Peter O'Reilly Diary - 1871
Date
1871
Authors
O'Reilly, Peter
Vancouver Island Local History Society
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
DIARY SUMMARY
JANUARY
Terms of confederation agreed to by Legislative Council - Queen Victoria is asked for entry into Dominion.
FEBRUARY
Hudson's Bay Company ship The Prince of Wales arrives from England after 128 days at sea - Peter O'Reilly receives shipment of wine, pays freight and duty charges.
MARCH
Peter O'Reilly plants asparagus, sea kale, radishes, lettuce, cress, turnips, mustard, and potatoes - prepares for trip to the Omineca region in northern British Columbia, site of another gold rush - leaves for Hope and Yale.
APRIL
Court at Ashcroft, Kamloops, and Lytton - returns to Yale to meet his wife Carry who has traveled from Victoria.
MAY
Receives $500 from Treasury for Omineca trip - travels north to 100 Mile House and Soda Creek - takes steamer to Quesnel and Fort George - travel by horseback, then canoe along swift flowing rivers - Indian packers leave - Germansen Creek reached.
JUNE
Peter establishes a tent camp - holds mining court, records claims, issues licences, settles miner's disputes, and deals with pre-emption land claims - plants a small garden despite regular freezing weather - the weather warms, creek and river flood, mosquitoes become "very troublesome" - tenders submitted to build trail from Germansen Landing to new townsite.
JULY
Gold discovered on Manson River, Germansen site deserted in favour of new discovery - Peter records numerous new Manson claims - "intensely hot", forest fires start - purchases 11 lbs of mutton for $6.60, "ruinously extravagant" - sends numbered letters to Carry - beef cattle and pack train arrive overland to supply area - considers discharging Mashell for giving whiskey to an Indian.
AUGUST
Mosquitoes "more numerous & more vicious than at any previous time" - hears assault case, an incident involving stolen gold dust, and holds court of revision regarding voter registration - Joseph Trutch is appointed Lieutenant Governor - freezing weather returns, fresh snow on mountains.
SEPTEMBER
Peter and crew travel to Takla Lake, Trembleur Lake, then the Tachie River enroute to Fort St James on Stuart Lake - continues to Babine Lake and Fort Babine - lays out reserves before returning to Trembleur Lake - receives authority to spend $2000 for trail maintenance.
OCTOBER
Returns to Manson River in the Omineca - hears mining cases and settles disputes - inspects trail maintenance - snow falls and miners depart for the south - nine court cases in one day - river frozen solid by month end - leaves October 28th with small crew, supplies, packs, canoes, and boats.
NOVEMBER
The group travels southward to Fort St James - official papers accidentally left behind - tent blown over twice by strong winds, temperature -17 F - only flour, pemican, and dried salmon available at fort - forgotten papers delivered - journey across partially frozen Stuart Lake - dying horses seen, goods strewn about lakeshore - travel to Babine Lake, then Skeena River - larger canoes abandoned in favour of smaller ones - men fall through ice and deep snow, sub-zero temperatures continue - partially frozen Skeena River reached - diversion northward to Nass River for ice-free passage to Metlakatla mission on Pacific coast.
DECEMBER
Snow nearly 5 ft deep - men make snowshoes of brush and sticks - a packer tries to desert - Naas River becomes ice-free and heavy rains fall - canoes and guide obtained from local Indians - arrival at Fort Simpson, then south to Metlakatla and Skeena River where steamer Otter awaits - weather turns stormy, Indian packers refuse to proceed - delay causes group to miss steamer which has departed previous night - group cannot return to Victoria and Peter misses being with family at Christmas - Peter returns to Fort Simpson feeling depressed, unable to do anything, hopes another steamer will arrive.
Description
Transcription of the diary of Peter O'Reilly for the year 1871. The original document is housed at the Royal British Columbia Museum & Archives, O’Reilly Family Fonds (MS-2894), Microfilm Reel A01908, Box 1, File 15 & Microfilm Reel A01913, Box 8, File 2.
Keywords
Peter O'Reilly, British Columbia, Victoria (B.C.), Point Ellice House (Victoria, B.C.), civil service, history, 19th century