men passengers as well as the crew, helped to navigate the boat. They 
     
     all had straps around their waists; ropes were attached to these and 
     
     fastened to the boat. This safeguard was to keep the men from sink- 
     
     ing in case they would go through the ice, which they frequently did. 
     
     This also served in pulling the boat. The men would push these boats 
     
     out on the ice and when they came to open water they would get into 
     
     the boat and row until they got to solid ice again where they would 
     
     get out and push and pull as before. This was very dangerous trav- 
     
     elling. Once one of the men went down in soft ice, his strap broke, 
     
     and he was never seen again. Sometimes they would be caught out 
     
     in great storms and be out all night. They would have to turn the 
     
     boat over on the ice and make a house of it to keep themselves from 
     
     perishing. The distance across from Cape Traverse, P. E. 1., to Cape 
     
     Tormentine, N. B., is about ten miles. This is the narrowest part of 
     
     the Strait, but the current is strong and ice is often piled up there like 
     
     mountains. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The early settlements were along the shores; the farms stretched 
     
     from the shore inland about a mile. The settlers were mostly Eng- 
     
     lish, Irish, Scotch and French. The main road, from the west, on the 
     
     south side, was about a half mile from the lake shore, and went 
     
     round "The Point” like a belt line down the north side about the 
     
     same distance from the seashore. There is a clear view of the sea all 
     
     around and it is charming beyond description. There is a lake on the 
     
     south side. It is two or three miles long and half a mile wide. It 
     
     formerly connected with a lake farther west, making one lake eight 
     
     miles long. There are great sand-hills or “dunes” between the lakes 
     
     and the sea, with beautiful shores and a large sand beach at the har- 
     
     bors. Along here the early settlers landed. There are great cranberry 
     
     and blueberry barrens a little distance from the shores. There are no 
     
     houses, except here and there a fisherman’s hut. The surface of the 
     
     lake, except in the channel, is covered with seaweed; this is well named 
     
     eelgrass for eels abound among it. There are great quantities of fine 
     
     clams all along the shore. To go over there for a day with plenty of 
     
     company and lunch was a memorable time. 
     
    
   
   
    
     On the North side there is another lake about the size of the ones 
     
     on the south side, but in place of sand hills there are fine farms be- 
     
    
   
   
    
     14