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Fort Victoria Post Journal January 1850

1850 January

Tuesday 1^st January 1850. Cold frosty weather with a fresh breeze from the Northward. The people enjoying the New Year.

Wednesday 2^nd Clear frosty weather as yesterday. The people still enjoying the New Year. Late in the evening Gov^r Colvile with the gentlemen who accompanied him returned from Soke. Nothing traded.

Thursday 3^rd Clear weather still continues. This day was also allowed the people to recruit after last night's exertions at dancing which they kept up until a late hour. The mill party left this afternoon. Nothing remarkable occurred.

Friday 4^th Generally overcast with a fresh breeze from the Northward. People employed principally carting & cutting firewood, building, &c. Trade from some Skatchets who arrived as follows: 8 beavers, 6 black bears, 1 land otter, 10 raccoons & some other small furs, all for twist tobacco.

Saturday 5^th Generally overcast with the wind light from the Eastward. This week does not show any great amount of labor having been broken by holidays. About 12 bus. pease thrashed & some work done towards finishing Bachelor's hall. The blacksmiths employed principally as usual. No trade worth noticing. The Cadboro left for Nisqually with a cargo of sundries & is still off the harbour.

Sunday 6^th Had heavy rain over night, with the wind from the South^d and East^d. Nothing remarkable. The Cadboro left the entrance of the harbour.

Monday 7^th Had a heavy fall of snow in course of last night & continued snowing more or less all day, wind light from the Southward and Eastward. People employed building, working in the forge, carting & cutting firewood, &c. as ∞ labor book. The Steam Vessel was this morning hauled out from the Salmon Wharf to the harbour. No trade worth noticing.

Tuesday 8^th Had a heavy fall of snow in course of the day, but the weather is mild, with light winds from the Southward and Eastward. People employed at their usual occupations, as ∞ labor book. No trade worth noticing.

Wednesday 9^th Had heavy rain over night & continued so throughout the day & thawing rapidly. Wind blowing a gale from the Southwest in the afternoon. People employed the same & trade unworthy of notice & no arrivals.

Thursday 10^th Heavy rain all night, with occasional showers throughout the day & blowing strong from the South West. People employed at their usual occupations. Mr. Nevin paid a visit to the mill party to day & came back with the disagreeable report that the mill crank broke early this morning, they fortunately had another to replace it which was put in immediately.

Friday 11^th Fine pleasant weather with light airs from the South^d and Eastward. People employed much the same as usual, building, cutting & carting wood, &c. The Steam Vessel Beaver made a trip towards Mechausen to day with a view of trying her new boilers, which appear to answer well. In the offing she fell in with & towed into harbour the American Brig Cayagua {Cayuga} from California for lumber. Late last night a boat came into harbour with a Captain Underwell & Mr. Brotchie, who came across the Strait ha with an Indⁿ crew having left their vessel the Albion at New Dungeness where they are employed cutting spars, &c. for exportation.

Saturday 12^th Overcast with a fresh breeze from the South West. This week's work only exhibits some alterations made in Mr. Staines', a quantity of pease thrashed & firewood cut & carted home for the Estab^t. No other occurrence worthy of notice. The Cayuga is still in harbour.

Sunday 13^th Stormy weather with snow, wind Easterly. Nothing remarkable

Monday 14^th Had heavy rain over night, weather wet & disagreeable throughout the day. Wind blowing fresh from the South West. People employed much the same as last week except our Indians who were wooding the Steam Vessel. Six men were drafted from this Estab^t on board of her viz^t: Harvey, Lar[h]ier, Alexis, Louis [Olelekerie] {likely, "Otiokori}, (Willing from Langley) & Pakee, which leaves us very short of men to carry on the work. Gold dust to the amount of 456 oz & 12 1/2 doubs. was left us by Mr. Weear {Wear} in trust, until the lumber which he is to purchase from us is shipped on board. Some property belonging to a Mr. Alcock was received on shore from the Cayuga to be reshipped on board the Cadboro for Nisqually.

Tuesday 15^th Overcast with a light wind from the South West. Captains Brotchie & Underwall {Underwell} left this morning for New Dungeness. The Steam Vessel is now wooded & ready to sail & will do so tomorrow morning weather permitting for the New Establish^t having laid here putting the new boilers in since the month of Aug^t last. Several of the men have been drunk to day by liquor which they purchased from the seamen of the Cayuga.

Wednesday 16^th Keen frost over night, generally overcast throughout the day, wind light from the Northward. The harbour has this morning been slightly coated over with ice. Early this morning the Beaver Steamer left ~~for~~ this harbour for the first time since last July for Beaver harbour with Gov^r Colvile & Mr. Douglas & Mr. M^carthur as passengers. Sir E. Poore & Mr. Franklin trunks also accompanied them. The Brig Cayuga was towed out of harbour by the Steamer bound for Esquoimalt, to receive lumber from the Saw Mill there, which the company sell @ $80 [∞ M]. The blacksmith employed making another crank & the few carpenters remaining here now were employed squaring timber for a house to be built for Mr. Yates. Six men were drafted from the Estab^t on board of the Beaver which leaves us very short of hands to carry on the work. A report is to day afloat that one of the Indians on the other side killed one of our cattle in Ogden's field, the guilty individual has not as yet been discovered.

Thursday 17^th Weather cold & disagreeable with sleet, wind light from the South East. People employed shipping lumber on board of the Cayuga, cutting wood, squaring lumber for another house (Yates'). Baker, Bole & M^cPhail on the sick list. No furs of any kind traded.

Friday 18th Weather generally clear but a little snow in the afternoon, wind Northerly. Captain Courtenay of the Cayuga with some of the passengers from that vessel paid us a visit to day one of whom, Hancock, left 144oz 13 doubs. gold dust here under our charge until he comes back from Nisqually, whither he is bound tomorrow morning. In consequence of Thomas having maltreated some of the Indian lads last night at the Mill the whole of them @ left their work there & came here & we could not, this morning prevail upon them to work.

Saturday 19^th Overcast & very cold, with light winds from the North^d and Eastward. People employed for the greater part of this week shipping lumber on board the Cayuga & shipping wood on board the Beaver. Sills, posts &c. of Yates' house squared and hauled out & sundry other jobs performed in the forge & about the Estab^t. No trade worth noticing. Mr. Hancock & another American left this afternoon for Nisqually in a canoe.

~~Saturday~~ Sunday 20^th Had a heavy fall of snow over night & continued falling all day, wind Easterly. Nothing remarkable.

Monday 21^st Cloudy with cold weather. Wind Northerly with some snow which is now 7in deep on the ground. People employed principally as last week. Mr. Wear left this morning to join the Cayuga which is bound for Nisqually, he brought one of the bags of gold dust which he had here with him to purchase shingles there.

Tuesday 22^nd Wind still keeps Northerly & some snow in the afternoon, which lies now 13 inches on the ground. The blacksmith employed forging a crank for the Mill & the others employed as usual.

Wednesday 23^rd Wind northerly still but light from that quarter. Snowed a little in course of the day. People employed at their occupations of yesterday & also putting up a crane in the Blacksmith's Shop. The children removed to day into Mr. Staines' but still board here. Crawford, the carpenter in consequence of having refused him some rum on Saturday refused duty & is now doing nothing.

Thursday 24 Wind still Northerly, blowing strong & snowing & drifting. People employed at their usual occupations. Captain Grant arrived in course of last night with one of his men, Fraser under a charge of theft. The fellow remains here at large, having no place to confine him.

Friday 25^th Overcast with some snow, wind North^y in course of the forenoon & South West in the evening & a change of weather is likely to take place. People employed much the same as usual.

Saturday 26^th Generally overcast with thaw. Wind blowing fresh from the South West & raining heavily all night. About noon Dr. Tolmie with a Mr. Talmich {Tallmadge} one of the American Off^r at Nisqually arriv^d in company with Mr. Wear who arrived from that place with the Cayuga & brought us about 800 sheep both dead & alive. They saw the Cadboro on the opposite side of the Strait bound hither.

Sunday 27^th Generally overcast & mild, with light winds from the Southward and Westward. This morning the Cadboro came into harbour & the sheep were landed from the Cayuga @ Ogden's field.

Monday 28^th Raining almost all th night which continued all day, wind blowing fresh from the South West. Mr. Nevin and 14 Indians were this morning sent over to the Mill to load the Cayuga with lumber where she now lays at anchor. The blacksmith employed making funnels for Mr. Staines' stoves &c. & the rest emp^d as usual. All the fresh beef brought by the Cadboro & all the shingles on board were discharged to day.

Tuesday 29^th Overcast with a fresh breeze from the South West & some sleet. The beef, pork and wool on board the Cadboro were discharged to day. Mr. Nevin came from the Mill last night with his face marked having been struck by Coté, who was drunk. They had two skow loads of lumber ready for shipment on board the Cayuga. Engaged some Indians to day for labor. People employed much the same as usual. No trade worth noticing.

Wednesday 30^th Very cold weather & overcast, wind Easterly. People employed at their usual occupations. Mr. Nevin arrived from the Mill to day with another broken crank & Mr. Wear accompanied him who came over for some supplies. They have now got about 30[h] feet lumber shipped on board the Cayuga. No trade worth noticing.

Thursday 31^st Overcast with a fresh breeze from the Eastward. A skow load of the shingles brought by the Cadboro from Nisqually was to day sent to Esquoimalt for shipment on board the Cayuga. Men about the place employed as yesterday, building Yates' house, & carting & cutting wood. Yesterday the land otters on hand were packed & pressed for Sitka & was to day laying out goods for the N{ew} Caledonia O^t & preparatory to packing them.

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