Q

, Only a few houses in l820 were built of frame construction. Many were constructed from squared or unsquared logs dovetailed together at the corners. The floors were made from boards with a cellar below to store potatoes and roots. The chimneys were built of stone below and the upper part was made from a mixture of clay and straw. At this

time bricks were beginning to be made on the island.

Fences were made from poles although J.L. Lewellyn, an agent for Lawrence Sullivan, introduced thorn hedges.

The forests in l820 covered much of P. E. l., but as settlers began to obtain land away from the shore rough roads were cut through the trees and the land was gradually cleared. Oxen were sometimes used to remove stumps. If the settler did not own an ox, the stumps were removed with grubbing hoes and levers. Fire was also used but it frequen-

tly got out of control and burned acres of good forest land.

. The pastimes of the people in the l820's were riding, racing, dancing and drinking rum. They were kindhearted, independent, patient people who probably became pioneers because of the chance to become independent and by hard work to achieve some form of material wealth of their own. Many were frustrated and endured hardships, but others

succeeded and immigrants continued to come to Prince Edward Island.

EARLY ACADI/WS 0F P.E.I. AND BELl’DNT

A The Isle de St. Jean was known to the French from at least l53h when Jacques Cartier first landed 3% Cascumpec. No permanent French settlement was mgde in Richmond (Malpeque) Bay until l728 when three Acadians, Pierre Arsenault, Charles Arsenault, J§an Lambert and their families settled and began t? farm at the present site of Malpeque. In the f§ll 0f l728 a plague of field mice destroyed all their crops as well as the crops of all Acadian fsmilies. The Island settlers had to look to E§UIsbourg for food for the winter and for seed '5 the Spring. Many people were reduced to eating

h llfish during the winter.