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2. From Jacques Cartier to the Expulsion of the Acadians
Although Prince Edward Island was discovered by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and was probably visited frequently by French and Basque fishermen in the 17th century, Europeans did not settle permanently until the second decade of the 18th century.
Settlement first concentrated around Charlottetown Harbour (Port La Joie), up the Hillsborough River and in St. Peters. There were also early residents at Tracadie, in the Orwell area and perhaps at South Lake. However, settlement along most of the North Shore was discouraged because of sand dunes barring the entrances to many of the region's coves and estuaries. In fact, these obstructions have been a problem for large ships throughout the Island's history; fishermen in the north shore today still have trouble getting in and out of harbours safely.
The first continuous French settlement was begun at Port La Joie in 1720. The main settlement during the next two decades was the fishing port of St. Peters. Populations for the entire Island ranged from about 300 to 450 during these years.
Before intensive agriculture changed its natural landscape, PEI was covered by a dense blanket of broadleaf, deciduous trees, especially American beech, sugar maple, yellow birch and red oak, mixed with fir, spruce, tamarack, some white pine, hemlock and white cedar.The majority of agriculture was localized along the Hillsborough River, with a very few farms also around Savage Harbour, Tracadie and Malpeque.
In the 1740's and 1750's, population along the north shore between Savage Harbour and Malpeque increased little; settlement didn't extend more than one farm deep from the shoreline anywhere and there was little need for roads. Travel was mostly by canoe and the Hillsborough River was the main thoroughfare.
