THE DOMINION OF CANADA. 25 



PRIXCE EDWARD ISLAXD. 



This little province, formerly called St. John's Island, lies in the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, and is washed on the north by the Gulf, and separated 

 from New Brunswick on the east, and Nova Scotia on the south, by North- 

 umberland Strait. It is 130 miles long; its breadth is :: though 

 at its narrowest part it is but 4 miles wide. The total area is 2 1 .1 :U miles. 

 The surface undulates gently. At one time the land was covered with a 

 dense forest of beech, birch, maple, poplar, cedar ; and some of tin- original 

 forest still remains. The soil is a light reddish loam, and is 

 fertile. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats, and these are pro- 

 duced in heavy crops. The winter is long and cold ; but the summ. 

 delightful and rapidly brings the crops to maturity. Tin- :'. are 

 valuable ; and the north coast is visited by cod and mackerel, sometimes 

 in abundance. Ship-building is an important industry in the island. 

 There is a lieutenant-governor, an executive council of five members, and 

 a legislative assembly of twenty-two representatives. Justice is admini-- 

 tered according to the English law and practice. The free non-sectarian 

 school system, as in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, prevails. JJoides 

 the public schools there are St. Dunstan's College (Roman Catholic) an. I 

 Prince of Wales' College (Protestant). The Lord Bishop of Nova Scotia 



rcises episcopal authority over the island, but the Roman Cath 

 have the diocese of Charlottetown. Charlottetown is tin- t-hief rity and 

 the capital ; and has a population of over 10,000. Georgetown and Suin- 

 merside are the other chief towns. This island was among Cabot's 

 earliest discoveries; but in 1663 it was granted to Sieur Doublet, a 

 ncli naval officer. It was taken by the British in 17">~>. restored l.y 

 the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, retaken and finally ceded to Great 

 in 1758. In 176S it was erected into a separate government: in 177' 

 the first house of assembly met, and in 17DO the name of St. John was 

 rhanir<'d to Prince Kdward. in compliment to Edward, Ihike of Kent, V 

 that summer had visited the island. In Is7.'> it j 't of 



stul'l'orness, th- < 'anadian ( nfederation. 



It 1C IT! | | COLIJIICI \. 



This pi-Mvin- Pacific sister of the confederation It is l.-.i. 



north by the (10th parallel of latitude, eat 1>\ the mi the 



ky Mountains ; south l.y the I 'nited States, and west by Alaska, the 



Pacitir < nd gueen ( 'harlotte's S,,und. The area is 350,000 square 



miles The coa-t-iin. is deeply indented ; the northern part of the 



