10 



the river just above Deep Water Light, at low water, spring tide. 

 point and time is shown in the following table : 



The density of the water at that 



Section across James River. 



Location. 



Station. 



Depth. 



Tide. 



Specific gravity. 



Remarks. 





A 

 A 



Feet. 



Surface . 



6 



Low water. 

 ...do 



1. 0083 

 1.0084 







Bottom, soft mud 





B 



Surface 



....do 



1. 0088 







B 



12 



...do 



1. 0082 







B 



24 



...do 



1. 0088 



Bottom, soft mud 





C 



Surface . 



...do 



1. 0077 







C 



6 



... do 



1. 0078 



Bottom, soft mud 



Comparing the specific gravity of the water obtained in the sections with that of two stations 

 below Deep Water Light, which was obtained at nearly high water, a difference of density of 0.0037 

 is shown — 1.0000 representing distilled water. So slight a change of density can hardly have any 

 material effect upon the oysters, and, except during long continued freshets, which occur sometimes 

 during the spring, the animals in all probability do not suffer therefrom. 



According to the oystermen, during the winter ice frequently grounds on the shoal spots on 

 the Beds, but never remains there long, unless the weather is of unusual severitj", the strength of 

 the current and the variability of the climate being sufficient to remove the ice in a short space of 

 time. As to the amount of damage dune the oysters by the ice, opinions varied a good deal; the 

 general impression was that, though the oysters were poorer in quality and flavor, the ice did not 

 remain long enough to kill many of them. Only a few persons could be interrogated, and they were 

 not very intelligent ; but, in the absence of any opportunity to investigate the matter ourselves, their 

 opinion is given. 



All the beds in the James River are subject to the deposit of mud and vegetable matter brought 

 down by the freshets that occur in the spring. The* Mulberry Point, Point of Shoals, and Jail 

 Island Beds, owing to their position, arc particularly unfortunate in this respect. The set of the 

 current being directly across these beds, they are the first to receive whatever is held by the 

 water. From the character and appearance of the river, it is probable that a large, amount of 

 earthy matter is brought down by every ebb tide; but the velocity of the current is so great, and 

 the shoal rises so abruptly between the Point of Shoals Light and Deep Water Light, forming a wall 

 and barrier, that the principal part of the sediment seems to. be carried into Burwell's Bay, where 

 it has gradually covered and destroyed a large number of small beds. The spring freshets always 

 cover the Mulberry Point, Point of Shoals, and .Jail Island Beds, but not always for a sufficient 

 time to very seriously damage the oysters, the current managing to sweep off the deposit in time 

 to expose the cultch to the spat. Occasionally the damage is great; for instance, we were informed 

 that during 187 L and 1872 there were a succession of heavy freshets, which destroyed the fishing 

 for several years. In 1876, the mud having been washed away and the cultch exposed, a growth 

 of young oysters was noticed in all the beds about and above Jail Island. In 1877 the oysters 

 about Deep Water Light were good, and probably during the coming seasons (18/8-79), the catch 

 on all the beds will be large, as at the time of our observations the oysters were numerous, with 

 the young growth predominating. Apparently, then, it requires from three to five years for the 

 beds to recover from the effects of heavy freshets, and as the oyster becomes marketable in about 

 two years, from five to seven years must elapse from the date of the freshet before the beds can 

 be profitably worked. 



Happily, the other beds are affected to a much less extent, though about the shoals on the 

 southern side of the river the oysters are gradually deteriorating, presumably from deposit of dele- 

 terious matter. The variability of the currents about these shoal places, and the fact that the 

 depth of water about them is decreasing and the shoals increasing in size, appears to support the 

 inference. On top of the Naseway Shoal, which is completely dry at low water, quantities of shells 

 were found, and iu its immediate neighborhood, especially to the northward and westward, the 



