a
companion was occupied in removing from the water the flock of decoys
which they had been guarding since sunrise. Joyful was the unexpected
meeting.

We rowed around Keyser's Point, and up Turval's Creek, a couple of miles
to the plantation landing. Here, upon the old estate in the little
family burial-ground, slept, "each in his narrow cell," the children of
four generations. Our conversation before the blazing wood-fire that
night related to the ground travelled over during the day, a course of
about thirty-five miles. Mr. Taylor's father mentioned that a friend,
during one week in the previous September, had taken upon his hook,
while fishing from the marshes of Rehoboth Bay, five hundred rock-fish,
some of which weighed twenty pounds. The oysters in Rehoboth and Indian
River bays had died out, probably from the decrease in the amount of
salt water now entering them. A delightful week was spent with my
friends at Winchester Plantation, when the falling of the mercury
warned me to hurry southward.

On Wednesday, November 25, I descended the plantation creek and rowed
out of St. Martin's River into the Bay. My course southward led me past
"the Hommack," an Indian mound of oyster-shells, which rises about seven
feet above the marsh on the west side of the entrance to Sinepuxent bay,
and where the mainland approaches to within eight hundred feet of the
beach. This point, which divides the Isle of Wight Bay from Sinepuxent,
is the terminus of the Wicomico and Pocomoke Railroad, which has been
extended from Berlin eastwardly seven miles. A short ferry conveys
the passengers across the water to a narrow island beach, which is
considered by Bayard Taylor, the author, the finest beach he has ever
visited. This new watering-place is called Ocean City; and my friend,
B. Jones Taylor, was treasurer of the company which was engaged in
making the much-desired improvements. The shallow bays in the vicinity
of Ocean City offer safe and pleasant sailing-grounds. The summer
fishing consists chiefly of white perch, striped bass, sheep's-head,
weak-fish, and drum. In the fall, blue-fish are caught. All of these,
with oysters, soft crabs, and diamond-backed terrapin, offer tempting
dishes to the epicure. This recently isolated shore is now within
direct railroad communication with Philadelphia and New York, and
can be reached in nine hours from the former, and in twelve hours
from the latter city.

From the Hommack to South Point i