MILITARY AND CIVIL. 57

in front of the hotel, which made windows and glassware rattle. Thus with songs, speeches and toasts, the evening passed most pleasantly.

During the early part of November of the same year, the foundering of the packet ship which was engaged in carrying the mails between Charlottetown and Pictou, by which nine persons were lost, was heard with much sorrow. She left Pictou for Charlottetown on the 30th October, laden with coal, and when off St. Peter’s Island sank to the bottom, only showing her top- masts above water, in which token the sad disaster was affirmed,

A little later, Charles D. Smith, Esq., err-governor, and his family sailed for England on board the ship Mary, on the 12th November. Prior to embarkation Mr. Smith was waited on and presented with an address signed by the members of Council and officers of the government, to which he replied, expressing a hope that the Island might continue to flourish under his successor as it had under his own fostering care. This year, too, S. G. W. Archibald, Esq., Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, was appointed Chief Justice of the Island, but his appointment was attended with great disadvantage as his place of residence was in the former Province.

On entering upon the duties of his office, Governor Ready summoned a House, which met on the 14th January, 1825. At 2 o’clock on that day a salute of seventeen guns announced that His Excellency had left his residence at the garrison ; arriving at the Court House he was received by a guard of honor, under Lieut. Douglas, and as he took his departure therefrom a salute was fired from two field guns posted near by, under the command of Captain Robertson of militia artillery. In a subsequent message to the House of Assembly the Governor communicated the gratifying intelligence that a balance remained in the hands of the Colonial Treasurer of £4,000 after discharging all outstanding warrants, of which amount His Excellency recom- mended the appropriation of £2,500 exclusively to roads and bridges.

Roads in those times were mere bridle paths from place to place through the forest. A good road to Covehead. however, was opened between the years 1780 and 1790, a distance of sixteen miles from the capital. This was the general course pursued in going to either St. Peters or Princetown from Cove-

head ; thence along the northern shore to the place of destination 8