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Fort Victoria Post Journal May 1846

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1846 May

      Saturday 9th Still blowing strong from the South West with the weather occasionally overcast. In consequence of Captain Duntz{e} having made a demand upon us for fresh beef pursuant to a promise from Mr. C{hief} F{actor} McLoughlin we had to kill 1 ox and a cow for the ship’s crew which weighed 832 lbs nett. Week's work as follows, vizt: 40 blocks ∞ foundation of  Store #6 squared & sawn, 65 boards 1 in. 10ft. long sawn with two setts of shelves made ∞ Dairy and 285 bus. potatoes planted & a quantity of dung carted ∞ do.   Some barrels flour & dry salt salmon were to day sold to the Fisgard’s crew for ready money.  Captain Duntz{e} with several of his officers slept on shore here being unable to get off with the high wind. 

      Sunday 10th Fine pleasant weather with a fresh breeze in the afternoon.  Captain Duntz{e} & party had left early this morning to attend Divine Service on board. & a  Afterward a party of his officers landed & had a walk about the farm. 

      Monday 11th Beautiful weather. Captain Duntz{e} had the seamen taken on shore to day for drilling on Clover point & in the evening the ship's band of music was sent on shore & played several airs in the Hall for our amusement.  Captain Duntz{e} & several of his officers slept on shore.  

      Tuesday 12th Fine weather still continues.  The people employed as last week.  We had Captain Duntz{e}, his 1st Lieut. & several others to day at dinner who went on board in the evening.  Little or nothing done in the way of trade with the Natives. Dr. Dunn of the Fisgard performed some surgical operations to day on two of the many children who are ill.  

      Wednesday 13th Very warm weather.  Wind northerly during the forenoon & in the evening it came on to blow a perfect hurricane from the South West.  About 10 A.M. the Fisgard left for Nisqually.  Letters & other documents were forwarded by her to Vancr & Nisqually.  Almost all hands are now employed planting potatoes.  Several canoes of Skatchets arrived in course of the day.  

      Thursday 14 Fine pleasant weather with light variable winds.  Men employed principally planting potatoes.  About 6 pm. the Cadboro arrived from Columbia River with a cargo of flour, furs & other sundries.  Letters & other documents were received by her from Vancr. Little or no trade.  

      Friday 15 Weather very warm. Wind light from the Eastward.  The Cadboro has been discharged in course of the day & is now ready to take in some ballast & some sundries from here for Vancouver.  We have this day finished planting our potatoes being in all about 450 bushels.  Allard & Lazard making chairs, Minie hooping cart wheels for Nisqually & the rest, except Coté & Garipie who were discharging Cadboro, employed planting potatoes. 

      Saturday 16  Fine weather as yesterday.  Were busy all this day making up several packages for Vancr which were shipped this afternoon on board the Cadboro. Week's work as follows: 50 boards 10ft long sawn, all the dung carted to potatoe fields & 350 bus. potatoes planted, the ground for which ploughed & harrowed.  Sundry iron works made by Minie .  No trade worth noticing. 

      Sunday 17th  Generally overcast with rain in the evening. Several Skatchets & other tribes arrived in course of last night & to day & encamped on the other side of the harbour, being prevented from doing so on this side.  

      Monday 18 Heavy rain in course of last night.  Fine pleasant weather throughout the day. Wind light from the Northd & Eastward.  Early this morning the Cadboro left the harbour for Columbia River. Letters & other documents were given to Captn Captain Scarborough for transmission thither.  6 hands employed making park for the calves, 2 making chairs, 2 pit sawing & the others ploughing & harrowing.  5 bus. more of Spring wheat were sown to day, being the last we intend to sow this year.  18 dollars were received to day from the Fort inmates for cottons & handkfs.  Several skins were traded from Skatchets & Tlalums 

      Tuesday 19th Fine pleasant weather. 4 hands were to day squaring sleepers ∞ Store No. 6 & 2 turning wheat in store, the rest employed as usual.  Several articles were to day also sold for cash.  No trade in furs.  

      Wednesday 20th Weather still continuing fine.  Wind  blowing fresh from the Westward.  The different employments in hand going on as yesty .  Cape Flattery Kaau with his party arrived in the afternoon & brought 7 sea otters which are not as yet traded.  Minie employed this evening slabbing the wharf on the outside. 

      Thursday 21  Beautiful weather.  We have to day sown 9 bus. pease in the oat field of last year.  3 ploughs were employed ploughing the new piece of land between the Fort & the Salmon Store where we intend to sow a few more bus. potatoes with some turnips.  About noon Mr. Sangster arrived from Vancr via Nisqually by canoe from the latter place, his object being to pilot the ship expected from Engd in to the Columbia River.  Some letters were brought by him announcing the safe arrival of the Bqu Columbia at Vancr & of the Fisgard at Nisqually.  3 large sea otters, with other articles of trade were received from the Cape Flattery Indians.  

      Friday 22  Blowing fresh from the South West with clear weather. 20 bus. oats were to day sown and harrowed. 4 hands were making and repairing fences, the rest as usual. 2 small sea otters with 3 beaver & otters & other small furs & whale oil & hayquois were to day traded from Cape Flattery Indians. Ouamtany who accompanied Mr. Sangster from Nisqually was to day employed attending Indians. John Ross busy dusting furs with another gang.  

      Saturday 23rd Weather generally overcast.  Wind Westerly.  Week's work as follows: 9 bus. pease & 20 bus. oats sown & harrowed with land ploughed ∞ do., 8 bus. potatoes planted in front of the Fort Yard put up ∞ calves, 6 acres in extent with part of the field fences repd, 6 chairs made by Allard & Lazard, 1/2 bbl pitch made by Satakarata, 42 sleepers ∞ Store #6 barked & sqd, the usual qty of grain thrashd, 61 10 in boards sawn, the front of wharf weather boarded.  Some trifles were to day traded from various tribes of Indians at present located here.  The Cape Flatteries left in course of last night. Early this morning the Indians who came from Nisqually with Mr. Sangster left for that place. Several letters for Dr. Tolmie were forwd by them. 

      Sunday 24th Alternately clear & cloudy.  Wind blowing strong from the South West.  Nothing remarkable. 

      Monday 25th Fine pleasant weather with light variable winds. Two hands caulking Skow No 2, Minie forging, 4 repairing fences & the others as last week.  12 more bus. potatoes were planted in front of the Fort making a total of {blank space} bus. planted this season.  We are now ploughing new land for turnips & hauling & squaring oak blocks ∞ foundation of stores. Two hands were this morning sent away on horse back to collect & ascertain the number of horned cattle on the plains.  

      Tuesday 26  Mild weather with a refreshing shower of rain.  The people employed as yesterday.  8 beaver & otter with other articles in the provision way were received principally from Skatchets.  3 large canoes of Tlalums arrived in course of the afternoon. 

      Wednesday 27th  Raining almost all night & for the greater part of the forenoon. Clear afterwards.  Allard & 7 hands began laying foundation blocks of Store #6, 3 caulking skow & 2 hauling out pieces ∞ building & the others as usual.  Several canoes arrived in course of the day amongst which was one from Langley & brought letters from Mr. Yale importing all well at his post.  

      Thursday 28 Clear & pleasant weather.  10 hands to day at Store #6.  About an acre & a half of turnips were sown to day in the field to the North of the Fort.  All our sowing operations are now completed so that our horses may now be permitted to rest for a while.  Several Indians arrived to day from different quarters, but little for trade except a few deers.  

      Friday 29  Had thick fog this morning succeeded by a bright & warm day.  Gabriel, Lecuyer & Francois carting away rubbish from behind the Fort.  The others employed as yestdy .  Friday fell ill at noon: his complaint is supposed to be the F{ever} & ague.  Gravelle & Kaau hauling out sleepers ∞ Store #6.  5 beaver & other small furs were traded from Tsawetsoot a Skatchet.  Some Sina homish Indians who arrived yesty are still here. 

      Saturday 30th Weather still continues fine.  Little or nothing done in the way of trade.  The results of the week's labours are as follows: scow No 2 caulked and pitched, the sills, foundation blocks & sleepers of Store #6 laid, 40 oak blocks of which sqd. About 2 acres of land ploughed three times, harrowed & sown with turnips.  All the fences repaired except that of C{lover} Point with sundry ironworks made by Minie .  The usual qty of grain thrashd. Friday still sick.  Had 4 Indians employed to day digging pits ∞ flag staffs at C{lover} Point intended to be put up there as land marks & to indicate the entrance to the harbour as well as to point out the situation of Brotchie's ledge, it's buoy having drifted off last winter. Skultatch one of our engagd Indians whose time expired to day was paid off the balance due to him. 

      Sunday 31st No change in the weather. Nothing occurred worth noticing.   

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