IV PREFACE. of which it might be impossible for a native of the island entirely to divest himself. The soundness of the conclusions arrived at may be questioned ; but it can be truly said that they have not been reached without deliberate consideration, and an anxious desire to arrive at the truth. The Author desires to express his special obligations for valuable matter to His Honor Sir Robert Hodgson , the Honorable Judge Pope , Professor Caven , Mr. Henry Law- son, the Honorable Judge Hensley , the Honorable Mr. Haviland , Mr. John Ings , Hon . Francis Longworth , Mr. J. B. Cooper , Mr. Arthur DeAV . Haszard, Mr. Donald Currie , the Reverend Mr. McNeill , Mr. T. B. Aitkins , of Halifax , Mr. John Ball , Mr. F. W. Hughes , the Reverend Br . Jenkins, Mr. Charles DesBrisay , Mr. J. W. Morrison , and others too numerous to mention. The Honorable Judge Pope possesses rare and most important documents connected with the island, without which it would have been impossible to produce a satis¬ factory narrative, and which lie at once courteously placed at the temporary disposal of the Author, rendering further service by the remarkable extent, and accuracy of his in¬ formation. The Author has also to thank the People of Prince Edward Island , especially, for the confidence reposed in him, as proved by the fact of his having received, in the course of a few weeks, orders for his then unpublished work to the number of more than two thousand seven hundred copies,—confidence which he hopes an unprejudiced peru¬ sal of the book may, to some extent, justify. Charlottetown , October, 1875.