[Bain, Francis] (1883) ’Excursion to Alberton’. The Daily Examiner, Charlottetown. 18 August 1883, p. 1. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     The following extract comes from an article printed in the Charlottetown paper The Daily Examiner which describes 
     
     an all-day railway excursion from Charlottetown to Alberton and back that took place on 74 August 7883. The 
     
     author is identified only by the letter ’B’, but Martin (198 7) has identified him as the naturalist Francis Bain lb. 7842, 
     
     d. 7894/ — see Bain (1890) for a fuller biography. Bain is better known for his more scientific writings, but on this 
     
     occasion he allowed himself to ’wax lyrical’; the article contains a fair dollop of purple prose, much of which / have 
     
     ’pruned’ from the fol/o wing sections containing references to trees or the forest. The journey occurred eight years 
     
     after the opening of the railway in 7875, and is indicative of the new travel opportunities and visual perspectives 
     
     of the landscape and forest that a railway journey now gave to islanders. 
     
    
   
   
    
     REFERENCE: Martin, K. (1981) Watershed Red: The life of the Dunk River, Prince Edward Island. Ragweed Press, 
     
     Charlottetown. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     We went with the excursion for the sake of seeing our land robed in the full beauty 
     
    
   
   
    
     Departure from of its summer richness; and it was rather disappointing to have the sparkle of every 
     
    
   
   
    
     Charlottetown fair landscape drowned in grey mist. Every wooded hill top wore a cowl of mist 
     
    

    
     m the ram' wreaths . But the twinkling bitches hung out their drapery in the falling deluge; 
     
     and the old spruces but bowed their arms a little lower as if waiting patiently the will 
     
     of nature 
     
    

    
     The forest at About the head waters of the North River the road goes through some rough land 
     
    

    
     North River. There is a tract of "the forest primeval" where a railway cutting placed the roots of 
     
     the forest monarchs on a level with our head. The great trunks, with their towering 
     
     leafy arches, crowded on either side of the way, . At Wiltshire the road enters the 
     
     well cleared country; and a most beautiful picture of agricultural prosperity it 
     
    

    
     The forest at presents, Elliot's is at the head waters of Dunk River, . The scenery around it 
     
    

    
     Elliotts Mill. wild and beautiful. The lofty forest-clad hills bright with the varied cloaks of birch 
     
    
   
   
    
     and maple, and the lofty, tapering spires of ancient firs. Deep dark valleys rich with 
     
     crowded foliage . 
     
    
   
   
    
     Landscape Bradalbane Not many years ago a company of hardy Scotch immigrants settled in 
     
     change at this, then, most retired and out-of—the—way valley. We passed through it when only 
     
     Breadalbane. 
     
    
   
   
    
     a few small cleared patches surrounding the log huts broke the gloomy wilderness of 
     
     the forest. But the iron horse came this way, and Bradalbane today looks up from 
     
     her populous valley at the scattered remnants of the forest beautifying the distant hill- 
     
    
   
   
    
     tops. 
     
     The western From Miscouche to O’Leary the track passes through a great deal of swampy 
     
     swamps. uncultivated land. The richness and variety of the vegetation on some of these deep 
     
    
   
   
    
     mucky soils afforded us much interest. In addition to the common species of trees 
     
     the rugged ashes hung everywhere their delicate drapery of primitive leaves; the 
     
     lowering elms spread their drooping tops; the mountain ashes studded their rich 
     
     masses of primitive foliage with umbels of ripening scarlet berries. The three species 
     
     of cornels, bearing cymes, of purple, brown or orange berries, added to the richness 
     
     of the varied foliage; and everywhere in the openings, snowy asters, golden spikes 
     
     of solidagos [i.e. goldenrods], and purple flowering eupatorioe [i.e. Joe—pye-weed] 
     
     supplied rich floral painting to the scene. From O’Leary to Alberton the land is 
     
     dryer, and clothed with magnificent deciduous forests and where cleared and 
     
     cultivated, the rich crops attest the splendid agricultural capabilities of the soil. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Wes tern 
     
    
   
   
    
     , The ride home [from Alberton] was delightful. The most brilliant of evening skies 
     
     deCIduous forest. 
     
    
   
   
    
     blazed over the long, level roll of the western forest, . 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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