Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-19
Prince Edwards Island.
THE LOCALITY AND THE PEoPLE.-A PLEAS
ANT TRIP.


One of the plesautest trips that can be taken
to obtain rest and a healthful change OF
climate is the journey by sea from Boston to
| Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in the
/ Gulf of ST. Lawrence, and return, distance
/ of ,426 miles. 1t takes nine days, but the
trip affords so much variety that the passen-
ger thoroughly enjoys it. The steamers
leave Boston at noon every Saturday. BY 4
| O'clock land is out of sight, and so remains
until Seal Island. off Nova Scotia, comes in
view aoout o'clock Sunday afternoon. Thus
you have for txenty-four hours the same
sensation YOU would have on a steamer
crossing to Europe. You tread the deck
with the exhiiiration which the buoyant bill
lows, around you : far as the eye can see,
impart. When you are just growing little
tired of seeing nothing but water, and are
thinking that stretch Of forest verdure
would be refreshing, the Nova Scotia coast
with its pine-crowned hills comes in sight.
| Here ard there you see the shining white dot
Of village or town amid the green shores OF
an inlet or bay. AS the evening shadows
descend the outlines of the coast fade
away and you again lose sight Of land. When
you wake up the next morning the vessel is
entering Halifax harbor, with its surty shores
| and islands crow ned with Notifications. The
steamer lies at Halifax about three hours,
long enough tor you 10 See the city and TO
chamber up to the citadel, take a oirdseye
view of the surrounding couotry, and plan
good long tramp for the ten hours isy-over at
Halifax on the return trip. The Gut OF Cam
SO separates Nova Scotia from Cape Breton
Island. The scenery on either side il pictur-
esque. Guysboro: on the Nova Scotia side,
at the south entrance, nesting very pretflly
with its white spires and cottages among the
green hills. The steamer stops at Port
hawkesbury (Cape Breton Island), directly
opposite Mulgrave (Nova SCOTIA, and then
proceeds to Plcton, where 1t Goals, and crosses
the Straits OF Northumberland to Charlotte
town, reaching the latter usually on Tuesday
evening and lying over TIL Thursday even
ing thus giving Two days for seeing the
island.
ChAriottetowD harbor is formed by the
junction of three rivers, two OF which are
broad and run far up into the island. Char
lottetown, across one of these rivers, Is a
niles sail, but fifty mile drive, the first
bridge being about twenty-five miles above
The city. CharlotGetown Is the only city on
Prluce Edwards Island. The island is about
100 miles long aud at most points of respec
table breadth. The city is mostly Of frame
houses, stones beng very scare. Jersey
mans heart leaps with JOY rs he ent RS Char
iotIetown harbor, for on Its SHORES he recog
nizes tue red clay OF his native soil. The
only rocks are AT n few points on the coast
ana the stones for the public bulldogs at
Charlottetown were imported. The sur
roundings of Charlotletown are beautiful.
Right on the harDor shore there is a small
tort and and IN the park back OF it a cricket
ground. 1t was lovely ON the Wednes lay
ri.-h har
tue sun setting over the water. The next
day DIR. Waburton, native of the city,
whom We met on tue steamer gave us a drive
through what is called the Royalty-the
countty around Charlottetown. The drive
took US alternately along the water and
through lanes of pine trees, aud the road WAS
one OF the most picturesque | have driven
over. 1 he sOil OF t1e island IS very fertile,
and, in spite OF the long winter, the oat and
wheat crop Is extraordinarily large. NavIga-
tiun closes III December and does not open
until April aud sometimes not until MAY
Communication WITH the main shore can then
be had only with ice boats. Often the ice Is
80 broken that man will have To travel on
foot, showing small boat ahead of him. into
which he jumps when he comes to a stretch
of water. | asked how people protected
themselves against cold in the frame houses
and was told That usually the first stories
were banked in with earth and seaweed.
Many of the Inhabitants OF Prince Eda ard
Island are OF Scotch descent and 1t is charm
ing to hear the girls spoken OF as lassles and
10 see them in taeir Jsunty Tams, as the Fam
. Shhnters are usually called. MIR. Nicker-
sou who did everything to enhance the pleas
ure of the trip, introduced US TO some of his
friends aud 1t was delightful TO hear the
quaint melodies OF scotland sung bv iassie
with the real Scotch pronunciation, and OF
course an easy mastery of the peculiar Scotcn
rhy tim. There are stll some of the decent
ants OF the Acadisns on the island, and the
women with Scotch Acadian hood in their
VEINS are decidedly pretty Their complex
ions are smooth and glowing, and The long
lashes give langulshing look To their eyes
e. A., IN New York Aati and Express.