﻿115 
  

  

  :side 
  of 
  the 
  Sound, 
  below 
  the 
  Little 
  Annemessex, 
  was 
  0.3, 
  and 
  

   the 
  mean 
  velocity 
  was 
  0.2 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  hour. 
  The 
  maximum 
  

   of 
  the 
  ebb 
  was 
  0.8, 
  and 
  the 
  mean 
  0.7 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  hour. 
  

   Most 
  of 
  these 
  currents 
  were 
  measured 
  during 
  northerly 
  winds, 
  

   which 
  would 
  increase 
  the 
  ebb 
  and 
  diminish 
  the 
  flood 
  currents, 
  

   and 
  probably 
  they 
  are 
  more 
  equal 
  than 
  the 
  observations 
  show 
  

   them 
  to 
  be. 
  

  

  Over 
  the 
  Oak 
  Hammock 
  Rocks 
  the 
  flood 
  sets 
  to 
  the 
  north- 
  

   ward 
  and 
  westward, 
  and 
  the 
  ebb 
  to 
  the 
  southward 
  and 
  east- 
  

   ward, 
  with 
  a 
  velocity 
  of 
  from 
  0.1 
  to 
  0.2 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  hour. 
  

  

  Reviewing 
  the 
  currents, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  strongest 
  

   on 
  both 
  tides 
  were 
  those 
  over 
  Terrapin 
  Sands 
  during 
  the 
  

   spring 
  tides, 
  their 
  velocity 
  being 
  about 
  one 
  mile 
  per 
  hour. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  observations 
  over 
  the 
  Sound 
  were 
  made 
  during 
  many 
  

   various 
  states 
  of 
  the 
  weather 
  and 
  of 
  tide, 
  the 
  highest 
  velocity 
  

   obtained 
  is 
  probably 
  as 
  great 
  as 
  ever 
  sets 
  over 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  velocity 
  within 
  wide 
  limits, 
  however, 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  import- 
  

   ant 
  to 
  the 
  oysters 
  as 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  current, 
  and 
  that 
  has 
  

   been 
  ascertained 
  with, 
  I 
  hope, 
  sufficient 
  exactness 
  to 
  assist, 
  so 
  

   far 
  as 
  it 
  can, 
  in 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  beds. 
  

  

  DEPOSIT. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  require 
  a 
  much 
  longer 
  period 
  of 
  observation 
  than 
  

   was 
  at 
  my 
  disposal, 
  and 
  a 
  much 
  more 
  extensive 
  and 
  careful 
  

   investigation 
  of 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  

   Sound 
  than 
  I 
  was 
  enabled 
  to 
  make 
  to 
  allow 
  me 
  to 
  speak 
  with 
  

   authority 
  or 
  exactness 
  upon 
  this 
  subject 
  ; 
  but 
  from 
  the 
  in- 
  

   formation 
  collected 
  from 
  the 
  most 
  intelligent 
  of 
  the 
  oyster- 
  

   men, 
  whose 
  experience 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  was 
  considerable, 
  I 
  am 
  of 
  

   the 
  opinion 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  systematic 
  deposit 
  going 
  

   on 
  upon 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  Sound. 
  

  

  There 
  must 
  be 
  some 
  sediment 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  

   the 
  rivers 
  and 
  creeks, 
  but 
  it 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  deposited 
  on 
  those 
  

   beds 
  near 
  their 
  mouths. 
  In 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  Fishing 
  Bay, 
  

   on 
  the 
  Clump 
  Point 
  Rocks, 
  Middle 
  Ground 
  of 
  the 
  Nanticoke, 
  

   in 
  the 
  Manokin 
  and 
  Big 
  Annemessex 
  Rivers 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  larger 
  

   amount 
  of 
  nnid 
  in 
  the 
  surface, 
  and 
  underneath, 
  than 
  else- 
  

  

  