-2- 
     
    
   
   
    
     road from town leads across the Hillsborough River in a regular 
     
     ferry, and proceding in an easterly direction through Lot 48 
     
     and part of Lot 49. a branch takes off on the right by Cherry 
     
     Valley, across Orwell Bay to Belfast. Flat River, and Wood 
     
    
   
   
    
     Islands. The main road passing through the remainder of Lot i 
     
     49. to the head of Vernon River divides, on branch on the right 
     
     leads to Murray Harbour, through 17 miles of wood. without a 
     
     house; the other branch on the left through 11 miles of woods 
     
    
   
   
    
     to Georgetown or Three Rivers". (Journeys to the Island of 
     
     St". John) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Though these roads were then little more than tracks 
     
    
   
   
    
     through woods. Malcolm MacQueen describes their usefulness to 
     
     hardy settlers (Skye Pioneers). Margaret MacQueen, reminiscing 
     
     about the pioneer days of the settlement. remarks, "I recall 
     
     myself as a young girl walking to Charlottetown and back the 
     
     same day. This journey meant going up to the Head of Vernon 
     
     River, for there was then no bridge at what was later called 
     
    
   
   
    
     Vernon River Bridge. Many Neighboring women did the same." 
     
    
   
   
    
     Those early settlers were Highland Scots, many of whom 
     
     spoke in the Gaelic all their lives on the Island. .MacQueen 
     
     also describes how life was centered around church and ceilidhs. 
     
     where singing. the fiddle, and flute were supplemented by the 
     
     telling of ghost stories that made the dark road home a fright- 
     
     ening experience. The first settlers lived lives without lux- 
     
    
   
   
    
     uries but claimed, in retrospect at least, not to want them.