PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

town and thus the, rector reached the scene of his future labours. (Note B.)

The conditions which confronted him were such as might have dismayed an older and more experienced man. There was no church, no provision made for his food and shelter, and no prospect of his obtaining any payment on account of his stipend. Consequently he adopted what was prob- ably the only course open to him, he sought refuge on one of His Majesty’s ships of war, taking duty as chaplain, and visiting Charlottetown as opportunity offered. Many years later Mr. Bovyer, a U. E.’ Loyalist, chanced in Mr. DesBrisay’s presence to tell of an incident that occurred before he left his home on Rhode Island, as illustrative of the bitterness felt by the revolted colonists against Great Britain. On this occasion he

told how his neighbors had taken his oxen '

to haul a rusty old cannon to the beach, to fire upon an English man of war that had anchored inshore. When he had finished Mr. DesBrisay remarked, “I was serving on that ship at the time.” He thus spent over two years on shipboard.

The non-payment of the salaries of the ofiicials on the Island, of whom the Rector was one, had by that time reached a critical stage. They could not live without any means of support and it had become appar- ent that the proprietors, save in a few in- stances, did not intend to pay the quit rent. Englishmen of that time, stirred by tales of fortunes made in a few years in India and hoping to similarly profit by the lands in North America that they had wrested from the French, were keenly interested in colo- nial expansion, but it was with a view of

Nora B.-Governor Patterson was in England. Phillips Callback, the administrator. and Thomas Wright, a member of the council, had been carried 0!! by privateers. who had also taken the seal of the colon and the public records. hence the Government; was practical y disorganized.

the revolt of the American colonies.

249

exploiting such colonies and incidentally the colonists, for what could be got out of them. It was action along this line on the part of the British Government that brought about From men of this class the Island’s proprietors were almost exclusively drawn. They were keenly desirous of obtaining pecuniary bene— fit from their grants, but not prepared to ac- knowledge any obligations or to identify themselves as resident landowners with the development of the colony. Under ordinary conditions the affairs of the little Island of St. John would have obtained scant recogni— tion from the British Government but the revolt of the American colonies attracted attention to it. Lying in the direct line of travel for vessels passing through the Gut of Canso bound to and from Quebec, it pos- sessed a strategical value and, in the event of of the war being a protracted one, it might be counted upon to furnish considerable sup- plies. The state of distress to which the of- ficials were reduced by having all their ef- fects carried off. by the privateers above re- ferred to, also evoked a degree of sympathy. Hence the British Government decided, from I 777, to assume the responsibility of paying the salaries of the principal officials.

This to the Reverend Theophilus Des- Brisay meant that in lieu of £100 chargeable upon the proceeds of the quit rents, with great uncertainty as to its payment, he could for the future count upon receiving a sti- pend of £150 Stg. payable regularly by the British Government. Under these improved conditions he took up his residence and en- tered fully upon his duties.

The first entry on the parish records bear's date August, 1777. At that time Charlottetown had grown somewhat. Gov- ernor Patterson was still in England. Phillips