April 1865

Saturday 1st  We cut firewood in the morning.  We have almost cut up all the branches of the pouriri tree.
I went to the Andersons and the Wyatts in the evening.
Cut a large Cucumber for seed, its dimensions are as follows, length 1 ft 4½ in, girth 11¾ in.  It grew on the bank just above the little flat.  It had no other manure than wood ashes.
I received a letter from Mrs Philp this evening, they are living at Onehunga now, she gave me a kind invitation to go and see them whenever I felt inclined.

Sunday 2nd  It was a beautiful morning, the sun shining brightly and the air so calm and serene, breathing peace and happiness to the beholder, everything was hushed the silence, even the cattle seemed to feed with quietness and to tincle their bells less violently.
Everything in fact seemed to mark the sabbath as a day of rest, both spiritual and bodily, these things are calculated to lead the mind to contemplate the source and creator of all these blessings and makes us to exclaim, “great and glorious are all thy works O Lord in wisdom hath thou made them all”.
I staid at home all day and wrote a long letter to Foster.

Monday 3rd  We cut firewood in the morning & burnt off on the hill in the afternoon.  In the evening we cut and stacked some firewood.  The “Dot” came into harbour from Pakiri.

Tuesday 4th  It was very showery all day.  We cut a little fire-wood.  We split and stacked some fire-wood in the evening.  Cut a Vegetable Marrow.

Wednesday 5th  We cut some firewood in the morning and continued to burn off down below in the afternoon.  We cut 17 ripe Vegetable Marrows and hung them up by flax to the beam in the house.  We have now hanging up altogether 20.  The “Isabella” arrived.  Split firewood in the evening

Thursday 6th  We finished sawing up the Pouriri tree in the morning and burnt off down below in the afternoon, we made a large heap of all the logs and set fire to them in the evening.
I intend sowing it down in grass and clover, it will make a nice little paddock when it is finished and all the surface roots are cut.

Friday 7th  The “Isabella” went round to Pakiri very early in the morning to load .
We continued to burn off on the hill both morning and afternoon .  We split a little firewood in the evening .

Saturday 8th  The “Isabella” called in to put McKenzie ashore and a raft of timber, she is on her way to Mahurangi with timber to plank a vessel that Mr McLiver  of Pakiri is having built there.  I went aboard to give John a letter to Foster to post for me.  We continued to burn off.

Sunday 9th  It was a beautiful day.  I staid at home in the morning.
In the afternoon Jim Anderson, Alfred and I went to Big Omaha in Alfred‘s boat, we sailed all the way there; but had to pull back, we saw Jack & his wife.

Monday 10th  We finished burning off the hill today.  Cut eight Vegetable Marrows.  We split a little fire wood in the evening .

Tuesday 11th  We recommenced with the wharf again today, this is the third time of repairing it and I hope it will be the last.  We stacked our firewood in the evening and find we have seven tons and a half.

Wednesday 12th  We went on with the wharf.  We cut some trees up that were lying on the side of the hill and threw them down below to fill up.  There is nothing much going on in the settlement of interest, there has not been a vessel from Auckland called in here lately  therefore we have heard no news.
The road-cutters have built a whare up in the bush& they removed to it with all their goods yesterday.  The “Dot” came in harbour in the evening.

Thursday 13th   We went on with the wharf in the morning, it was very showery all day, we could not do much in the afternoon.  We cut three Pie Melons and made a large pie for tomorrow.
Cut two Vegetable Marrows.  Cut firewood in the evening.

Friday 14th  Had a bathe and went over to the Andersons in the morning.  In the afternoon Joe, Alfred & I took the Billy Goat in the boat  & went and put him on the Goat Island.  I had tea at the Andersons, they lent me “Once a Week“.

Saturday 15th  Joe discontinued coming this morning.
Alfred went over to Mrs Andersons to get some tea.
Cut firewood in the evening.

Sunday 16th  I staid at home in the morning & went a walk on the fern hill to the Goat Island in the afternoon.  We had a few slight showers during the day.  The “Isabella” arrived from Auckland early this morning.

Monday 17th  Alfred and I worked all day at the slip & the wharf.  Jim and Willie Anderson came over to see me in the evening.

Tuesday 18th  Worked all day at the wharf.  Alfred went to Mrs Porters in the evening & took her rat-trap back.

Wednesday 19th  Worked at the wharf all day.  Cut firewood in the evening.

Thursday 20th  Worked at the wharf in the morning, it is finished now except the front part.
In the afternoon we did some cooking.

Friday 21st  We pitched some wood down on to the wharf in the morning and towed some logs round to fill up the front in the afternoon.

Saturday 22nd  We pitched some more wood down the slip.  The “Isabella” came into the harbour in the morning from Auckland, I intend to go down by her to town.

Monday 24th  Went down to Auckland by the “Isabella” in the, we had a very strong wind with a heavy sea,  we got up to Auckland that night but did not go ashore.

 The diary continues on June 5th.  Clarke stayed in Auckland for six weeks and evidently did not taken his diary with him.  whether this was an oversight or not we do not know.