Bouchette, Joseph (1832) The British Dominions in North America. Vol. II. London. 296 pp.

It is very unlikely that Joseph Bouchette lb. 7774, d. 184 7) ever visited Prince Edward Island and it is thus a matter of determining the source or sources for his information on the island. Bouchette was in fact a nephew of Captain Samuel Holland and at his uncle ’3 death in 7 801 succeeded him in the post of Surveyor General of Canada. Thereafter, while based mostly at Quebec, he had a busy surveying and cartographic career contributing especially to the delineation and surveying of the border between the British colonies and the United States. From 1826 to 7829 Bouchette collected the data for his three volume topographical study of British North America, which was published in London while he was on a five year European visit. In the 22—page chapter on Prince Edward Island he acknowledges and quotes directly from both Stewart l 7806) and MacGregor (7828), but the source of his information on the forests is not so acknowledged. It is evident however that, though not a direct quotation, it is

an abridgement of MacGregor’s description, and thus does not add anything original to our knowledge of the island ’3 forests.

REFERENCE: Boudreau C. & Lépine, P. (1988) Bouchette, Joseph. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, VII: 95-98.

The shore from North Cape to West Cape is perhaps the least thickly settled of any

part of the island; but it boasts a rich soil, covered with lofty trees, . [p. 167] ship-building and exportation of timber are to some extent carried on at the port [of Georgetown] . [p. 169] The trees as The soil may be appreciated by the species of timber which it produces; maple, indicating beech, black birch, with a mixture of trees, generally indicating a rich land, whilst fir, soil fertility. spruce, larch, and the various descriptions of pine, are found on inferior tracts. There

are very few portions of land throughout the island not applicable to agriculture, the soil being mostly light, of easy tillage, and remarkably free from stones. The deviation from this general character is found in the swamps and bogs, which, when drained, form good meadow land; there are indeed some tracts termed barrens, but these bear a very insignificant proportion to the good land, nor are there any of them but what good management might reclaim. The land has, for the most part. been cleared of Tree species. its heavy timber, which has been an important article of export to Great Britain. Pines of various descriptions are found, but they do not abound sufficiently to form an article of commerce. The red and pitch, and the yellow or white, pine are the most frequent. There are several varieties of the fir, the spruce, larch, and hemlock, red and white; beech of a majestic size is universally met with; sugar maple in several varieties; birch, white, yellow, and black; oak of indifferent quality and in small quantities; elm, which is scarce; black, grey, and white ash; poplar and white cedar complete the list of trees that may be denominated timber. [p. 171]

The barrens.

The animals found here are nearly the same as we have mentioned as inhabiting our other American colonies, to which may be added otters, loup-cerviers, or wild cats, and seals . Of birds, fish, and insects, the catalogue is nearly the same, and it therefore would be superfluous to enumerate them; [p. 172]

Some animals.

The timber trade. The timber trade and the fishery have here, however, as in other colonies, seduced the short—sighted and those eager for rapid returns, to their apparently more productive employments; but the timber is now so far cleared, and the prosperity of the consistent agriculturist so palpable, that the cultivation of the earth seems from this time forward likely to be looked to as the most certain and profitable occupation of time, labour, and capital. [p. 172]

In all new wilderness countries the timber trade is the first object of attraction; but the quantity that has been felled, and the small proportion of uncleared land that Ship-building remains, have reduced the timber trade of this colony to a trifling amount. Ship— building is still a branch of trade of some moment; and the vessels built here have a good reputation for trim and durability. Numbers of vessels, from 150 to 600 tons, are readily disposed of in the British market; and to this may be added a large number constantly constructed for the Newfoundland fisheries; [p. 176]

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