HISTORY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

CHAPTER I.

Geographical position of the Isiand—Ea1ly possession—Population in 1758 —Cession by T1eaty of Fontninebieau—Survey of Captain; Holland— Holland’s desciiption of the Island—Position of Town sites—€limate— The Eail of Egmont’s scheme of settlement—Proposed divfiion of the Island—Memorials of Egmontr—Decision of the B1itislf._Gove1nment respecting Egmont’s Scheme. , ti .

r{RRINCE EDWARD ISLAND is situated inxh‘e Gulf of

Saint Lawrence. It lies between 4.60 and 4175.J 7' north

latitude, and 62° and 640 27’ longitude'west, from Greenwich. As viewed from the north-east, it presents the form of a. crescent. Its length, in a course through the

centre of the Island, is about one hundred and forty miles, ‘ and its breadth, in the widest part, which is from Beacon Point to East Point, towards its eastern extremity, thirty- four miles. I It is separated from Nova Seotia by the Strait of Northumberland, which is only nine miles broad between Cape Traverse and Cape T01 mentine. From the Island of Cape Breton it is distant twenty—seven miles, and from the nearest point of Newfoundland one hundred and twenty- five miles.

The Island was amongst the first discoveries of the ode-- brated navigator, Cabot, who named it Saint John, as in- dicative of the day of its discovery. Britain failing to lay

B