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Fort Victoria Post Journal March 1850

1850 March

Friday ~~29th~~ 1^st March. Cold weather with snow in the afternoon. Wind blowing fresh from the Eastward. People employed much the same as usual & those employed in the Store were to day packing the Colvile District Outfit. We have had three of the Steamer's seamen sewing up the bales.

Saturday 2^nd March Weather generally overcast throughout the day but kept dry, had some rain over night. People employed much the same as usual. The principal results of the week's work are as follows: 103 small R^oC axes 158 half Sq^r h^d axes- 1&2 harrow^g, with sundry other jobs for the farm & Mill, 37 bus. pease thrashed, 12 bus. oats, 15 bushels wheat, 12 acres of land ploughed, New Caledonia & Colvile Outfits packed, 12 new 8 gn. kegs made & sundry kegs repaired, 8825 feet of lumber sawn, 700 lb biscuit baked. We have now got 7 cows with calves @ the Dairy. No trade worthy of notice.

Sunday 3^rd Overcast with keen frost over night, wind light from the Eastward. Some Kawitchins arrived in course of this day.

Monday 4^th Raining almost all day with a light breeze from the Southward & Eastward. People employed much the same as usual, building, thrashing, cutting & carting firewood & getting ready the packages for the Interior Districts. A few furs, potatoes and other trifles were traded to day from the Kawitchins.

Tuesday 5^th Had some snow over night, weather generally overcast throughout the day, wind blowing strong from the Southward and Eastward. Had the gold dust which we received from Mr. Wear for lumber weighed to day which that gentleman supposed was not correct, but we found it perfectly so, according to our a/c. People employed much the same as usual. No trade worth noticing.

Wednesday 6^th Overcast & blowing fresh from the Southward and Eastward, attended with some snow in the afternoon. Operations in hand going on as usual. Were employed to day in the Store making up some goods for the Langley Sale Shop. No trade worth mentioning. The heads of the Songes families, who were implicated in killing our cattle came across from the village yesterday to make restitution for the damage they had done & promised not to do the same for the future.

Thursday 7^th Overcast with wind light from the Eastward. People employed at their usual occupations as ∞ labor book. Last night Lazard, Desjardin & Balnè three of the Steamer's men deserted, supposed to have gone towards Nisqually.

Friday 8^th Overcast with a light breeze from the Southward and Eastward. Operations in hand going on as yesterday. Shipped to day on board the Beaver her stores for 1 month & some supplies for Ft. Rupert. No trade worth mentioning.

Saturday 9^th Generally overcast with a light breeze from the Northward. About 10 Am the Beaver left for Fort Simpson & Fort Rupert having Chief Factor Work & family with Mr. Blenkinsop as passengers. About noon a boat having an English flag flying ent^d the harbour, which proved to belong to H.M. Steam Sloop Driver Captain Johnstone, which anchored off point Ogden. About 11 1/2 Am Governor Blanshard of this Island as passenger on board the Driver & takes up his residence at this place. The result of the week's labor as follows: sundry iron works performed by the smiths, Yates' house finished off, some 50 bus. of grain thrashed, &c. No trade worth noticing. Captain Johnstone & the Purser were on shore for some time this afternoon.

Sunday 10^th Overcast with the wind from the Northward & very cold. Gov^r Blanchard & several of the officers of the Driver attended divine Service on shore to day.

Monday 11^th Snowing all night & continued for the greater part of the day, wind Northerly & blowing fresh. M^r Lieu^t. Dement of the Amⁿ army arrived here yesterday, having come in search of some of his men who deserted & not finding them here as he expected left this {place} for Nisqually about noon. About the same time Governor Blanshard landed from the Driver under a salute of 17 guns which were answered from our bastion. All the British residents who were at hand were assembled here & heard the Gov^r's Commission read. People employed as usual, see labor book.

Tuesday 12^th Overcast with the wind from the South East & occasional showers of sleet and snow. People employed at their usual occupations. About 9 Am the Brig Mary Dare arrived from Ouahu, when Captain Scarborough landed and delivered letters and other documents from Messrs Pelly & McTavish . ~~Six~~ Eight Sandwich Islanders as came by the Mary Dare as laborers for this place. About 3pm the schooner Cadboro arrived from Nisqually with a cargo of shingles & some specie from that post.

Wednesday 13^th Overcast & blowing, fresh from the South West. Operations in hand going on as yesterday. The Mary Dare & Cadboro which anchored yesterday at the entrance of the harbour were towed into harbour this morning. No trade worth noticing.

Thursday 14^th Overcast with some snow, wind blowing strong from the South West. Men about the place employed discharging the Mary Dare and Cadboro & building a house for Gov^r Blanshard. No trade worth noticing. No intelligence as yet of the Cowlitz for which we are now anxiously looking.

Friday 15^th Cold and disagreeable with some snow over night & continued snowing for some time throughout the day, wind blowing fresh from the South West. People employed as yesterday, principally building & discharging the Mary Dare & Cadboro. Some articles of provisions were traded to day from the Kawitchins.

Saturday 16^th Blowing fresh from the South East in the afternoon with sleet. People employed much the same as usual. The B^qu Cowlitz at length made her appearance at the entrance of the harbour this afternoon when the packet was landed. No trade worth noticing.

Sunday 17^th Had some snow over night & continued snowing at intervals throughout the day, wind blowing strong occasionally from the South West. ~~People employed cutting firewood, ploughing &c preparing the Stores to receive Cargo &c as~~ ∞ ~~labor book. Some sundries from the Sandwich Islands were landed from the Brig Mary Dare~~

Monday 18^th Overcast & blowing fresh from the South West, with some snow. People employed cutting firewood, ploughing & preparing the Stores to receive the cargo &c. as ∞ labor book. Some sundries from the Sandwich Islands were also landed from the Brig Mary Dare.

Tuesday 19^th Keen frost with some snow over night, wind Northerly. Began discharging the Barque Cowlitz this morning. People employed doing so & at other work as yesterday. This morning Captain Grant with Père Lemfrit {Lempfrit} started for Nisqually in a canoe manned by the Songes. Messrs Moffatt & Robinson appⁿ Clerks who arrived by the B^qu Cowlitz, were taken on our Estab^t. The laborers are still on board the ship assisting in discharging.

Wednesday 20^th Had a heavy fall of snow over night & continued snowing for some time this forenoon, wind blowing fresh from the South West. People employed the same. The Mary Dare has been hauled along side the Cowlitz to day for the purpose of receiving the cargo to be sent round to Ft. Vanc^r. No trade worth noticing except a few articles of provisions.

Thursday 21^st Generally overcast with the wind fresh from the North^d and Eastward. People employed discharging cargo, ploughing, &c. as ∞ labor book. The dairy man reports having now 14 cows with calves, he found the head of one concealed in a bush yest^y probably killed by the Kawitchins. Trade, some wild fowl & other trifles from the Songes.

Friday 22^nd Overcast in the afternoon & milder than usual, wind light from the Northward and Eastward. People employed as usual, discharging cargo, building, &c. as ∞ labor book. The seven laborers who arrived by the Cowlitz were taken on shore to day to work & get their apartments ready on shore.

Saturday 23^rd Overcast with rain, wind light from the Southward & Eastward. People employed at their usual occupations. The principal results of the week's work are principally work connected with the shipping, discharging cargo &c. Some seven acres of land were ploughed for wheat. Late last night H.M. Ship Driver arrived from Nisqually with about 800 sheep & 84 head of small horned cattle.

Sunday 24^th Raining almost all day, with the wind light and variable & milder than usual. This afternoon the Norman Morrison one of the company's ships made her appearance in the offing, being direct from England with laborers & others for this place. The despatches were landed in the evening. Early this morning the Driver left for Fort Rupert. Captain Sangster went up on board to point out to Captain Johnstone the different anchorages.

Monday 25^th Overcast with heavy rain & little or no wind. Operations in hand principally as last week. Owing to the rain we could discharge nothing from the Cowlitz. The laborers who arrived by the Cowlitz were employed opening drains in the fields. Some fresh mutton ~~were~~ was sent on board the Norman Morrison for the use of the crew & passengers.

Tuesday 26^th Raining almost all day with the wind blowing fresh from the Southward and Westward. Some few packages were received to day from the Cowlitz. People employed much the same as yesterday. No trade in furs but some provisions were traded from Songes and Sanetch. The Norman Morrison is still lying at anchor off Esquoimalt.

Wednesday 27^th Overcast & mild with a little rain in the evening. The people employed as ∞ labor book, building, fitting up apartments in the houses for the men to be landed from the Norman Morrison, ploughing &c. Some articles of provisions were traded from Skatchets & Kawitchins. The Norman Morrison was taken in to day to the harbour of Esquimalt for the purpose of loading the machinery for the Grist Mill on board of her there. Mr. Parsons the mill wright & ten men are to be landed there & the rest are coming up here.

Thursday 28^th Overcast & mild with no wind. People employed as ∞ labor book, ploughing, carting, discharging cargo &c. This evening 15 more men were landed here from the Norman Morrison. Trade, some salmon & a few other articles of provisions. Made up some packages to day for the interior & Fort Langley.

Friday 29^th Fine pleasant weather, with the wind light from the Westward. This being good Friday was kept as a holiday & consequently no work done.

Saturday 30^th Fine clear pleasant weather with light variable airs. Our people, at their usual occupations and the men landed from the Norman Morrison were set to work to day & employed as ∞ labor book. Some few articles of provisions were traded from the different tribes of Indians now here. The work done this week is principally discharging cargo from the Cowlitz, making a park to catch wild cattle, cutting some drains in the field & in the Fort Yard, ploughing & fitting up the houses for the accommodation of the new comers &c. Père Lamfrit {Lempfrit} arrived ~~last~~ Thursday evening from Nisqually but brought no letters from Dr. Tolmie. The Indians who came with him having been engaged by Captain Grant, were paid what that gentleman promised them out of a bill from Dr. Tolmie in his favour say £25.

Sunday 31^st Fine pleasant weather with a fresh breeze from the South West. A larger congregation than usual attended divine Service to day, many of the people who arrived by the Norman Morrison having been there.

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