Page:The Cowlitz Farm Journal, 1847-51.djvu/54
Thrashed only 40 Bus Wheat—horses worked badly & the grain yields but poorly. Ploughmen tearing along but the ground is already to[o] dry to work to advantage & tills indifferently for turnips. The early sown look fresh & healthy.
Wednesday 17th. Day sultry; evening cool, promising a change. Occupied much as yesterday, much of our time necessarily taken up with the fencing, a great deal of trouble to protect the growing crops. Ploughed early potatoes for the first time this season. Revd Monsrs Ricord & Byot[1] arrived from Ft Vancouver & have brought the sad news that the Company's Bark Vancouver was a total wreck at the mouth of the Columbia.
Thursday 18th. Day overcast with a nice wetting shower about 8 A M. Air cold. Removed the mill to another division; thrashed 64 Bus Wheat.
Commenced ploughing in field No 1. Wheat fields now really beautiful to look upon, a great promise of an abundant harvest. An Indian (Eliakanah) arrived from Nisqually enroute for Ft. Vancouver tomorrow. Thrashing with horses and cleaning wheat in Store. Tenasman & Derval laid up seemingly with some new malady, cold perhaps or influenza. This is quite common of late at Vancr. Several of the settlers are also complaining.
Friday 19th. A pouring rain most of the day—cleared towards evening. Employed pretty much as usual. Recd letters from Nisqually by Holt holt in. Sent the letters that have accumulated here to Nisqually by Eilakakah [sic]. Priests cattle still troublesome.
Saturday 20th. Showers of rain, heavier towards evening. Sowed 30 acres of Coleseed with a sprinkling of turnips. Employed thrashing & cleaning of Wheat. 6 Ploughs agoing for coleseed. Employed otherwise as usual.
Sunday 21th. Cold showers of rain, wind South & South
- ↑ Fr. Pascal Ricord, O.M.I.; possibly "Byot" is a rendering of Rev. J. F. Jayol, sent to Cowlitz for the Nisqually mission in March, 1848, or of Rev. F. Veyret, sent to the Sound in May? See Blanchet's Historical Sketches of the Catholic Church in Oregon, 68; Schoenberg, A Chronicle of Catholic History of the Pacific Northwest, 27; Nisqually journal, WHQ, XII:224. Or perhaps Brouillet visited the mission.
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