1846
1847
1848
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1849
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Fort Victoria Post Journal November 1848

1848 November

Wednesday 1^st November. Fine pleasant weather with a strong breeze from the South West. This being All Saints' it was observed as a holiday according to custom.

Thursday 2^nd Fine pleasant weather with a light breeze from the South West. People employed as usual except 4 hands who were packing and pressing furs. Late in the evening the Beaver arrived from Langley with the Cadboro in tow. The latter vessel has 317 bbls. salt salmon & 50 half barrels on board for depot, also 40 firkins [of] butter & 2 packs furs.

Friday 3^rd Overcast with little or no wind. The salmon & other sundries have been discharged to day from on board the Cadboro. People employed at various occupations as ∞ labor book.

Saturday 4^th Fine pleasant weather with a fresh breeze from the Westward. People employed as ∞ labor book, shipping and discharging cargo, preparing materials for heaving down the Mary Dare. The principal results of this week are as follows: about 15 bus. oats thrashed, furrows opened in the wheat fields, 41 plank groved & straightedged ∞ Granary flooring, 10 bales of furs packed & pressed for England & various other operations performed about the Estab^t.

Sunday 5 Fine pleasant weather with a light breeze from the Westward. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 6^th Generally overcast with a fresh S-Westerly wind. People about the Estab^t principally employed making up a few packages of goods to be forw^d ∞ Steamer to Nisqually for Vanc^r Depot.

Tuesday 7^th Generally overcast with a fresh breeze from the South West. Early this morning the Steamer left for Nisqually with the Cadboro in tow. Jackson who had been employed here since February last took his passage on board of the Cadboro for Nisqually. People employed at various jobs about the Establishment. 10 men with Fenton at the Saw Mill. Mr. Douglas and I had a ride over the plains to day in order to look out for a proper situation for a farm & saw many of the cattle about Mt. Tolmie. No trade worth noticing.

Wednesday 8^thBeautiful weather for the season with light variable winds. Some oil & a few other trifles were traded in course of to day & yesterday from Kawitchins. Were driving in the wild cattle to day into Ogden's fields, but will have to discontinue doing so until we get rain as no water as yet lodges on the low ground.

Thursday 9^th Raining almost all day with the wind blowing fresh from the ~~Northward~~ Southward & Eastward. People employed as usual as ∞ labor book. Some few trifles were traded to day from the Songes and Tlalums. M^cPhail & Dupuis were driving in the cattle into Ogden's fields in order to tame them.

Friday 10^th Blowing strong from the South West during last night which veered this morning to the South East with rain. Early this morning the Mary Dare arrived at the entrance of the harbour from Columbia River & was unable to enter to day by the strong head wind. She got out side the Col^a Bar last Monday & was 5 weeks detained in Baker's Bay. People employed at various jobs as ∞ labor book. 5 of our men principally those who lately arrived from Vanc^r are laid up with the fever & ague.

Saturday 11^th Alternately clear and cloudy with a strong breeze from the Southward and Eastward. The results of this week's work are as follows: 40 plank ∞ Granary flooring groved, the orchard apple trees manured, 400 yds of log fencing put up at Ogden's fields, two ring bolts put in the rock at the Salt Store for heaving down the Mary Dare & sundry other operations performed about the Estab^t. The Mary Dare has this morning been taken in to the inner harbour. No trade worth mentioning. 5 men on the sick list with the fever & ague

Sunday 12^th Overcast & weather very chilly with the wind from the Eastward. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 13 Overcast with slight drizzly rain at intervals, wind Easterly. People emp^d as ∞ labor book, cutting wood ∞ Steamer, caulking Mary Dare & discharging her cargo. 33 gns. oil traded to day from Kawitchins with some fish from the same tribe & others. Had the Snake Country furs landed to day & unpacked. Slaughtered an ox ∞ use of the Mary Dare & Ft.

Tuesday 14^th Overcast & mild weather. People employed as ∞ labor book, packing & dusting furs, disch^g cargo. In consequence of some alterations being made in the machinery of the Saw Mill three more hands were this morning sent to assist & a skow load of oak lumber for that purpose. Some few gns. oil & other trifles were traded from Kawitchins.

Wednesday 15^th Mild weather as yesterday. Operations in hand going on as yesterday. Nothing Traded. Two ships were this morning reported in the offing, which proved to be the B^qu Cowlitz from Sitka and a Brig called the Belfast for coals.

Thursday 16^th Had a little frost over night & fine mild weather throughout the day. Men principally employed cutting wood ∞ Steamer, discharging cargo & pressing furs. About 11Am the Beaver arrived from Nisqually with the Cadboro in tow. Afterwards the Steamer towed the B^qu Cowlitz into harbour & the Brig Belfast is still in the offing. Captain Stout who is to command the Steamer that is to run between Panama & Oregon arrived from Nisqually by the Beaver. Messrs Stewart & Breadmore ~~with~~ with the {illegible} equip. arrived accompanied by 20 men.

Friday 17^th Fair weather during the forenoon ~~with~~ and heavy rain in the evening. Had all the furs from the Coast discharged to day from the Cowlitz & sundry other packages from Sitka. About 700 bus. salt were disch^d to day from the Mary Dare. The Brig Belfast has this morning been towed into harbour by the Steamer so that we have now got 5 vessels riding at anchor in the inner harbour.

Saturday 18^th Blowing fresh from the Eastward. People employed as usual. The remainder of the salt has been discharged to day from the Mary Dare. Our farming & other operations about the Estab^t have been much interrupted during the week with jobs about the shipping. Goods to the am^t of 125 dollars have been sold to day from the Sale Shop. Part was paid in gold dust taken at $14 ∞ oz.

Sunday 19^th Wind blowing fresh from the North^d & kept dry all day. Read prayers at which some of the ship's officers attended.

Monday 20^th Blowing a gale last night from the Eastward & continued blowing fresh all day. Had all the Stikine furs unpacked & dusted & some of the Ft. Simpson bales opened preparatory to a final packing for England. Some fresh salmon were traded to day from Tlalums.

Tuesday 21^st Raining almost all day with a strong breeze from the South East. People employed as yest^y discharging & shipping cargo, packing furs &c. No trade in furs. 12 oz gold dust & two doubloons & several silver dollars were bought from the crew of the Belfast.

Wednesday 22^nd Showery with a strong breeze from the South West. Employed as yesterday. Shipped sundries on board of the Belfast to day consigned to G.T. Allan, California.

Thursday 23^rd Raining without interruption all night which continued so all day, wind light from the Eastward. Goods to the amount of $70 were sold to day for cash. Did little or nothing in the way of packing furs owing to the humidity of the weather. The Cadboro's cargo from Nisqually has been discharged in course of the day.

Friday 24^th Mild weather. Were employed to day packing the Coast furs. The Indians who came to day for the mill rations brought a line from Mr. Fenton reporting that he got the Saw Mill at length under way. Shipped some provisions & cargo today on board the Brig Belfast.

Saturday 25^th Blowing fresh from the South West in course of the day with rain in the afternoon. The operations in hand during the week were as follows: packing & pressing furs, discharging & landing cargo from the ships, making log fence round Ogden's fields, thrashing oats &c. Our usual routine of operations are now much interrupted & will continue so until the homeward bound ship sails. The fur box will be finished in a few days hence @ which 9 of our men are employed. The Belfast with Capt. Stout left the harbour this morning towed by the Steamer to Rocky point.

Sunday 26^th Raining all day, wind strong from the S.E. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 27^th Raining during the day with frequent showers throughout the day. Men employed pressing the furs, shipping salt on board the Beaver & draining the fields, &c. No trade.

Tuesday 28^th Fair weather for a part of the forenoon but set in rain in the evening with a gale of wind fm S.E. Had several puncheons of small furs pressed & packed for En^g. People principally employed about the shipping. No trade. Early this morning the Beaver left for Nisqually but returned in the evening being unable to proceed with the high wind. This evening Mr. M^cKay has been re engaged for three years & last Saturday, Bole passed on engagement for two. Several of our Islanders intend to leave by the homeward ship.

Wednesday 29^th Overcast but kept dry all day. Early this morning the Beaver left again for Nisqually. We have now completed the packing of the furs now to be shipped for England & all hands were so employed & shipping stores on board of the Cowlitz.

Thursday 30^th Overcast & threatening but kept dry all day, though it rained heavily over night, wind blowing strong from the South West. We had all the furs, deer & seal skins with 12 bales of the wool to day shipped on board of the Cowlitz. Some of the Saw Mill gearing got deranged in course of last night. Which ~~detained~~ stopped it for this day.

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