Johnstone, Walter (1822) A Series of Letters Descriptive of Prince Edward Island in the Gulph of St. 
     
     Lawrence. J. Swan, Dumfries. 72 pp. [Republished in: Harvey, D. C. (ed.) (1955) Journeys to the Island 
     
     of St. John or Prince Edward Island. MacMiIlan, Toronto. pp. 87-161.] 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Walter Johnstone lb. 0. 7765, d. .7 I was a Scottish missionary from Dumfriesshire in the Scottish Lowlands, who 
     
     spent eighteen months travelling on Prince Edward Island (from 26 May 7 820 to 24 October 7821), with the aim 
     
     of setting up sabbath schools in the various settlements he visited. 0n the title page of his Letters he states that 
     
     he also ”went out for the express purpose of surveying Prince Edward Island, and collecting information on the 
     
     subject of Emigration for the guidance of future Emigrants”. In pursuit of these aims he tra veiled several times 
     
     over most of the island — from Bedeque and Malpeque in the west, to East Point and Murray Harbour in the east — 
     
     though much of his time was spent east of Charlottetown and especially in the Murray Harbour area. While on the 
     
     island he wrote a series of letters to his sponsor in Scotland and he published these on his return, followed the next 
     
     year by a second book called Travels in Prince Edward Island. The Letters comprise one of the most detailed and 
     
     interesting of the early descriptive accounts of the island, containing extensive information on the soils, agriculture, 
     
     roads, people and settlements, as well as on the landscape and the forests. In comparison with similar manuals 
     
     produced by others resident on the island, his descriptions have the advantage of including material that they 
     
     considered so familiar as not to warrant recording: among the more valuable relating to the forests are his vivid 
     
     description of forest fires in action and of the after-effects of fire on the landscape; also, the tang/ed impenetrable 
     
     nature of coastal wood/ands due to the effects of wind-thro wn trees. He says in his first letter that he aimed to 
     
     write ”a fair and unbiassed Description of this Island”— the resulting publication indicates that he achieved his aim. 
     
    
   
   
    
     REFERENCES: 
     
    

    
     Bumsted, J. M. (1987) Johnstone, Walter. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, VI: 361—62. 
     
    

    
     Harvey, D. C. (1955) Introduction. Journeys to the Island of St. John or Prince Edward Island. Toronto. pp. 73-85. 
     
    

    
     Johnstone, W. (1824) Travels in Prince Edward Island, Gulf of St. Lawrence, North America, in the Years 7820- 
     
     7827. J. Robertson, Edinburgh; Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, London. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Letter First, Murray Harbour, May 30th, 1820. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ...on Friday morning we discovered Prince Edward Island about nine o’clock, rising like 
     
     a dark cloud from the bosom of the ocean. With a favourable wind we passed along 
     
     the south-east side of the Island in a westerly direction, and were much surprised at 
     
     The W000'3 the low appearance of the land, which, from the dark colour and closeness of the 
     
     ”0’" the sea. wood, looked exactly at a distance like a heath covered plain in Scotland. About 
     
     three o’clock we had stood so near shore [at Three Rivers] as to require a pilot. — 
     
     Several shots were fired to invite one on board, when three young men came in a 
     
    
   
   
    
     canoe cut from the solid tree. The appearance of the country, viewed from the 
     
     deck of the ship, was so wild and uncultivated, that it struck a damp upon us all. 
     
     (pp. 90-91] 
     
    
   
   
    
     Letter Second, Murray Harbour, June 27th, 1820. 
     
     The so’l' ...The soil in this island has a uniformity in it, which, I suppose, is no where else to 
     
     be found. The greater part of it is of red sand and clay, but so mixed with sand as 
     
     instantly to absorb the rain that falls upon it: at the same time the soil is as fine in its 
     
     texture as if it had all been pounded in a mortar. The other part of the soil consists 
     
     of a white sand, so fine as almost to resemble white clay. This is spread over the 
     
     surface of the whole Island, in some parts more, and some less, but generally it 
     
     abounds most near the shores and in what are called swamps. Where the ground is 
     
     dry, and much of the white sand upon it, it is not reckoned so good for heavy crops 
     
     of any kind, but particularly hay and pasture; but when it is in good heart, in a 
     
     backward season, it yields the best wheat in quality, in the island. The soil is so 
     
     mixed with sand, and is so light and free, that there is no clod seen upon it almost 
     
     any where. The land in its natural state is very poor, and favourable to the production 
     
    
   
   
    
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