40 GEOLOGICAL AGE AND FORMATION. 



There is a common opinion among the watermen along 

 the Bay-shore, that the mouth of Maurice River was for- 

 merly down near Fishing Greek, and that East, "West, Den- 

 nis, and Goshen creeks were its branches. Their reason 

 for this opinion, in addition to that derived from the pre- 

 sent rapid wear of the shore, is, that a line of oyster-beds 

 is found out in the Bay, at different points, between the 

 present mouth of Maurice River and Fishing Greek; and 

 similar beds extend out from the mouths of the other 

 creeks for some distance into the Bay. New beds do not 

 form in the Bay now. These beds, near the mouths of the 

 creeks, are almost bare at low-water ; that opposite Fishing 

 Creek is in twelve feet of water. There is also a tradition,^ 

 derived from the Indians, that trees formerly grew on the 

 bank which is now Fishing Creek Shoal. More facts are 

 needed to give certainty to this opinion; but it is by no 

 means improbable. 



§ The change of level between the land and water has 

 produced an effect upon the efficiency of several mills 

 which were located on or near tide-water. Mr. Nicholas 

 Godfrey had a tide mill on the sea-shore, two miles below 

 Beesley's Point. He attended this mill himself for twenty- 

 five years, during which time no changes were made in the 

 arrangement of the wheel and raceways. He knoivs that in 

 that time he lost, at least, four inches of head by the in- 

 creased height of low water, and says it may have been more. 



The lower mill on "West Creek was built fifty-two years 

 since. It is a pond mill, and its wheel-pit floor was care- 

 fully set, so that it might be as low as possible, and not be 

 affected by the tide which flows up to it; and it has not 



