Diary of Henry Cornwall and Ashcroft Manor - 1864 - 1865

December 10, 1864
Clem started from Lytton on his way to New Westminster to attend L. C- T Started from Lytton on my way home, and only got to Nicaomen getting away from L (Lytton) about 2 p.m. A bitterly cold evening with high north wind.

December 11
Went on to the ferry and dined with Spence and Houghton. Not quite so cold - thermometer down to 4 below zero.

December 12
Reached home from ferry with Houghton after a very cold drive. Met Jim and William on their way down from working at the dam, which they had not quite finished. Slept in the new room which will be very comfortable but is too small for many.

December 13
Got down most of the furniture and things from the old house and put things into place a little. Paid off William and the carpenter who go tomorrow. Cudlip and James hauled a load of rails and upset on the hill. The cayooties are very troublesome. They have I fear, killed 8 or 9 of the hens. They stay by the house all day. There were 4 there together today and I shot at one with the rifle but the ball was a little too high.

December 14
Cudlip went on the hill again and broke the truck upsetting again. H & J (Houghton and James) cleaned up the old house and worked about home. Warmer day. H (Houghton ) missed a cayooty.

December 15
Hauled five logs, and went down to the Thompson looking after the cows, which were not there, and appear to have crossed the creek. Much warmer day, with some snow last night about 2 inches on the ground.

December 16
Packed up a load of vegetables for Kirkpatrick and put up lining in sitting room and c. 1 fowl dead, wherefore I don’t know. C & J (Cudlip and James) got a load of poles. Bright coldish day with hard frost at night.

December 17
C. (Cudlip) started with load to the ferry. H (Houghton) and I went up to help James haul poles, got down a load but broke the sleigh. Bad luck to it. Rather slippery work for the oxen. Bright fine day with hardish frost.

December 18
Sunday - Houghton started to Lytton with a sick Chinaman and his chum in the buggy. He met Cudlip returning with wagon from the ferry and changed horses taking on the big blacks. C. (Cudlip) got back all right. Fine day, but coldish night.

December 19
A beautiful day much warmer. C. (Cudlip) and J (James) hauled getting on well. I about home with plenty to do. In the event Kelly came to pay a visit. Warm night.

December 20
Kelly stopped and we went about the place and up the hill to help C. (Cudlip) with poles, which arrived all right. Snowing nearly all day, but stopped in the evening, however it looks as though we should have more. Quite warm the room being too hot with a fire in it. Saw the heifers and the 2 calves from the hill. They have taken to coming down into the flat too much but they looked well. Also saw most of the horses. Paid up Cole’s bill $80 for cattle.

December 21
K (Kelly) started home. I went hunting for the cows all over the place but could not find them. C (Cudlip) hauled a load of poles. Beautiful and warm day.

December 22
After hunting all day found cows and calves all down on the Buonaparte. Cudlip hauled plates for thrashing floor. Houghton got back from Lytton bringing Butler for Xmas. Beautiful day again.

December 23
About home. C (Cudlip) hauled for floor. In evening Cochrane and Peg-leg Smith came. Played poker and won. Fine day again. Found two dead cayooties which we have poisoned.

December 24
Men at thrashing floor. C(Cudlip) hauling. We doing nothing. Peg-leg and Cochrane started in Chinaman sleigh for Junction. Great singing in bar room in the evening being Xmas Eve. Beautiful day.

December 25
Xmas Day. Old Spence came up. Cochrane and Peg-leg came back having come to grief and left the sleigh at Scotty’s. A merry evening passing off very well. Oregon Jack gave a squaw dance, at which everybody got very drunk I believe.

December 26
Men had a holiday and everybody rather sleepy. Lovely day.

December 27
I hear that Clem is still at Yale on account of the river being frozen up, but that he was thinking of starting with an Indian. He will, I fear, have a bad time of it. Peg-leg and Cochrane started off. Butler stays a little longer. Mild day but threatening.

December 28
My horror was great this morning when on getting up I found 22 inches of snow on the ground fallen in 12 hours! Started of Duck and Pringle to bring up the cows et cetera from mouth of Buonaparte which they did and put them in the brush in the field. We went up on the hill to get in the two calves that were up there and got them in the upper stable.Saw all the horses except one or two. What is to be done? Is the question. The walking is exceedingly hard and all very tired at night.

December 29
Went up with Houghton to see the stock, the horses hard at work pawing. Brought down Bob to ride if possible. I then drove the heifers who had come down to the field up again to the brush and had a very hard time of it not getting home till 2 hrs. after dark and very tired. Packers et cetera are in a fright, and in truth it is very bad. I would not mind so much if we get at the barley straw. Slight frost.

December 30
Killed a beast and hauled a log for fire, very hard on the oxen though. I stayed at home having blisters on my ankle from the friction of the snow which got into my boots yesterday. The snow had settled about 3 inches. Drove the cows and calves to water above the mill. Slight frosts. Butler is snowed in. Wrote to Clem.

December 31
Hauled 2 loads of swedes to lower house. Men hard at work at thrashing floor. Cudlip hauling sleepers. Fine day.

January 1, 1865
New Year’s day. Nobody here but our party and Butler. A very good dinner. Drank the health of the dear folks at home. I hope we shall have a prosperous year.

January 2
Butler started for Lytton intending to reach Oregon Jack’s and a good day’s work too, though the road is pretty well broken now, there having been two or three sleighs by, but the snow is so soft that it is wretched work. H & J (Houghton and James) drove cows and calves from field up to brush and then I hunted in vain for the 12 heifers, going as far as the Frenchmen’s where they informed me six had been a day or two before. Got home late. The snow must have settled 6 or 8 inches since it fell. There is I hear four feet of it at Lytton and much more below. 3 or 4 feet at Nicola’s Lake. They say the Barons are feeding a number of stock about 40 head I believe. Hay 6¢ (cents); barley straw 4¢ (cents); barley 8 1/2¢ (cents).

January 3
Took up ladder and calves to hayrick on the hill. Drove the cows et cetera there and gave them some. Also found the 12 heifers and gave them a taste putting the two lots together. I expect they won’t go far away now and they certainly relished their fresh food. They have fallen off a little of course but on the whole are looking well I think. Saw also the horses. It has been snowing on and off all day. Adding two or three inches, but I think it is thawing a little this evening. More sleepers to the thrashing floor. James I find has as much as he can do feeding the horses, cattle, calves, chickens and pigs whose food takes a awful amount of boiling.

January 4
J (James) went up and fed the cattle. They were all together. Cudlip finished hauling sleepers. Houghton hauled some barley straw to lower house and calves. Mr. Bewinno here from Lilloet, about the same quantity of snow there he says. Fine day.

January 5
I went up and fed the cattle and cut some posts in the shingle bush. Cudlip and Houghton hauled lumber staps (slabs) to the thrashing floor. Set an Indian picking the potatoes again as many of them are wet I am sorry to say. H & C (Houghton and Cudlip) caught a very pretty little owl at the mill. About 4 inches high. I hope it will live. Cudlip is now making a cage for him. Warm sun, but the snow does not seem to vanish.

January 6
H (Houghton) cut posts, I fed cattle, Tom came up late with sleigh and we got a load down after dark sometime. Owl died last night I am sorry to say.

January 7
We all did the same work bringing down the big sleigh from Clutchville into the bargain. One of the Oppenheimer’s stopped here on his way to Cariboo, sleighing up in great style. A very pretty cutter bought in Victoria and harness which cost him $200.00

January 8
Sunday. I was obliged to go up to feed cattle and on my return found Oregon Jack and Gavin come over to pay a visit and D. Walker with them. They stayed the night. Coldish nights and days.

January 9
Houghton who had got a little frost bitten on Saturday stayed at home and made a place for the yellow and white heifer in the big stable as she is just going to calve. I went up and fed cattle 29 of them and a nice hole they are making in the little rick. About half of it is gone in a week, and I’m sure I don’t give them too much. Foggy day with hoar frost flying about. Heard from Butler and Cochrane. No Express.

January 10
All up chopping posts, feeding cattle and hauling. Spence’s black mare who has strayed up here cast her foal in the stables so I can’t send her away just yet as I intended to do. Drove down the yellow and white heifer from the band who will calve I think in a few days, as I was afraid to leave her out longer, and put her in the corral and a piece of the stable. Fine but frosty, the snow does not disappear.

January 11
Men have finished thrashing floor having worked well, and tomorrow we begin to thrash. Duck and Pet to open the ball. I fed cattle and looked up some horses. C (Cudlip) hauled having an upset. H (Houghton) chopped posts. Butcher Coles here rather down in the mouth about his cattle. The Express came yesterday and I was much disappointed to get no news of Clem. My hope is that he had not had time to get down to Westminster, but he must have been long on the road. No letters from home or anywhere else. Fine coldish day.

January 12
The same routine, with the addition of driving down the stock to the field in the evening. Men thrashing with Blacks and Bob - but it does not thrash nearly so easily as in the hot sun, having the advantage though of not breaking up the straw nearly so much. The same weather, we have none of that bright sun shine that we had last winter but though it freezes every day, it is not very severe.

January 13
I drove cattle up to water above the mill, the only good place, then back, and took them a load of barley straw. Took up the young bull and "Bos’s" calf, put them with the others. Duck and Pet thrashing getting on better today. The barley looks as though it had been cut a little too soon but is very fair. H & C (Houghton and Cudlip) at old work - Pringle at feeding bins and sleigh for hauling down hay, about half of which has been fed to the cattle on the hills. The yellow and white heifer calved last night, a nice looking bull calf, very strong and well. Same weather.

January 14
I drove cattle to water and fed them. C & H (Cudlip and Houghton) on hill, Cudlip coming to grief with the sleigh. Duck and Pet finished thrashing one rick finding however, a good deal of barley (2 or 3 layers) damaged by water at the bottom. Pringle put up door on calves house, mended winnowing machine, et cetera. Rather foggy day

January 15
Houghton, Cudlip and I drove over to Oregon Jack’s to dinner and back again the same night reaching home about 1 a.m. A warm night so that the drive was pleasant. We were feasted in great style, having really a very good dinner with excellent pastry and eggnog afterwards. I was very glad to hear that Clem had been seen at Langley by the Expressman. Sold the young bull at the Frenchmans to Oregon Jack for $85 for beef. I hear that York has lost 40 head of cattle already.

January 16
I at the old game, H & C (Houghton and Cudlip) at stables. Duck and Pet cleaning up barley which proves very nice and will I think yield largely. It is much nicer work on the floor, which is solid and good. Pringle getting a load ready to sleigh to the ferry tomorrow, Spence 1000 lbs barley Kirk 1000 lbs swedes 200 lbs potatoes. Mild day with an appearance of thawing. I wish it would thaw even off the side hills. Saw some of the horses who have fallen off a good deal I think. Bill and Tom very thin but lively.

January 17
Fed cattle. H & C (Houghton and Cudlip) at stable. Cleaned up first rick of barley, which yielded 6200 lbs besides some damaged at the bottom of the rick. L Alec off to the Ferry starting at 6 _ a.m. Beautiful day.

January 18
Same work. Duck mending the sleigh, Alec returned having got on first rately and bringing money for barley and Oregon Jack’s bull $85, and more orders for vegetables. It has snowed nearly all day but being very fine has not increased the bulk much. A poulet died quite fat and cow sick.

January 19
P & C (Pringle and Cudlip) hauled hay. H (Houghton) at stable. I with cattle et cetera. Duck thrashing again.

January 20
Ditto Ditto. Fine weather.

January 21
Alec at stable doors. C (Cudlip) hauling slaps et cetera for stable. H (Houghton) at stable. Duck finished threshing oats. Sold Cudlip 2000 of oats in straw for 7cts weighed it out. Fed cattle et cetera got a load ready for Spence.

January 22
Colder days and nights with north wind. Sunday fed cattle et cetera. Heard from Clem and home on the 21st all right I am glad to say.

January 23
Out all day looking up horses did not see many. Pringle started for the ferry with load for Spence. Colder weather. Same work going on.

January 24
Pringle came back all right. Yesterday 2 yoke of Spence’s cattle came up to be ranched in the most awful condition being hardly able to stand. I put them in the corral and am feeding them at the rate of $25 per head per month. Cleaned up oats and weighed them 3500 lbs. Odd lbs. Besides excellent straw. We have another cold spell, confound it.

January 25
Cudlip and H (Houghton) at stalls, hauled down C’s (Cudlip) straw et cetera, chaff et cetera for horses, fed cattle and watered them. Cayootie took a hen that must have been shut out. Pringle at stable doors. Very cold.

January 26
Same work. Hauled a load of swedes down and a load of posts. Cold day and hard frosts at night.

January 27
Snowing all day. Stopped thrashing. Same work. Cudlip got up 2 mules.

January 28
Snow all day and night more or less but only about 2 inches in all. Duck and Pringle at stables. H and C (Houghton and Cudlip) hauling. I watering and feeding cattle et cetera. When is it going to stop snowing? This winter is heavy and no mistake.

January 29
Sunday. I went out after horses but did not see the mares. More snow and coldish day. The men, H and C (Houghton and Cudlip) drove over in a new sleigh they have made to the Frenchmen’s place. The ewes and lambs moved from the Frenchmen’s up to the Buonaparte. They have lost nearly all (50) lambs and several ewes.

January 30
Fed and watered cattle, Spence’s oxen et cetera. Killed a young red steer, not much fat. Chopping posts and finished stable doors, which have taken some time. Hauled a load of posts. Bright day, a little sunshine being very pleasant for a change.

January 31
Same work and same weather. Sent Boston 1122 lbs of barley.

February 1
A high south wind which began thawing the snow, but changed at night and a little more fell. I was in hopes of a thaw, but it did not last. Alec went on both sides of creek to examine timber. Duck winnowing. More posts and more chopping.

February 2
Fine day but no thaw. Cleaned up and house 8276 lbs of barley besides tailings which have to be done. A very good yield for 1 rick. Alec broke open gate of the dam which I fear is rather caved in, and put lock et cetera on stable doors. All hands at barley in afternoon. More posts.

February 3
Finished tailings of barley and began a new rick, more posts and Alec had a day chopping posts et cetera. Cattle looking pretty well but I cannot go on feeding them much longer. The straw goes so quickly. One of Spence’s oxen very bad.

February 4
Last load of posts I think we have got enough to fence from the upper field over the creek and up to the rock. Alec had a day’s cutting of logs on the other side of creek which I think will be the best place to get them this year. They are small, but all pine and much better than the old ones. Also it is not so far to haul them I imagine and we think there will be little difficulty in getting them out of the creek in one place thought the distance to the mill will be longer than before. I went up to look out a road et cetera.Cold nights and no giving of the snow, which in some places is very hard.

February 5
Fed cattle and went for a very cold ride after horses but did little good, had a great bother with Spence’s ox which cannot, I think, recover being unable to get up without assistance and then with great difficulty, gave it some barley and swedes. The large heap of swedes is I am sorry to say almost a mass of corruption.

February 6
The ox breathed his last. I have done all I could for him however and the Indians have a feast. Alec tried the new road and got on first rately. I think the oxen will be able to make 8 or 9 trips daily - about a days work wanted on the road in one place. H (Houghton) finished chopping posts. C (Cudlip) hauled slaps et cetera. Fine day and hard nights.

February 7
Began hauling rails again. We had another cold spell.

February 8
In the afternoon I rode over to Jemmy’s to see what sort of feed I could get on the Buonaparte for the cattle, also saw a good many horses looking very fair. The Express came up and I was disappointed not to get any thing from Clem, as I was looking forward to a letter for some time. The snow on Buonaparte has drifted a good deal leaving some side hills pretty bare. Very cold. No signs of a thaw.

February 9
Cleaned up and put away 8156 lbs of barley besides some 2 or 300 of tailings not weighed yet, the produce of one rick. Only 1 more to do now. H (Houghton) rails. Black ox has been ailing for some days having partly lost his cud so worked old "Bob" for a day or two.

February 10
H and C (Houghton and Cudlip) went up cutting poles. I went over the Buonaparte at its mouth to look for feed and found a fair place to which I think I shall drive the catte. Tried to come back by the river and had a bad time losing the trail, and not getting home till long after dark. Pringle sick - Houghton saw some of the mares and George looking thin he says.

February 11
It began thawing today and I trust will continue. Fed cattle et cetera. Hauled raiils.

February 12
A beautiful day, thawing but not very rapidly. Although Sunday had to go up and see the mares et cetera, which were very high on the hills. They are looking very thin but are lively. Drove them down with Pringle’s and brought down George to stable, as I think he must be fed being very poor. Had an upset Bob coming down.

February 13
A gentle thaw with more or less south wind but froze again at night. Snowed for 2 or 3 more hrs in the morning which stopped thrashing. Killed a heifer. Hauled rails into their places and worked at posts. Hauled fire wood et cetera.

February 14
Valentine’s day without the post. H (Houghton) and I drove cows et cetera to the other side of big mountain and left them there for the night on side hills where the snow has drifted. Then went on over the Buonaparte to look at the place where I proposed to put them on and found that there is very fair feed and I purpose moving them on tomorrow. C (Cudlip) hauled rails by himself. Cloudy day but not thawing.

February 15
Got up and found it snowing again hard which it continued to do all day without intermission, very pleasant. C (Cudlip) and I nevertheless went over the mountain and took the cattle on over the Buonaparte on the ice and put them about a mile on the other side where the wind has been drifting the snow. Some of them are very thin. Especially the old cow. The men could not work. The weather is indeed disgusting, about 5 inches more snow has fallen.

February 16
Cleared up in the night and a fine day but not warm the snow going a little in the sun. Had a whole rick of barley on the floor but I don’t think much wet got in, it being well covered up. Went up with the oxen and H (Houghton) hauled a good load of rails, road rather slippery. C(Cudlip) looking for his bay horse which has not been heard of for some time.

February 17
Cleaned up and put away the last rick of barley 7423 lbs not quite so good as last rick being a little greener and more straw. Only a few tailings left now. I went up on the hills to where Pringle is cutting logs. I think they will prove to be a great improvement on last years though many are small. H (Houghton) went up and cut rails. C (Cudlip) after his horse again. Fine day.

Last updated November 30, 1998. Produced by Jen Steele and the Canada's Digital Collections Team. Content provided by BC Heritage Branch, Province of British Columbia.