32 HISTORICAL SKETCH 0F PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

judge, they arrived at Charlottetown Harbor in June, 1768, and the vessel which conveyed them from Halifax had on board artificers and material to build lodgments. Having landed they hutted, for the time being, on the site of Charlottetown, which Mr. Morris then proceeded to lay out, running the lines of streets from the Hillsborough River in a northwest direction, with cross streets intersecting at right angles, thus giving the town an aspect of frontage towards the southeast—Hislory of Now Scotz'a.

Here through a dense forest, interspersed with tracts of swamp, thirteen miles of broad streets, besides six large public squares had to be opened, in which the troops at Fort Amherst rendered great assistance,—but their help in this respect was of short duration, as the Commander—in-chief of the forces at Halifax called in all outstanding detachments. The garrison of Fort Amherst was therefore taken from the Island, in consequence of which the fortress was allowed to fall into decay, and never again acknowledged as the military station, or as a defence of the harbor. The village of la-Joie too, which sprung up into existence during French dominion, soon began to share the same fate.

But returning to the woody site we find some openings through the forest, and the erection of a dwelling house for the accommodation of the officials. Here, on the 22nd of June, of this year, the Court of Common Pleas, and General Session of the Peace were opened and Justices of the Peace were sworn. Thus amidst the falling of the forest’s growth, backing of timber, and cheerful shout of the woodman, the capital of the little Isle was founded.

During the month of August, Michael Franklin, Esq., Governor of Nova Scotia, was appointed by the King Lieuten- ant Governor of the Island of St. John, and Isaac Deschamp made Justice of the same. During the summer a few families arrived to settle, when some building lots were taken up, and as “ Rome of old originated in the erection of a number of mud cabins,” so Charlottetown, 2,521 years after, began its existence with a number of log huts on the north bank of the Hills- borough; but Governor Franklin, fearing a scarcity of pro- visions during the coming winter of 1768-9, caused six months provisions for fifty persons to be stored at Charlottetown. So