the snow fast disappearing. We have this evening cut the last of the 1^st futtock pieces ∞ New Vessel, 100 being now cut. The men employed as yesterday. The Indians except the thrashers discharging Cadboro & shipping salt. I had a trip to day on the plains to see the oak & found 2 foals with the mares. Six of the cows were found with their calves on the plains. M^cPhail & Dupuis were sent in search of them. No trade, nor any strange arrivals,

Saturday 13^th Still thawing with slight drizzling rain. All the salt which the Cadboro can carry has been shipped on board of her this forenoon. The principal results of this week's operations are as follows: 129 2in plank sawn, 29 oak crooks of the 12 feet, 3 crooks of 10ft long and 62 oak crooks squared down, 5 spaces of the flooring of N^o.5 laid. The two New Stores are now floored, a quantity of grain thrash^d equal to last week, several hundred fence poles cut & hauled out ∞ oxen & sundry other jobs performed about the Estab^t. No trade worth mentioning.

Sunday 14^th Mild weather & thawing rapidly. No occurrence of any note.

Monday 15^th Raining in course of the forenoon, cleared up in the evening with a westerly wind. 7 beavers, 1 land otter, 8 lynx & a few other small furs were traded to day from Skatchets. The remainder of the cargo for Langley was shipped to day on board the Cadboro, so that she is now ready to sail for that post. The men employed as last week except Minie who was employed in the forge. Lazard and Kamakeea squaring oak pieces ∞ plank for the New Vessel.

Tuesday 16^th Cloudy with several showers of rain. ~~from the~~ Wind from the Eastward. 11 hands were to day employed hewing oak ∞ New Vessel. The others as usual, Indians employed repairing fences, M^cPhail & Dupuis taking in the cows that have calved. Early this morning the Cadboro left for Langley. No trade worth noticing.

Wednesday 17 Showery & blowing fresh from the S. West. 10 hands rafting pieces ∞ Granary and other purposes, the others as usual. Oak logs ∞ plank of 30ft long are so scarce that 5 men only found two all this day, we must therefore cut them less than that length. No trade.

Thursday 18 Alternately clear and cloudy with occasional showers, wind blowing strong from S.W. 10 hands were employed to day rafting large logs ∞ plank intended for skows which the sawyers are now sawing. In the afternoon the same men with some of our hired Indians were making a dairy for Dupuis, Dibeau & Lecuyer plough^g with horses. Some Tlalums arrived in the evening but brought nothing for trade.

Friday 19 Mild and overcast. The gang who were rafting yesterday, were employed to day erecting a second dairy. Minie repairing the crane & the others employed as yesterday except Francois Satakarata who is sick. No trade.

Saturday 20^th Blowing a gale from the South West with frequent showers of rain. About 9 A.M. a ship anchored in the offing supposed to be from England. Nothing now is hardly got from the Natives in the shape of furs. The week's operations as follows: 5 oak timbers 10ft ∞ New Vessel, 12 logs from 20@32 ft, 12+14in sq^re squared ∞ d^o., 20 timbers ∞ d^o. sq^d on two sides, 109 boards sq^re 8 @ 10ft long & 9 2 ½ in plank 40ft long sawn, the latter ∞ New Skows, a second dairy erected ∞ Dupuis, about 1000 yds of fencing repaired & about the usual quantity of grain, say about 20bus. thrash^d by the engaged Indians, a raft of Granary pieces & 2 large logs of 20in sq^d ∞ New Skows rendered, the ~~grats~~ crane repaired by Minie , about 10 acres of land ploughed & several logs ∞ fences & other purposes hauled out ∞ oxen.

Sunday 21^st Generally overcast with a mod. breeze from the South West. About 8 A.M. the ship which anchored yesterday in the offing entered the harbour which proved to be the B^qu Cowlitz Captain Weynton, direct from England with the NW & Columbia Outfit. She miss^d the channel in Shoal point bay where she grounded & remained there all day. The English despatches were landed in the morning & we immediately began to take copies of the documents for this Estab^t & to get everything prepared for a forwarding the packet tomorrow morning to Nisqually.

Monday 22^nd Mild weather throughout the day, but it began to blow hard from the South East in the evening with heavy rain. Early this morning the Cowlitz was taken in to the inner harbour where she is now safely at anchor. About 10 A.M. every thing being prepared for dispatching the packet, Francois Coté in a canoe man^d by eight Indians left this {place} with it for Nisqually. Mr. Holland with 5 of our men left at the same time in one of the ship's boats to convey the canoe across the Straits to point Wilson & it is to be hoped that the party reached the opposite shore in safety before the wind rose in the evening. The men were employed to day cutting out the Granary frame work, putting battens on the lower flooring of N^o. 6, Gagnon & Charbenneau pit sawing, 5 hands off with Mr. Holland, Okaia on the sick list & the others as last week. The dairy men found the remains of a cow killed by the wolves to day on the plains. We could not land cargo to day owing to the wetness of the weather. Trade, 150 cod fish which were given to the Cowlitz crew.

Tuesday 23^rd Blowing strong from the South West all night, in course of the day weather generally clear. Were busy all this day discharging cargo from the Cowlitz at which all hands were for some time emp^d. Nothing done in the way of trade.

Wednesday 24^th Mild weather with light variable winds. Were busy discharging this day also. Traded 2 land otters & 2 deer from Sanetch. Dupuis brought in some fresh butter this evening, being the first this season.

Thursday 25^th Mild weather. Owing to there having some difficulty on board in finding the NW packages amongst the cargo only 1 skow load was landed to day. The people employed cutting out the Granary pieces. No trade. Late in the evening Mr. Holland returned with the ship's boat from Point Partridge where he left Coté fairly on his way to Nisqually. In crossing they were wind bound on Belle view Island all day Tuesday & part of yesterday, which detained them so long, supposing this morning that something must have happened to the party by their non appearance I dispatched Ouamtany with 10 of our eng^d Indians in search of them & have not as yet returned.

Friday 26^th Generally clear with light variable winds. The men employed principally discharging the Cowlitz. No trade worth mentioning. Ouamtany is not as yet returned with the Indians.

Saturday 27^th Fine pleasant weather with a light Westerly breeze. The wo ordinary work performed has this week been much interrupted by having a great part of our complement of men employ^d discharging the ship. About 600 packages are now landed & deposited in N^o. 6, about the usual quantity of grain thrash^d & fan^d, about 10 acres of land ploughed & several posts ∞ Granary mortised, 5 3in plank 20in broad & 43ft long sawn ∞ New Skows. The dairy men found two mares yesterday that had foal^d but the foals have either been destroyed by wolves or died from some other cause; another young calf has been devoured by these voracious animals.

Sunday 28^th Fine pleasant weather with a fresh breeze from the South West. About 9A.M. Ouamtany with the party sent away on Thursday morning returned all safe.

Monday 29^th Beautiful weather with light variable airs. The people employed as ∞ labor book, mortising posts ∞ Granary, ploughing, landing cargo &c. One skow load of goods were landed from the Cowlitz this evening being all they could get to day. M^cPhail & Dupuis are daily bringing in the cows with their calves.

Tuesday 30^th Hoar frost over night, fine clear weather in course of the day. People employed as yesterday. Two boat loads of goods were landed in course of the day from the Cowlitz, 2 anchors & a chain cable are yet to be landed. Several wild fowl & some fish were traded, part of which were supplied the ship. Early this morning a canoe left for Langley by which all the letters here for that post were forwarded & one from me ann^g the safe arrival of the Cowlitz.

Wednesday 31^st Had some frost overnight, weather beautifully clear all day. Men emp^d as yesterday. 2 large anchors & a chain cable were landed to day from the Cowlitz, being the last pieces that can be landed from her of the NW O^t. There are 7 packages still on board which cannot at present be found in the hold, they are therefore to be taken on to Vanc^r.

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