Tuesday 1st The “Stag” arrived in town from Omaha early this morning. I was busy all day making purchases and executing commissions to take home.
Went to say good bye to Mrs Combes and Captain Pulham & family was introduced to Mr Pond at the latter place.
Wednesday 2nd Sailed from town in the “Stag” at 12.45am and arrived at Little Omaha at 7.45 same day, Mr & Mrs Monkhouse and the little boy, also Captain McKenzie came down in her.
I went up to the Wyatts had tea there and also slept there.
Thursday 3rd John & Tom Wyatt had not finished the whare over at my new place so that I am going to take up my residence with them until they have finished it.
I went over to the Anderson’s, Porter’s & Kirkbride’s in the afternoon, had tea at the latter place.
Friday 4th Went over to my new place to help Tom & John finish the whare, they put up the raupo while I levelled the floor, they found that they had not half enough raupo.
Saturday 5th I helped Tom & John in the morning to cut raupo out of the swamp and lay it out to dry, in the afternoon we cut nickau.
Sunday 6th It was a beautiful day. I went over to the Andersons in the afternoon, Jim & I went to call on Mr Porter, I drank tea at Mrs Anderson’s and went with them up to Kirkbride’s to service in the evening.
Monday 7th Tom went over to Matakana to have a tooth out.
I was busy making up my accounts and writing my diary for the time I have been absent.
Tuesday 8th Tom & John went on with the whare, I helped them. In the evening there was a meeting at Mrs Kirkbrides of the settlers of Omaha to take into consideration the advizability of erecting building for the purposes of a Church and a School, a subscription list was made out, but the settlers did not come out sufficiently, so that I think it will fall to the ground, Mr Wyatt, Tom & I went to the meeting, but we could not all agree what sort of a building was required, and I am sorry to say there was a great deal of ill feeling showed.
Wednesday 9th We went to get nikau to roof the whare with. We are having splendid weather now, since I have been from town the days have been so clear and warm and a very heavy dew at night.
Thursday 10th Finished putting on the nikau, and finished the whare altogether.
Shelled out some maize in the afternoon.
Friday 11th Tom Wyatt came on the work for me to day at 15s per week and board. Hung the door on its hinges, put up two bunks and brought the table over into the whare.
Saturday 12th Got the horse up, saddled him and brought over several loads with him, got our beds over and cooking utensils, I slept on my new property for the first time.
Sunday 13th It looked very thick all day and we had some fine rain. Tom & I went over to Mr Wyatts for dinner, they had a couple of ducks. Tom & I went over to Mrs Andersons in the afternoon.
Monday 14th Continued to remove things to my new residence.
The day was dark, but we had no rain.
Tuesday 15th The “Ida Zeigler” sailed for Auckland, Alic McKenzie & Miss Kemp went down by her to get married.
The “Stag” sailed out of Great Omaha in the evening, Jim Anderson, & Mrs & Miss Wyatt went down by her.
Wednesday 16th The weather keeps fine and seems as if it would last. We trimmed and morticed some posts to make a stock yard.
Thursday 17th Cut some rails for the stock yard. Went over to Mr Mathesons in the afternoon about the school affair.
Friday 18th Carried all the rails out and commenced putting the stockyard up round the shed.
Saturday 19th We finished putting up the stock yard.
Sunday 20th It was a very dull day Tom & I took a walk round my land.
Monday 21st Went over to Speedwell in the morning for a load of things. In the afternoon we cut the divisional line that divides my land from Neil Campbell’s.
Tuesday 22nd The “Stag” arrived in the harbour late last night from Auckland, Mrs & Miss Wyatt, Jim & Lizzie and Willie Greenwood came up in her. We commenced falling scrub in the afternoon.
Wednesday 23rd Continued to fall scrub. Went over to Mrs Kirkbrides in the evening for some butter.
Thursday 24th Continued to fall scrub in the morning. Went over to Speedwell in the afternoon for a load of things.
Friday 25th Took the horse over to the Cove in the morning and brought over the bone dust and the Oates.
In the afternoon we commenced digging up the garden near the swamp to plant it with Oates for green stuf, we sowed the bone dust on the surface and dug it in.
Saturday 26th We continued to dig up the ground for Oates.
Sunday 27th It was a beautiful day. Tom & I went to spend the day at Mr Wyatt’s, we had a turkey for dinner, they took a walk over here in the afternoon.
Monday 28th We went over to Speedwell in the morning for a load, in the afternoon we continued digging up the garden.
Tuesday 29th Continued digging up ground. Fetched a load of things over from Speedwell.
Wednesday 30th Sent Tom to Pakiri on the horse in the morning to fetch the newspaper, but he did not come back until night, he had been kept at an inquest held on the body of a man named Campbell who had charge of McLiver’s Mill, he tied heavy weights on his legs and drowned himself in the creek, where he remained three days until Mr Dyer’s sons found him.
Thursday 31st It rained nearly all day, but it cleared up a little in the afternoon. I went over to the Kirkbride’s, the two Mathesons & the Andersons respecting the Church & School, we have at length come to an agreement to accept the tender of John McLeod according to his own plan for £12- I think we are in a fair way to make a start now.