MILNER EEPORT OF THE TKIANA TRIP. 353 



in small boats replacing theni on the oyster-beds. An eastern schooner 

 was buying their cargoes at one point, and a large fleet of the " tongs- 

 men" had gathered around her, some of them alongside, transferring 

 ' their stock of oysters to her hold, and others lying anchored near by 

 awaiting their turn. 



Our pilot carried us through the narrow passage of the Benedict 

 Shoals without stopping. The channel at this point has 13 feet of 

 water, but is very narrow and flanked on each side by a shoal with 

 only 7 feet soundings. Opposite" Northampton we ran aground in the 

 mud, but soon got off. The lead was thrown continually during the 

 afternoon. The navigation was difficult for a steamer drawing nearly 

 10 feet, and we were aground several times, and at last gave up the 

 attempt to reach Bristol, and tied up to a fishing-dock on the west shore 

 known as " Half Pone." 



Seine-fishing shores were seen at numerous points along the river, 

 but we learned that fishing was stopped as soon as hot weather set in. 

 No communication by railroad is available for the shores, and the use 

 of ice for shipping by steamer has not been introduced. 



The boat was lowered and Mr. Ferguson and 1 started for Bristol. 

 The men raised a sail, as the wind was fair, but even with a small boat 

 we soon ran aground. We reached Bristol after a half-hour's sail. Mr. 

 Oren Chase, with an assistant, was there in charge of the Maryland shad- 

 hatching station, just organized by Mr. Ferguson. About 50,000 shad- 

 eggs were in the boxes, but the temperature was 48° and the eggs were 

 in bad condition. A seine-haul was made before we left, but no ripe 

 fish were taken. But little success was looked for until the water be- 

 came warmer. 



It was very dark, and blowing hard, when we started to return, and 

 we were soon lost in the shoals and mud-lumps; and the men pulled 

 back and forth for two hours before we reached the steamer. We were 

 early on our way on the 30th, and passed the shoals quite successfully 

 on our return, though we were aground once. We steamed into the Po- 

 tomac and came to anchor for the night at Nanjemoy Stores. 



At Freestone Landing, Va., May 1, a little after 8 a. m., Captain 

 Cook, Dr. Robertson, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Gee, and I landed at the 

 fishery. On the southwest side of the peninsula on which the lauding 

 is we selected a site for a station. A cove formed by an arm of land 

 extending into Powell's Creek was sheltered from nearly t all directions ; 

 it was sufficiently near the fishery to take advantage of all the hauls, 

 and the proprietors expressed their willingness to afford us spawners, as 

 iu fact did many of the fishery-proprietors at other points. 



Another locality which would be quite favorable is the vicinity of 

 Fort Washington, where the Piscataway Creek flows into the Potomac. 

 Gunsen Cove and Doag Creek, on the Virginia side, also afford shel- 

 tered places for stations. 



At Alexandria Dr. Robertson returned to Richmond bv rail. 

 23 F J 



