ST. PETERS ISLAND 
     
    
   
   
    
     EXPEDITION TO ST. PETER'S ISLAND 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     The gods were smiling favorably on a small group which 
     
     recently ventured forth on a cross country ski expedition to St. 
     
     Peter's Island. The sun shone with a warmth that reminded us of 
     
     warmer days ahead, as five skiers converged upon Rice Point on 
     
     February 1 for a second annual winter outing to St. Peter's Island. 
     
     The weather was in definite contrast to the first annual trip during 
     
     which participants experienced very limited visibility on the ice of 
     
     Northumberland Strait. 
     
    
   
   
    
     St. Peter's Island is a 400 acre island lying approximately 
     
     2 kilometers southeast of Rice Point on P.E.I.'s south shore. The 
     
     remains of an old embankment can be seen leading to the island. 
     
     Probably this was once a log road which connected St. Peter's Island 
     
     to the mainland so that horses and carts could traverse the 
     
     relatively shallow waters in summer. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The minutes book of the original Natural History Society 
     
     reveals their first annual outing to have been a boat trip to St. 
     
     Peter's Island (August 13, 1890). The island at that time was 
     
     divided into four farms owned by William Taylor, Thomas Lund, 
     
     William Hewson and James Taylor. Apparently eighteen people 
     
     attended that first outing. "A sudden squall" necessitated the 
     
     early return of everyone except Francis Bain, his son, and Lawrence 
     
     Watson who were later driven across by one of the farmers. The 
     
     reason they delayed crossing was probably due to the discovery on 
     
     the beach of several fossils from the Carboniferous Period. P.E.I. 
     
     was formed during the later Permiam Period, according to Francis 
     
     Bain, and the discovery of Carboniferous fossils supported his 
     
     opinion that a coal seam underlying P.E.I. came close to the 
     
     surface at various points. 
     
    
   
   
    
     St. Peter's Island appears to have supported fishermen as well 
     
     as farmers. On the accompanying map Lane's Fish Stage can be seen 
     
     on the southeastern tip. A lighthouse was located on the southern 
     
     shore. It still stands today accompanied by a modern light atop 
     
     a tower. Nearby is an old root cellar reminding us of past days 
     
     when a lighthouse keeper and his family would have lived nearby. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Our exploration of St. Peter's Island included the heronry 
     
     at the western tip. About 35 nests (about half of which were in 
     
     very poor shape) were observed in the spruce trees. Skiing around 
     
     the perimeter of the island led us to the lighthouse from which 
     
     open water was observed to the east in Hillsborough Bay. The 
     
     visibility Was such that Point Prim could be seen with the naked 
     
     eye. We visited the site of a dilapitated building and consumed 
     
     a much anticipated picnic lunch before proceeding to our starting 
     
     point. Several tracks were in evidence including fox, mice and 
     
     hare prints. One set of tracks led to two muskrat lodges 
     
     (distinguished from beaver lodges by their construction from 
     
     cattails and not branches). Unfortunately the occupants were not 
     
     to be viewed. 
     
    
   
   
    
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