4 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND 
     
    
   
   
    
     Though England was first to discover the North Continent of 
     
     the New World, she failed to lay claim to any part of it further 
     
     than by name, so that the enterprising Francis, King of France, 
     
     being anxious to participate in the benefits accruing through 
     
     the discoveries of those new regions as Spain had done, engaged 
     
     a navigator of Florence, named John Verrazani, to explore the 
     
     new country which had excited alike his hope and his curiosity, 
     
     and possess each tract or territory as dependencies of the Crown 
     
     of France. In 1523, or twenty-five years subsequent to Sebas- 
     
     tian Cabot’s discoveries, Verrazani approached the coast of 
     
     America and ranged along its shores from the thirty-fourth 
     
     degree to the fiftieth degree north latitude,—-a distance of seven 
     
     hundred leagues—and, in obedience with his Royal instructions, 
     
     laid claim to all, which henceforth was to be known by the 
     
     appellation of New France. 
     
    
   
   
    
     As shown by the above explanation, the explorations by 
     
     England and France—though accomplished at different periods 
     
     —appear to have been preformed on the same line of coast; 
     
     each nation, therefore, considered her claim to have been 
     
     exclusively just, due solely to the spirit of their own enterprising 
     
     adventurers—hence the controversy, the strife, the gallantry 
     
     and bloodshed, but which, after years of bitter hostility, has 
     
     now happily wholly passed away. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The King of France still cherishing the desire to make 
     
     further discoveries in the New World, employed a bold and 
     
     skillful mariner of his own country, named Jacques Cartier, 
     
     placing under his command two small vessels and one hundred 
     
     and twenty men. Cartier set sail from Brittany on the 20th 
     
     April, 1534. 
     
    

    
     Arriving safe at Newfoundland, Cartier refitted his little 
     
     squadron. Sailing westward therefrom he entered a large Gulf 
     
     on St. Lawrence day, to which he, Cartier, bestowed the name 
     
     of that celebrated martyr, which to this day is known as “ Gulf 
     
     of St. Lawrence.” Cartier rested for a few days at the Mag- 
     
     dalen Islands, then continuing his westward course therefrom 
     
     he sighted the Mainland—as was supposed—at the south 
     
     entrance of Miramichi Bay. Here he was charmed with the 
     
     beauties of the country; he admired the forest, consisting of 
     
     pine, ash, willow, birch, maple, and many other kinds of useful 
     
     wood. The ground, too, which was free from the growth of 
     
     trees, was covered with wild flowers and berries in great variety,