Saturday 1st The Cutter “Glympse” came in here early this morning, she was bound from Auckland to Whangarei, she had got as far as the Hen & Chickens where she met a head wind, so she had to come in here for shelter, she has on board about 70 Government Immigrants which are to be employed on the settler’s farms up there, they have only just arrived in the Colony from Glasgow by the ship “Resolute“. Most of them are Scotch but there are a great many English. There are 16 females & some children among them & they are all stowed away in the hold together with all their luggage. The weather is so very cold and showery so that it is very miserable for them, & the single men have to sleep on deck as there is not room for them down below. A great many of them came ashore, three of the men came and had dinner here & 13 of them came in the house to have a look. They made large fires all round the harbour to keep themselves warm. At night the “Glimpse” went out again to try and get up to Whangarei, but could not manage it so they had to put back here again.
Old Mrs Kemp died tonight she was the mother of the Girls & widow of the old man who died a few months ago.
Sunday 2nd All the Immigrants came ashore, six of them came and had dinner here, three men and three women, the weather was very showery, they lighted large fires today also. I went down onto Kiri’s Flat to see them and also on board the “Glimpse“. There are also besides the immigrants four diggers in the forecastle & six passengers in the cabin, among whom there is a french gentleman who keeps an Hotel at Whangarei & the adopted daughter of Mr Bree of St Matthew’s Auckland. The passengers in the “Henry Havelock” also came out in the “Resolute“.
I went over to Mrs Anderson’s and the Wyatts in the evening, the Captain of the “Dot” was at the latter place.
The “Industry” came into the harbour in the evening from Auckland to put a female passenger ashore & there she went to Great Omaha.
There are five vessels in this harbour at the same time, three schooners and two cutters, namely – “Isabella“, – “Dot“, – “Industry“, – “Henry Havelock” – & the “Glimpse” and the number of souls on board these vessels numbered about 150, this is the largest number both of people and vessels that have been in our harbour at one time, the “Henry Havelock“, “Glimpse” & “Dot” started away late at night, the two former for Whangarei & the latter for Pakiri, I hope they will be all more successful this time in reaching their destination.
Monday 3rd We chopped up some of the Porticover tree in the morning & sawed 10 logs off in the afternoon with the saw that John Wyatt has sharpened for me. It was rather showery. Old Mrs Kemp was buried in the Cemetery this afternoon. There are five buried there now, two grown up people and & three children.
The “Isabella” sailed for Auckland tonight, Mrs Anderson went by her, Duncan Matheson took charge of her, McKenzie
did not go down.
Tuesday 4th we went over to Andersons first thing in the morning to grind our axes. In the afternoon we chopped and sawed up the porticover tree. Today was finer than we have had for a long time.
Wednesday 5th We continued to saw and chop up the Porticover Tree. We had a shower of rain in the morning, but the rest of the day was very fine.
Thursday 6th The “Isabella” arrived from Auckland early this morning, Mrs Anderson did not come down with her. We finished sawing up the Porticover Tree in the morning. In the afternoon we fell the Porticover that is on the edge of the wood-slips. It was very showery in the afternoon & evening.
Friday 7th We cleared the house out in the morning & made a few improvements.
In the afternoon we sawed and chopped up the Porticover tree that we fell yesterday. It was not a very fine day & we had a few slight showers. This is considered the wettest month of the winter so of course we can expect some rough weather now.
Saturday 8th It is very cold today, the wind being in the SW. I went over to the Wyatts in the afternoon, they began fencing their ground in yesterday afternoon. They have commenced down against the creek.
Sunday 9th Alfred went to Great Omaha. I dined at the Wyatts after which Mr W., John, Tom & I walked up the new road as far as Greenwood & Kirkbride’s clearings, they have burnt their bush off and sowed it down in grass although the land is covered with trees. I was very much pleased with the road & also with the land. I shall have to go up this road to the top of the hill to get to my land & then turn off by a surveyors cutting for about a mile, the Wyatts will have to go this way as well to get to theirs, but their land is a mile further on than mine. John Wyatt shot two Pigeons, we met nine persons on the road so it shows that there will be some traffic on it.
I had tea at the Wyatts, it was a beautiful day, the ground is drying up nicely.
Monday 10th Alfred went to Great Omaha again in the boat with Sidney Anderson, he bought a duck & drake of Slater and in bringing them home the duck got loose while they were on the water & swam away so he only brought the drake.
I split all the firewood that was down on the flat & pitched it down the wood slip, in the afternoon after Alfred came home we put logs round the garden to keep up the soil so that tomorrow we can begin digging it up to plant wheat and potatoes.
Saw a ship going up to Auckland. McKenzie began loading the “Isabella” with the Maories fire-wood in the evening.
Tuesday 11th The “Isabella” sailed for Auckland in the morning, she had a fair wind, it being NE.
We began to dig the flat in the morning & planted an ear of Hallett’s Pedigree Wheat containing 61 grains, the wheat was dibbled in about an inch deep and a foot apart each way. The seed came from Ridlington. We also dibbled some Golden Drop Wheat the same depth and the same distance apart. It came on to rain in the evening.
Wednesday 12th We had a very rough night with wind and rain and it was very showery during the day, so that we could not work out of doors.
Alfred went to the Matheson’s in the morning to see if he could hear anything about the duck that he lost but was unsuccessful. He also went to almost all the settlers round to see if he could buy one, but none of them wished to part with any.
Thursday 13th We fell the riwa riwa tree down below and sawed off 4 lengths of rails out of which we split 29 rails, we also split a length of firewood. The ground was too wet to dig as we have had a great quantity of rain. We had a shower of rain in the evening.
Friday 14th We had a few showers today, there was a very heavy swell running into the harbour, the wind is from the E. We finished cutting up the riwa-riwa down below then we set fire to the Porticover tree on the edge of the cliff & it fell in the evening, we also began to clear outside the fence so that we can put up a substantial post & rail fence on the divisional line between Mr Wyatt and me.
Saturday 15th It was very showery all day. I went over to the Wyatts in the morning to take them a piece of pork and two vegetable marrows. They are getting on very well with fencing, they have nearly got up to the top of the hill. Mrs Wyatt sent Joe in the afternoon to make me a present of a duck to keep the drake company, she also borrowed two tins of potatoes. Joe had tea here and we went over there in the evening. The “Dot” arrived in harbour in the afternoon, she has on board some immigrants for Manganui, she left Auckland on Wednesday and has been all this while coming down. I went to the Wyatts in the evening.
Sunday 16th Showery again. Mr Wyatt & Joe came across in the morning to have a look round.
I staid at home all day to read. The fine schooner “St Kilda” was in the harbour when I got up in the morning, she is from Sydney and has on board a cargo of merchandise to trade with at the Fiji Islands for oranges etc which she would take to Auckland to dispose of. She was on her way to the Fiji’s direct when she encountered a severe storm about 200 miles from this coast which carried away part of her bulwarks & her boat, so she came in here to repair.
The “Isabella” came in from Auckland in the evening, she sailed from Auckland on Saturday evening, Mrs Anderson came up by her.
Monday 17th Mrs Anderson brought me up 2 lbs of tea, I went over to fetch it in the morning & to hear the news. The principal news was the assassination of President Lincoln while at the opera, & also of the attempted assassination of Mr Seward & his son. The chief English news is of England going to enter into an alliance with France for the purpose of defending Canada & Mexico.
I began to make a little house for the ducks.
Tuesday 18th The “Dot” sailed for Mangawai early this morning. Continued making the duck’s house.
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Wednesday 19th We finished the duck’s house in the morning, there is a place over the duck’s place & just under the roof to store Pumpkins in, it will be very convenient and handy to keep all sorts of things in.
In the afternoon we began to fall the bush on my second & last acre next to the divisional line between My Wyatt & me to enable the former to fence.
We had a few showers during the day, but with the exception of them it was moderately fine with a SW wind blowing it dried the ground up a little.
Thursday 20th We continued to fall bush in the morning to enable Mr Wyatt to fence.
It rained all afternoon and during greater part of the night. The “Isabella” sailed for Auckland in the morning. The “St Kilda” also left the harbour to proceed to her destination.
Friday 21st We continued to fall the bush both in the morning and the afternoon. It was very fine in the morning, but it was showery in the afternoon. Joe Wyatt came for tea & John came in the evening to have a chat.
Saturday 22nd The “Dot” came into harbour in the morning on her way to Auckland.
We continued to fall bush and clear away in the morning & cooked and cleaned the house out in the afternoon.
The cutter “Henry Havelock” came into harbour to bring the native chiefs Te Kiri and Te Emera from Mahurangi. The “Isabella” just put in at night, she was bound from Auckland to Mangawai with some passengers for the latter place.
Sunday 23rd This is the finest day that we have had for a long time. Tom Wyatt came home, the road from Little Omaha to Pakiri is finished now.
All the Andersons came over in the morning. In the afternoon I went over to see the Porters and the Andersons. Alfred went over to Great Omaha for the day and he did not come home until after dark.
The “Henry Havelock” left the harbour this morning.
Monday 24th It was very fine in the morning. We continued to fall bush. In the latter part of the afternoon it came on to rain and continued all night .
Tuesday 25th It was rather showery, but a great improvement on yesterday. We continued to fall bush.
The “Isabella“came in the harbour on her return from Mangawai.
Wednesday 26th It was a beautiful day and very hot in the sun. We continued to fall bush. McKenzie came up to see us in the afternoon. Tom Wyatt came for tea.
Thursday 27th It rained all day without stopping, from day break till after day, in the afternoon it began to blow very hard from the SW and it blew quite a hurricane all night.
Friday 28th Although so much rain fall yesterday the ground was quite dried up owing to the strong wind that was blowing last night. It was a beautiful day but rather cold. We continued to fall & clear away bush.
Saturday 29th We continued to clear away. A large pouriri tree fell last night which we had set fire to, we set fire to two today and one of them fell before we went to bed.
In the afternoon we cooked and cleaned the house out.
Sunday 30th It was very showery all day. The “Dot” came in from Auckland.
Monday 31st We continued to clear away for the fence. I sorted the seeds that Mr Foster gave me in the morning.