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Fort Victoria Post Journal September 1849

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1849 September

      Saturday 1st Septr  Foggy & hazy as usual with light airs from the Southd and Westward. People employed at their usual occupations.  This week a quantity of hay wheat has been harrowed & bound, several casks of salmon salted & sundry other operations in the way of building performed.  The Mary Dare is still in the offing waiting for a favourable wind. 

      Sunday 2nd  Foggy and dry weather as usual with little or no wind.  Nothing remarkable. 

      Monday 3rd  Weather, same as yesterday.  People employed principally harvesting, buildg as labor book.  In the afternoon the Bqu Columbia arrived from the north having the returns of that district on board & w the Schooner Cadboro arrived from Nisqually about 11 AM with a cargo of shingles and lumber. 

      Tuesday 4th  Weather clear over head but very foggy over the land.  The Mary Dare left the entrance of the harbour but did not proceed far having again anchored at Mechausen.  Employments same as yesterday & had the Cadboro & Columbia dischd of their cargoes. 

      Wednesday 5th  Weather foggy as yesterday & no wind.  People employed reaping wheat & performing sundry jobs about the Ft. 

      Thursday 6th  Weather still continues clear over head but a thick fog & haze hangs over the land.  Began preparing the New Caledonia furs for packing.  People employed much the same as yesterday per labor book.  3 hands were sent out to catch 8 oxen for Captain Grant intended to be sent over to his place with the Cadboro

      Friday 7th  Weather clear over head, with light variable winds.  People employed packing & beating furs, shipping cattle on board of the Cadboro for Captain Grant, building, &c.  Some potatoes were taken in to day for trade by the Kawitchins.  No trade in furs. 

      Saturday 8th  Fine weather still continues, but very foggy and hazy.  Our people having this week been much employed about the shipping, no great result appears in the operations of the place.  This morning a ship arrived in the offing, which proved to be the Bqu Collooney from San Francisco, having come for lumber, which Captain Grant promised to furnish.  The Cadboro left this afternoon for Soke harbour. 

      Sunday 9th  Fine pleasant weather, but rather foggy in the morning.  No occurrence transpired worthy of notice. 

      Monday 10th  Weather same as yesterday.  People employed reaping, carting in grain, building, &c.  Were busy to day packing the New Caledonia returns for England.  This forenoon Mr. Douglas and myself went on board the Collooney & purchased some sundries from the Supercargo for which lumber and shingles is to be paid. 

      Tuesday 11th  Very foggy over night and this morning, weather clear during the day.  Were busy to day also packing the New Caledonia returns for England.  This afternoon the Collooney was taken in to the harbour for the purpose of discharging the goods purchased from her & to receive lumber &c.  No trade worth noticing.  Some Indians arrived this morning from Nisqually and brought letters from that place.  Some grain was carted in to day from the fields in front of the barn. 

      Wednesday 12th  Weather overcast with heavy rain this forenoon, wind light from the South East.  People employed reaping, packing furs and discharging cargo from the Bqu Collooney.  This morning the Sinahomish Indians who brought letters from Nisqually the other day left for that place, having been the bearers of another packet for Dr. Tolmie. 

      Thursday 13th  Generally overcast with a light breeze from the South East.  People employed much the same as yesterday & very little now in the way of trade.  Owing to the dampness of the weather we did little or nothing to day in packing furs. Landed two skow loads of the property purchased from Mr. Lane from on board the Harpooner

      Friday 14th  Overcast during the forenoon & cleared up in course of the evening, wind light from the Southward and Westward.  People employed principally as usual.  The last of our wheat has been mowed to day & if the weather continues fair a great part of it will be ready for housing tomorrow.  This morning on commanding James Cathie, baker to assist in packing the furs, he being apparently unacquainted with baking loaf bread, the only work within his line of business at which he can now be employed- refused duty- at least refused to work in the fur store, for which he is now confined a prisoner. Various items of provisions were received from the Songes and Tlalums but no trade in furs. 

      Saturday 15th  Weather rather hazy in the forenoon & generally clear throughout the day.  Early this morning the Collooney was towed out of the harbour bound for Nisqually, but is still in the offing. The principal result of this week's work as follows: 80 bales of furs packed & partly pressed for England, a number of the plank for the fur box straight edged, 14 acres of wheat mowed & sundry other operations performed about the shipping & buildings.  No trade worth noticing.  Cathie the baker, having intended to return to duty was this last night liberated & to day at work. 

      Sunday 16th  Foggy weather as usual in the mornings and very cold for the season.  Nothing remarkable. 

      Monday 17th  Weather rather hazy but dry, wind light from the South West.  People employed packing furs, carting in grain, building, making preparing wood for the fur box, &c.  No trade in furs except 1 large beaver & 1 land otter from the Cape Flattery Indians, with other trifles.  In the evening courier arrived from Ft. Langley & brought intelligence of the New Caledonia Brigade having passed the mountain passes between Ft. Langley and Camloops. 

      Tuesday 18th  Mild & overcast.  People employed at their usual occupations.  Trade, some oil and other trifles from the Cape Flattery Indians.  A ship is reported to be in the offing, supposed to be the Harpooner from Nisqually. 

      Wednesday 19th  Heavy rain in the morning, the weather cleared up afterwards into a fine day, wind blowing fresh from the S.W.  About 11 Am the Cadboro arrived from Soke harbour & at the same time the Bqu Harpooner entered Esquoimalt harbour.  Captain Morrice came on shore about noon & delivered despatches from Vancr.  People employed packing furs & reaping oats. 

      Thursday 20th  Generally overcast with light variable airs.  People employed as yesterday, packing furs, reaping and housing grain, building &c.  Some goods for Nisqually was shipped on board of the Cadboro. Charles Wren who accompanied Mr. Douglas to this place & employed here since, goes tomorrow morning to Nisqually on board of the Cadboro

      Friday 21st Fine warm weather with light variable airs. The Cadboro left this morning for Nisqually.  The people employed as usual packing furs, cutting down oats and carting wheat.  No trade of any consequence.  22 barrels of flour were landed from the Harpooner having been bought by Mr. Douglas. 

      Saturday 22nd Fine clear weather with light variable airs.  The result of the week's works are principally as follows: 100 packages of furs packed & pressed for England, the remainder of the wheat carted home & sundry other operations performed about the farm and buildings.  Trade of no consequence.  The carpenters employed making the fur box on board the Columbia

      Sunday 23rd  Fine clear weather with light variable airs.  Nothing remarkable occurred. 

      Monday 24th  Fine weather still continues.  People employed principally as last week, packing furs, carting in oats &c.  Trade, a few articles of provisions from the Songes. 

      Tuesday 25th  Weather remarkably clear and pleasant, wind light from the Southd & Westward. Were busy to day also packing the furs, which are now nearly ready for shipment.  People employed carting in oats &c.  Commenced ploughing this morning in Ogden's field to prepare land for fall wheat. 

      Wednesday 26th Fine weather still continues.  People employed the same. Late last night Mr. Whitlock who very impertinently interrupted some conversation the gentlemen had in "Batchelors' hall" alleging that there was too much noise in the house & on Mr. McKay ordering him away gave him insolence when Mr. McKay unfortunately struck him with a stick.  The Harpooner entered the harbour to receive some salmon to be shipped by her for the Sandh Islands. Captain Grant arrived last night from Soke & reports all well there. 

      Thursday 27th  Fine clear weather with light variable winds.   People employed as yesterday, cross lashing and pressing furs, carting in oats, building &c.  The Bqu Harpooner was furnished to day with 270 barrels salmon & in the evening was warp towed out of the harbour, 230 bbls. of the salmon Captain Morice takes on freight to the Sandh Islands. 

      Friday 28th Fine weather as yesterday, with a fresh breeze this afternoon from the South West.  Several articles of Naval Stores were to day sold {to} Captain Morice from Depot.  This evening the the last of the bales of furs was pressed & cross lashed & are now ready for shipment on board the Columbia.  One of the seamen on board the Columbia was this morning severely stabbed by one of the apprentice boys. A large party of Cape Flattery Indians arrived in course of the day, their principal object in coming at this time, being a marriage between one of their young chiefs and a Songes lady of rank.  Some coals were to day shipped on board the homeward bound ship being part of her stores.  The fur box is not as yet finished. 

      Saturday 29th  Fine clear weather with light variable winds.  People employed much the same as usual.  Some 60 gns. oil were traded to day from the Cape Flattery Indians.  The result of the week's labor is principally as follows: 100 packs of furs pressed & lashed, the upper ceiling put up to in the Office, a quantity of oats reaped & carted home & several other jobs performed about the Establishment.  The furs, oil & whalebone are now ready for shipment on board the Columbia

      Sunday 30th  Fine pleasant weather with light variable winds.  This afternoon some Sinahomish Indians arrived from Nisqually and brought letters from Dr. Tolmie. 

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