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1850

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Fort Victoria Post Journal January 1849

1849 January

Monday 1^st January 1849. Keen frost over night which continued so throughout the day with the wind from the North^d. The people enjoying the New Year's & behaved well. Poor Boulanger departed this life at 8 Am.

Tuesday 2^nd The weather frosty as yesterday with the wind from the Northward. Early this morning the Beaver left for the North, Mr. C{hief} F{actor} Work with Messrs Beardmore, Lewes & 14 hands for the New Estab^t passengers. On leaving this morning we saluted the Beaver with 7 guns which they returned with three hearty cheers. About 3 PM the remains of poor Boulanger were consigned to the tomb, his death cast a gloom on our holiday festivities.

Wednesday 3^rd Keen frost last night also, but the weather during the day has been overcast. The people employed as follows: 2 preparing a table for the bake house, 1 cutting wood ∞ d^o., 8 men and Mr. Fenton & three Indians at the Saw Mill, 2 carting & the engaged Indians with Robis C[o]e thrashing, the blcksmith with an assistant employed in the forge making iron work for a new win^g machine.

Thursday 4^th Had a heavy fall of snow overnight with mild weather throughout the day. People emp^d as yesterday. 8 men on the sick list. Captain Sangster with three of his men went over to the Mill with the ship's boat with 6 barrels of salmon for servants' rations.

Friday 5^th Weather mild & overcast, with light winds from the Northward. People employed as yesterday. Late ~~in the~~ last evening some Cape Flattery Indians arrived & brought little or nothing for trade. One Indian & a woman died last night in the camp, with the prevailing sickness & we have got the same nuimber {sic} of men as yesterday on the sick list.

Saturday 6^th Mild weather with a light breeze from the Eastward. The principal results of this week are as follows: a bench made in the bake house for baking biscuit, two cords firewood cut ∞ d^o. & 8 cords for the Estab^t, a qty of pease thrashed & our potatoes pick^d. No trade to day. The Cape Flatteries left this morning.

Sunday 7^thHad some frost over night, weather overcast throughout the day with a fresh breeze from the South East. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 8^th Overcast & blowing a gale of wind from the Eastward. People employed fitting up the bake house for baking biscuit, erecting a shed along side the pickets outside for building a boat. Beauchamp with an assistant employed in the forge making nails for the boat & other ironworks. Nothing done to day in the way of trade.

Tuesday 9^th Had some frost in course of last night. Weather overcast with a ~~light~~ strong Easterly breeze throughout the day. M^cPhail & Dupuis were sent this morning to catch some of the wild oxen lately imported from Nisqually which we intend sending to the Mill to replace old cattle now there. The sick list has had an addition to it to day vizt: Deroche who complains of a pain in the side. Trade, 10 martens & some minks from Tlalums with 12 gns. of oil from Sokes & Songes.

Wednesday 10^th Frosty nights still continue & the weather generally cloudy with light Easterly breezes. People variously employed about the Establishment. We have now got a shed erected for building the boat, the oxen for the Mill yoked & all the potatoes picked & turned in the cellar. Some dry salmon & other trifles traded from the Kawitchins. Sick list as usual. We have now Nahoua under way baking biscuit, but has not as yet got into the way of knedding the dough properly. Lazard employed finishing off the winnow^g machine & Beauchamp making nails for the boat.

Thursday 11^th Weather generally overcast with a fresh breeze from the Eastward, attend with some showers of hail. Sent 4 wild oxen to the Mill to day one of which fell into a hole near the Mill & was unfortunately killed. I paid a visit to the mill party & found the Mill at work but owing to the dry frosty weather the water is rather scant.

Friday 12^th Very keen frost during last night & blowing strong from the Northward which continued so all day. 8 men still on the sick list & the others employed as usual at various jobs as ∞ labor book. No trade except a little dry salmon.

Saturday 13^th Keen frost over night, cloudy throughout the day with a heavy fall of snow in the evening. Wind North East^d. The Mill was stopped last night with the frost. Our amount of labor here for the week has not been great, owing to so many of the men being sick. It is as follows: the win^g machine nearly completed, 14 oak plank 18ft long sawn, 4 wild oxen broke in & sent to the Mill, a qt^y of firewood cut & carted home, 50 bus. pease thrashed & winnowed. M^cPhail has now got 8 milch cows with calves, they are earlier this year than the last. No trade worth noticing.

Sunday 14^th Keen frost still continues, with the weather to day perfectly clear. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 15^th Had some snow over night, weather still continues frosty & cold. Sent three men extra this morning to the Mill to assist in completing the extra gearing for the Saw Mill. Traded to day a few trifles from the Songes. Began this morning packing the Outfit for New Caledonia.

Tuesday 16^th Snowing during last night & all this day, wind light from the Eastward. People employed at various jobs about the Estab^t as ∞ labor book. No trade worth noticing. Four men still on the sick list.

Wednesday 17^th Had some rain over night, & the weather is now getting mild the wind having veered to the Southward. People employed repairing the barn & performing other operations about the Estab^t. Harvey has got his boat at length on the stocks assisted by Scarth. Our men are now all at work except Gagnon & Tait the former is however getting better. We were employed in the stores to day packing up the Outfit for New Caledonia.

Thursday 18^th Generally clear with thaw. Wind light from the South West. People employed as yesterday, except Gabriel who is repairing horse harness. No trade worth noticing. M^cPhail got two cows with calves in to day being now the 7^th this Outfit.

Friday 19^th Had some frost over night. Weather generally overcast throughout the day & blowing fresh from the Eastward. People employed as yest^y at the Outfit, cart^g wood &c. & the blacksmith @ various jobs in the forge. We have now got 100 packages packed for New Caledonia.

Saturday 20^th Overcast with some snow, wind light from the Eastward. The principal results of this week are as follows: 100 packages of the N{ew} C{aledonia} Outfit packed and pressed, 50 bus. pease thrashed & winnow^d, 2000 fence poles cut in the woods by Indians & sundry other operations performed. No trade worth noticing.

~~Monday~~ Sunday 21^st Had some snow over night, weather cold during the day with a strong breeze from the Northward. Nothing remarkable. Fenton arrived from the Mill this forenoon & reported the Mill having only worked two days this last week.

Monday 22^nd Frosty night as usual, weather overcast throughout the day & turned mild in the evening. People employed as last week, packing bales, repairing ploughs &c. News was received this evening from the Mill that Minie got himself severely hurt in the knee yesterday by a fall in descending the bank before the people's dwelling there. Had a ride out if on the plains to day with M^cPhail & selected a place where we intend to build a second dairy this year if circumstances will permit.

Tuesday 23^rd Overcast with the wind from the East^d & milder than usual. People employed much the same as usual in labor book. Sent Dupuis, Deroche & 4 Indians off this morning to build the second dairy at the place we selected yesterday. We have now finished all the packages we can at present pack for New Caledonia which amounts to 112 & are now at those for Colville. No trade.

Wednesday 24^th Blowing strong from the South East & thawing. Operations in hand as usual & nothing remarkable.

Thursday 25^th Had some frost over night, weather mild throughout the day. Wind from the N.E. Operations in hand as usual, being as follows: erecting new dairy, cutting fence poles, thrashing pease & packing & pressing the Outfit for the Interior. M^cPhail brought in a cow with calf to day.

Friday 26^th Weather generally clear with a light breeze from the Northward. People employed as yest^y. Having now packed what we can at present supply of the {illegible} interior Outfit, we are now packing sundries for the NW Coast.

Saturday 27^th Keen frost over night with fine clear weather throughout the day. Wind light from the Northward. The principal results of the work performed this week at this place are as follows: 2000 fence poles cut & partly carried down to the water's edge, 2 skow loads of which taken home, about 30 bushels of pease thrashed, the Outfits of Thompson's River, Ft. Simpson, Stikine and the Beaver in part packed, the frame work of small house & dairy erected about 2 miles from this {place} on the plains, Harvey & Crawford employed making the boat & Scarf sick all this week. Operations at the Mill going on as usual. Trade not worthy of notice.

Sunday 28^th Keen frost last night also & the weather beautifully clear throughout the day. Nothing new.

Monday 29^th Cold clear weather still continues, with the wind light from the Northward. The men this morning were distributed as follows: 1 making ox yokes, 3 making New Dairy, 1 employed in the Store, 2 at the forge &c., 2 sick & the Mill Est^b as last week with the addition of 4 Indians. Trade, 20 minks, 2 wolves with some dry salmon &c. from the Tlalums, several of whom arrived to day. Three of the Indians in the camp died in course of last night & this day, with the influensa & their relations are now weeping & wailing on the other side. Our engaged Indians employed much the same as last week.

Tuesday 30^th Overcast with a little snow, wind still keeps from the Northward. People employed the same as yesterday. Scarf still on the sick list. Some small furs and sundry articles of provisions were traded from the Skatchets and Tlalums.

Wednesday 31^st Had some frost over night. Weather generally cloudy throughout the day with the wind light from the Northward. Operations in hand going on as yesterday. No trade worth noticing. Our engaged Indians superintended by Ouamtany, rafting home fence poles.

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