18

number of its bays and rivers. Being assured by an Acadian guide on board the vessel that it was only 18 leagues (54 miles) to Fort Amherst, he landed a party in charge of Lieutenant Haldimand with one week’s provisions, but no boat, to survey along the coast to Port 1a Joie (Charlottetown). On the arrival of the vessel there, two days after, Captain Holland found that he had been deceived by his guide as to the distance, and sent Lieutenant Robinson and Mr. Wright with a small boat and provisions to survey and try and meet them, but again having received further information as to the bays and inlets to be'passed, he applied to Captain Hill, the commanding officer at Fort Amherst, to send a small schooner belonging to the fort with provisions for them. She sailed immediately, but was lost in a storm near where Lieutenant Robinson was. The men were saved with enough provisions to enable both parties to return to the fort. When met with, Lieutenant Haldimand and his party were in great distress, having been for three days without provisions. Captain Holland had previously applied to Lieutenant Mowatt for one large boat and two small ones, manned with seamen from the Canceaux, to assist in the survey and soundings, but he was told by this commander that his orders were to carry him with the ship where he desired, and that he (Lieutenant Mowatt) had orders from the Admiralty to make observations and survey himself, and that he could give neither boats nor men. Holland thought this very odd, as he considered the ship was fitted out to assist him, and seemed to have doubts as to Mowatt’s capability to survey or make observations. Lieutenant Carleton died subse- quently when in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Fort Amherst stood on the west side of the entrance to Charlottetown harbour, near the shore, and about midway between the bay and the harbour.

The King, when appointing Captain Holland, endeavoured to insure his safety and the successful performance of his duties, by including in his commis- sion a general order to all in authority, which read thus: “All our Governors, Lieutenant—Governors, Commander-in-Chiefs and other officers and ministers, whatsoever, within our Dominions, are to take notice thereof, and to be aiding and assisting, etc., unto the said Samuel Holland, his deputy or deputies, in the due execution of the said survey in all things as becometh." What Lieutenant Mowatt's motives were in refusing Captain Holland the aid that he required can only be conjectured, but subsequent events indicate that he had interpreted his instructions from the Admiralty in a very narrow and illil)eral spirit.

Having already experienced the bitter fruits of the want of co-operation between the two branches of the service, and foreseeing how disastrous its con- tinuation would be, Captain Holland immediately made known his situation to Lord Hillsborough, London, and sent urgent appeals to Lord Colville, Com— mander-in-Chief of His Majesty's ships in North America, and also to Governor \Vilmot at Halifax, asking for relief in his distress. The Governor had previously instructed Captain Hill at Fort Amherst to furnish Captain Holland “with troops as they may be wanted,” and also “with every convenience and advantage which the situation of himself or his garrison can possibly admit of.” Lord Colville, from the Romney in Halifax Harbour, in reply offered every assistance in his power, and also wrote to Lieutenant Mowatt, pointing out very Clearly to him what his duties were, concluding thus: “Your people were raised to be