Tuesday 1st New Years Day.
The old year has gone & a new one taken its place, another year of my life has passed away and I am a year nearer my home, in taking a retrospective view of the past year I find in how many ways I have fallen short of my duty, both to God & Man, projects & plans unfulfilled, time misused & money squandered. However I must endeavour to make up for lost time by being diligent & persevering, employing every hour profitably & every shilling to advantage.
We got Redman & Knobby up in the morning & drew all the Wheat from the field to the Stock Yard where we erected a thrashing floor and Samuel thrashed out all the Wheat before night, we tied all the straw up into bundles and housed it in the whare, Willie Greenwood came in the evening and staid all night. Tom, Samuel & I went to Mr Wyatts for tea and spent a very pleasant evening.
I have raised Samuel‘s wages from 15s per week to 17s 6d or £3.10.0 per month, the raised wages commence from today.
Wednesday 2nd We reaped the Oates to day, tied them up into sheaves and put them up into stooks, Willie Greenwood helped us, I tried my hand at reaping to day for the first time. The Oates are a very good crop considering that they had been cut two or three times as green food for cattle.
Dr Dalton & Mr Rangar of Te Arai called here in the afternoon, the former is going to commence as a Surgeon etc at Pakiri which place he will visit every fortnight, and for the sum of £1.5.0 per family yearly he will come on here and attend them and supply medicine when anyone is ill. We had a swarm of bees to day which we hived successfully. Willie Greenwood went home in the evening, Samuel went with him to sleep up there, as we are going Pig hunting tomorrow.
Thursday 3rd Left Tom Wyatt at home to make bee-boxes, Joe & I went up to Greenwoods in the morning, Samuel, Willie & Joe went pig-hunting, but returned without catching any. I walked to Mr Dyer’s of Pakiri for the mail, I received a letter from Henry enclosing a draft on the Bank of Auckland for £96.11.0 being my share of Aunt Sam Col property; there were also two Weekly News for me. The Miss Dyers had returned from Matakana by the new mail road, so that my horse was at Pakiri. I returned home on it.
Friday 4th We all went up to help Willie Greenwood cut his grass seed it consists of Rye Grass, Oat Grass, Meadow Fescue & a little Rib Grass. The cattle have only been shut out of it for a month or it would have been finer than it is. Samuel & Joe slept up at Willies, but Tom & I came home to sleep.
It was a very hot day.
Saturday 5th Tom & I went up the hill again in the morning and we all set to cutting the grass, we finished cutting it early in the afternoon, when we came home.
It has been a very hot day.
The “Ida Zeigler” came into harbour in the morning, Mrs McQuarrie & the ships carpenters came up in her. Charlie Moller had left the “Stag“.
Sunday 6th It was very thick and lowering today and the sun hardly made its appearance.
I remained at home to rest myself. Tom Wyatt went up to look at his land. Wille Greenwood came down here in the morning and staid all night.
Monday 7th Samuel & Joe got the two pairs of bullocks up, and Samuel drew out two spars for Mr McQuarrie in the afternoon. Tom Wyatt & I cut up Scotch Thistles in the clearing.
Tuesday 8th It looked very dark & thick in the morning. We began to fall tea tree & fern in the piece that is fenced in; but we were obliged to knock off earlier than usual as there came a heavy shower of rain which wetted us through.
Mr Knaggs had the use of the bullocks today to draw out fencing materials.
Charles Clarke now stops his daily entries and describes on three pages a visit to Auckland from the 15th January to 2nd February. He makes an entry for 4th February and then a brief entry summarises February and a further trip to Auckland for a few days. He returns to the daily entries on March 1st.
Willie Greenwood & I went to town from Great Omaha in the cutter “Mahurangi” on Tuesday January 15th. We arrived in Auckland the following afternoon and went over to the North Shore in the steamer, I slept at Mr Greenwoods all night where they gave me a hearty welcome.
I went to Mr Goldie‘s place the next morning where I stayed, he is going into partnership with a Mr Liddell a carpenter by trade who lives at ONeils Point.
During my stay I went to Onehunga to see Dr Nicholson & Mr Philp.
Mr Goldie & I went up to Riverhead in his boat, we left the boat at Lamb’s Mill and walked on to Dr Nicholson‘s place, Aririmu. Mrs Nicholson & the youngest Miss Nutall were at home & made us welcome, we had a look round their farm and took a walk in the neighbourhood but I do not like their situation as it is seven miles from Riverhead over a very rough road and the land is very poor and barren looking, we staid there one day and then we returned to the North Shore.
I was also present at the Regatta which came off on January 29th, the Anniversary of Auckland, I enjoyed myself very much and the Regatta went off very well, in the afternoon we went to a Soiree that was held at Mr Nicol’s Patent building Slip at the Flagstaff in aid of the building of the Presbyterian Church.
I also called on Mrs Reader Wood & Mrs Pulham.
We spent a very pleasant day at Mr Greenwoods, there was present the Revd Mr & Mrs Wallis, Mr & Miss Liddell, Mr Goldie & myself.
Willie Greenwood & I returned to Omaha on February 2nd in the cutter “Wangarei“, Anderson is the Captain of her & he put into Omaha expressly for us on his way to Wangarei.
Willie staid at my house all night and went up home the next morning. During my absence the men had finished cutting down the scrub in the field and had burnt it off, they had also finished digging up in the clearing, & they had about dug half of the orchard dug. up. The Maize had grown very much while I was away, but it is so very thick that I do not think it will come to maturity but as we are going to begin ploughing directly we we can thin it out and give it to the bullocks.