Thursday 1st John Wyatt wet to Matakana on my horse to get a tooth out. Tommy & I bored and morticed 20 Totara Posts, Samuel & Tom split 49 tea tree rails up the track going to the still. During the day we had a shower and toward the evening it came over very thick & drizzling.
Friday 2nd I sent Tom to Pakiri on the horse today to fetch the mail, I had two letters from England, one from Janie & one from Aunt Anne. Samuel & Tommy sharpened the rails. We had several good showers during the day, so that we could not do much work out of doors.
Saturday 3rd We got the bullocks up & drew all the Tea tree rails out of the bush and also 20 posts to finish the fence, we also drew out firewood for the house. Mr Wyatt finished putting up the fence. We all went down to have a swim in the afternoon, the water was nice & warm.
Sunday 4th It was a beautiful day, Samuel went to Pakiri in the morning. I went to Mrs Kirkbrides & Mrs Anderson’s in the afternoon, I met Mr & Mrs McQuarrie at the latter place.
Samuel did not come home in the evening.
Monday 5th Tom & Tommy went to the Pa early in the morning to get a Cwt of Potatoes.
We planted some Pumpkins, Vegetable Marrows & Maize in the clearing, the Maize we planted in rows 3 ft apart and about 2 ft in the row. Samuel came home in the evening.
Tuesday 6th We finished planting Maize in the clearing, we planted 17 rows altogether, about ½ an acre. In the afternoon we continued digging up ground to plant some more Potatoes in. I wrote a letter to John and Janie in the afternoon.
Wednesday 7th We continued to dig in the clearing and we planted 10 rows of Potatoes in the afternoon, this finishes my Potatoe planting for this season. Mr McKinney of Mahurangi held a service at Mr McKenzies house at 7 oclock in the evening, we all went to hear him, there was a large assemblage of people there; he gave us a very nice discourse.
Thursday 8th I sent Samuel to Pakiri on the horse for the mail. Tom & Tommy planted 3 rows of Potatoes, 2 rows of French Beans & 2 rows of Pease.
The “Stag” came into harbout this morning from Mercury Bay loaded with sawn timber for the vessel that is building on the flat.
Friday 9th I embarked on board the “Stag” bound for Auckland, we had on board 7 head of cattle belonging to McKenzie. Mr Knaggs & Miss Kempt went up with us.
McKenzie accompanied by Angus Matheson sailed for Auckland in the “Ida Zeigler” at the same time.
Saturday 10th We arrived at the Tamiki Heads early in the morning and discharged the cattle at Hunter’s place, we got up to Auckland at about 12 oclock, Mr Knaggs & I took up our quarters at Mrs Grants. I met Mr Goldie in the town and he invited me to return to the North Shore with him, so we returned in the boat in the evening, Mr Goldie has a brother living with him now who has come out here since we came.
Sunday 11th Mr Goldie has made great improvements in his place since I saw it last which is just 16 months ago, two young men friends of Mr Goldie‘s came over in the afternoon, also Mr & Mrs Skeats. We took a walk to the Lake in the afternoon, Mr Copeland has made a very nice garden on the edge of the Lake, a Steamer was plying to and from Auckland bringing pleasure parties to see the Lake.
It was rather showery in the afternoon.
Monday 12th Mr Goldie accepted the invitation that I gave him to return with me to Omaha to spend a few days. We went over to Auckland by the Flagstaff ferry Steamer “Enterprise No 2″ and arrived there about 12 oclock, I had a great deal to do & very little time to do it in as Charlie talks of starting in the evening, however he did not go but intends starting at about 9 oclock tomorrow morning.
Mr Goldie & I returned to his place in the evening.
Tuesday 13th Mr Goldie & I walked to the Flagstaff & went over to Auckland in the ferry steamer. The “Stag” was waiting for us so after effecting a few little purchases that I had forgotten we embarked with a fair wind weighing anchor about one oclock, we made good heading until we approached the Kawau when the wind left us and we were becalmed all night. We had on board as passengers Mr Anderson, Mr Knaggs, Mr McLean, another gentleman, Mr Goldie & myself.
Wednesday 14th On waking in the morning we found ourselves still abreast of the Kawau, we kept tacking about all day & did not arrive in Omaha until five oclock, Mr Goldie & I went up to the Wyatt’s first where they persuaded us to stay for tea, after which we came to my bachelor home, Collingwood. I found all the chaps well and everything had been going on all right during my absence.
Thursday 15th We got the bullocks yoked up early in the morning and Samuel drew up all the things from the beach, the “Stag” has hauled up high and dry near the ship’s yard and is discharging her cargo. Mrs Wyatt & Miss Wyatt came over in the afternoon & staid for tea, Mr Wyatt & John also staid, we spent the evening in singing & talking of good old times.
Friday 16th I showed Mr Goldie all over my place the first thing in the morning, I then took him to the Anderson’s to show him round & with which he was very much pleased, we returned for dinner and in the afternoon we went up the big hill to see the Mr Greenwood’s place, Mr Goldie is a neighbour of Mr Greenwood’s at the north Shore, we staid for tea at Mr Greenwood’s and he walked part of the way home with us. In the evening we went up to Mr Wyatts and spent a very pleasant evening in singing & other amusements.
Saturday 17th Mr Goldie & I started to Mr Greenwoods early in the morning and being accompanied by himself and his two sons we sallied out on a days pleasure, to see the wonderful water-falls, we followed them all down till we came to the Pakiri creek, we called at Mr Wright’s where we had some refreshment and looked round his garden and grounds, he has some very good grass, it looks just like an English paddock, the ground is very level & the soil very good but I believe it is subject to inundations in the winter from the overflow of the creek, his fruit trees look very nice and are full of fruit, altogether he has got a very nice place. From Mr Wright’s we went to Mr Witten’s as Mr Goldie wished to see his nursery, we had some refreshment also there. We staid for tea at Mr Greenwood’s and did not get home until after seven oclock. We had a very heavy shower of rain in the afternoon accompanied by thunder & lightning, but we were fortunate enough to get shelter under the shell of a burnt Kauri tree.
Sunday 18th The “Ida Zeigler” sailed for Auckland in the morning, Mr Goldie went with McKenzie, I was very sorry to lose his company for he is a nice unpresuming fellow, but he had to return home to attend to his business.
Mr & Mrs Anderson came over in the afternoon & had a look round.
Monday 19th We hoed up potatoes in the clearing in the morning before breakfast & continued digging & breaking up ground. We planted two rows of Cauliflowers plants 2 ft 6 in between the rows & 2 ft in the row, also 1 row of Beet Root & three rows of cabbage plants. We had a nice shower of rain in the afternoon.
Tuesday 20th We commenced cutting up the Scotch Thistles in the clearing before breakfast. We continued breaking up ground in the clearing.
Wednesday 21st We continued cutting up the Scotch Thistles before breakfast, and also breaking up ground the rest of the day.
I went over to Mr Wyatts in the evening.
Thursday 22nd We continued cutting up Scotch Thistles before they shed their seed, in the clearing before breakfast. We had a nice shower of rain about breakfast time. We continued breaking up ground in the clearing.
Friday 23rd Continued cutting up Scotch Thistles & breaking up ground in the clearing.
We got the bullocks yoked up and Samuel drew out all the tea tree fire wood out of the bush and stacked it in front of the house. Tom went to Pakiri.
Saturday 24th Continued cutting up Scotch Thistles & breaking up ground in the clearing, we finished a strip up and rolled all the logs & roots into a heap & burnt them off and we have now a large piece of ground ready to plant with Maize.
The weather is very hot now, it seems that the summer has set in.
Sunday 25th It was a beautiful day. Mr Greenwood, Willie & Joe came in the afternoon to have a look round the place & they staid for tea, I went with them afterwards down to Mr Anderson’s to look round their place, their Wheat is looking remarkably well and is just getting ripe, their Onions, Potatoes & Maize also looks well.
Samuel, Tommy & Joe went with John Wyatt to Pakiri to get their cow home that they bought of Mr Wright but they did not come home at night.
Monday 26th Tom & I began to fork the sorrel out of the Onion beds, I intend to plant it with Maize. We also transplanted some Pumpkin and Vegetable Marrow plants.
Tuesday 27th We had a nice shower of rain in the morning; but it did not last for long. Samuel, Tommy & Joe came back from Pakiri in the morning with Mr Wyatt’s cow & calf, they commenced work in the afternoon, we continued forking the sorrel out of the Onion beds, it is a very long & tedious job but it is a thing that has to be done. It looked very much like rain in the evening, but I do not know if we shall have very much of it, one thing is certain that rain is everywhere much wanted.
Wednesday 28th It rained nearly all last night and nearly all to day and very thankful I was to see it although it hindered us from our work, they ground the axes in the morning, Samuel & Joe split 11 Tea Tree Posts in the afternoon and they morticed some of them. Tom, Tommy & I cut up Scotch Thistles in the clearing in the afternoon.
Thursday 29th We moulded up the Potatoes in the clearing in the morning. Samuel broke the large stone up into pieces in the morning and continued digging up ground in the afternoon. Tom, Tommy, Joe & I planted Maize in rows three feet apart and about two feet apart in the rows, the ground works very well after this rain.
Friday 30th We finished planting all the ground with Maize that is dug up. We also continued breaking up ground & Tom & I planted some hills of Pumpkins (with) some seed that Tom got from Dr Cruikshank’s of Matakana & some seeds that Mr Witten gave me, also some Pie Melons, all of these seeds were planted in hills and some bone dust was mixed in with the soil.