MILITARY AND CIVIL. 63 
     
    
   
   
    
     borne to the church, thence to the grave by six soldiers, pro- 
     
     ceeded by a funeral party with arms reversed, under the 
     
     command of an officer of the garrison, while minute guns were 
     
     fired during the advance of the melancholy procession until its 
     
     arrival at the burial ground, where they were interred with due 
     
     solemnity. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Agricultural Society was formed at Charlottetown during 
     
     this year, 1827, its object being to encourage the breeding of 
     
     horses, cattle, sheep, and swine ; also the growth and importation 
     
     of various kinds of seeds suitable to the soil. Branch societies 
     
     were subsequently organized throughout the Island, and the 
     
     annual exhibitions of farming stock and produce which had 
     
     been established some years previous, together with the payment 
     
     of premiums, were placed under the management of this union. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The House of Assembly met on the 20th March, r828,- a guard 
     
     of honor commanded by Capt. Burnett was drawn up in front 
     
     of the Court House, and two field guns under Capt. Robinson 
     
     were near by. A salute of seventeen guns announcing His 
     
     Excellency’s approach was fired from George’s Battery, and at 
     
     the close ofthe ceremony within the Council Chamber a second 
     
     salute boomed forth from the guns in charge of Capt. Robinson. 
     
     An Act passed the Assembly during this session authorizing the 
     
     formation of a fire protection company for Charlottetown, to 
     
     consist of one captain, two lieutenants, two pipemen, and thirty 
     
    
   
   
    
     rank and file as members of the Charlottetown Fire Engine 
     
     No. I. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A detachment of the Rifle Brigade, under Capt. Pemberton, 
     
     arrived on August 10th to relieve the troops in the garrison, 
     
     who sailed for headquarters on the same day. A destructive 
     
     fire occurred on the evening of the Izth November, when the 
     
     property known as Wright’s mills, about three miles east of the 
     
     town, was totally consumed. This establishment consisted of 
     
     agrist-mill, barley-mill, saw-mill, drying—kiln and an extensive 
     
     distillery. The troops, under Captain Pemberton with their 
     
     five engines reached the scene of conflagration, as did also a 
     
     number of the town people, but too late to render much 
     
     assrstance. — - 
     
    

    
     The census taken this year found the population of the 
     
     Island had increased to 23,200, while that of the Town and 
     
     Royalty amounted to 2,000. The winter mail route was 
     
     changed during the winter from Wood Island to Cape Traverse