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Steam Navigation Company, was first organized in 1863, beginning the service with the Heat/Mr Bel/e, built at Charlottetown, followed by the Primes: of Wales, built at Saint John, N. B., to which was added, in 1868, the St. Lawrence. These three steamers first maintained the service between Miramichi, Richibucto, Point du Chene, Summerside, Charlottetown, Brule, and Pictou; it was afterwards extended to Port Hood and Hawkesbury, C. B., and then to Georgetown and Murray Harbour, P. E. I. The service was finally changed to that at present in existence. It is worthy of remark that during these forty years not an accident has occurred by which a passenger or apiece offreight has been injured. A new boat, 77!: Empress, will be added to the company’s fleet this year.

Freight and passenger steamers connect weekly with Quebec, Montreal, Saint John’s, Newfoundland, Halifax. Boston and the Magdalen Islands. Small steamers and sailing packets, more or less subsidized, furnish means of coast and river transit. There is a direct steamship service to Great Britain every fall.

The Winter Ferries—After the close of open naviga- tion, communication is maintained between Summerside and Cape Tormentine, N. B., by the steamer SlaIz/ty, and between Charlottetown and Pictou, N. S., by the A/z'nto. When ice conditions become insurmountable at these points, both boats ply between Georgetown and Pictou, a distance of forty miles, where there is _more open water and where ice—jams are less frequent. The first effort to carry out continuous steam communication between the Island and the mainland—one of the confederation agreements between the respective governments—was made by the Alberl, an old steamer wholly unsuited for the service. Then followed the Nari/zen: Lz'g/zz‘, which buffeted theice ofthe Northumberland Straits with more or less success for twelve years. Later came the Stanley and Mz’nto. These boats were specially

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