23

“I am happy in obeying the commands of my Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, to signify unto you their entire approbation of your conduct in the execution of the instructions you have received for the survey of the Island of St. John, and of your diligence and despatch in the completion of this useful and laborious work.”

Captain Holland also received a letter of 19th March from Richard Cumber- land, Esquire, the contents of which do not appear in the “Letter Book,” but which were evidently very complimentary, and pleasing to the Chief Surveyor, for in Holland’s reply of 19th August he says: “I can assure you it revived my spirits, and gave me new strength to endure the fatigues I at this time underwent, as it was the first news of the arrival of my plans, add to this the remaining contents, made me climb the rocks, and wade the waters, without thinking of danger or weariness.”

“The soil,” says Captain Holland, “on the south side of the Island, is a reddish clay, although in many places it is sandy, particularly on the north coast. From the East Point to St. Peter’s Bay it is a greyish sand. The woods upon this coast, from the East Point, as far southward as Hillsborough River, and to Bedford Bay on the west, were entirely destroyed by fire about twenty—six years ago. It was so extremely violent that all the fishing vessels at St. Peter's Bay and Morell River, in St. Peter’s Bay, were burned. In many parts round the Island is a rough, steep coast, from forty to fifty feet high, in some places a hundred, composed of a strata of soft red clay, which, when exposed to the air for some time, becomes harder, and is not unfit for building. Wherever this sort of coast is, it diminishes considerably every year, upon the breaking up of the frost, which moulders away a great part of it. It may probably be owing to this cause that the sea betwixt the Island and the Continent is frequently of a red hue and for that reason by many people called the red sea. The rivers are properly sea creeks, the tides flowing up to the heads, where, generally, streams of fresh water empty themselves. In most parts of the Island the Sarsaparilla Root is in great abundance, and very good. The Mountain Shrub and Maidenhair are also pretty common, of whose leaves and berries the Acadian settlers frequently make a kind of tea. The ground is in general covered with strawberries and cranberries, in their different seasons, which are very good. In those places that have been settled and are still tolerably cleared, is very good grass, but a great part of the island, formerly cleared, is so much overgrown with brush and small wood that it would be extremely difficult to make it fit for the plough. It may be proper to observe that very few houses mentioned in the explanation of the Townships are good for anything and by no means tenantable, except one or two at St. Peter's Bay, kept in repair by the officers, and one kept by myself at Observation Cove."

After describing the kinds of timber to be found on the Island, Captain Holland proceeds to say:

“Port la Joie (Charlottetown), Cardigan and Richmond Bays are without dispute the only places where ships of burden can safely enter, and consequently most proper to erect the principal towns and settlements on. In point of fishing, Richmond Bay has much the advantage of situation, the fish being in great plenty most of the year, and close to the harbour.

“The capital, to be called Charlottetown, is proposed to be built on the point of the harbour of Port la Joie, betwixt York and Hillsborough Rivers, as being one of the best and central parts