[Cambridge, John] (1796?‘, 1805, 1818) A Description of Prince Edward Island, in the Gulf of St. Laurence, North America . R. Ashby & Co.; W. Winchester & Son; London. 16 pp. [Reprinted 1818 with additions]

This publication, although written anonymous/y ”by a person many years resident there” has been reliably identified as the product of John Cambridge lb. 7748, d. 7837/, an island landowner and businessman who was active in the colony from 7 784 when he arrived as the agent of Robert Clark, the proprietor of the New London settlement. He was later to gain control of Clark ’3 land for non-payment of wages, as well as to acquire other land on the island, especially at Murray Harbour (which was his main base), and when he died in Bristol, England he was a substantial land/0rd with 705,000 acres of island property. He was also a ship-builder, lumber exporter and sawmill owner, and had a residence in Charlottetown as well. As a natural follow-up to all of these activities he became an active promoter of immigration and settlement, and he was commended by the island Assembly in 7806 for his efforts in this field. The ’Description’ was part of this effort: its purpose is to publicize the virtues of the island so as to encourage Englishmen to emigrate to it. Within its genre, of which it is among the first for the island, it appears to be a truthful account, mentioning both the hardships and the ultimate rewards of a life on the island. Like other manuals of its type it provides a brief description of the natural forests — though this consists largely of a list of tree species, it is one of the more comprehensive. I also include his comments relating to the exploitation of the forests at the time. Considering his many wood-related businesses Cambridge would have had a good working knowledge of the island ’3 forests, a knowledge geographical/y spread from New London to Murray Harbour, if not farther.

REFERENCES:

Holman, H. T. (1987) Cambridge, John. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, VI: 107-10.

Bradley, J. (1994) Shipshape Cambridge Fashion, or John Cambridge of Prince Edward island, Bristol and Wotton Under Edge. Hurst Village Publishing, Basingstoke Press Ltd, England.

[From the 7805 edition]:

Snow in the Air and Climate. the snow in the woods is in general from two to three feet deep W00ds- on an average: [pp 4»5]

Face of the Country, and Natural Productions. The far greater part of the Island is in its original wild and uncultivated state, covered with groves of various kinds of trees, among which are the following, the white and yellow pine, the hemlock, the red. white, and black spruce trees, two or three kinds of fir trees, and the larch tree; all of which are described by the inhabitants as soft wood trees: there are also oak, ash, elm, poplar, and cedar trees, but not in great plenty. The most prevailing hard wood trees are, birch, beech, and maple; of the former there are three kinds, the white, yellow, and black; the white or curled maple, and the black or sugar maple trees, and various other kinds of trees and shrubs. There are also wild cherries, gooseberries and currants; and the wild raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, and blueberries, are in some parts in great abundance, and very fine. A fruit in this Island, called the Indian Pear, is very delicious. [p. 5]

Tree species.

Wood/and fruits.

Forest birds. Wild Fowl and Birds. flocks of wild pigeons in the Summer. A great many partridges, much larger and finer than in England; several sorts of plovers and snipes; the large grey and black eagle; different kinds of hawks and owls, the raven and the crow, and many birds of beautiful plumage, are found in the woods: various kinds of birds appear, as the inhabitants extend their improvements; among which are the spring—bird, the robin, a blackbird, and the snowbird, and the beautiful humming-bird

frequents the gardens. [p. 51 Mammals. Animals. There are some bears, wild-cats, red, silver-grey, and black foxes, otters martins, minks, musk-rats, and several kinds of squirrels; a great number of hares, which are grey in Summer, and white in Winter: no reptile is here to be met with, except a small harmless snake. [p. 5] The 3017- Soil . The soil is deep and light, but very fertile, if properly cultivated; in most places there are few or no stones to be seen, except on the shores, or by digging three or four feet for them. [p. 5]