26 THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF ST. MART's COUNTY 



in St. Mary's County is, therefore, a narrative of the gradual accumula- 

 tion of information which at first was vague and general, but now has 

 become definite and sijecific. 



THE HISTORY OF GEOGRAPHIC RESEARCH. 



The first geographic exploration' in the region which is now known 

 as St. Mary's County was carried on by Captain John Smith and a few 

 companions in the summer of 1608, although the results were not pub- 

 lished until 1612-14. The motive which prompted Smith to this under- 

 taking was the exploration of Chesapeake Bay and the adjacent country, 

 so that the examination of St. Mary's County was only a portion of the 

 work accomplished. His description of the coimtry in the vicinity of 

 St. Mary's County is as follows : 



" But finding this Easterne shore, shallow broken Isles, and for the 

 most part without fresh water, we passed by the straits of Limho 

 [Hooper or Kedge Straits.] for the Westerne shore; so broad is the 

 bay here, we could scarce perceiue the great high clifts on the other side : 

 by them we Anchored that niglit and called them Riccards Cliftcs [Cal- 

 vert Cliffs]. 30 leagues we sayled more Northwards not finding any 

 inhabitants, leaving all the Eastern shore, lowe Islandes, but ouergrowne 

 with wood, as all the Coast beyond them so farre as wee could see; the 

 Westerne shore by which we sayled we found all along well watered, but 

 very mountanous and barren, the vallies very fertill, but extreame thicke 

 of small wood so well as trees, and much frequented with wolues, Beares, 

 Deere, and other wild beasts. We passed many shallow creekes, but the 

 first we found Navigable for a ship, we called Bolus [Patapsco]." 



Smith did not spend in all much more than a month in his exploration 

 of Chesapeake Bay, but in this short time gathered material which was 

 afterward presented in a remarkably well proportioned map, if one con- 

 siders the difficulties which he encountered and the extremely rough 

 methods of surveying which he employed. This map remained for a 



' For illustrations of these early maps and the conditions under which 

 they were made, see Mathews, Maps and Mapmakers of Maryland, Md. Geol. 

 Survey, vol. ii, 1898, pp. 377-488. 



