DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE CONCERN- 

 ING THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF CECIL 

 COUNTY WITH BIBLIOGRAPHY 



BY 



GEORGE BURBANK SHATTUCK 



Introductory. 



Tlie observations made by the early explorers who visited Cecil 

 county relate to subjects which have since grown to be distinct fields 

 of investigation. Those relating to the geography and geology have 

 been gleaned from various papers by the author and an attempt 

 has been made to group them under their respective heads. The 

 narrative of geographic research begins with an account of the 

 exploration by Captain John Smith in 1608 and ends with the latest 

 work of the State Geological Survey made during the summer of 

 1900. The history of geologic research begins with ¥m. Maclure's 

 investigations of 1809 and is brought down to 1901 when the most 

 recent paper was published. As geological research has progressed, 

 it has been found necessary to subdivide more and more the various 

 crystalline rocks and unconsolidated deposits found within the county. 

 In order to render this advance in knowledge more intelligible, the 

 various observations made by former explorers have been so grouped 

 as to throw light on the evolution of the present geological 

 classification. 



Historical Review. 

 Cecil county, lying as it does at the head of Chesapeake Bay and 

 penetrated by numerous navigable estuaries, is most favorably situ- 

 ated for colonization, and it is not surprising that it was early explored 

 and settled by Europeans. In this, as with every other new region, 

 the explorations were at first incomplete and the resulting maps erro- 



