’ PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

mouth, then Secretary of State, dated at Halifax, December 15, 1775, says that he and Callbeck were taken prisoners by armed men, from two privateers,who plundered and carried off anything they thought worth tak— ing, including the church furniture. Mr. Wright believed that the attack on Char- lottetown was out of revenge, because re— cruits had been raised on this Island and sent to Quebec.

Mr. Callbeck, in a letter to Lord Dart- mouth, written'at Halifax on January 5, I 776, on his return from captivity, tells how he had succeeded in recruiting a body of men in Prince Edward Island, and sending them up to the assistance of Quebec, and how he had the misfortune to feel the ef- fects of the rebels’ disapprobation of his conduct.

At this time Prince Edward Island was in a very defenseless state. There were no militia. no arms, no ammunition, and Mr. Callbeck again writes, on January 15, 1776, to Lord Dartmouth, complaining of this very defenseless state of the Island. Mr. Callbeck again says, “I flatter myself, your Lordship will view His Majesty’s servants to be in a very precarious and disagreeable state, as well as the settlements and territory of some gentlemen, who, stimulated by their loyalty to their Sovereign, immediately left their habitations, and entered His Majesty’s service, and at the same time took off re~ cruits, all of whom are now on duty in dif- ferent parts of America.”

An urgent appeal was made by General Howe, for two companies of infantry to be quartered at Charlottetown. With these, and the assistance of a frigate then in the har- bour, Mr. Callbeck thought any landing of an enemy could be successfully opposed, pro-

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vided “a work was erected upon a piece of ground which formed a crescent on the shore at the beginning of the town, which. from its eminence and natural advantages, commanded the entire harbour of Port la Joie, and all the rivers.” “There are,” he says, “some cannon lying near the place, that would answer, if furnished with car- riages, and the work would, I suppose, cost £200. With this fortification and small armament, I have not a doubt that the capi- tal and the other parts of the Island could be protected.”

He further advised that “if the Island is not an object to be defended, it would be necessary to send for and have destroyed, sixteen nine-pounders, most of which were fit for service, one eight-inch mortar, and a number of cannon ball and grape shot, which are now at Fort Amherst. The barracks that did belong to the fort, are entirely down; in short, everything about it has gone to ruin, and, if the cannon are not some way disposed of, it will be a temptation to the rebels to make a second attempt.” Mr. Call- beck, having received instructions from Ad- miral Shuldham and General Howe, in re- spect to the defense of the place, returned to the Island with the intention of raising a company of one hundred men, which he thought, with the assistance of the ship of war to be sent by Admiral Shuldham, would be sufficient for its defense.

By this time the Newfoundland fleet was strengthened to watch the St. Lawrence and give security to the Island, but Callbeck again writes to the Secretary of State, May 20, i776, complaining of the defenseless state of the Island; that Shuldham had promised to send a frigate. with arms, am- munition and artillery stores, which had not