Harris, Robert (c. 1865) A Surveying Experience in Prince Edward Island. [Written up ’many years' after the event, and read to members of the Pen and Pencil Club, Montrea|.] Re—printed in: Williamson, M. (1983). Island Painter — The Life of Robert Harris l 7849- 7979). pp. 23-30.

The fol/o wing extract is from a story written up many years after the event by Robert Harris (b. 1849, d. 7.9 79), who later became the famous artist, of an encounter that he had had in about 7 865 with a large group of angry squatters, while attempting to carry out a survey on the Stewart estate in the area of the Green Road of Lot 30. Harris, aged sixteen at the time, was working for the surveyor Henry Cundall. The account is written up in the form of a story told to a companion (named Wil/l, when Harris and his companion find themselves on the Green Road in later years. It contains a description of the forested landscape of the area in the 18605, and mentions pine and spruce as occurring especially along the upper parts of the West River.

REFERENCE: Williamson. M. (1998) Harris, Robert. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, XIV: 451-56.

Somewhere on Cool and shady under the fragrant spruce trees was the spot where we stretched the Green Road ourselves for a midday rest by the road of which we did not even know the name. in later years.

"When i was a boy I learnt surveying and was with the principal surveyor in Charlottetown [i.e. Henry Cundall]. At the time i am speaking I was about sixteen [i.e. c. 7865]. One day Mr. R. B. S. [Robert Bruce Stewart, proprietor of Lot 30] came into the office wanting a survey made to determine the location of lands held by squatters on his estate. it sometimes happened that some of the rougher sort of emigrants who found their way to the island, instead of making any arrangements with any owners of the soil, simply went into the forest, built themselves log houses, cleared what land they could and fencing in what they chose prepared to defy all claims of ownership based on title deeds. The land being principally forest at this date, men in the more isolated districts might do this and it might be a long time before they were discovered."

The background to the survey.

lp. 25] He was rowed in a boat from Charlottetown to the upper reaches of the West River. Along the upper ”The clearings were few and not much seen from the water, the forest coming down to 3” etch 0’ the the banks, dark spruce and pine with here and there the white of the gleaming birch

we“ Rive" trunks. Our journey over, we arrived at the residence of Mr. S. [at Strathgartney]

A strange thing it seemed, to come across fine pictures and books in a country place which was in some respects a wilderness.” lp. 26)

”Our chief object was to survey the Green road, a winding wood road made by the squatters which cut across from the Appin road at right angles roughly, and to note all squatters’ fences as it formed their means of getting to the main highway. It led through a dense forest. [At one place, they came across] a rough fence of tree

A Stump fence' roots~one of the squatter’s bounds.” [pp- 25-271

The survey party was interrupted by a large group of angry squatters and Harris had to devise an alternative method for completing the survey.

” ’Do you think we could see those two trees from [the mill]?’ [said I], pointing to a couple of huge dead monsters left from an older forest, which towered above the leafy growth about, and stretched fantastic arms as if trying to grasp the clouds. Said Mr. S. ’ . what is the use of that, there are numbers of such about the woods, it would be impossible to identify them in the distance.’ | carefully drew the forms of the two big trees in the field book.” lp. 29]

Standing dead trees in the forest.

pines around "We soon reached the Mill [i.e. Crosby’s Mill, Bonshaw]. A lovely spot with its placid

the m,*//, dam surrounded by the darkling pines. The pungent aroma of the new—cut logs was in the air. . We found a base at the other side of the stream and to my joy with the telescope and the aid of the drawing could unmistakably identify the two big trees seen

Squatters I"? The over the intervening forest.”

'W’yd WOOdsl- ”[The squatters] chopped out a living in the wild woods .

n

lp. 30]

303