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Fort Victoria Post Journal September 1847

1847 September

Wednesday 1^st September- Fine clear weather. Captain Morin & nearly all his crew came ashore to day & were lounging about here all day. We had the Ft. Simpson & Steamer beavers dusted and aired to day which appears in the finest possible order & were finally packed for shipment to England. We have now got all our pease cut but not as yet all housed. There being but little employment for Dupuis now at the Dairy, not having more then 40 cows that give milk I ordered him to resume for a time his old occupation of ploughing, which he is to commence to morrow. M^cPhail has two Indian lads to assist him. Dupuis since the 24^th March made 18 1/2 kegs butter & supplied the Estab^t. with ab^t 80 ^lbs being the whole produce of his Dairy.

Thursday 2^nd Weather warm as yesterday. People employed the same, packing & pressing furs &c. No trade in furs. All the Coast furs that have been as yet examined here of were found in excellent condition.

Friday 3^rd Fine pleasant weather. People employed as usual. About noon the Russian Brig Beay Call Lieut. Roudakoff, Master entered the harbour from Sitka, having been piloted up the Straits by Captain Duncan who fell in with her on his way hither from the Sandwich Islands with the Columbia.

Saturday 4^th Weather generally clear. Operations the same. Letters & other documents were written in course of last night to Vanc^r which were forwarded this morning to Nisqually with the packet from the Islands. Coté was sent in charge of the canoe, Ebony and Bahia were with 5 of the Natives were sent with him. 45 bales of furs were dusted, aired, packed & pressed for England this week. All the pease housed & sundry other jobs performed about the stores. Captain Roudakoff & officers were on shore this afternoon, riding about this vicinity.

Sunday 5^th Fine clear weather with a strong breeze from the South West. Early this morning the Columbia left for Fort Langley, at the same time the French whaler left for the Gulf of Georgia where she is to cruise about for some time.

Monday 6^th Beautiful weather with light variable winds. We had five ploughs under way to day ploughing land for fall wheat & the rest of the men as last week, at the furs. The ballast was being discharged to day from the Russian Brig preparatory to receiving wheat. No trade worth mentioning. A sailor who concealed himself on board the Columbia on leaving Ouahu was landed here from that vessel & we have him employed here for the present. Friday & Gabriel on the sick list with pains in the chest.

Tuesday 7 Fine clear weather with light airs generally from the North^d. We began shipping wheat this forenoon on board of the Russian Brig, every tenth bus. is weighed in the Store with one of their Officers looking on. The bus. of wheat shipped to day average 60 3/4lb, in all, 480. The people employed ploughing, performing some jobs about the Granary & measuring, win^g & carrying down wheat to the skows. No trade. Dibeau, Gabriel & Friday on the sick list, the former with a swollen finger.

Wednesday 8^th Fine and warm. We have shipped 1080 bus. wheat to day on board the Beycall at which the greater number of our people was employed. No trade of any kind.

Thursday 9^th Blowing strong from the South West during last night & throughout the day, weather generally clear. We had 1500 bus. wheat to day shipped on board the Beycall About 11 Am the Cadboro made her appearance from Columbia River, having as cargo 900 bus. wheat, furs & other sundries. No trade worth mentioning. Letters and other documents ~~were~~ from Vanc^r were duly delivered by Captain Scarborough.

Friday 10^th Hazy & smoky with the weather very dry. We shipped to day on board of the Bey call 580 bus. wheat from Depot and 400 from the Cadboro. All the biscuit, furs and other sundries on board the Cadboro for this place were landed in course of the day. Gabriel, Keave, M^cPhail & the two Islanders from the Columbia on the sick list.

Saturday 11^th Very smoky & hazy as yesterday. The Brig Bay Call has now got her cargo of wheat on board, a Bill of Exchange in payment for which was delivered me this forenoon by Captain Roudakoff. The wheat on board of the Cadboro is loaded & some ballast shipped on board of her. The people were employed during the week discharging & shipping cargo, packing & pressing furs, ploughing & harrowing. 36 bales of furs were packed, pressed, 4000 bus. wheat measured, weigh^d & shipped on board the Bay Call, the Cadboro's cargo discharged, 20 acres of land ploughed & sundry other duties performed about the Store.

Sunday 12^th Weather very hazy as yesterday with dense smoke. 10 Cape Flattery canoes arrived this morning with some sea otters and oil for trade.

Monday 13^th Overcast with heavy rain in the evening. People employed ploughing packing and preparing furs. 100 gns. oil were traded to day from the Cape Flatteries. The Cadboro & Bay Call remain in the offing waiting a fair opportunity to proceed to sea. 2 1/2 puncheons of rum left here by the Cowlitz has been shipped on board the Cadboro for Columbia River.

Tuesday 14 Raining all night & beautiful clear weather throughout the day. Early this morning the Cadboro left for Columbia River. The Cape Flatteries would not dispose of their sea otters at the usual price to day but probably will do so before they leave. Men employed as yesterday, preparing & packing furs.

Wednesday 15^th Overcast with slight drizzling rain all day which fell more heavily towards evening. Were busy to day also tying up martens, drying & airing them before the fires preparatory to their being pack^d. 9 sea otters were traded this forenoon from the Cape Flatteries at 7 blkts & a fm of baize for each large one. They left for their own place about noon. Had five ploughs under way ploughing land for fall wheat.

Thursday 16^th Raining almost all night & for some time the afternoon. People employed as usual, packing furs & ploughing. No trade.

Friday 17^th Generally overcast with some light showers of rain. We have this evening completed packing & pressing all the furs on hand at present, for England & safely deposited in N^o. 6 ready for shipment. Nothing now remaining but deer skins, oil, whale bone, ox hides & castoreum. People employed as usual. M^cPhail & Dibeau still on the sick list. No trade.

Saturday 18^th Fine pleasant weather with light variable airs. People employed as usual. We had 80 packages of furs packed & pressed for England this week, 12 acres of land ploughed, the potatoe cellar repaired & sundry other jobs performed about the Store. M^cPhail & Dibeau still unable to work. The Songes are now beginning to arrive & encamp here for the winter from their fisheries. No trade except a few dried salmon. 40 battens of 30 ft long were also sawn for the fur box & the Cadboro got ready for sea.

Sunday 19^th Raining in course of the afternoon the weather being previously clear. Nothing remarkable transpired.

Monday 20^th Fine pleasant weather with a fresh breeze from the South West. People employed as follows: 2 rep^g roofs of barns & dwelling houses, 2 straight edging boards ∞ fur box, 2 pit sawing, 2 making & repairing ploughs, 5 ploughing, 2 repairing potatoe cellar, 3 sundry duties about stores & the rest as usual. Thomas with 5 Indians collecting ballast ∞ Columbia. About noon the Mary Dare arrived from Ouahu, after a 30 days passage & was moored along side Steamer's Wharf for the purpose of discharging her cargo. About 5 PM Coté arrived from Nisqually & brought advices from Vancouver to the 13th inst. No trade worth noticing.

Tuesday 21 Beautiful weather with a light breeze from the North^d. The salt & other sundries on board of the Mary Dare has been discharged to day except 300 bus. for Nisqually. Men employed packing, pressing & dusting deer hides, discharging cargo, ploughing & plaining boards ∞ fur box. Letters & other documents were written to Nisqually & Vanc^r, the Mary Dare being ready to sail for Puget's Sound to morrow forenoon.

Wednesday 22 Fine pleasant weather with a light Northerly breeze in the forenoon. People employed much the same as yesterday. At 11 A.M. the Mary Dare left for Nisqually & was soon out of sight before the favourable breeze. We had one of our steers slaughtered yesterday for her use. Minie & Gabriel repairing ploughs.

Thursday 23^rd Raining without intermission all day with light variable winds. We have to day put up the rafters on the Granary at which 6 hands and 8 Indians were employed. We now receive nothing in the way of trade. M^cPhail is still confined to the house with a sore foot. Francois Satakarata and an Indian lad attend the cattle, the milk cows are now only 45 in number.

Friday 24^th Cloudy with occasional heavy showers, wind south east. 4 hands squaring rafters & the rest employed as yesterday. No trade of any kind.

Saturday 25^th Alternately clear and cloudy with a light shower of rain. We began this morning to take up our potatoes & housed 108 bushs. The result of the week's work as follows: 16 acres of land ploughed, the rafters put up on Granary, 12 rafters squared ∞ d^o., all the plank straight edged ∞ fur box & a q^ty of ballast collected ∞ Columbia, one plough made by Minie and sundry other jobs performed about the Ft.

Sunday 26 Fine clear weather with light winds from South^d & Westward. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 27^th Fine & warm with a light breeze from the North^d. People employed as ∞ labor book, squaring, sawing, raising oak knees ∞ roof of Granary & lifting potatoes & ploughing. Had a large party of Songes to day lifting our potatoes of 342 bus. were taken up.

Tuesday 28^th Fine pleasant weather with a fresh breeze from the North. 366 bushels potatoes were taken up to day. The people employed as usual. Nothing now coming in for trade.

Wednesday 29^th Generally overcast with a fresh breeze from the South East. 302 bushels potatoes were taken up to day. Operations in hand going on as usual. No trade worthy of notice.

Thursday 30^th Clear weather. Employment the same as yesterday. 381 bushels potatoes were housed to day. No trade. M^cPhail is now enabled to resume duty, having got the better of his late wound.

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