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Fort Victoria Post Journal 1849 October

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1849 October

      Monday October 31 1st  No change in the weather.  People employed principally as last week.  Began lifting our potatoes this morning, part of which were shipped on board the Columbia as sea stock.  The Cape Flattery Indians left to day and brought back the most of the furs they brought up, not having come to terms with Dr. Benson about the price.  150 bus. potatoes were brought taken up to day. 

      Tuesday 2nd  Beautiful weather with a strong & cooling breeze from the North West.  People employed lifting our potatoes, ploughg, building, &c. 210 bus. potatoes were taken up to day. 

      Wednesday 3rd  Fine weather, with light winds from the Northward and Westward.  Had all the furs shipped on board the Columbia for England in course of the forenoon.  219 bus. potatoes were taken up to day and housed. 

      Thursday 4th  Fine clear weather with light variable winds.  People employed as yesterday, ploughg, lifting & housing potatoes & shipping oil and salmon on board of the Columbia. 108 bus. potatoes were housed to day.  They do not turn out so well as could be expected owing no doubt to the imperfect tillage of the field & there being having been but little moisture.  The pipe for which the Steamer has been detained at Shoal point for the last three weeks was got in last night & she is now to be taken up to receive the boilers. 

      Friday 5th  Had some frost over night, being the first this season. Weather calm & smoky.  People employed at their usual occupations.  147 bus. potatoes were taken up & housed.  181 hides were shipped on board the Columbia & 250 barrels of salmon.  Trade a few articles of provisions principally from the Songes. 

      Saturday 6th  Weather still continues dry with slight frost over night.  People employed at their usual occupations.  The principal results of the week's work are as follows:  {blank} bus. potatoes taken up & housed, the lining put up to the office walls, 210 logs cut at the Saw Mill during this week and the last & sundry other operations performed in & about the Establishment.  The furs & other exports for England were shipped on board the Bqu Columbia. 

      Sunday 7th  Weather dry & smoky as yesterday.  Nothing unusual occurred. 

      Monday 8th  Weather still continues the same & people employed much as usual, ploughing & clearing land for fall wheat, fitting up the office & several other jobs as ∞ labor book.  Trade, some fresh salmon from the Songes. 

      Tuesday 9th  No change in the weather.  Operations going on as usual.  The Indians brought in some more fresh salmon for trade.  Four oxen were brought up from the Mill to day for the purpose of removing the Steamer's boilers for shipment at the Salmon Store.  No intelligence as yet of the Cadboro, which is now daily expected from Nisqually. 

      Wednesday 10th  Very foggy & smoky with little or no wind.  People employed at various occupations about the farm and Estabt as ∞ labor book. 468 barrels of salmon and 90lb of shingles are now shipped on board the Columbia for Ouahu.  All our potatoes are now housed being in all 1996 {illegible insertion} bus. much less than we expected owing no doubt to the dry summer we have had. 

      Thursday 11th  Weather remarkably thick & smoky with little or no wind.  A ship is reported being in the offing supposed to be the Bqu Cooloney {Collooney} from Nisqually.  Trade of no consequence.  We are now taking the Depot inventory.  The Bqu Columbia's crew have this evening been equipped from the Sale Shop with what they wanted for the homeward voyage. 

      Friday 12th  Overcast with a little rain in the forenoon, wind light from the South East.  People employed at their usual occupations.  28 carcasses of mutton were landed to day from the Bqu Cooloney {Collooney} & one of the skows was sent over to the Mill for the purpose of shipping lumber on board of that vessel. Late in the evening E. Colville Esq. Governor of Rupert's land with Mr. C{hief}T{trader} Fraser arrived in one of the batteaux from Ft. Langley & brought advice from Canada up to the 6th May. 

      Saturday 13th  Fine weather but smoky & no wind.  Operations performed this week are: 10 acres of land ploughed, some joiner work made in the new office, a portion of land cleared & prepared for ploughing.  No trade worth noticing. 

      Sunday 14th Foggy & still as usual.  This day passed as usual & nothing remarkable. 

      Monday 15th  Weather still continues the same. Operations in hand as follows:  preparing a place in the second storey of house No. 4 for an office, the new office being occupied by Gov. Colvile, shipping lumber on board the Collooney at Esqt Mill, ploughing land for fall wheat, &c.  No trade worth noticing. 

      Tuesday 16th  Foggy & smoky as yesterday & no wind.  People employed the same.  We have now got upwards of 28[h] feet lumber shipped on board the Collooney.  No intelligence as yet of the Cadboro. 

      Wednesday 17th  Had a very foggy morning which cleared up into a fine clear day, wind mod. from the North West.  People employed principally as usual.  Trade unworthy of notice. 

      Thursday 18th Had very thick fog in the morning and evening & clear about midday, wind light from the North West.  Operations in hand as yesterday except Dupuis & two hands who are making a machine for thrashing grain.  About 11Am Mr. Wm Mcneill left this {place} for Nisqually in a canoe with an express for Vancouver.  In Late in the evening Govr Colvile & Douglas paid a visit to the Saw Mill & returned about 6 o clock. 

      Friday 19th  Foggy weather as yesterday with little or no wind.  Our people employed as usual, preparing land for fall wheat, thrashing grain, &c.  A large quantity of salmon inferior salmon were brought in for trade, but being so infr we could not trade them & were brought back.  42270 feet lumber is now shipped on board the Bqu Collooney & that vessel being now fully laden, we made a settlement of acct with Captain Livingston, who leaves port to morrow weather permitting. 

      Saturday 20th  No change in the weather.  This week about 10 acres of land ploughed for fall wheat, a part of the orchard trenched,  a quantity of grain thrashed by horses,  a roller made by Dupuis for thrashing grain, wood, water & other sundries carted as usual & the builders employed as usual.  No trade worth noticing. 

      Sunday 21st  Thick & hazy as yesterday & no wind.  Nothing transpired worthy of notice. 

      Monday 22nd  Thick and foggy weather still continues. Men distributed at their several occupations as ∞ labor book. A gang was appointed to square sills for a building 30 x 40 ft.  Some canoes left this morning for Langley & brought a letter for Mr. Yale. 

      Tuesday 23rd  Weather clearing up a little but no wind.  People employed at their usual occupations vizt: clearing & preparing land for fall wheat, thrashing grain, squaring timber, &c.  No trade worth noticing. 

      Wednesday 24th  Raining heavily during the forenoon and for a great part of the night.  People employed at their usual occupations & nothing traded worth mentioning. 

      Thursday 25th Generally overcast with no wind.  About 10 Am the Cadboro arrived from Nisqually with a cargo of wool & other sundries.  9 boxes. specie and gold dust came on by the Cadboro from Vancr.  These with the wool were transferred from the Cadboro to the Columbia in harbour.  Some American vessels arrived in the offing from Vancr one of which has some supplies on board for this place.  The specie & gold dust brought on by Mr. Douglas was shipped on board the Columbia this afternoon. 

      Friday 26th  Heavy rain all night which continued for the greater part of the day.  Mr. Nevin was despatched this morning with a boat in search of the ship that is reported in the offing & returned in the evening without having seen her.  2 hands in search of oxen on the plains & the others employed as yesterday.  

      Saturday 27th  Occasionally overcast with frequent glimpses of the sun.  Wind blowing strong from the South West. The results of this week's work are as follows vizt:  about 20 acres of land sowed & harrowed & some few acres of new land ploughed, several improvements made inside the Ft., a quantity of grain thrashed & part of the orchard trenched.  No trade worth mentioning. 

      Sunday 28th  Generally overcast with light airs from the Southward and Westward.  Nothing remarkable transpired. 

      Monday 29th  Raining over night & for the greater part of the day, wind blowing fresh from the South West.  Owing to the wet weather the wool could not be transshipped from the Cadboro to the Columbia.  People employed much the same as last week, as ∞ labor book, ploughing, harrowing, building, squaring &c. 

      Tuesday 30th  Raining to day also, but was fair in course of the forenoon.  Everything on board the Cadboro for London was shipped to day on board of the Mary Dare Columbia, a document for home completed.  The Columbia is therefore ready to sail tomorrow morning, weather permitting.  Trade, a few minks & articles of provisions.  Gov. Colvile left yesty for Soke in company with Captain Grant & has not as yet returned.   

      Wednesday 31st  Generally overcast with a fresh breeze from the Eastward.  People employed as usual as ∞ labor book.  About 11Am the Bqu Columbia left the harbour for England & was out {of} sight at Rocky point at 2 o clock in the afternoon.  As the Columbia was sailing out, the Mary Dare came in from the New Establishment & Mr. Work landed in the evening. She has been detained for a considerable time with fogs on her trip. 

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