Missed yesterday as I had to go into Victoria early but had slept in a bit.
Bowled at Juan de Fuca. Then in the afternoon, got our local founders tournament underway. In the evening, social bowling and pizza. Looks like our fair weather is now taking a vacation. 10C and overcast. Was cold and windy yesterday, fog over the water.

When near sundown we came to the edge of a valley running east and west, and away across it could be seen a valley opening, which I thought, might lead to the plain beyond.  I felt inclined to leave the trail and strike out through it but not knowing where we were, and what obstacles we might encounter that way I decided to follow the trail down into the valley close by a stream.  Here we curved towards the east over a trail through short grass which the team readily followed.

It was now quite dark and after a mile or so turned toward the north up a little valley and came within sight of a light.  On reaching it we found this was John Moir’s place.  The two Dobbs brothers who had claims adjoining were batching with him.

We were sure glad to get out from the hills and find someone who could tell us where we were and the distance we had yet to travel, which we found was about twelve mile.  We milked the cows and did our camp chores and sat around and chatted far into the night.  We were pleased to sleep indoors again.

We were up early and had breakfast and the milk was a great treat to our friends.  Mr.Moir’s house stood well up on the hillside and commanded a grand view of the plain far toward the east and west and away north toward the Assiniboine River valley.

We started off eagerly on the last lap of our journey towards 7-12 and on past Mr. Holland’s and Watkin’s and Evans’ houses, the only houses on the way, and reached Nat’s round tent about noon.  He was out to meet us and we were all so delighted to meet again and that we had reached our journey’s end.  It had taken seven days to make the trip across from Emerson.

Nat was all alone as Sam had gone back to Ontario.  Nat had moved his tent down the hillside a short distance to where we had planned to erect our house and stables.  He had been to Portage for supplies and a mowing machine to cut hay for the stock, but was unable to use the oxen to pull the machine.

I believe I was the first settler to cross the hills with a wagon.

Chapter 3.

It was now getting along about the middle of October and the nights were beginning to be rather uncomfortable for camping, so we made haste to construct a temporary shelter for the winter.  We were fortunate in obtaining a supply of logs close at hand from bluffs of white poplar that grew along the Cypress valley.

Two of us felled the trees and cut them into the desired lengths, and the other two drove the horse and ox teams and hauled the logs to the building site, and in a few days we had a sufficient supply to build a shack 14x16 feet.  It had but one door and a window, which faced the south.  The roof was flat and made from small logs and poles placed close together and then a layer of hay placed on them and over all a thick coating of sod was laid which held the hay well packed down.

The spaces between the wall logs were chinked with hay, and then a sod wall built about two feet from the log walls all around the shack except the space for the door and window, and the space between the sod and log walls was filled with earth.

Two double bunks were built one above the other to conserve space.  We all felt elated when we moved in from the tent.  Our furniture consisted of boxes, syrup kegs and packing cases.

We had become so accustomed to reclining on the hay covered camp floor that it took some time to adapt ourselves to sitting in an upright position again on the kegs and boxes.

We made use of the sheet iron campstove for preparing meals but during cold weather it did not heat the room comfortably.

We then built a stable 14x70 feet with a partition to separate the cows from the horses, and it was all banked up with sod and earth similar to the shack.

We now had to lay in a winter supply of hay for the stock, and this was obtained from a heavy growth on a nearby marsh which was now dry.  As the machine cut it, it was immediately raked up and hauled to the stable.

The hay had become frosted and I had my doubts about its feed value for stock, but I was told that it was alright for that was all buffalo and deer had to subsist on.  However it was our only recourse so had to use it, and a liberal supply was laid up in order to make up for any deficiency in its feed value.

The pasturage was still good for the stock and the cows were giving a fair supply of milk, and we were still making butter.  The stock never wandered very far from our camp and they appeared to realize that they were in strange surroundings.

We now felt that we had everything fixed up pretty good for the stock.

It was wonderful the amount of work that the four of us had accomplished in so short a time.  The strenuous exercise had made us all strong and vigorous and caused us to sleep well and gave us all good appetites.

We had lost no time by rain since our arrival and the weather was so fine and bracing that it greatly aided us in our work.

Our stock of provisions was now becoming low so this made it necessary to go to Portage for supplies, and when there I planned to go to Winnipeg to obtain some goods that had been forwarded to me from Brussels.  Bill Leadbeater went along with me, also John Dixon who was leaving for home as he would not enter for a homestead of only 80 acres according to the homestead law in force then.

We expected that the ice might be running on the Assiniboine River, so took the ox team along as they could stand the exposure better than the horses.  We had been informed that the river could be forded at Smarts' crossing so concluded to go via that route.