September 1865

Friday 1st  We began to clear for the fence in the morning.  It rained all afternoon.  The “Isabella” came into harbour in the afternoon.

Saturday 2nd  I went over to Porters to take her some clothes to wash.  I gave Jim Anderson about ½ oz of Onion seed on the condition that if it grows well he will give me 12 lbs of onions.
We continued to clear for the fence and split rails.
It was a beautiful day, the revinue cutter is cruising about here, she came and boarded the “Isabella” to day.  A cutter came in the harbour in the afternoon.     Tom & Joe Wyatt came for tea.

Sunday 3rd  It was a fine day with scarcely any wind and the sea very calm.  Jim & Sid Anderson and I walked up the road as far as Greenwood and Kirkbride‘s clearings, the eldest Kirkbride was up there living in Greenwoods whare, all their heifers are up there and one of them has calved so that he gets milk,  the calf is a very fine one, he has also got a pet lamb.  The bush burnt off very badly and there are a great many logs on the ground, it has been sown down in grass which is coming up very well.
It took us just an hour to walk from Greenwoods whare down to the shipwrights flat, it is down hill all the way.
I had tea at the Wyatts.

Monday 4th Joe Wyatt came on to work today at 10s per week.   Alfred did not do any work today, but went to the Goat Island with the men of the “Isabella“, but did not bring back either goats or fish.  Joe and I cleared and split about 25 rails.

Tuesday 5th  We finished falling the trees that will be in the way of the fence and split 12 rails.  Tom Wyatt came for tea and I went over there in the evening.

Wednesday 6th  We cleared away all the trees that lay over the line of the fence and should have begun to put up the fence, but it rained the latter part of the morning and all the afternoon; but cleared up in the evening.  Tom came for tea & Bill came also.

Thursday 7th   We commenced to put up the fence but did not get on very well, the rails were too long, the mortices of the posts were not cleared out well, and it being a four rail fence it takes more time to put up, we only put up 3 panels.

Friday 8th  We put up two panels of  the fence in the morning.  The “Isabella” sailed for Auckland in the afternoon, Alfred & Tom Wyatt went up in her.  I paid Alfred off.  It rained all afternoon & night.

Saturday 9th  It was showery all day and it rained all night.  We were not able to do any work out of doors.  We cleaned out the house.  Joe brought over his bed and slept here.  I pulled down the whare at night.

Sunday 10th  It rained nearly all morning but cleared up about noon.  We had a strong SW wind which will dry up the ground.
Jim & Sid Anderson came over in the afternoon.
We saw three larger ships outward bound from Auckland today.
Went over to the Wyatts in the afternoon and staid for tea.  It was very windy all night but we had no rain.

Monday 11th  Mr Porter came over in the morning to borrow a bag of flour, some tea and sugar, he brought my clean clothes with him.  We had a few showers in the morning but it was fine in the afternoon.  We continued to fence and put up five panels.  Mrs Wyatt sent me over as a present a nice feather pillow.  It was very kind of her, I shall be very comfortable now.

Tuesday 12th  It was a fine day.  McKenzie and his brother went to Auckland in his clinker boat, the sea was very calm and he had a W wind.
We put up four panels of the fence.  John Wyatt came for tea and brought me a bottle of honey, I went over there in the evening.

Wednesday 13th  It was showery during the day so that we could only put up three panels of the fence.

Thursday 14th  We put up two panels of the fence in the morning, in the afternoon we split some rails and commenced to fall a large pouriri tree.

Friday 15th  We fell two large pouriri trees and split two rails in the morning and we burnt some bush off in the afternoon, we had rain today as usual.

Saturday 16th  The “Isabella” arrived in harbour from Auckland in the morning.
Fan pupped today, she had 8 pups, 5 bitches & three dogs,  we drowned 4 bitches thus keeping 1 bitch and 3 dogs.
I went to Mrs Porters in the morning to take some clothes to be washed .  In the afternoon I removed the stack of firewood that was in the line of fence.

Sunday 17th  All the Andersons came over in the morning.
It was a fine day though very blustery.

Monday 18th  We made a little house for Fan and her little pups in the morning, and we got the pouriri stump out where the corner post will go in the afternoon.

Tuesday 19th  We put four panels of the fence up today, we put the corner post up and got two panels round the corner.  John & Joe Wyatt & I went over to Mrs Porters in the evening .

Wednesday 20th  We put up two panels of the fence in the morning and split nine rails in the afternoon.   Tom Wyatt  and Alfred came up in the “Isabella” cutter to Great Omaha and walked over here in the afternoon, Alfred came up to fetch his clothes and then he walked over to Great Omaha again to go down to Auckland in the “Industry“.  He is going down to the Hokitika gold-digging which it seems are attracting great numbers from all parts.
Tom Wyatt has been very unsuccessful in not getting any money from Mr Wilson that was owing him for work done on the road.

Thursday 21st  We slip 33 rails in the morning & afternoon so that we were only able to put up one panel of the fence.
It was very fine today; but very cold.

Friday 22nd  The “Isabella” came in the morning from Auckland, loaded with Mr Wyatts fire wood and was away to Auckland again in the evening.  I gave Hansen a letter to take to Mr Owen to order some things to be sent up by the “Isabella“.
We put up five panels of the fence today, the weather was very fine.

Saturday 23rd  It was a beautiful day, the ground has dried very much on the surface, but it is still wet underneath.
We only put up two panels today as we came foul of roots and had a great deal of chopping.  Mr Porter came over in the afternoon and brought back the flour etc that I had lent him.
Jim & Sid Anderson came over in the afternoon and staid for tea, also Tom Wyatt.

Sunday 24th  We dug some new potatoes today for dinner which were self planted.  Went over to Porters in the afternoon.

Monday 25th  Tom Wyatt came on to work today at £1 a week and his board.  In the morning we put up two panels of the fence which joins the old fence, we left it so for the present as it will keep cattle out of the place, and because I wish to get something planted, as it is high time.  In the afternoon we commenced to dig up the flat and we planted nine rows of Potatoes the whole length of the flat, 2 ft 2 in from row to row and about 1 ft apart in the row, it digs up very well and the soil has improved very much since last year.  Where the Potatoes are planted now had cabbages on last year.  Joe was very ill towards night so he went over home to sleep.  Tom slept here in his stead.

Tuesday 26th  It rained nearly all last night & today so that we could not do much.
We dug a little piece on the flat in the afternoon between the showers but I think we did more harm in trampling on the ground than we did good, although it did not dig amiss considering the quantity of rain we have had .  I went over to the Andersons in the afternoon and staid for tea.  They gave me some tomato seeds & lent me ‘Antidiluvian History’.

Wednesday 27th  The “Isabella” arrived in harbour from Auckland this morning about 6.30.   Hansen brought me up some provisions, also some flour for the Wyatts, we went on board in the morning and fetched them ashore.  In the afternoon we recommenced to dig & plant on the flat.  We planted two rows of Knight’s Dwarf Marrowfat Peas 2½ feet from the Potatoes and 3 ft between the rows.  We next planted 2 rows of Broad Beans 3 ft from the Pease & 2½ ft between the rows, 2½ ft further on we planted a row consisting of 11 Potatoe Onions, 3 Beat, 2 Red American Turnips, 3 snowball Turnips & 1 Swede Turnip.
Next to them 3 ft distant we have planted 12 fine Carrot Roots  for seed.
I saw the mail steamer go up to Auckland in the evening.

Thursday 28th  It was a beautiful day.  We finished digging the flat.  We planted 5 rows of Shalotts 1 ft apart from row to row & about 8 inches in the row.  Planted some wild celery plants that I got from the rocks to see if I cant improve it by cultivation, also planted some Mint and Parsley plants from above, made a quantity of small beds and planted them with the following seeds, Peach Stones, Radishes, Cress, Parsley, Lettices, Apple pips both English and NZ, Orange pips (English), blue gum, Pinaster Fir, Larch, Scotch & Spruce Fir, Quicks, Cabbage and Beet seed.
In the afternoon we began to make the terrace in front of the house.

Friday 29th  The “Isabella” took the remainder of Mr Wyatts wood  about 12 tons, also Kirkbrides sheep & lambs, about 36, and sailed for Auckland in the afternoon.  We finished the terrace & cut the branch off the Pouriri tree on the edge of the cliff.  Tom began to erect his bed in the evening.

Saturday 30th  Finished making Tom‘s bed, cleaned out the house, chopped wood etc.  It rained almost all last night, but today it is very fine.
Tom and I went over to the Andersons in the afternoon and had a look round his place,  we fetched Jim & Sid over for tea and had a rubber of whist in the evening.