I'RIXC K EDWARD ISLAND. -'5 i no fund belonging to the Island, that their Lordships would take the premises into consideration, and grant such relief as to their Lordships should seem proper. A SEPARATE GOVERNMENT—GOVERNOR PAT ¬ TERSON. Though appointed in 1769, Mr. Patter ¬ son did not arrive in the Island until 30th August, 1770, when he at once entered upon the duties of his office. He' seems to have been a man of very fair ability, and of a sanguine temperament. Unfortunately for his memory, the accounts we have of him have been largely handed down by his ene¬ mies, of whom he managed, in the latter part of his governorship, to acquire a great num¬ ber. He evidently had the utmost faith in the future of the Island, in which he invested the greater part of his fortune, and where he acquired much property, all of which he sub¬ sequently lost. ' He died in England , a broken and ruined man. It can be gathered from ftis correspond¬ ence, and from that of other residents con¬ temporary with him, that, at least in the ear¬ lier part of his'time here, he worked hard to improve the country and to promote its in¬ terests, and there can be no doubt but that very considerable advances in material pros¬ perity were made. When he arrived, the Island was a wilderness. There were very few English people, the Acadian inhabitants were much more numerous, they were ex¬ tremely poor, and their loyalty was very much questioned. There were no roads, and the means of traversing the country were of the rudest kind. The routes of travel over the Island were by water or by paths blazed through the woods. There were no public buildings, very few private ones, and these of a very indifferent kind. When he was dis¬ missed from his office, the population had materially increased, the inconveniences re¬ ferred to were to some extent overcome, and the most pressing wants largely supplied. In his first despatch to the Earl of Hills¬ borough, dated 21st October, 1770, he gives an interesting description of the Island, so far as he was then able to form an opinion. Ever since his arrival, he had been engaged in furnishing one of the houses in such man¬ ner as he hoped could keep out a little of the approaching cold, and in sending to differ¬ ent parts of the continent for provisions to maintain his family during the winter. Ow¬ ing to the bad communications, he was able at that time to furnish a very indifferent description of the Island, though, so far as he could see, the soil seemed good and easily cultivated, and he was of opinion it would produce every kind of grain and vegetable, common in England , with little or no trou¬ ble, and such as he had seen of the latter were much better of their kind than those in Eng¬ land, though raised in a very slovenly man¬ ner. The various woods near Charlottetown he describes as of very little use, except for firing, but in other parts of the Island there were some oaks and large pine trees in plen¬ ty. He mentions the different wild fowl, and describes the geese, brant and ducks, as of as good of their kinds as he ever met with. The beasts were principally bears, foxes, otters, wild-cats of a very large size, martins, squir¬ rels and mice. That year the mice were so numerous that, in most places, they had de¬ stroyed the little which was attempted to be raised. The inhabitants said they appeared every seven years. He adds, as to the mice, which were a plague to the early settlers: "My opinion is, it depends entirely on the sort of winter we have, as I am informed the £■ -IkM'