GAME AND FISH RESORTS. 163 



Virginia, composed of the counties of Accomack and Northampton, 

 is a peninsula lying between the Atlantic Ocean on the one side, 

 and the Chesapeake Bay on the other. It presents a very level 

 surface, and has, perhaps, the best roads in the world, requiring 

 but httle attention to keep them in good condition. It is within 

 easy access of Baltimore by a line of steamers, one of which leaves 

 South Street wharf, in that city, every day at five o'clock P. m., 

 except Saturday. The upper portion of the peninsula can be 

 reached daily by rail from Philadelphia, the terminus being Green- 

 backville, on the sea side opposite to Chincoteague Island, and 

 distant from it about five miles. A steam ferryboat conveys pas- 

 sengers from the depot to the island. 



There is, perhaps, no portion of the country presenting greater 

 attraction to the sportsman in quest of small game, such as quail 

 and water-fowl, than this little strip of land. The former are 

 abundant, and the peculiar geographical features of the country 

 render the sport of hunting them both easy and delightful. The 

 excellent character of the roads makes a ride of twenty or thirty 

 miles but a trifle, thus enabling the hunter to go over a great deal 

 of ground in a day, and the numberless creeks or small rivers 

 indenting the coasts on sea and bay, form long glades fringed with 

 yellow sedge, affording cover to the birds and protection from the 

 hawks, while the absence of trees in such places insures to the 

 hunter almost any number of shots " in the open." Snipe and 

 woodcock are also found, but in small numbers. On the sea side, 

 and to a great, though less extent on the bay, waterfowl, such as 

 wild geese, brant, black mallards, shufflers or black ducks, red heads 

 and all other kinds of duck, except the canvas-back, swarm in 

 myriads, and are killed in great numbers every year ; they are shot 

 principally from blinds over decoys. On every part of the shore 

 persons can be found who have large experience in this kind of 

 sport, and whose services can be procured by visitors at reasonable 

 rates. Perhaps the best point for this kind of shooting is Cobb's 

 Island, in the county of Northampton, whose proprietors entertain 

 each year, in winter, quite a number of sportsmen, and have all the 

 appliances, such as boats and decoys, for their accommodation. 

 The island itself is a noted resort during summer, and furnishes 

 the best shooting among birds peculiar to that season that can be 

 tound on the eastern shore. ^ 



In summer, and, indeed, until November, fine fishing can be 

 had in the waters of botli sea and bay, the principal varieties caught 

 being the drum, or sea bass, trout, mullet, spot, taylor, bluefish 

 and sheepshead. Millions of sea birds, such as curlews, willets, 

 grey-backs, brown-backs, .and red-breasted snipe feed in the 

 marshes and on the beaches, which skirt the sea coast from Cape 

 Charles to the Delaware line, and furnish inexhaustible sport to 

 the gunner. Foxes are numerous, and the good old English sport 



