1846
1847
1848
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1849
1850

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Fort Victoria Post Journal February 1848

1848 February

Tuesday 1^st Blowing strong from the South West during last night, which continued for sometime this forenoon. Weather overcast portending rain. Minie employed putting up a new grind stone here, the other having been sent to Fisgard harbour. Gagnon & Trudelle making ladders for Nos, 5 & 6. 3 hands with 8 Indⁿ finishing off the bridge & the rest as yesterday. The General Teste is still in the offing waiting favourable weather to leave the Straits.

Wednesday 2^nd Weather generally clear with a strong breeze from the South West. Paid a visit to day to the party employed at Fisgard harbour & found every thing going on as well as could be expected & they are to begin tomorrow morning to clear away a place for the foundatⁿ of a dwelling house. The bridge across Concor^a arm is now completed. I rode across it this morning on horse back. Trade, 1 bearskin & few other trifles. The French Whaler is still riding at anchor at Point Ogden.

Thursday 3^rd Overcast with a fresh breeze from the South. People employed as usual. Nothing done in the way of trade except a few mats. Ebony with 10 engaged Indians are employed clearing land on the other side of James Bay for spring crops.

Friday 4 Beautiful weather with light winds from the Southward and Eastward. No trade worth mentioning. People employed the same. Bought 10 gns. sperm oil from Captain Morin for 200ft of pine in boards. The General Teste left this afternoon for Cape Flattery. One of the cows calved yesterday, being the first this year.

Saturday 5^th Weather mild & overcast with a shower of rain. People at their usual employments. Week's work as follows: hatchways cut in Nos. 5 & 6, ladders made ∞ d^o., 50 boards 12in sawn, 2 sills 60ft long 18 in sq^re sq^d at Fisgard harbour with the foundation of a house prepared there, rails put on the bridge in Concordia arm, 33 bus. wheat thrash^d & fan^d & a portion of new land cleared by Indians. Late in the evening some Sinahomish Indians arrived from Nisqually & brought letters from that place and Vancouver importing that the mission above Walla Walla was destroyed by Indians of that part, Dr. Whitman & wife with several others having been murd^d by the natives. The measles are very prevalent about Vanc^r & Nisqually.

Sunday 6 Mild weather with some rain in the evening.

Monday 7^th Weather overcast with occasional showers of rain. People employed as last week, except Lecuyers who began ploughing for the first time this year. Andrew Jackson, an American, & a Mason by trade, deserted from the whale ship General Teste & made his appearance here after her departure. We had him employed to day repairing the stone buttresses under the Granary. Several ducks & cod fish were traded to day from Sanetch & Kawitchin, with 10 gall. oil. Minie making spikes for the oak knees we are placing in Nos. 5 & 6 to support the beams & posts of those buildings. Early this morning the Sinahomish Indians who arrived from Nisqually on Saturday evening left for that place, who brought letters back for Vanc^r and Nisqually.

Tuesday 8^th Overcast with drizzling rain all day, wind variable. People employed as usual, grooving plank ∞ Sale Shop partitions, pit sawing, placing oak knees to posts and beams of N^os. 5 & 6. w{ith} 8 hands @ Fisgard harbour, Lecuyers ploughing, Ebony with10 Indians clearing land, Louis Satakarata with 6 Indians thrashing grain.

Wednesday 9^th Weather generally cloudy with a few showers of rain. Wind strong from the South West. People employed the same. Two Frenchmen, deserters from the General Teste, made their appearance this morning, having left the ship at P^t. Sⁿ Juan & travelled across the country. We will of course have to keep them here & give {small deletion} them some employment until an opportunity offers of sending them away. No trade worth mentioning.

Thursday 10^th Generally overcast with a strong Easterly breeze in the evening. Paid a visit to day to the mill party & sent the two French men (deserters) to work there. The sills of the house with its sleepers are laid & some of the filling up pieces cut. The Ft. party employed as usual, planing boards ∞ partition of Sale Shop, clearing land, ploughing, thrashing &c. No trade.

Friday 11^th Weather generally clear with a strong breeze from the South West in the evening. Operations going on as yesterday. Nothing remarkable.

Saturday 12^th Mild weather. No trade, the principal results of the week's work as follows: 60 boards 10ft long & 10 plank of 23ft long sawn. 80 boards 10ft long plan^d & groved ∞ Sale Shop partition & said partition put up, 27 bus. wheat thrash^d & win^d, sills, sleepers & posts of Mill House laid & put up, with sundry other duties ab^t the Estab^t.

Sunday 13^th Overcast with a light Easterly breeze. No occurrence of any note.

Monday 14^th Alternatively clear & cloudy with light winds from the Southward & Eastward. Indians employed rafting logs ∞ garden fence & thrashing wheat, the people of the Estab^t employed as last week as ∞ labor book planing boards ∞ lining Sale Shop & sawing. One of our horses has been found dead by the Indians about Mt. Douglas an old plough horse which having been worn out last year by hard labor was not expected to have stood out the winter. Late in the evening 4 Cape Flattery canoes arrived & landed at the Songes' village. M^cPhail brought in a cow with a calf to day being the second this year. Some Indians left here this morning for Langley, by way of Kawitchin, by whom letters were forwarded to Mr. Yale.

Tuesday 15^th Overcast with a strong breeze from the Eastward. 13 beaver & otter, 5 martens, 20 raccoons & other small furs were traded from Whotlumies and Kawitchins. The Cape Flatteries who arrived yesterday brought nothing for trade. The people empl^d as yesterday.

Wednesday 16 Fine mild weather. Wind Easterly. M^cPhail brought in another cow with a calf to day being the third this year. 5 martens were traded from Cape Flatteries. They have got some beavers which they will not dispose of at the present tariff.

Thursday 17^th Had a shower of hail last night with a strong breeze from the South West. Fine clear weather throughout the day. Some herrings & wild fowl were traded from the Songes. We began this morning shingling Store N^o. 4 with small shingles, before its present covering not being found light.{transcribed as written} Keave with oxen hauling up logs ∞ garden fence. Lemon manuring & putting earth round the apple trees in the orchard. Paid a visit to the party employed at the Mill Seat & found them busy putting up the dwelling house.

Friday 18^th Had a little frost over night. Weather serene and pleasant all day. Wind light from the Eastward. People employed as yesterday & George Dixon painting the doors and windows of House N^o. 3. No trade. The Cape Flatteries left this {place} about noon.

Saturday 19^th Mild and overcast with light winds from the South and Eastward. No trade worth mentioning. The principal results of this week's work are as follows: viz^t: the posts & wallpieces of the Mill House placed, 100 boards of 1in 10ft long sawn, one side of the roof of N^o. 4 roofed with small shingles. About 6 acres of land ploughed & 20 bus. of wheat thrashed & winn^d.

Sunday 20^th Raining heavily during last night. Cloudy throughout the day with occasional showers of rain. 2 cows with their calves were taken in to day by M^cPhail, being the fourth & fifth this year. In the afternoon a canoe of Fraser's River Indians arrived & brought letters from Mr. Yale for this place & Vancouver.

Monday 21^st Alternately clear and cloudy with occasional showers of rain. Wind light from the W.N.W. People employed as ∞ labor book @ the Mill Seat. Shingling N^o. 4, pit sawing, making garden fence, ploughing, clearing land, in search of cattle & thrashing grain. Another cow with a calf was taken in to day, the sixth this year.

Tuesday 22^nd Little frost overnight. Weather beautifully clear all day with light airs from the North^d. This morning the Ft. Langley Indians left, by whom a letter was sent to Mr. Yale. 2 more cows with calves were taken in to day, being the seventh & eighth this year. Mr. J. M^cKay with two Indians were sent this morning to survey the plain between Mounts Tolmie and Douglas. Trade, 3 raccoons and 2 minks.

Wednesday 23^rd Some frost over night. Fine clear weather throughout the day. People empl^d as usual. Some martens & bearskins were traded from Soke Indians. ~~Early this~~

Thursday 24^th Frosty nights still continue. Weather beautifully clear all day. People employed the same as usual. Mr. M^cKay with two Indian lads were to day surveying the plain between Mounts Tolmie & Douglas. Dupuis & Lecuyers ploughing in Ogden field.

Friday 25^th Keen frost over night. ~~wind~~ Fine clear weather all day with light variable airs. People employed as ∞ labor book: roofing N^o. 4, rafting & carrying fence poles, ploughing & making fences & thrashing grain. No trade of any consequence.

Saturday 26^th Keen frost during last night. Weather generally clear all day with a fresh breeze from the South West. Nothing done in the way of trade. Week's work as follows: rafters sq^d & put up with battens on the Mill House, two sides & the end of the roof of N^o. 4 shingled, log fence put round the garden, 10 acres of land ploughed, 50 plank 23 ft long 2in thick sawn ∞ Granary flooring, 30 bus. wheat thrash^d and win^d & a portion of land cleared with sundry other minor jobs performed about the Establishment.

Sunday 27^th Mild weather with a fresh breeze from the South^d & Westward. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 28^th Fine pleasant weather with light changeable airs. The people resumed their occupations of last week. No trade worth noting. All our stock of shingling nails having been used roofing N^o. 4. Minie was to day employed cutting some of hoop iron to complete the roof of that building.

Tuesday 29^th Fine clear weather till noon when it became cloudy with a little rain in the evening. Paid a visit to the mill party to day & found them squaring the timbers for that building, the dwelling house having been finished on Saturday so far as we can at present get on with it. Had an excursion over the country through which the Mill Stream passes in hopes of finding some large prairies in that direction fit for cultivation, ~~but~~ and found nothing but barriers of rocks with swamps in all directions. The Mill Stream takes its rise in some lake between the head of Fisg^d harb^r & the Sanetch Bay. Trade to day: 3 beavers & some other trifles from Skatchets.

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