145 
upon table number two, of the number of bushels and young 
carried off the beds. In forming the estimate, all the vessels in 
the Sound were divided into three classes. The first being an 
assemblage of all the different craft, the second only the smal- 
ler classes, and the third, where about two- thirds were small, 
and the remainder large crafifc. The number of sail counted 
were then placed in one of these classes, we having observed 
when among the dredgers the particular class and size of ves- 
sel usually working over a particular ground. In order to 
ascertain the number of bushels to each vessel, the total num- 
ber of bushels brought in [2408] was divided by the number 
of sails [57], which would give forty-two bushels as the average 
to a sail. A closer estimate is obtained from table Ho. 2, where 
the number of bushels assigned to each craft is that given by 
their master. The total number of bushels T551], divided by 
the number of sail [12], gives forty-five and a fraction as the 
number of bushels to each sail. I have divided by twelve in- 
stead of eleven, because the last number in table Ho. 2 was 
the result of two days’ dredging. 
The average number of bushels per sail for the second class, 
by table Ho. 1, is 16.6 bushels; by table Ho. 2, 17 bushels. 
The average for the third class is by table Ho. 1, 29 bushels; 
by table Ho. 2, 33 bushels. In all cases the smaller numbers 
have been used in calculating the number of bushels of oysters. 
The total number of bushels taken from the beds in both 
Sounds in thirteen days was 47,842, and allowing from 150 to 
200 oysters to a bushel (though the number is probably larger), 
there would be removed from the Sounds in the very first of 
the season from 7,176,300 to 9,568,400 oysters. This, however, 
is far below the real number, as the entire area and number of 
sail were not visible at the same time. 
In order to estimate the number of oysters removed from 
the beds in each day, I have divided the Sounds into four 
sections. The first section comprises all of Tangier Sound 
north of Little Island and the Muscle Hole Bed. The second 
section comprises all of that part of the Sound, including 
Manokin and Big Annemessex rivers, between Little Is- 
land and Jane’s Island. The third section comprises all of 
10 
