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  ipertinent 
  to 
  the 
  subject 
  or 
  evidently 
  influenced 
  by 
  self-interest 
  

   -or 
  other 
  considerations, 
  has 
  been 
  excluded. 
  

  

  There 
  has 
  been 
  no 
  material 
  change 
  of 
  the 
  channel 
  within 
  

   the 
  memory 
  of 
  the 
  oldest 
  fishermen, 
  nor 
  have 
  they 
  ever 
  found 
  

   ■oysters 
  in 
  the 
  deep 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  channels 
  of 
  either 
  Sound. 
  

   With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  improvement 
  or 
  deterioration 
  of 
  the 
  beds, 
  

   it 
  was 
  the 
  general 
  opinion 
  that 
  the 
  beds 
  had 
  been 
  much 
  ex- 
  

   tended 
  in 
  size, 
  that 
  the 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  had 
  improved, 
  

   both 
  as 
  to 
  size 
  and 
  flavor, 
  but 
  that 
  the 
  number 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  

   had 
  been 
  very 
  materially 
  diminished, 
  so 
  much 
  so, 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  

   hardly 
  profitable 
  to 
  work 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  beds. 
  About 
  thirty 
  

   years 
  back, 
  the 
  large 
  beds 
  in 
  the 
  Sound 
  were 
  not 
  known 
  

   to 
  the 
  fishermen 
  and 
  when 
  first 
  discovered 
  and 
  worked, 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  were 
  in 
  clusters, 
  long 
  and 
  thin 
  valved 
  and 
  of 
  poor 
  

   • 
  quality, 
  though 
  very 
  numerous 
  and 
  easily 
  taken. 
  Since 
  their 
  

   discovery 
  and 
  especially 
  daring 
  the 
  last 
  ten 
  years, 
  the 
  beds 
  

   have 
  been 
  greatly 
  overworked 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  

   much 
  lessened. 
  

  

  Formerly, 
  the 
  best 
  oysters 
  were 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  Terrapin 
  Sands, 
  

   and 
  there 
  were 
  none 
  on 
  the 
  sands 
  in 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  ; 
  

   now 
  the 
  finest 
  oysters 
  in 
  the 
  Sounds 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  sands 
  

   bordering 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  are 
  considered 
  better 
  than 
  any 
  in 
  

   the 
  general 
  market. 
  All 
  the 
  beds 
  have 
  been 
  much 
  extended 
  

   by 
  dredging, 
  especially 
  the 
  Bird 
  Rock 
  in 
  Pocomoke 
  Sound 
  

   and 
  the 
  Great 
  Rock 
  in 
  Tangier 
  Sound, 
  the 
  former 
  being 
  two- 
  

   thirds 
  larger 
  than 
  when 
  first 
  discovered, 
  and 
  the 
  three 
  rocks, 
  

   of 
  which 
  Great 
  Rock 
  was 
  originally 
  composed, 
  having 
  been 
  

   dragged 
  into 
  one 
  continuous 
  bed. 
  Though 
  thus 
  extended, 
  it 
  

   was 
  the 
  opinion 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  not 
  as 
  many 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  

   beds 
  at 
  present 
  as 
  were 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  smaller 
  areas. 
  Fishing 
  

   Bay, 
  at 
  the 
  northern 
  extreme 
  of 
  Tangier 
  Sound, 
  though 
  the 
  

   beds 
  as 
  a 
  whole 
  had 
  deteriorated, 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  four 
  years 
  

   there 
  had 
  been 
  some 
  improvement 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  rigid 
  

   observance 
  of 
  " 
  close 
  time." 
  

  

  The 
  cause 
  assigned 
  for 
  the 
  deterioration, 
  and 
  even 
  the 
  

   admittance 
  of 
  the 
  fact, 
  dej)ended 
  very 
  much 
  upon 
  the 
  oc- 
  

   cupation 
  of 
  tlie 
  informant. 
  The 
  tongers, 
  or 
  those 
  who 
  

   pursued 
  the 
  fishery 
  with 
  tongs 
  alone, 
  were 
  unanimous 
  in 
  

  

  