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Fort Victoria Post Journal February 1849

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1849 February

      Thursday 1st February.  Had some frost as usual over night. Mild weather throughout the day with light airs from the Northd & Eastwd.  People employed at various jobs.  Since Monday we had two hands repickling {sic} the Nisqually beef in Depot.  No trade worth noticing.  One of our calves was this evening killed by some Indian boys, who were amusing themselves in the cow house, to one of whom I administered a slight drubbing. 

      Friday 2nd  Fine clear weather with light variable airs.  People employed as usual, erecting park at Second Dairy &c.  No trade worth noticing.  All our pease is now thrashed, which amount only to 237 bushels.  The field in which they were sown having been but indifferently ploughed. 

      Saturday 3rd  Had some frost over night. Fine clear weather during the day.  The result of the week's work as follows vizt:  about 1500 fence poles hauled up from the water's side by oxen & about the same number carried out of the woods, the Dairy fitted inside, 120 logs ∞ park cut & 50 hauled out by oxen, knees cut & squared for No. 6 & some packages of goods & provisions made up for the Coast & other sundry jobs. No trade worth noticing. 

      Sunday 4th  Beautiful weather with light variable airs principally from the Northward.  Nothing transpired worthy of observation. 

      Monday 5th  Had a little frost over night, weather serene and beautiful throughout the day.   People and Indians employed & distributed as follows: 11 hands at the Mill as last week, 2 fitting knees to beams of No. 6,  4 men & 17 Indians finishing Secd  Dairy and putting up cattle park, 10 Inds removing [weed] from one of the barns to make room for thrashing the grain out with horses, 2 men employed about the Store.  Fur trade as follows: 30 minks from the Songes & 3 black bears from Kawitchins, with a little oil from the latter. 

      Tuesday 6th  Fine pleasant weather with a light breeze from the South West.  Sent Mr. Nevin with 5 Indians this morning to the Mill with a load of potatoes and salmon for that place.  Gagnon & Gabriel placing oak knees to the beams of No. 6.  No trade worth noticing, except a few gallons of oil. 

      Wednesday 7th  Weather serene and beautiful with light variable airs.  People employed as yesterday.  No trade except some dried salmon. 

      Thursday 8th  Beautiful weather with a light Northerly wind.  People employed at their usual operations.  We have this evening finished the New Dairy so far as having two houses & a cattle park put up, the stands for the cattle have yet to be finished.  McPhail found one of the cows drowned this afternoon in a pond behind.  We have this morning commenced ploughing for the first time this Summer Spring, {sic} but our progress is continually impeded by the ground being still hard with frost. 

      Friday 9th  Had keen frost during last night with clear weather all day, wind Northerly.  The frost prevented our going on with the ploughing to day.  Some Tlalums harpooned a whale a few days ago in the Straits which the Indians were busy to day divesting of its blubber.  A lot of dried salmon with some oil were traded to day from various tribes. Three hands were employed laying a flooring in one of the barns to day for the purpose of thrashing out wheat in it with horses.  Harvey & Crawford had to discontinue building the boat to day as the weather is now favorable for making some repairs, which want to be done, to the Cadboro. 

      Saturday 10th  Frosty night as usual with clear pleasant weather throughout the day.  Week's work as follows: flooring laid in a space 30ft square in one of the barns for the purpose of thrashing grain with horses, 2000 fence poles hauled up to the field from the waters by oxen, 100bbls of pease and wheat completed for exportation and sundry other operations performed by men & Indians abt the farm & Estabt.  Trade, some oil & a few dried salmon. 

      Sunday 11th  Hoar frost over night & pleasant weather throughout the day.  Nothing remarkable. The Mill owing to the scarcity of water did not run since Friday. 

      Monday 12th  Frost over night as usual, fine clear weather during the day.  Had 4 men taking in cattle & brought 6 oxen in for work with 4 horses for do. Some molasses has been stolen last night out of Store No.1 but cannot find out as yet the thief & the watchman appears quite ignorant of the act. 

      Tuesday 13th  Cold & dry weather still continues with the wind from the Northward.  People employed as ∞ labor book, putting up fences & preparing one of the barns for thrashing grain with horses.  Peltier arrived in the evening from the Mill with 4 worn out oxen & is to receive tomorrow six fresh ones instead.  No trade. 

      Wednesday 14th  Keen frost over night, with the wind blowing strong from the Northward. Peltier left this morning with six oxen for the Mill.  We had all the mares & young horses in to day & commenced thrashing out the grain with them in barn.  The cows are now daily being brought in with calves.  The Mill is now standing still for want of water. 

      Thursday 15th  Keen frost as last night, fine pleasant weather throughout the day, wind Northerly.  Had two men out all day in search of oxen but could not find any.  Some Sanetch arrived in course of the day but brought nothing worthy of notice for trade. 

      Friday 16th  Frosty weather still continues, with clear weather, wind light from the Northward.  Operations in hand going on as yesterday. No trade worth noticing.  Slaughtered an ox this evening for the Cadboro crew & carpenters attached to the Estabt.  Had two hands repairing the crane & wharf. 

      Saturday 17th  Fine clear weather until the evening when it became cloudy, wind Northerly.  The week's work as follows: 2000yds fencing put up, 68 bus. of wheat thrashed and winnowed, the face of the wharf repaired, pease & wheat for the New Establishment packed in barrels & sundry iron work for Nisqy, the farm & Mill made by the blacksmith.  Several canoes of Kawitchins arrived in course of the day & brought some oil & other trifles for trade. 

      Sunday 18th  Weather generally overcast, but the wind still hangs from the Northward. Nothing remarkable. 

      Monday 19th Blowing strong from the South West with heavy showers of sleet & rain.  People employed principally as last week as ∞ labor book.  Some Tlalums arrived in course of last night & brought a few beavers with raccoons & other furs for trade. 

      Tuesday 20th  Blowing fresh from the South East with sleet all day.  People employed as usual thrashing wheat, making fences &c.  The ground being now sufficiently thawed we commenced ploughing to day.  No trade of any consequence. 

      Wednesday 21st Had a heavy fall of snow in course of the day, with the wind blowing strong from the South West.  We let the mares go this morning until drier weather, as this damp weather is unfavorable for thrashing grain.  Had the four ploughs under way all day.  Traded a few small furs from Tlalums.  4 wild oxen were taken in to day to be broke in & yoked for the plough. 

      Thursday 22nd  Mild weather with some snow, wind Easterly.  Paid a visit to the Mill to day & found affairs going on there as usual.  The water is not yet sufficient to drive the machinery full speed.  Peltier came over with broken down oxen for some more to replace them.  Trade, some few articles of provisions. 

      Friday 23rd Mild weather with the wind light from the South East with heavy rain in the evening. Dupuis & Deroche making a new cart & the rest employed as usual.  Had 4 ploughs going all day ploughing the field behind the Ft. for pease.  Sent Mr. Nevin with 4 hands & 4 Indians with the skow, having some potatoes and hay in it to day to the Mill & are to bring back the plank for the New Establishment. 

      Saturday 24th  Raining heavily over night with frequent showers of rain and snow {'sleet' written above the line} in course of the day.  The week's work at this place is as follows: 30 acres of land ploughd, a cart made & sundry other operations performed.  The Saw Mill is now going better than it has done this winter with the late heavy rain.  A skow load of provender for the oxen was sent over this week and the half of the plank for the N{ew}E{stablishment} brought over back in the skow. 

      Sunday 25th Blowing strong from the South West with a heavy fall of snow.  Nothing remarkable except that one of the Indians across has been shot by another party, having been accused of poisoning some of those who shot him. 

      Monday 26th  Blowing strong from the South West with a heavy fall of snow.  People employed as ∞ labor book as follows: thrashing grain with horses, grooving plank ∞ Granary flooring, ploughing & taking in cattle & making fences.  Some raccoons, dressed deerskins & other sundries traded from Whotlumies. Some of our horses are getting diseased & had to send Beauchamp this afternoon to bleed & administer powder & water to them which appears to be the only remedy for the disease.  James Scarf & Minie still on the sick list.  

      Tuesday 27th  Keen frost over night & weather very cold throughout the day with some snow.  People employed at their usual occupations.  Thomas with 10 Indians went to the Mill with some hay in the skow & is to bring back the remainder of the lumber for the N{ew}E{stablishment}.  No trade worth mentioning. 

      Wednesday 28th  Blowing strong from the North with a heavy fall of snow all day which drifted into every store & house in the Ft.  People employed principally cutting & carting firewood.  No trade worth noticing. 

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