QUGUST 13. 19B

Fisheries (Al I (gjenturies ‘Oltlindustry ’ Nets Millitnis Annually

By J. J. Lnrnboe, Supervisor of Fisheries

0M h!!! only to look at the map of Prince Edward Island to see the important part the fisheries play in the economic life of our Province. We are entirely surrounded by water where there is an abundance of many different varieties of fish of highest quality food value. The mar- keted value of our fisheries for the past several years has amounted to over three million dollars annually. the most important of our fisheries being lobsters, cod, bake, haddock, mackerel, oysters, smclts, scallops

and many other species.

Lobsters, which are the most im- porlilflt of all our fisheries, amount tn practically half the entire value and it is felt that thcre is a very bright future for the lobster in- tiustry.

Previous to the outbreak of the war approximately eighty per cent of our canned lobsters were sold to the British market but, when the British Government placed lobsters an the luxury list and they were forbidden in Great Britain, it was thought by a great many that our cwnUcd lobster industry would be trim-d for the duration. However, ti.» Department of Fisheries ap- pointed a controller to handle the entire pack and, through exten- szve advertising and owing to the firt that we are puttting up a high (‘lass product, the entire lobster ]l"k has been sold for the past number of years in the United $'Fli0§ and Canada at very remun- eraiive prices.

Demand on Increase

The demand for our market on largo size lobsters is increasing from year to year and lobsters have now been flown alive into the different consuming centres of the Fitltcd States and Canada.

llntil 1945 our live lobsters were shipped only to the Boston market but now, by use of the airplane. they are by-passing Boston and have been flown to New York and many of the larger cities through- out the United States; and people who never ate lobster before are no\v acquiring an appetite for this delicacy.

A new process has been found whereby lobsters can be kept alive for indefinite periods. Heretofore it was the considered opinion that lobster could be kept alive only in cool sea water hut nnw it is dis- covered that by adding to the water n certain chemical perfected by a laboratory in Boston, lobsters can be preserved in a healthy con- dition foi- months. Consequently, lobsters can now be flown to many inland cities and kept alive in tanks until they are disposed of by the consuming public,

Cod, Hake and Haddock

Our next important fishery is the cod and related species which amount to approximately eleven million pounds annually. For the past few years cod, hake and haddock have been canned and sold to the Government as chick- on haddio for relief purposes in distressed countries which have bccn unable to supply their food needs but now, as the European countries are again getting back on their feet and supplying their own need, we will have to find other markets for this fish.

It may he said that at first some carelessness was exercised in tho putting up of this fish in cans. Some of the fish were stale before they were packed and when the cans were opened gave a very of- fensivo odour~wlth the result that our chicken haddie had a serious set-back in our domestic market; but for the last three years there has been established in Charlotte- town a laboratory where all chick- en huddle is inspected and it can be guaranteed that, if the consum- ing public buys a can of chicken haddlc, inspected by the laboratory and marked either "choice" or "fancy" they are getting a first class product and a fish of high food quality.

Although there will not be near- ly as much of our cod and related species canned this year. there is ltlll a good demand for this fish in a dry salted state. Owinii to thc fact that for tho past number of years our fishermen and dealer! have been selling n 8TH! mllflfli-Y of these fish in cans, we are not today properly equipped to put HP this product in a dry state as the days for sun drylns MW! PM!“ and the only way to hunt!!! "i" fish is through artificial dricrs. At present a movement is on foot to have some of these drlers estab- lished in our Province in the very near future.

Ovltorflsiilll 30'1"“

Another of our imlwffl"! 1'55"’ lea is the oyster. A few W!" 53° most of the oyster beds on Prince Edward Island were depleted but it is pleasing to note that the)’ are rapidly coming back into Pm‘ duction and it is the conlldefid opinion that during the 9'9""!

season we will have a greatly ll‘!-

creascd oyster fishery on the Pill?‘ lio beds. Some years ago a Bio- logical Station was established near Eliot-site in the Malpequc Bu? l"! whore experiments were carried on in oyster culture, and now it il found that by cultivation much het- ter quality and better production can be obtained on leased areas.

Smelt; are another important fish delicacy of the Province which are taken in the fall or early part of the winter in gill. has and b” nets and find a ready market in many parts of the New England States at very rcmuncrstivc prion to our fishermen.

lrlsh Moll

~Anotlier sea product which has been bringing in considerable rev- moo to our fishermen i| Irlflh Mflls. This is not a tun but growl in the sen a d is gathered by fish- Qrmctt and heir families. The ex- tract of Irish Moss is used In the greatest delicacies of food and medicines. It is used extensively in

Prehistoric Traces

(Continued from Page l1)

side.

Mr. Fawkes himself examin- ed many evidences of prehistoric camping-places. affording abund- ant proof that the Island was irr- hobitcd by s. considerable Indian

tion st the time the Fronch

irst came here. He mentions "a well authenticated account of the discovery of a skelqon wrapped in bark" at Savage Island. where he found shell heaps and other signs of early Indian habitation.

Kitchen Midder

Traces of kitchen mldoms were detected at several points on the Isiaxxl. Ono at Robertson's Island. near Rustlco. about twenty miles from Charlottetown, seemed to of- fer the best opportunity for archaeological examination. In this neighborhood shell heaps were also found, some of them very old.

A large camping spot of this kind formerly existed near the Rustlco end of Oyster Bed Bridge, but has now dis-appeared, the con- tents having been used to ballast s part of the causeway. Evidences of the prehistoric occupation were, however, still to be seen near its former site. where layers of shell heaps, cropped out on the buffs overlooking the bay. Mr. Fawkes was informed by an old French resident that the latter was pres- ent. when an old shell heap at this point was removed. anci that a human skull. with large bones, was taken from it.

Shell Heaps Examined

The Robinson's Island shell heap is described as a low mound. the surface of which is cultivated, be- trig but a short distance from the only fanm house on the island. At the time of Mr. Fawkes’ visit it. had never been disturbed. save on one side where the tides had worn it. away, exposing a section fenn- ing s low bluff, in which the lay- ers of the shells could be traced for over a hundred feet. In his excavations the writer simply dug into the bluff, following the layer of shells for several feet. at differ- ent points along the escarpment.

Scntitercd through this layer of shells were charred fragments of wood. bones of largo anLmsls, ashes. and like evidences or fire. The soil belowu-he shelly layer also

(Continued on Pill S)

showed fire action. The accumul- ation of vegetable mould above the layer of shells was in some pieces Mn inches deep, and the svcrr-BB thickness of the stratum of shells was about six\ inches. thinning out at. each end. Y

Stone Implements

All evidences of previous human occupation were dug out 0! the shell deposit, none from the lay- ers above or below. The deposit w“ eomposed of the shells of the ordinary esculent molusos. now represented by living species "in the waters of the Island.

Two 5mm; implements which Mr. Fawkes took from the Rustico shell heap were in no respect different from those found all over NEW Enginu] 3nd Nov; 560MB. M]! H18 character of the rock was not the same as that which is found on the Island. Both were diorlte. Mid

EARLY SMIJNGS l 0F HIGHLAND!!!

What appears to have been the earliest vessel to leave the Western Highlands with mnigrants for Can- sda was the "Alexander". sponsor- ed by tho Laird of Glcnsladale, Captain John lihcdonald. It land- cd at Scotchfort, P.E.I., on July, 1772, with 210 settlers from South Uist. and the adjoining mainland.

ThLs was more than a year be- fore the arrival of the "Hector" at

Plctou. N.S. on Sept. 15, 1773. Some of the "Hunter's" 100 pas- sengers from Rosshirs and Inch

Broom later settled in_ Prince Dd- ward Island.

In 1775 a. vessel was wrecked on the north shore of this Island with a small number of ‘Scottish emi- grants on board. lhcludirg Hon. Peter Stewart (later Chief Justice) with his wife and ten children.

Another largo contingent of settlers from the Western Isles landed at Scotchfort in i790. among them being the Rev. Angus Bern- ard McEachsi-n. afterwards first Bishop of Charlottetown.

1m! nvv the arrival of the larg- "t, group of all-the Selkirk pioneers. I00 in number-on the "Polly," "Dyna" and “Oughten. They were mostly from skye. with some from Ross. Argyle. 1W6"!!! and Ulsi». and they Iettied in what 1| m“; the prosperous district of Belfast.

GIK JJIVOTION

Natives of ancient Greece carved their wives’ or sweethearts names on the soles of their shoes so Micr-

vests

THE GUARDIAN.

CHARLOTTETOWN

actor In P. E. Island E

PAGE ‘IWIRFY-IEVQ

conomy

while they may have boon brought hero in glacial drift, were certainly not obtained from the rook in place. Similar stone implements are recorded from several localities on m9 151E116. Bncl in most instances these are of the same rock. foreign to the Island.

Walrus Hunting-Spears

Reference is made u; my p“. tcrsons discovery in Nov; 5cm", of ivory wit" Points similar to those used by the Eaquirnnirx, which seems to narrow the quest- ion of how these implements came to Nova Sootia to two alternatives. Either this borcal pctyplg, whose habitat was the interior of New- foundland, formerly ranged as far "will u Merisomish. Which is in a lower latitude than Prince lid- Wfl-rd Island. or they impressed their mode of hunting the walrus upon the natives of the Island.

We know that ths wslms fre- quented the coast of Prince Edward Islan-l up to within historic times. In fact. in early days their capture was a considerable industry, and very good skulls of this mammal have been preserved. Localities such as Sea Cow Pond took their names from the abundance of this animal. A carved ivory tusk found by Dr. Patterson shows that the animal was hunted by the ab- origines of Nova Scotla. and its peculiar form indicates that the Elsquimaux method of hunting was in vogue on the coast of this pen- lnsula.

Were They Esquhnonxf

In the Robinson's Island shell heap Mr. Pewkes found a similar ivory point: to that described by Dr. Patterson from Merigcmish, which would seem to indicate that the people who frequented the place were also accustomed to hunt the walrus in much the same way as the Esquimsux.

The spear point in question had s hole at one end, to which a bladder was attached when used. When it penetrated the walrus the spear point, was detached from the shaft. The locality where Dr. Pat- terson found his ivory spear is Just across the strait which separates Prince Edward Island from Nova Scotia.

Asolitary fragment of copper is mentioned by Mr. Fawkes as hav- ing been found in the Rustloo shell heap, in the form of s bead not unlike those which have been recorded flom New Brunswick and Nova. Scoria. The nearest locality from which copper Implements have been recorded is the island of Merigcmish, from which Dr. Patterson dug up fragments of pottery, bone and stone imple- mcnts. and copper knives. These dbjects were placed in the museum of Dalhousie University, Halifax.

Reference is made to eighteen specimens of copper in the Pro- vincial Museum at Halifax. which were collected at Bachmanns Beach. Lunenfmug. Nova Bcotia. They consist of nuggets of copper, some of which are hammered. well- msda knife blades and pointed implements. D/ldently this copper is the native ore found in Nova Sootla and fashioned into rude implements by hammering in much the some way as tho copper imple- ments of the Ohio mounds. I

Thus far, however, the graves of tho Micmsc Indians have not yielded any metallic object which compared with those of the mounds; but it is highly suggest- ive that the art of working copper was known to the aboriginal people of Nova Sootia and New Bruns- wick, and that an object of this metal was found in Prince Edward Island.

i “John A.” With Snakes Er Toga

Suitable references appear else- where in this issue to the memor- ial tablet in the Confederation Chamber. The following may be added by way of entertaining commentary. It appeared origin- ally in the Ottawa Journal. the writer. Mr. AR. Sykes, being then on holiday on the Island:

CHARLOTTETOWN, P. E, I.- Here, where delegates of five Provinces met 85 years ago to discuss union. is surely the most incredible bronze plaque ever molded in Canada.

When prowling about this beau- tiful little city of parks. trees. race tracks and churches, I en-

tered bhe Confederation Chamber where this unique tablet. adorns the wall, and stopped spellbound. To believe lt. you really have to see it. The plaque is a political cartoon-caricature in bronze bas- relief.

The tablet is a five-man show. the players being Sir John A. Macdonald for Ontario; Sir George Cartier for Quebec; Sir Leonard Tllley for New Brunswick; Col. John Hamilton Gray for Prince Edward Island and Sir Charles Tuppar for Nova Scotia.

one

Four of the Confederation fath- ers are garbed in a nee-classical get-up midway between the I-‘i.om- an toga and the sleeveless abbre- viated Greek smock. Bareheaded. bare-armed and bare-necked. Sir Jdhn A. looks almost naked minus his typical high collar and Ascot tie, and just a little bit sheepish about the locomotive. sheaf of wheat, and scythe over which he seems to be in some danger of stumbling.

To his scantily-covered breast. Canada's first Prime Minister clutches a largo winged staff about which are entwined two serpents - badge of Hermes. Mer- cury and Moses — not to mention the Royal Canadian Army Medi- cal Corps, This, for some reason, represents Canada's ideal of unity — but Charlottetown authorities

don't say where the snakes come from. I I O

Bir John faces irresolutely in the direction of Sir George Car- tier who is in even fancier fancy dress. By his side. Sir George wears the sword of justice and holds an ancient torch in his left hand. Unlike Sir John, his head is covered - and covered with a plumed helmet like that of a Eo- man centurion.

Inoklng tired and bored. Sir Leonard Tilley stands in tihe cen- tre of the group holding a scroll bearing the word "Dominion".

Sir Leonard's head is surmount,- ed with either a wreath of laurel or a. small crown —- the gentleman on duty at the Legislative Bulld- lngs st the time couldn't swear which but was inclined to favor the laurel.

Col. Gray of Prince Edward Is- land comes fourth and also bears a symbol of Canadian unity. In his ease it is the fasces of Mus- sollni’s Italy or of the lictors of Augustus Caesar. It looks rather odd to see a Canadian statesman holding the bound faggots and axe-blade of Benltxfs legions. but 25 years ago this apparently was all fight. I-Ie too has s. headgear which is like the helmets of the Italian carabinleri.

O I O

A herald with a. horn as long as Gabriel's trumpet and arrayed In a mbination of ancient and med- ieval trappings blows from the right of the plaque.

Only person remotely approach- ing n. Canadian in appearance is Sir Charles 'I‘u.pper. No toga or plumed hat for him. With a pick- axe at his left, Sir Charles is st- ttred only in shorts. held up by a single diagonal brace. On his feet are 15th century shoes laced by crossed thongs of the buskin type reaching up to the knee. Near his right toe is a large-headed fish.

The guide-book says the great Nova Scotian is pointing to the legend "Unity is Strength." But this relporter knows better. He's hailing the waterboyi

located. and thence through the charming Bedeque district to Trueman's Corner where you

1e a v e the pavement and go straight ahead through Albany, Tryon. Crapaud - Victoria, Hamp-

ton and the Bonshaw district, Cornwall, and on to Charlotte- town. Truly beautiful scenery all

the way. Crnpaud And Victoria

At Crapsud, branch off a mile

and go into Victoria where one of Balboa seaplanes landed on| their return ‘trip from Italy to‘ Chicago before the last war. You may consider stopping here for a s\vim in the warm waters of Northumberland Strait and having

Come With Us

(Continued from Page l7)

in a speblsi article in this issue. I‘. is a very beautiful town and holds much of historical and bus- iness interest.

Beautiful Drives

From Summerside we have our choice of three beautiful drives to Charlottetown. The first is on thc entire paved highway through Keasington and Hunter River. Kensington is a busy town and considered the third largest ship- ping point by rail in the Pro- vince. lt is aUlTOllndGd by a large. very rich farming district. Years ago one of the first boot. and shoo factories on the Island was estab- lished here.

Our second drive still leads its through Kenslngton, but in this caso we proceed to Margair. where \ve can turn left to Long River for a side visit t. 0on0 of the most remarkable farm homes on Prince Edward Island, owned by Col. W. E. Johnstone. president of the Rural Beautification Society. The attractive gardens. lily pond and miniature stone cutie and other replicas arc most unusual. Visitors are always welcome. Returning to Margotc, we fol- low through to Clifton and New. London districts. At New Iandou is the house in which the late Lucky Maud Montgomery, author of "Anna of Green Gables" was born. Hero you will find the old organ on which aha played to her youth. The house is new owned by the Government of Prince Eti- warcl Island.

Crossing Stanley Bridge we turn left and wind scroll to Cavendish and Green Gables golf course in the Prince Edward island Nation- al Park.

Following the shore line we reach North Rustlco, n quaint and pretty fishing village, and from there you can either follow the pavement into Hunter River and thence to Charlottetown, or you can cut across country to the famous Bra “ , Stanbopo, and Dalvay beaches. These beaches can of course bo easily reached from Charlottetown as well.

Our third drive from Summer- sida is by turning lharp right at Reed's Corher. two miles from the Prince County capital. whlra

ovu- they walked they mlflii- l?!" a witness of their devotion.

a hon- ‘ ed meal at Mrs. Profitt‘s. At Cornwall stop and turn right three quarters of s mile and visit the flower gardens of Mrs. Gordon MacMillsn. There is no adequate description for this beauty spot; it must be seen.

Now we are in Charlottetown, which is also fully described In other articles in this issue. How- ever, I would like to say this- don't hurry through, as there are so many interesting things to be seen in this old Capital City.

From Charlottetown we can go East and South. Let us take the highway to Souris first. Follow Route ti out Euston Street and Longworth Avenue, and leaving the City we suddenly come into a countryside of surpassing interest and beauty. Drive leisurely and enjoy it.

At Mount Stewart

After ten miles we find a dif- ferent type of country until we come to Mount Stewart, which ll really the tidal head of the large Hillsboro River. The Island! first historian. John tewart, lived here. His book entitled "An Ac- count of Prince Edward Island" was published in i806.

There is, in the spring months, an unusual industry at Mt. Stew- art, in preparing "alewives" for the ‘Chicago market. These fish, commonly called "gaspereaux," were formerly conside ed worth- leol, but when treated with a lec- ret solution that turns their bones to jelly they are very delicious and highly sought after by beer drinkers in the middle Western States.

Returning a half mile to the through paved highway we come along to Moreil where one of the largest co-opcratlvs enterprises of the Province is located. Tho Morell River runs up past tho cast side of the village. It will surprise many to know that sol-- mon go up this river in the foil months and that Dominion Gov- ernment fisheries experts trap them, squeeze out the spawn, and send it to New Brunswick salmon he‘ ‘ ics. ‘