Murray, Hugh (1839) An Historical and Descriptive Account of British America. Volume II. 2nd. edition. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh.

Hugh Murray’s Account of British North America appears to be largely a second-hand work put together by combining material from various existing accounts, many of which he acknowledges in his footnotes. His eigh teen- page chapter on Prince Edward Island contains a short description of the forests which ackno w/edges Bouchette ( 7832), MacGregor l 7832), and Stewart ( 7806). It seems unlikely that he ever visited the island and thus his book adds nothing original to our information on the island ’8 forests. He is not included in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, and it is thus possible that he lived largely in Great Britain. His Account seems to have been issued in a North American edition in 7840 printed by Harper and Brothers, New York.

The soil.

The ’burn t— grounds ’.

Tree species.

Fur-bearing mammals.

Western shore.

Pigs in the woods.

The timber trade.

Ship-building.

The soil is described as usually comprised of a vegetable mould, upon light red loam, with a subsoil of stiff clay on sandstone; and its general character is that of decided fertility, nowhere interrupted by the rocky tracts which abound on the exterior coasts. There are, however, two descriptions of unproductive lands; swamps and burnt- grounds. The former, where comparatively dry, resemble the peat-bogs of Ireland, being covered with turf and shrubs; and others, though wet, spongy, and deep, producing dwarf trees and long grass, become, nevertheless, when carefully drained, very rich meadows. The burnt-grounds were originally covered with extensive pine- forests, which have been destroyed by conflagrations, and are now overspread with black stumps, mixed with ferns and diminutive shrubs. Although these probably never were the best lands, yet some of them have been found reclaimable. Owing to those fires, and the quantity of timber exported, the forests on the island scarcely now exceed what is wanted for the use of the inhabitants. The prevailing trees at present are. spruce, fir, hemlock, beech, birch, maple and poplar. [pp. 258-59]

The fur-bearing animals have been greatly thinned, as well as the walrus, . Fortunately the bear, which once did considerable damage, has shared a similar fate; but the loup-cervier or wild cat is still formidable to the flocks. [p. 2591

Near the North Cape is Tigniche, which the Acadians have made tolerably productive; but when we have passed that cape, we find the western face of the island almost uninhabited, and covered with lofty trees. It contains, nevertheless, some fine streams, and a great proportion of fertile land. [p. 267]

Hogs, being allowed to feed constantly in the woods, have a peculiar and wild

appearance; but the pork is said to be equal to that usually met with in the Irish market. [p. 268]

Notwithstanding inducements to devote themselves to agriculture, the settlers have allowed their attention to be partially diverted to the timber-trade, which, for a time, indeed, obtained even a preference, as being more profitable, and the produce paid for in money. It afterwards decayed, not only from general causes lowering its profits, but because the wood fitted for the market was supposed to be nearly exhausted. [He then cites the Colonial Tables and the Island Assembly Journals for the export values of wood in pounds sterling for 7832, 7834 and 7835, recording for 7834: ”8600 tons of pine, ash and birch timber and 783,000 feet of deals and planks” — valued at £ 9,443.]

The building of ships is also a considerable branch; and their vessels, though some have been carelessly constructed, bear on the whole a good reputation. [p. 269]

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