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  The 
  maximum 
  velocity 
  observed 
  during 
  light 
  northerly 
  breezes 
  

   was 
  0.5 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  hour. 
  

  

  The 
  ebb 
  out 
  of 
  Messongo 
  and 
  Guilford 
  Creeks 
  sets 
  to 
  

   the 
  southward 
  and 
  westward, 
  following 
  the 
  channel 
  until 
  it 
  

   reaches 
  the 
  Bird 
  and 
  Hern 
  Island 
  Rocks, 
  where 
  it 
  curves 
  to 
  

   the 
  southward. 
  Its 
  maximum 
  velocity 
  was 
  0.4 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  

   hour. 
  The 
  current 
  over 
  the 
  Brig 
  and 
  Parker's 
  Rocks 
  sets 
  to 
  

   the 
  northward 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  southward 
  ; 
  the 
  maximum 
  strength 
  

   of 
  the 
  flood, 
  when 
  uninfluenced 
  by 
  the 
  wind, 
  was 
  0.24 
  of 
  a 
  

   mile 
  per 
  hour, 
  but 
  a 
  moderate 
  breeze 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  sufficient 
  

   to 
  cause 
  a 
  marked 
  increase 
  of 
  strength 
  and 
  change 
  of 
  di- 
  

   rection. 
  

  

  Off 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Chesconessex, 
  where 
  the 
  wind, 
  though 
  

   light, 
  had 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  and 
  both 
  Tangier 
  

   and 
  Pocomoke 
  Sounds 
  to 
  sweep 
  over, 
  the 
  flood 
  tide 
  on 
  the 
  

   third 
  quarter 
  had 
  a 
  set 
  to 
  the 
  northward 
  and 
  eastward 
  of 
  

   0.4 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  hour. 
  jSTorth 
  of 
  Parker's 
  Rocks 
  the 
  flood, 
  

   on 
  the 
  first 
  quarter, 
  during 
  a 
  moderate 
  southwesterly 
  breeze, 
  

   was 
  found 
  to 
  set 
  to 
  the 
  northeast 
  at 
  a 
  rate 
  of 
  0.6 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  

   hour. 
  

  

  The 
  oystermen 
  greatly 
  overrate 
  the 
  strength 
  of 
  the 
  currents 
  

   in 
  the 
  -Sounds, 
  putting 
  the 
  maximum 
  velocity 
  at 
  about 
  four 
  

   knots 
  on 
  the 
  ebb 
  and 
  somewhat 
  less 
  on 
  the 
  flood 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  could 
  

   find 
  no 
  reason 
  that 
  would 
  explain 
  so 
  great 
  an 
  increase 
  over 
  

   the 
  velocities 
  as 
  established 
  by 
  ourselves, 
  and 
  consequently 
  

   doubt 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  estimate. 
  

  

  DEPOSITS. 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  that 
  on 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  especially 
  those 
  in 
  

   the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  creeks 
  and 
  rivers 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  Sound, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  light 
  covering 
  of 
  mud 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  thick 
  

   over 
  the 
  'oysters, 
  would 
  lead 
  to 
  an 
  inference 
  that 
  there 
  must 
  

   be 
  a 
  deposit 
  of 
  that 
  character 
  going 
  on. 
  

  

  On 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  the 
  substratum 
  of 
  the. 
  bottom 
  was 
  

   hard 
  and 
  the 
  thickness 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  covering 
  gradually 
  de- 
  

   creased 
  as 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  Sound 
  was 
  approached. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Sound 
  shells 
  were 
  found 
  with 
  the 
  

  

  