“The flesh of the wild cat, called by the French, Loup Cervier, is as white as veal and has been frequently eaten by epicures and much relish- ed.”

“‘That there is no dangerous reptile in the Island must be consid- ered a very pleasant circumstance, as people can traverse the forest-every- where, and sleep there Without being under any apprehension of injury.”

Of the beauty of a silver thaw: “Nothing can exceed the splendor of the forest, every branch seems enclosed in diamonds, and reflects the rays of the sun with the utmost brilliancy; it is impossible to describe the effects of the scene that this state of the weather occasionally exhibits.”

“The Aurora Borealis is commonly a forerunner of a southerly wind and rain —— sometimes extremely beautiful, and in our pure atmosphere is seen to great advantage.”

Of clearing land: “A good axe man will cut down an acre in 8 days, pile all the brush, and cut the trunks into 10 feet lengths: these must afterwards be rolled together and such of them as are not taken away for other purposes burnt.”

“Every farmer raises a patch of flax yearly which is manufactured into linen for domestic use, most families making between woollen and linen from two to three hundred yards of cloth a year.”

In 1813 Lieutenant Governor Des Barres, then a very old man, “sunk,” it was reported, “into absolute dotage,” was succeeded by Charles Douglas Smith. At this time the Colonial Office was engaged in prepar— ing a new scale of Quit Rents for the Island, and Smith desired that, before this should take effect, John Stewart, the Receiver General of Quit Rents, should be summoned from Newfoundland to give an account of what had been done during his years in office. In due course Stewart arrived, prepared the Quit Rent accounts, and submitted therewith a long letter in which he gave the desired explanations. He also resigned the office. Declaring that he had written the letter in great pain, Stewart said he was going away, “most probably never to see the Island again.” It would have been well for Smith if such had turned out to be the case.

Within a few years, as events unfolded, Smith was informing Earl Bathurst that “John Stewart, of political notoriety during the time of my two immediate predecessors, has chosen to resume his practice of agitat- ing the public mind.” It could not, however, be said that his behaviour was unprovoked. Moving before the new scale of Quit Rents had been finalized, Smith had directed the acting Receiver General of Quit Rents, John Edward Carmichael, his son—in-law, to enforce payments of the ar- rears under the old scaleflLittle notice of what was intended was given, and in January of 1823, advancing into the area of Tracadie and Mount Stewart, Carmichael took out a distress on the estates of Donald Mac— donald, son of John MacDonald, and John Stewart for non-payment of Quit Rents. One can but deplore his foolhardiness.

The populace, Stewart found, needed little agitating, as, after their action in Townships 36 and 37, Carmichael’s agents had branched through eastern King’s County, demanding instant payment of arrears. Most could only pay in produce, and this necessitated loading carts with grain and potatoes and undertaking the long journey to Charlottetown through bit- ter Winter weather. The suffering consequent upon such a trip roused

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