280 DIRECTIONS FOI! TOURISTS, 



tors speak well, and from which no one returns (lisappointeJr 

 A week can be s^ient here very pleasantly. 



OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN PLACENTIA. 



The route is the same as to Harlior Grace as i'ar as Whitljourne" 

 Junction (574 miles). The Placentia Brancli is 27 miles in length. 

 Leaving St. John's at 10 a. m. the traveller arrives at 2 p. m. 

 There are four hotels — Bradshaw's (near the station), Yerran's,- 

 Ryan's and Sinnot's in the town on the 023posite side of the har- 

 bour. They are though unpretending clean and comfortable.- 

 The town (563 inhabitants) has a quaint appearance, being built 

 along a shingly beach. It was founded and fortified by the' 

 French, and hehl by tliem till 1713 (see Historical Sketch).- 

 Objects of interest are the Eonian Catholic church — a hand- 

 some structure, and the remains of the oldest Protestant church- 

 (Church of England) in the island, but in a most dilapidated 

 and neglected condition. "William lY., — the "Sailor King," — 

 visited Placentia when in conimand of the Pega.'ius (a ship at- 

 tached to Nelson's fleet in the West Indies), and afterwards pre- 

 sented to this church a handsome silver communion service of 

 five i^ieces, which is carefully preserved and is shown to visitors 

 at the house of Mr. Bradshaw who has charge of it. It liears 

 the inscription, " Given by His Ptoyal Highness Prince William 

 Henry to the Protestant Chapel at Placentia, Newfoundland,^ 

 1787." There ai'e strong reasons for believing that this churcli 

 was built soon after the treaty of Utrecht (1713), so that this 

 humlde wooden structure has braA'ed the storms of probably 

 170 years. It merits more care and attention than it has yet 

 received. 



OLD TOMBSTONES. 



The ground around it was used as a l)urying ground long 

 before the erection of the Church, tlie dates on the ancient tomb- 

 stones plainly i^roving this. Most of these stones have been 

 broken across and are now placed within the church for preserva- 

 tion. The most interesting is one with the following inscription : 

 "Dahemen Hilai— , May 1st, 1676." Two letters are effaced, sO' 



