1846
1847
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
- 1847 PDF file
1848
1849
1850

Search the Entire Journal

Fort Victoria Post Journal October 1847

1847 October

Friday 1^st October Overcast with rain in the afternoon. 268 bus. potatoes were taken up before the rain set in. Commenced shingling the Granary at which two hands were employed. No trade except for a few cod fish.

Saturday 2^nd Alternately clear and cloudy with occasional showers of rain & blowing fresh from the S. West. People employed as usual. The results of the week's labour as follows: 102 boards of 1 1/2in 8ft long, 60 boards of 1in 12ft long sawn, 34 oak knees put up along the eves of the Granary to support the projecting roof, 250 boards nailed over the rafters of d^o. for shingling, about 20 acres of land ploughed, 1659 bus. potatoes housed not including to days work which is 229 bush. No trade worth mentioning. No intelligence as yet of the Columbia which is now a month on her trip to Ft. Langley.

Sunday 3 Raining without intermission all day. Nothing remarkable occurred.

Monday 4^thHeavy rain all day. People employed as ∞ labour book, roofing Granary, pit sawing, ploughing & repairing roof of the buildings within the stockade. No trade of any kind nor any intelligence as yet of the Columbia.

Tuesday 5^th Raining all night & for some time this forenoon, became fair in the evening. Men employed as yesterday. No trade except a few gallons oil & few martens from Songes.

Wednesday 6^th Beautiful weather with light variable airs. We began sowing fall wheat this forenoon in the fields beyond James Bay for the first time this season. 10 bus. were sown & harrowed, 302 bus. potatoes were housed. The people emp^d harrow^g, roofing &c. About 4 pm two canoes arrived from Langley bearing 3 of the men of that post who have retired. They brought a letter from Captain Duncan who is now out of Fraser's River on his way to this place.

Thursday 7 Fine clear weather with light variable winds. People employed the same. 290 bus. potatoes were taken up to day & 11 bus. wheat sown & harrowed. About noon the Beaver arrived from the North having Mr. C{hief}F{actor} Work as passenger. No trade.

Friday 8^th Fine pleasant weather. 14 hands were sent this morning to cut wood for the Steamer, 3 roofing & the rest employed as usual. Trade, 1 bear skin from Kawitchins. 1 cow has this afternoon been slaughtered ∞ use of the Beaver. A sick man - a mariner in distress found by the Steamer in with the Chicklitses landed & took up his quarters in the Ft. 15 bus. wheat were sown & harrowed and 268 bus. potatoes taken up & housed to day.

Saturday 9^th Beautiful weather. People employed the same as yesterday, cutting & taking wood on board the Steamer. Week's work as follows: 122 boards 12ft long sawn, part of the Granary roof shingled, 10 acres of land ploughed & about 36 30 sown with fall wheat & harrowed, 172 bus. potatoes taken up & housed to day & sundry other duties performed about the establishment. We have this evening taken up the last of our potatoes, wh making a total this year of 3028 bus. 40 bus. wheat are now sown in the fields beyond James Bay. About 9 AM the Beaver started to tow in a ship which appeared in the offing, being the B^qu Columbia from Langley. Both vessels anchored here at 1 PM.

Sunday 10^th Weather very calm and clear. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 11^th Thick fog this morning which cleared up about noon. Clear pleasant weather in the afternoon. About 80 gns. oil were traded from Kawitchins and Tlalums. 7 men cutting wood for Steamer, 4 roofing Granary and the rest employed packing and dusting furs. About 6PM. the Mary Dare was reported to be in the offing & shortly afterwards Mr. C{hief} F{actor} Douglas arrived in the ship's boat. 11 bus. wheat were sown.

Tuesday 12^th Fine pleasant weather. Men employed discharging cargo, roofing & harrow^g. At 11 AM. the Steamer, which left this morning in search of the Mary Dare entered the harbour with that vessel in tow. 90 gns. oil were traded to day.

Wednesday 13^th Generally overcast with a little rain in the afternoon. Were busy all day discharging salmon from the Columbia and wool & shingles from the Mary Dare. Several packages for Langley O^t48 were shipped on board the Steamer which leaves to morrow morning for Langley.

Thursday 14^th Heavy rain all night with a strong South West wind during the day. Early this morning the Beaver left for Langley having Messrs. Douglas & Work as passengers. Were busy discharging the Mary Dare's cargo. A large party of Cape Flatteries arrived in the afternoon. 15 bus. wheat were sown.

Friday 15^th in Fine clear weather. The Mary Dare was taken this morning along side the Columbia to receive the salmon. 8 of our people were employed on board. The carpenter of the Mary Dare in consequence of disobeying Captain Cooper's orders and giving him insolence, was taken on shore in irons & is now kept in one of the block houses. 15 1/2 bus. wheat were sown, Minie & Raymond for the last two day {sic} repairing the forge & bellows, the others employed as usual. Upwards of 100 gns. oil were traded to day from the Cape Flattery Indians. Had several bales of furs packed to day for Eng^d being past Returns of Fts. Langley, Nisqually, Victoria & Vanc^r Indⁿ trade. We had the Snake Country furs which lately were sent across the Cow^tz portage examined, aired & dusted to day. Some of the skins were found quite wet, which we have of course dried.

Saturday 16 Blowing a very strong gale from the South West last night with some rain. Our new Granary leaned about 6in from the perpendicular with the force of the wind at 3 AM. People employed squaring logs for the saw, opening drains in the fields & pressing furs. The most of our people having been employed about the shipping during the week, the result of our labor on shore is not great: 12 cords firewood cut for Steamer, 10 bales furs packed and pressed for England, 8 logs 24ft long sq^d ∞ saw, one side of the Granary roof shingl^d, 41 1/2 bus. wheat sown & harrowed.

Sunday 17 Fine pleasant weather with light variable airs. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 18 Fine pleasant weather with light airs. Were busy all day packing and dusting furs & the salmon was being transshipped from the Columbia into the Mary Dare. ~~The Granary was~~ Four hands were putting oak knees to the Granary beams. No trade of any kind. {blank} bus. pease were sown.

Tuesday 19^th Generally overcast with occasional showers of rain. People employed as yesterday. {blank} bus. wheat were sown & harrowed. Had a party of men employed dusting & packing up some Coast martens which we had to air before the fires the weather being too damp for airing them outside. No trade.

Wednesday 20^th Hoar frost over night, weather clear throughout the day. People employed beating hides, shingling, pressing furs, ploughing and assisting in getting the Columbia hove down, a steer was slaughtered ∞ use of the ships to day. 1215 bus. wheat are now sown & harrowed.

Thursday 21^st Generally overcast. People employed opening drains in the wheat fields, assisting in repairing the Columbia's bottom, which is now hove down, keel up in the harbour. Minie & Raymond were for the last two day {sic} repairing one of her pumps which broke in being taken out. 8 bus. wheat were sown and harrowed to day making a total of 123 bus. sown this autumn.

Friday 22^nd Beautiful weather with light variable airs. 12 hands were to day employed squaring logs of 24 feet long for plank ∞ Granary & the rest employed as usual. No trade. All the wheat we intend to sow this autumn being now harrowed the oxen were let loose for some time to rest. Lecuyer with two horses was rolling the wheat. Our operations on shore progress but slowly owing to so many of our men being employed about the Columbia.

Saturday 23^rd Generally overcast. The people employed as yesterday except the squarers who were cutting oak ∞ firewood for the homeward bound ship. The Columbia is now repaired & will be ready to receive ballast on Monday morning. 20 plank of 2in 24ft long with 6 boards of the same length 1in were sawn, about 20 acres of wheat sown & harrowed, one side of the Granary roof shingled & sundry other jobs performed for the ships during this week. Some Skatchets arriv^d this morning with furs, which we could not trade at the new tariff.

Sunday 24^th Overcast with little or no wind. No occurrence of any note.

Monday 25^th Overcast with rain in the evening. People employed as ∞ labour book, pit sawing, draining fields, roofing & ballasting the Columbia. Nothing now traded, the Natives still holding out for the old tariff.

Tuesday 26^th Generally cloudy with rain in the afternoon. People employed as usual, about the shipping, roofing Granary &c. About 1 PM the Beaver arrived from Langley having Messrs. C{hief} Factor Douglas & Work as passengers. No trade.

Wednesday 27^th Cloudy with heavy rain in the evening. Sent 5 men & 4 Indians this morning to cut fence pickets up the arm & had 80 cut during the day. Mr. M^cKay with an Indⁿ guide left here this morning to explore the country between this {place} & Esquoimalt for the purpose of cutting out a road to the Mill Stream - returned in the evening with a favourable report. Had an animal slaughtered to day for the Columbia crew. 2 hands were employed all day on board that ship making the fur box.

Thursday 28^th Overcast with some rain. People employed the same. 139[tt] shingles has been shipped on board of the Mary Dare for Ouahu.

Friday 29^th Blowing fresh from the South West during the night with heavy rain, weather throughout the day generally clear. Early this morning the Cadboro at length made her appearance from Columbia River having left Bakers Bay on the 25^th. Her cargo has been discharged in the afternoon & all the oil for Eng^dhas been shipped on board the Columbia. Captain Scarborough has been appointed to day to the command of the Mary Dare which leaves to morrow for Ouahu.

Saturday 30 Raining almost all day with a fresh breeze from the South and Eastward. Early this morning the Beaver left for Nisqually and in the afternoon the Brig Mary Dare left the harbour for Ouahu. People employed much the same as yesterday, week's work as follows: 11 cords oak cut & carted down for the Columbia, 12 plank of 2in 22ft long sawn, all the oil shipped on board the Columbia, the Mary Dare got ready for sea, the Cadboro discharged, the frame work of the fur box put up, 120 picket cut to day - total during the week 475, 30 acres of land rolled, 26 logs ∞ saw hauled out ∞ oxen, one side of the Granary roof shingled & sundry other jobs performed for the shipping & about the establishment. A young steer has been killed to day ∞ use of the Columbia.

Sunday 31^st Hoar frost overnight, weather fine and pleasant throughout the day. Nothing remarkable but that the Mary Dare is still in sight.

Previous Month // Next Month