Year: 1877

One of the most productive parts Of the
Dominion of Canada is that little island in
the Gulf of st. Lawrence, so persisieDtly
and incorrectly called Prince Edwards
Island, which is no nearer right than 10
call Rhode Island "Rhode's Island" With
rich, fertile soil, and the surrounding
waters teeming with fish, Prince Edward
Island would he most prosperous region
were it not for two things. The first is
that the land is owned TO very great ex-
tent 10y non-residents, who drain from ii in
the shape Of rents great part OF that mon
ey which should be employed in develop
ing its resources. Tho other is the fact
that every year for period varying from
three 10 five mootbs the island is practical
ly cut Off from the rest of the world by .he
freezing up Of its barbors and the heavy ice
in the Strait Of Northumberland, the water
between tho island and the mainland of
Nova Scnla. The narrowest part of the
strait il between the two Capes OF Traverse
and Tormentine, the latter on the Nova
Scotia coast. These points are the termini
of a winter mail route, whereby a some
what irregular correspondence with the
world in general is kept up. 1t is seldom
that goods are conveyed by the adventur-
Gus spirits who carry the mails, the expense
OF such trans portation being such That only
articles absolutely needed, such as drugs,
are ever imported in the winter. Passen-
gers are taken when they dare to risk their
lives, and at times the risk is fearful,
though within the writer's remembrance
there has been but one very disastrous ad
venture on the route, resulting, if the re-
membrane is correct, in the loss of one
life and the loss of both legs by the second
Of two passengers.


One of the conditions under which Prince
Edward Island entered into the D ominion
Confederation was that the general govern
ment shopld make an effort to maintain
steam communication with the island dur
ing the winter. For this purpose very
powerful steamer was constructed early in
the winter and placed upon the gulf, be-
tween the island and the mainland. She
was named the North Star. Arriving at
Charlottetown she was frozen in, but with
much effort was cut out and got into the
Strait Of Northumberland, when she drift
Gu duOul lOT sbNtIhl udNsg anu dl ltuRlu
put into Georgetown harbor. The prnci-
pie on which she was to have worked was
to ride over the ice, her bow being we'll up
in the water, and break it by her weight.
The ex pertinent is regarded in the Provn-
ces as failure. To those well acquainted
with the region this is not a matter of sur
prise, for it is difficult to see how it could
be otherwise. To keep Charlottetown har-
Dor open, for instance, is an apparent i'm
possibility. The harbor is formed by the
confluence of three rivers with very rapid
tides, the basin being three or four miles
in diameter. The three tides meeting cause
a commolion of the water, which, under
ordinary atmospheric conditions, would
prevent freezing, especially as the water is
salt. Still this basin is covered every win
Ter with ice so thick that regularly survey
ed market roads are laid out over it and
defined by bushes. Race tracks have been
marked out on it, and one winter chapel
of no moderate size was moved from one
shore TO another over 1t. The ice forms 10
a thickness of from two to three or four
feet, and one of the grandest sights the
spring affords is to see the huge masses,
broken up by the rivers Of warmer water,
running from the thawing snow on land,
moving up and down with the tides, COM
ing into collision with each other and
grinding edge against edge, the foes grow
ing daily smaller, till the bulk Off moves
out of the harbor, TO be followed for few
days by smaller portions, on which may
frequently be seen the bushes which mark
ed some market road, or the shelter hut
erected during the winter by some smelt
fisher,