1846
1847
1848
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1849
1850

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Fort Victoria Post Journal August 1848

1848 August

Tuesday 1^st August. Partially overcast with a light breeze from the Southward & Eastward. Some of the officers of the Constance were to day on shore riding. All hands were employed harvesting. No trade worth noticing.

Wednesday 2^nd Weather still continues very hazy. Having mowed down all the wheat that appears ripe, we had the men straight edging plank ∞ flooring of Granary. 3 head of cattle & 2 pigs were slaugh^d to day ∞ use of the Constance. Captain Courtenay & three of his officers were on shore at dinner & had a ride on the plains. No trade.

Thursday 3^rd Calm & hazy & very sultry weather. No trade. People emp^d as usual. Our interp^r on the request of Captⁿ Courtenay was sent on board the Constance.

Friday 4^th Very thick fog all day, which cleared up towards evening. People employed harvesting & we are this evening housing the wheat that is dry. No trade of any consequence.

Saturday 5 Blowing strong from the South West, which partially cleared away the smoke and fog which prevailed for the last fortnight. The operations of the week as follows: 20 acres of wheat mowed & partly housed, 6 acres of land ploughed, 100 plank ∞ flooring of Granary straightedged with the axe, a couple of harrows made by Lazard & sundry other ~~small~~ minor jobs performed about the Establishment. Some fresh beef & pork was sent to day on board the Constance.

Sunday 6^th Still blowing fresh from the South West. Tsawetsoot a Skatchet Chief arrived to day with some furs for trade & brought a note from Captain Sangster wh dated the 4^th who was then at M^cLaughlin's Island on his way from Langley.

Monday 7^th Blowing fresh from the South West, with the weather partially overcast. All hands were to day employed mowing wheat & carting it in. No trade worth noticing. One of our calves was killed this evening at the cowhouse by accident. Tsawetsoot who arrived yesterday with a bundle of furs, left this morning for Langley, expecting to find a better price there for his skins than here.

Tuesday 8^th Mild & hazy & very sultry. Operations going on as yesterday. About 2 P.M. the Cadboro arrived fm Ft. Langley with a cargo of furs & other sundries & brought a packet of letters & papers from that place dated 17th ult^o. No trade.

Wednesday 9^th Very hazy weather & no wind. People emp^d disch^g Cadboro & binding & mowing grain. 15 beaver & land otters were traded to day from Skatchets with some fresh salmⁿ.

Thursday 10^th Weather very sultry & foggy with large fires in various directions in the vicinity. People employed mowing, binding and carting in wheat. About 4 PM a ship anchored in the offing, which proved to be the H.M. Brigantine Pandora, Captain Wood. Captain Wood & the Dr. landed at 5 o'clock & delivered me a letter from Mr. Douglas dated Honolulu 11th June importing that he was to proceed direct from thence to the Columbia River.

Friday 11^th Weather, same as yesterday. People employed as yesterday, mow^g & carting in wheat. Had several of the officers of the Constance & Pandora on shore to day at dinner & were provided with horses to ride about the plains. No trade in furs.

Saturday 12^th Mild weather & still very hazy. People employed as usual. The results of the week's work as follows: 30 acres of wheat mowed & partly housed, two cart wheels repaired & sundry other jobs performed about the Estab^t, the slide with rollers for hauling up logs ~~for the~~ to the Saw Mill erected. No trade worth noticing.

Sunday 13^th Foggy weather as usual. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 14^th Weather same as yesterday & ~~not~~ a light air from the South^d. About 4 PM the B^qu Cowlitz anchored off Esquoimalt having left Vanc^r on the 13^th ult^o. Late in the evening as Lieut. Wood of the Pandora intends proceeding to Nisqually, I wrote a letter to the Board of Manag^t by him acquainting them of the arrival of the Cowlitz. The Cadboro also left the morn^g for the same place.

Tuesday 15 Very mild weather & foggy as usual. The B^qu Cowlitz has been towed into this harbour this evening & saluted us with 7 guns & was answered by the same number. The Cadboro being in the offing unable to proceed with the thick fog is now to receive sundries for Nisqually received by the Cowlitz. Lieut. Wood left for Nisqually early this morning & brought the despatches for Vanc^rwith him, consisting of some documents from Langley & our own depot transactions during the summer with an inv^y of the goods remaining in Depot. Late in the evening a large party of Cape Flattery Indians arrived & brought a considerable quantity of oil for trade.

Wednesday 16^th Generally overcast but the smoke is now gradually clearing away. People employed disch^g the Cowlitz & mowing wheat. In consequence of the crew of the Cowlitz having refused the biscuit sent on board & for them, I had this morning acquainted Captain Courtenay with the circumstance who sent his 1st Lieut. Mr. Heathcote, who pronounced the biscuit excellent after which it was accepted by the crew but the salt beef & pease is rather of an inferior quality & Mr. Heathcote said he would refer the matter to Captain Courtenay. Late in the evening Mr. John Ross arrived from Nisqually & brought letters from Vanc^r up to the 8^th inst. one of which is for Cap^t. Court^y which was immediately sent on board the Constance.

Thursday 17^th Blowing mod^e from the South West, with the weather somewhat smoky. Captain Courtenay came on shore here about noon & shortly afterwards went on board of the Cowlitz, where he had all the crew questioned about their complaints. The result was that although he was of {the} opinion that their complaint was groundless, for the sake of inducing them to continue peaceably on board, he ordered fine biscuit or flour to be issued out to them.

Captain Courtenay brought a printed notice on shore, shewing his having taken possession of the coal district on this Island for the British Crown which he is to leave here for the Company to erect as early as possible in order to keep away all foreign intruders.

We were to day busy sending the Coast Outfits on board of the Cowlitz.

Friday 18^th Blowing strong all day from the S.W. with the weather generally clear. Were to day also employed shipping property on board of the Cowlitz & mowing our oats. No trade worth noticing. On account of the absence of J. Ross I could not dispatch the packet for Nisqually & Vanc^r to day.

Saturday 19^th Foggy weather still continues, ~~with~~ & blowing hard from the S.W. Week's operations as follows: about 30 acres of wheat & oats mowed, some pease cut, the Cowlitz disch^d & the most of the goods for the Coast shipped on board of her. Owing to the demand made upon us for various articles from the ships of war our usual routine of duty is more or less interrupted. Some few bushels of potatoes were traded this evening from Sokes. Early this morning J. Ross left with the Nisqually party & brought despatches for that place & Vanc^r.

Sunday 20^th Fine warm weather but still very hazy. No occurrence of any note.

Monday 21^st Weather still continues hazy. People emp^d as last week, loading the Cowlitz & mowing the oats. Every package for the north is now on board the Cowlitz & that vessel is now ready for sea.

Tuesday 22^nd Weather alternately clear and cloudy with heavy showers of rain. People employed as yesterday, mowing the oats & plucking up the pease. This morning the B^qu Cowlitz was warped out of the harbour & is still in the offing unable to proceed from want of wind.

Wednesday 23^rd Heavy rain over night & blowing strong from the South West all day. People employed mowing down the oats, making a potatoe cellar under Store N^o. 5. The rain of last night & yesterday wetted our grain which we had previously bound up for housing & had it undone to day for drying. 3 head of cattle were slaughtered to day ∞ use of the Constance making now 33 in all. 250 gns. oil & two sea otters were traded to day from the Maccas who arrived last night.

Thursday 24^th Fine clear weather with light variable airs. The B^qu Cowlitz weighed anchor from the entrance of the harbour this morning and got as far as Rocky point. Some sea otters were traded to day from the Cape Flattery Indians. Late in the evening Snitlum with a war party of Skatchets and Tlalums arrived & made some warlike demonstrations by firing several rounds of blank cartridge, which the C{ape} Flattery ret^d . Captain Courtenay on hearing the firing & seeing so many Indians paddling towards the Ft. ~~got his four boats~~ supposed something serious had happened & very considerately came over with four armed boats from the ship. Finding only some Cape Flatteries haranguing to the Tlalums in front of the Ft., ordered a salute of 7 guns to be fired from the boats which was done & answ^d by us from the Bastions. All hands including some thirty or so of Marines came on shore all armed & promenaded round the Ft. yard. After which the Captain with the four boats returned to the ship. The quarrel between the Cape Flatteries and Tlalums is not as yet settled but we must endevour to do so before they leave. Almost all our men and eng^d Indians were binding & housing the wheat. The wheat & oats are now mowed down in all our fields.

Friday 25 Beautiful weather with little or no wind. Early this morning the Cape Flatteries left this {place} & was {sic} convoyed by one of the Constance's boats. They traded 9 lar{ge} & small sea otters & brought two away which they would not dispose of without duffle which we have not got. Almost all hands employed carting & binding grain.

Saturday 26^th Blowing fresh from the S. West in the afternoon, weather generally clear. Operations of the week as follows: the wheat in Ogden's field bound up carted & housed, a portion of the pease cut & half of the field of oats mowed down & sundry other operations performed about the Estab^t, all our wheat ~~still~~ is now housed but the oats & pease still remain on the field.

Sunday 27^th Fine pleasant weather with light winds from the South^d & Westward & a little rain in the afterⁿ. Late in the evening Lieu^t. Wood of the Pand^a ret^d from Nisqually & brought a letter from Dr. Tolmie of yest^y's date.

Monday 28^th Blowing fresh from the South West with heavy rain in the forenoon. Late last night Captⁿ. Wood of the Pandora arrived from Nisqually and brought advices from Nisqually to the 26^th. No word as yet of the arrival of the Mary Dare in the Columbia River. People employed cutting the pease, repairing carts & wheels and making a potatoe cellar under Store N^o. 5.

Tuesday 29^th Fine clear weather but rained considerably over night. About 8 AM Captain Courtenay at the head of 250 Sailors & Marines came on shore for the purpose of exercising them & were all day performing various evolutions in the Ft. yd and in the fields behind. The ship's band were at their head & the march through the Ft. to the field behind was truly grand. Little or no work was performed, our people having solicited & obtained permission to enjoy the novel spectacle. Some potatoes were traded from the Sokes & other Indians in course of the day. Early this morning the Pandora left for "Cormorant Bay".

Wednesday 30^th Had thick fog this morning, afterwards cleared away into a fine pleasant day. People employed cutting down & carting in pease. 6 beavers & otters were traded to day from Whotlumies and Skatchets & some potatoes from the Songes. Lieut. Wainwright of the Constance with the launch came on shore this afternoon & brought off 16 tons of the coals lying here belonging to Gov^t .

Thursday 31^st Blowing fresh from the South West with a few showers of heavy rain. Early this morning the Cadboro arrived from Nisqually with a cargo of wool, furs and other sundries. 20 sheep with potatoes, fowls &c were received by the Cadboro for H.M.S. Constance which were sent to that ship this forenoon. People employed carting in pease & oats and cutting down pease. No trade except a few potatoes.

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