26 PAST AND PRESENT OF

last was an uncommon one, the snow falling before the frost came on, by which means the ground was kept soft, and the mice, in- stead of being partly destroyed by the frost, as is commonly the case, bred under the snow; they are, in size, something between our rats and mice in England.”

As to fish, he says: “This side of the Is- land is but indifferently off for fish, except in the spring, when, I am told, we may have a small kind of cod, mackerel, trout, bass, smelts and several sorts of flat-fish, pretty plenty. At present there are only lobsters and oysters, neither very good.” He had only been here a few weeks, and had evi- dently not yet learned much about the fish- eries of this Island.

He speaks highly of the climate, and says that, in the winter season, the inhabitants “make all the frames for their houses, saw boards and do almost all their wood-work.” The French inhabitants were mostly em- ployed by a few British subjects in the fish- ery, and had been paid their wages in “clothes, rum, flour, powder and shot.” Owing to this, “Agriculture has been so much neglected there is not one bushel of corn raised by all the French inhabitants on the Island.”

He reports that about one hundred and twenty families had arrived that summer. part sent by Mr. Montgomery, the lord advo— cate of Scotland, the rest by a Mr. Stewart, of that country; the last arrived about three weeks ago at Princetown,but,very unfortun- ately, for want of a pilot their vessel ran on shore at the entrance of the harbor, and is en- tirely lost and part of her-cargo. but no lives.”

As soon as possible after his arrival, the Governor convened some of the principal in- habitants at Charlottetown, and caused his

commission to be read. Mr. Phillips Call- beck, Mr. John Russell, Mr. Thomas Wright and Mr. Patrick Fergus were appointed to the Council. Mr. Wright was not a resident, only wintering here, but was willing to be- come one, if appointed surveyor-general of the Island, which Patterson recommended. Lieutenant—Govemor DesBrisay had not yet arrived. The Governor was sworn in on 19th September, and the same day the proper oaths were administered to the officers of the government who were present; the chief jus- tice (Duport) was given a commission for holding the Supreme Court, which was opened on the 24th. Acting upon instruc- tions the Governor made inquiry into the sea- cow fishery, which he feared would be ren- dered useless, owing to the operations of a Mr. F. Gridley from the Magdalen islands, and of some New England fishermen, who often landed for a few days to kill these ani- mals, and of the inhabitants of the Island, who had been endeavoring to carry on this fishery. In consequence, by the advice of Council, he had an act passed for regulating it, which was submitted for approval. This appears to have been the first enactment after the erection of the Island into a separate gov- ernment. The sea—cow fishery was of much importance, and in these early days there was much correspondence and legislation affect- ing it. The animals were of great size, said to weigh as much as four thousand pounds. They frequented the waters of the gulf, and abounded about the Magdalens, and north shores of this Island. Cartier mentions them, and they were numerous for some years after Patterson’s arrival. but were ultimately ex- terminated. Even in 1806, when Stewart wrote, there were very few remaining. though they were not extinct. and he calls at- tention to the matter. Their oil was