﻿118 
  

  

  If 
  it 
  only 
  touches 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  places 
  not 
  much 
  harm 
  is 
  done;; 
  

   indeed, 
  it 
  is 
  supposed 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  majority 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  by 
  

   covering 
  them, 
  but 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  contact 
  all 
  over 
  tlie 
  " 
  rock," 
  

   the 
  oysters 
  are 
  killed 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  space 
  of 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  points 
  in 
  the 
  Sound 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  for 
  

   the 
  ice 
  to 
  rest 
  is 
  very 
  inconsiderable, 
  and 
  not 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  

   animals 
  are 
  destroyed 
  by 
  the 
  grounding 
  of 
  the 
  ice, 
  though 
  

   they 
  are 
  affected 
  seriously 
  by 
  its 
  long 
  continued 
  presence. 
  

  

  The 
  winter 
  gales 
  break 
  up 
  the 
  ice 
  fields 
  and 
  pile 
  them 
  up 
  

   in 
  immense 
  masses 
  on 
  the 
  leeward 
  shores 
  and 
  over 
  the 
  adja- 
  

   cent 
  beds. 
  The 
  Shark's 
  Fin 
  bed 
  suffers 
  particularly 
  in 
  this 
  

   respect. 
  A 
  good 
  deal 
  of 
  damage 
  is 
  done 
  to 
  the 
  shores 
  by 
  the 
  

   ice 
  and 
  the 
  oysters 
  feel 
  the 
  effect, 
  showing 
  it 
  by 
  becoming 
  

   what 
  is 
  called 
  " 
  Winter-killed," 
  or 
  poor 
  and 
  weak, 
  having 
  a 
  

   slimy, 
  sickly 
  appearance 
  when 
  opened. 
  

  

  Many 
  die 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  from 
  this 
  cause 
  and 
  after 
  the 
  disaj> 
  

   pearance 
  of 
  the 
  ice, 
  ten 
  days 
  or 
  two 
  weeks 
  must 
  elapse 
  before 
  

   they 
  are 
  fit 
  for 
  marketable 
  purposes. 
  

  

  Ordinary 
  cold 
  weather 
  and 
  a 
  moderate 
  amount 
  of 
  ice 
  is 
  

   said 
  to 
  improve 
  the 
  fishing, 
  the 
  oysters 
  appearing 
  to 
  be 
  drawn 
  

   more 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  bed, 
  and 
  the 
  shells 
  to 
  sink 
  more 
  to- 
  

   ward 
  the 
  bottom. 
  My 
  informants 
  said 
  this 
  effect 
  was 
  quite 
  

   noticeable. 
  

  

  No 
  one 
  that 
  I 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  interrogate 
  had 
  ever 
  seen 
  an 
  oys- 
  

   ter 
  frozen 
  wi 
  the 
  ivater, 
  and 
  the 
  impression 
  was 
  that 
  so 
  long 
  

   as 
  the 
  oysters 
  were 
  covered 
  they 
  would 
  recover 
  from 
  any 
  ill- 
  

   effects 
  of 
  ice 
  or 
  ordinary 
  cold 
  weather. 
  

  

  POCOMOKE 
  SOUND. 
  

  

  Pocomoke 
  Sound 
  extends 
  from 
  Watts' 
  Island, 
  in 
  a 
  north 
  

   northeasterly 
  direction, 
  twelve 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  miles. 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  channel 
  is 
  narrow 
  with 
  a 
  varying 
  depth 
  of 
  water, 
  . 
  

   the 
  m.ain 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  Sound 
  being 
  covered 
  by 
  shoals 
  with 
  from 
  

   seven 
  to 
  eighteen 
  feet 
  of 
  water 
  over 
  them. 
  

  

  Long 
  sand-spits 
  make 
  off 
  from 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  points 
  and 
  islands 
  

   and 
  separate 
  the 
  channels 
  into 
  the 
  different 
  creeks 
  from 
  each 
  

   other. 
  

  

  The 
  Sound 
  is 
  about 
  nine 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  miles 
  broad 
  from 
  shore 
  

  

  