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Fort Victoria Post Journal May 1850

1850 May

Wednesday 1^st May. Fine clear weather with light variabio-bahiale winds generally from the Southward & Westward. Operations in hand as usual, the ploughmen sowing & harrowing oats, Mr. Yates & gang employed bio-bahiauilding the houses on the bio-bahiaank & putting up the new Sale Shop. Some furs & provisions were traded to day from Kawitchins & others. We have this evening finished packing up the Fort Simpson O^t & Servants' Orders & equipped some of the Norman Morrison's crew for the voyage.

Thursday 2^nd Fine weather still continues, with light winds. The nights are very cold for the season. Abio-bahiaout 10 1/2 Pm a shock was felt in the Ft. supposed to have been an earthquake, it shook the whole of this building (office). People employed as usual. The Norman Morrison is now discharged & ready to receive the Coast Out^t. Trade from the Skatchets 16 lynxes, 14 raccoons, 14 gns. oil from Cape Flatterys & 1 land otter from the Tlalums.

Friday 3^rd Fine weather & much warmer than usual with light variable airs. People employed at their usual occupations. Some Nanaimaults arrived to day & traded a few furs. 4 canoes of Cape Flattery Indians arrived also. Shipped some packages to day on board the Norman Morrison.

Saturday 4^th Generally clear with light winds from the Southward & Westward. People employed at their usual occupations. Some 20 bus. potatoes were planted this week, 30 bus. oats & some pease, the goods discharged from the Norman Morrison & some oak logs & coppers for the repair of the Steamer shipped on board. Some of the Songes were ~~repaid~~ paid for their lands to day & a party of Tequetsins arrived to receive a compensation for their lands about Rocky point.

Sunday 5^th Fine clear weather, with light variable winds. Nothing remarkable except a few arrivals of Cape Flatteries & others, the latter disposed of a sea otter with some oil yest^y.

Monday 6^th Fine warm weather with the winds light from the Southward & Westward. People employed much the same as last week, planting potatoes, sowing & harrowing. Some martens, lynxes and other small furs were traded to day from some Indians from p^t Roberts. A few articles for the Coast were shipped to day on board the Norman Morrison.

Tuesday 7^th Generally overcast, with a fresh breeze from the South East, with a refreshing shower of rain in the evening. People employed as usual. Nearly all for the Coast is now on board the Norman Morrison. {blank} bus. potatoes were planted to day in Ogden fields. 5 bus. potatoes were traded to day from the Kawitchins & other trifles traded from the Natives of this place.

Wednesday 8^th Generally overcast with a fresh breeze from the South West & had a few drops of rain in the afternoon. The Coast Outfits are now on board of the Norman Morrison & that vessel will be ready to sail as soon as they are prepared on board. This forenoon the B^qu England ~~arrived~~ Cap^t Brown arrived from San Francisco & brought some letters from that place & also from England via Panama. No trade of any consequence. Some potatoes were planted to day in Ogden fields.

Thursday 9^th Generally overcast & cool with light winds from the South^d & Eastw^d. This being ascension day those who seemed ~~to g~~ desireous to go to Church were allowed to go there & the rest employed at their usual occupations. Three of the recruits who arrived by the Morrison were to day ordered to proceed to Ft. Simpson but refused & were under the necessity of putting them in jail. They however consented to go in the even^g. The whole of the Soke tribe arrived to day to receive payment for their lands. The Norman Morrison still remains in harbour.

Friday 10^th Had some rain over night with fine clear weather during the day, wind light and variable. People employed as usual 140 sacks flour @ $8, 2 cases hams & 1 case bacon were purchased to day from Captain Brown of B^qu England, the half of which is forwarded to Ft. Rupert by him. The Sokes were paid for their lands to day. The Norman Morrison still remains in harbour.

Saturday 11^th Fine pleasant weather & no wind. The results of this week's labor as follows: {blank}bus. potatoes planted, the counters placed in the new Sale Shop, the cargo for the North shipped on board the Norman Morrison & sundry other operations performed about the Est^t & also blacksmiths' work as ∞ a/c. This afternoon the baker Cathie, Gullion and Gillespie went up the arm in a canoe on a shooting excursion. The latter was most unfortunately drowned, the canoe having up set, it's supposed he had been drunk from the effects of liquor which some of the {men} purchased from on board the B^qu England. The Norman Morrison's crew refused to bring the ship out of harbour, alleging that the ship is short of her complement of seamen.

Sunday 12^th Fine warm weather, no wind. Remained quiet as usual. The England is still in the offing, cannot proceed on her voyage to Ft. Rupert on account of the calm weather. The body of poor Gillespie was found this morning by the Indians & brought to the Estab^t.

Monday 13^th Generally overcast with light variable winds. The people employed as last week except two of our men who are employed keeping watch over the prisoner on shore & on board the Morrison. An Inquest was to day held on the body of Gillespie & a verdict passed of having been drowned in a state of intoxication, his remains were this evening consigned to the grave.

Tuesday 14^th Fine pleasant weather with light variable airs. People employed as usual as ∞ labor book. Four lands men were to day entered on the articles of the Norman Morrison in place of those seamen who deserted. Trade, some provisions & a few furs. The England left the offing this morning.

Wednesday 15^th Fine pleasant weather with a strong breeze from the South West in the afternoon. Early this morning the Norman Morrison left the harbour & disappeared at Rocky point about noon. Operations in hand as usual. Some furs & provisions were traded to day from Whotlumies, Songes, Quotlins and Kawitchins as ∞ trade book. Some potatoes were planted to day in the field.

Thursday 16^th Fine warm weather with light variable{airs}. People employed at their usual occupations. 14 bus. potatoes were planted to day & sundry furs & provisions traded from Songes & Kawitchins.

Friday 17^th Fine weather with a strong breeze from the South West. Operations in hand as usual, for details see labor book. 21 bus. potatoes were planted to day. Some Cape Flattery Indians & Tlalums arrived to day & disposed of some sundries at the Trade Shop. A quarrel nearly took place between some Whotlumies & Kawitchins encamped here, but was quelled by our interference.

Saturday 18^th Blowing fresh from the South West & clear weather. Had a fine warm shower of rain over night. People employed at their usual occupations. A row of shelves were put up in the Sale Shop this week, some timbers squared and groved for a house at the Dairy, {blank} acres of land ploughed {blank} bus. potatoes planted. Some sundries were traded in course of the day from Kawitchins & Songes.

Sunday 19^th Fine clear weather with light variable airs. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 20^th Had some heavy rain over night, occasionally overcast throughout the day, wind strong from the S.W. People employed as last week except six men who were sent to the Mill this morning in charge of Mr. Nevin to put up the beams of the Grist Mill & erect its rafters. A ship was seen to day passing down the Straits, evidently from Nisqually.

Tuesday 21^st Fine pleasant weather with light variable airs. People employed at their usual occupations, planting potatoes &c. About 10 Am Mr. Douglas left for Nisqually in a canoe manned by Gagnon, the Boatswain of the Norman Morrison who was in prison & 6 Indians. The total am^t of seed sown & planted this spring is as follows viz^t: 275 bus. potatoes, {blank} bus. wheat, bus. 44 oats, 52 bus. pease, the last of the former were planted to day & the most of the pease & oats sown about the latter end of April & the wheat about the beginning of the same month.

Wednesday 22^nd Alternately clear and cloudy, but no rain. Wind blowing fresh from the S.W. People employed at their usual occupations as ∞ labor book. Trade, a few articles ~~and~~ of provisions. Lafleur came to day & spoke about getting the same allowance of provisions as the English men, which was promised him.

Thursday 23^rd Generally overcast with a fresh breeze from the South West. People employed at their usual occupations. A large number of the natives are at present assembled here for the purpose of collecting camas. Nothing traded except a few articles of provisions.

Friday 24^th Overcast with rain in the afternoon. & wind fresh from the South East. People employed the same. Captain Grant arrived last night from Soke for the purpose of surveying the company claim & commenced this afternoon. A canoe arrived yesterday from Langley & reported the Steamer having arrived there on Sunday.

Saturday 25^th Had some rain over night & fine weather throughout the day, wind light from the South East. People employed the same. This week about 50 bus. potatoes were planted, the frame work of a building put up at the sec^d Dairy & sundry jobs performed by the carpenters & blacksmith. Some Indians arrived from Nisqually & bought goods from the Sale Shop to the am^t of about $200. Willings' wife left this morning for Langley & brought the oil cloths for New Caledonia & Colvile & all the papers connected with the Outfits of the Interior and Ft. Langley were forwarded by her.

Sunday 26^th Fine clear calm weather. In course of last night 7 men deserted the service & went in a canoe towards Nisqually, viz: Michel Lafleur, Fish, Waine, Richardson, Millar , Sims and Grey. A party of Sinahomish arrived from Nisqually this afternoon but brought no letters. The deserters were not punished as we have got no more hands at present, than suffice^d to protect the property in the Estab^t.

Monday 27^th Occasionally overcast with light variable winds. Operations in hand going on as yesterday. We have got a party of Indians cutting switches for hay but get on that slowly. We had the goods from the Sale Shop removed to day into the new shop & they are now fitting up the old one. {the following sentences are written over & perpendicular to the preceding material} Captain Grant assisted by Mr. Samuel Robertson began the survey of the company reserve. They began by taking the arm of the sea from the Estab^t up wind.

Tuesday 28^th Overcast for great part of the day, wind blowing fresh from the South ~~East~~ West in the afternoon. People employed as ∞ labor book at their usual occupations, carting out dung, ploughing, repairing fences & building. No trade worth noticing. Sent the skow this morning with a [~~long]~~ load of shingles to the Mill to roof the Grist Mill at which the people there are employed.

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