CHAPTER V

THE GARDEN OF THE GULF—CANADA’S COSY CORNER

Getting the whole party across the Straits of North— umberland, from Cape Tormentine to Borden, Prince Edward Island, was for the railroad men a considerable task, but it proved exceedingly enjoyable to us, to see from our breakfast tables in the dining-cars, the red cliffs, the red plowed fields and the green pastures of that extensive “Garden of the Gulf.”

Prince Edward‘Island is unique among the provinces. It is an island and the smallest province, with a population of 98%% native born, while over 84% is rural. The Indians called it “Abegweit”——“Cradled on the waves,” and the early French explorers “La Basse et Belle Isle”—“The Low and Beautiful Island.” Henry Ward Beecher desig- nated it “Gem of the Northern Sea.” Officially also it has been named and renamed. In 1870 the then governor pro- posed to rechristen it “New Ireland” but the proposal was killed by the English Government. In 1798 it received its present name in honour of Prince Edward Duke of Kent, who was then Commander of the troops at Halifax.

First settled by the French in 1663, its real develop- ment began in I755, when after the expulsion of the Acadians, thousands of them found their way to the island.

The people are French, Irish, Scotch and English in their origin, and there has been practically no immigration in recent years.

Prince Edward Island is Canada’s Cosy Corner,-—-a colourful land, where every picture seems more vivid than elsewhere. The people claim that outside of Italy, there

97