MILITARY AND CIVIL. . 87 
     
    
   
   
    
     convey mails and passengers between the Island and sister 
     
     Provinces, and was subsidized by the government. This 
     
     month also witnessed the importation from England of a 
     
     superior Hand Fire Engine, and a Company of thirty-five 
     
     members was organized to command it under Captain Benj. 
     
     Davies. There were now five -Fire Engines available in the 
     
     town, No. I and 2 town Engines; one at Coles’ Biewery, one 
     
     at Birnie’s Foundry, each worked by the men of their respec- 
     
     tive establishments and the Engine at the Barracks attended 
     
     to by the soldiers. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Steady progress and development was being made by the 
     
     Island, for trade had been opened up, not only with England 
     
     and the Colonies, but also with the United States, while 
     
     sundry articles of Island manufacture became greatly improved, 
     
     particularly in implements of husbandry, carriage factories, 
     
     etc. Yet there were many drawbacks, the lack of the 
     
     circulation of money led to a system of barter between 
     
     merchant and consumer which often involved the latterin debt. 
     
     The land question, too, was a source of great discontent, which 
     
    
   
   
    
     has been abolished, as far as absentee proprietorship is 
     
     concerned. 
     
    
   
   
    
     As the summer trade of 1844 opened up with the mother 
     
     country, quite a number of passengers continued to arrive, 
     
     settling in various parts of the Province. On the 2nd July, a 
     
     detachment of the 52nd Light Infantry, under Captain 
     
     Forestor, was sent here to relieve a Company of The Rifles, 
     
     who had been stationed here for the last two years; but were 
     
     again replaced in August by a fresh detachment of Rifles, in 
     
    
   
   
    
     consequence of the headquarters of the 52nd being ordered 
     
     to Quebec. 
     
    
   
   
    
     To record within these pages the many accidents which 
     
     occurred on the Island during these early days would occupy ‘ 
     
     a much larger space then the writer has at his disposal. But 
     
     mention of the following calamities will suffice. The first 
     
     accident by fire that we mention, was a dwelling house in 
     
     Tryon Settlement, the property of James Bullpit, it was consumed 
     
     by fire during a terrific snow storm on the night of the 28th 
     
     January, 1845, and about 4 o’clock next morning, the storm still 
     
     raging violently, the citizens of Charlottetown were aroused by 
     
     the appalling cry of fire! fire! sounding loud above the tempest. 
     
     A house situated to the north-east of Queen Square, belonging