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  channel), 
  and 
  is 
  H 
  miles 
  long 
  and 
  from 
  one-eight 
  to 
  one-half 
  

   mile 
  broad, 
  and 
  is 
  irregular 
  in 
  outline. 
  Its 
  area 
  is 
  1,243,580 
  

   square 
  yards. 
  

  

  Due 
  west 
  of 
  this 
  bed, 
  south 
  of 
  Oyster 
  Creek 
  and 
  N. 
  N.W. 
  

   of 
  Fosr 
  Point 
  is 
  the 
  second 
  bed. 
  It 
  extends 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  

   five-eighths 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  and 
  east 
  and 
  west 
  one-third 
  of 
  a 
  mile. 
  

   Its 
  area 
  is 
  645,705 
  square 
  yards. 
  

  

  Southwest 
  and 
  west 
  from 
  this 
  bed, 
  and 
  northwest 
  from 
  Fog 
  

   Point, 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  Straits, 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  shoals, 
  is 
  

   the 
  third 
  bed. 
  Its 
  area 
  is 
  550,045 
  square 
  yards, 
  and 
  its 
  great- 
  

   est 
  length 
  IST. 
  N.W. 
  and 
  S. 
  S.E. 
  is 
  three-fourth 
  mile, 
  with 
  an 
  

   average 
  breadth 
  of 
  one-fourth 
  mile. 
  

  

  The 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  bed 
  is 
  from 
  12 
  to 
  16 
  feet, 
  

   and 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  outer 
  ones 
  from 
  14 
  to 
  19 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  spread 
  in 
  groups 
  of 
  different 
  areas, 
  sepa- 
  

   rated 
  by 
  spaces 
  of 
  mud 
  and 
  sand, 
  generally 
  the 
  latter, 
  except 
  

   close 
  to 
  the 
  channel-way, 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  more 
  mud. 
  

  

  The 
  beds 
  are 
  in 
  almost 
  all 
  cases 
  very 
  hard 
  ; 
  when 
  the 
  probe 
  

   would 
  penetrate, 
  however, 
  soft 
  sand 
  was 
  found. 
  

  

  The 
  inner 
  bed 
  is 
  much 
  softer 
  than 
  the 
  other 
  two, 
  and 
  has 
  

   a 
  larger 
  amount 
  of 
  mud. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  were 
  small 
  and 
  dark, 
  single, 
  and 
  in 
  small 
  clus- 
  

   ters 
  of 
  three 
  or 
  four, 
  with 
  no 
  red 
  sponge 
  or 
  grass. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  outer 
  beds 
  the 
  shells 
  were 
  lighter 
  and 
  cleaner 
  thaif 
  

   on 
  the 
  inner, 
  and 
  generally 
  the 
  oysters 
  in 
  the 
  Straits 
  are 
  larger 
  

   and 
  with 
  sharper 
  bills 
  than 
  those 
  inside. 
  

  

  INVESTIGATION 
  OF 
  THE 
  CHESAPEAKE 
  BAY 
  WEST 
  OF 
  TANGIER 
  

   AND 
  smith's 
  ISLANDS. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  information 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  outside 
  the 
  

   Sounds 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  obtained 
  was, 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  beds 
  of 
  different 
  areas 
  lying 
  in 
  the 
  Bay, 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  ship 
  channel, 
  especially 
  about 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  shoals 
  

   off 
  Smith's 
  Island 
  and 
  Kedge's 
  Straits. 
  

  

  The 
  ground 
  being 
  so 
  little 
  known, 
  and 
  the 
  accurate 
  delinea- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  being 
  so 
  difficult 
  when 
  attempted 
  with 
  a 
  sail- 
  

   ing 
  vessel, 
  I 
  considered 
  it 
  better 
  to 
  employ 
  the 
  limited 
  time 
  

   at 
  my 
  disposal 
  in 
  running 
  tentative 
  lines, 
  oft' 
  and 
  on 
  shore, 
  

  

  