Anon. (1762) Remarks relative to the Sketch of the Island of St John ’8 in North America [Hardwicke Papers, British Library: Add. MSS 35914, 95-99ff; and PEI PARO: 4615.]

This anonymous description of the Island of St. John is found in the Hardwicke papers in the British Library — no author’s name is recorded on the manuscript, but it appears likely to be a officer either in the garrison at Fort Amherst or perhaps at Halifax. How it got into the Hardwicke papers is not known at present.‘ It is clearly a harbinger of the impending land grab on the island that was to follow the Treaty of Paris and culminate in the lottery of 176 7. The report, along with its accompanying ’sketch ’ or map 2, contains little that is not contained in far more detail in two other sources: the detailed census of Joseph de la Roque of ten years before, and the map of Samuel Holland produced three years later. Despite the fact that he made his tour four years after the expulsion of most of the Acadians, his use of the present tense in his description of the settlements gives the erroneous impression that the areas were still inhabited. He has also made major errors in the location of some of the French settlements, especially in the eastern part, and these errors also occur on his map leg. Three Rivers is placed south of Cape Bear, and Naufrage south of East Point) — it may be that his ’French pilot’ was not familiar with the eastern end of the island. There is only an occasional reference to the natural forest, his main object being to describe the cleared land — see Figure 5 for the location of his forest—related descriptions. The hand-dra wn cartouche on his map features a palm tree!

REFERENCE: Bumsted, J. M. (1987) Land, Settlement, and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Prince Edward island. McGill-Oueen's University Press. p. 13.

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Remarks relative to the Sketch of the Island of St John’s in North America, where I was employ’d by order of the General, to run over that Island, its Harbours, & Interiour parts, that he might be in some measure Inform’d [of the .7] Value, and Situation of the Several Towns, with the Quantities of Cultivated Lands, which inviorn’d each, that thereby he might be enabled to make an Estimation of the Number of Families each Town Ship was Capable of receiving, for which service I left Fort Amherst, the 6th July 1762 with a Party of 30 Men a light whale Boat and a French Pilot to Conduct me to the several Villages, Harbours &c &c and first of the Village of Port Ia Joy.

Port la Joy is the principal Harbour on the Island; here are Branches of Three very fine Rivers, the NE: the N: and what is called the NW: the Banks of the NE River, is settled very close from its Entrance to its Source about 9 Lea“: the Banks of the other two Rivers are not so Closely settled however the Land is to be Cleared at no very great expence on the Banks of the three Rivers are great

Timber. numbers of Serviceable Timber. and Scarce a Village but has a Saw Miln [p. 95] North—east River. Hillsborrough a Village about 5 Leagues up the N: E: River, as this Village make

one of the many on the Banks of this River, I need only Observe that the Lands are very fine and are Cleared for many Miles round with entermixed pieces of Woodland for the Conveniency of the Tenants, .

Grand Restico is but a Winter retreat for the Inhabitants of Tracadie and the Adjacent Villages, who retire here for the cover of the Woods, being more Commodiously situated for Firewood, and the Conveniency of Hunting, from this, I proceeded 3 Leag farther W N W to Petit Restico an habitation of the same

nature with the former but no Cultivated Lands although exceedingly good if Improved. lp. 95v]

Wood scarce at Tracadie.

From here [i.e. North Cape] the Island Wynds of to the Southward and at 15 Leagues S W: lies Cape Molliack [i.e. West Point], betwixt which are no Harbours or Settlements, the Land here is somewhat higher, of a good Quality and seems by Nature fortified against the bleak N W Winds (to which this Quarter lies exposed) by an impenetrable Rampert of a thick kind of Brush wood, which even a man can scarce penetrate through. [p. 96]

Coastal woods: North Cape to West Point.