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  spread 
  over 
  ea,ch 
  surface. 
  Each 
  bed 
  is 
  very 
  hard, 
  and 
  in 
  most 
  

   cases 
  the 
  probe 
  would 
  not 
  penetrate 
  beyond 
  six 
  inches. 
  

  

  When 
  it 
  was 
  possible 
  to 
  push 
  through 
  the 
  surface 
  stratum 
  

   a 
  sub-stratum 
  was 
  found 
  of 
  sand. 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  bottom 
  is 
  of 
  miid, 
  and 
  bottom 
  

   of 
  that 
  description 
  surrounds 
  the 
  beds. 
  Along 
  both 
  shores 
  

   the 
  mud 
  is 
  firmer 
  and 
  of 
  greater 
  consistency 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  chan- 
  

   nel, 
  and 
  above 
  Roaring 
  Point 
  and 
  on 
  those 
  bottoms 
  are 
  placed 
  

   large 
  numbers 
  of 
  oysters 
  transplanted 
  from 
  the 
  Middle 
  

   Ground 
  bed 
  and 
  from 
  other 
  localities. 
  

  

  The 
  river 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  favorite 
  planting 
  ground, 
  and 
  num- 
  

   bers 
  of 
  boats 
  and 
  canoes 
  were 
  working 
  the 
  Middle 
  Ground 
  bed 
  

   during 
  the 
  summer 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  "plants." 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  small, 
  single, 
  and 
  in 
  small 
  clusters, 
  and 
  not 
  

   of 
  very 
  good 
  quality. 
  

  

  The 
  water 
  being 
  shoal, 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  ten 
  feet, 
  no 
  dredging 
  

   could 
  be 
  done 
  on 
  these 
  beds, 
  and 
  consequently 
  the 
  proportions 
  

   to 
  the 
  square 
  yard 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  calculated. 
  

  

  BEDS 
  IN 
  THE 
  LITTLE 
  ANNEMESSEX. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  small 
  beds 
  in 
  this 
  river 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  

   very 
  seldom 
  worked. 
  Their 
  total 
  area 
  is 
  463,951 
  square 
  yards. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  in 
  detached 
  groups, 
  separated 
  by 
  spaces 
  of 
  

   mud 
  and 
  sand, 
  and 
  are 
  small, 
  single, 
  and 
  in 
  small 
  clusters. 
  

  

  The 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  varies 
  from 
  six 
  to 
  twelve 
  feet. 
  

  

  BEDS 
  IN 
  KEDGe's 
  STRAITS. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  Kedge's 
  Straits, 
  from 
  the 
  sands 
  on 
  one 
  shore 
  

   t.o 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  other, 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  scattered 
  oysters 
  to 
  

   greater 
  or 
  less 
  extent, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  greater 
  numbers 
  

   in 
  the 
  channel 
  on 
  tlie 
  soft 
  bottoms 
  than 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  The 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  is 
  2,893,615 
  square 
  yards, 
  and 
  

   three 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  of 
  considerable 
  size. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  lies 
  on 
  the 
  northward 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Straits, 
  north 
  of 
  

   Solomon's 
  Lump 
  Light 
  House, 
  south 
  and 
  southwest 
  of 
  the 
  

   Western 
  Islands. 
  

  

  It 
  extends 
  in 
  a 
  W. 
  N.W. 
  and 
  E. 
  S.E. 
  direction 
  (that 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  