Peter O'Reilly Diary - 1871
| dc.contributor.author | O'Reilly, Peter | |
| dc.contributor.author | Vancouver Island Local History Society | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-03-31T17:03:00Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-03-31T17:03:00Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1871 | |
| dc.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. | |
| dc.description.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. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22002 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | Peter O'Reilly | |
| dc.subject | British Columbia | |
| dc.subject | Victoria (B.C.) | |
| dc.subject | Point Ellice House (Victoria, B.C.) | |
| dc.subject | civil service | |
| dc.subject | history | |
| dc.subject | 19th century | |
| dc.title | Peter O'Reilly Diary - 1871 | |
| dc.type | Other |