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THE CHESAPEAKE EXPLORED. 23
the outlet of the Bahama channel, along the land, to and beyond the port
and bay of Santa Maria, which is three leagues wide, and is entered towards
the northwest. In this bay are many rivers and harbors, on both sides, in
which vessels may anchor. Within its entrance, on the south, the depth is
from nine to thirteen fathoms, and on the north side from five to seven; at
two leagues from it, in the sea, the depth is the same on the north and the
south, but there is more sand within. In the channel there are from nine to
thirteen fathoms; in the bay, fifteen, ten and six fathoms; and in some
places the bottom cannot be reached with the lead."
Furthermore, after relating the particulars of the governor's voyage from
the Cape of Martyrs to Santa Helena, Barcia proceeds thus1 with regard to
the course from the latter place " to the bay of Santa Maria, in the latitude
of thirty-seven degrees and a half. He steered northeastward, and after
sailing a hundred and ten leagues in water of from sixteen to twenty fathoms
deep, he passed over the edge of a shoal running directly northward, the
point of which is in thirty-four degrees and three-quarters, having between
it and the land a passage two fathoms deep, but of little width. Continuing
towards the east, one-quarter northeast, he found another shoal, with a good
passage on the land side; it is in thirty-five degrees, and runs six leagues in
the sea, northwest and southeast, to the distance of thirty leagues from the
bay of Santa Maria. The coast is thereabout very clear, so that you may sail
near to the land, and anchor at some distance from it. There are on it three*
or four rivers, one of them very good, and three sand islets like turtle shells
or shields, about six leagues from the bay of Santa Maria, all three being
within the space of a league. And he [the governor] thus went, as I have
said, beyond the port and bay of Santa Maria."
This is all that Barcia says of the bay of Santa Maria; and nothing has
been found with regard to it elsewhere. Those who are familiar with the
old historians of America will admit that the descriptions thus given are
more than usually clear and definite, and correspond in a remarkable degree
with the true state of the places to which they refer. The shoal mentioned
in the last-quoted paragraph, in latitude of thirty-four degrees and three-
quarters, is evidently the same which runs out from Cape Lookout in North
Carolina; and the other shoals, twenty-two leagues farther northeast and
thirty leagues from the bay of Santa Maria, may be at once identified with
that which renders the passage around Cape Hatteras so much dreaded by
our mariners. Cape Hatteras is thirty-four leagues from Cape Henry, the
southern point of the entrance to the Chesapeake. That entrance is four
leagues in width; the depth of its channel varies from six to thirteen fathoms
on the south side, being much shallower towards the northern point, Cape
Charles; and as the thirty-seventh parallel runs through the middle of this
entrance, it appears unnecessary to adduce any farther arguments to show that
the bay of Santa Maria could have been none other than the Chesapeake.2
1 Page 148. 2 Robinson's Early Voyages, p. 483.
| Title | History of Maryland - 1 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000048 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | THE CHESAPEAKE EXPLORED. 23 the outlet of the Bahama channel, along the land, to and beyond the port and bay of Santa Maria, which is three leagues wide, and is entered towards the northwest. In this bay are many rivers and harbors, on both sides, in which vessels may anchor. Within its entrance, on the south, the depth is from nine to thirteen fathoms, and on the north side from five to seven; at two leagues from it, in the sea, the depth is the same on the north and the south, but there is more sand within. In the channel there are from nine to thirteen fathoms; in the bay, fifteen, ten and six fathoms; and in some places the bottom cannot be reached with the lead." Furthermore, after relating the particulars of the governor's voyage from the Cape of Martyrs to Santa Helena, Barcia proceeds thus1 with regard to the course from the latter place " to the bay of Santa Maria, in the latitude of thirty-seven degrees and a half. He steered northeastward, and after sailing a hundred and ten leagues in water of from sixteen to twenty fathoms deep, he passed over the edge of a shoal running directly northward, the point of which is in thirty-four degrees and three-quarters, having between it and the land a passage two fathoms deep, but of little width. Continuing towards the east, one-quarter northeast, he found another shoal, with a good passage on the land side; it is in thirty-five degrees, and runs six leagues in the sea, northwest and southeast, to the distance of thirty leagues from the bay of Santa Maria. The coast is thereabout very clear, so that you may sail near to the land, and anchor at some distance from it. There are on it three* or four rivers, one of them very good, and three sand islets like turtle shells or shields, about six leagues from the bay of Santa Maria, all three being within the space of a league. And he [the governor] thus went, as I have said, beyond the port and bay of Santa Maria." This is all that Barcia says of the bay of Santa Maria; and nothing has been found with regard to it elsewhere. Those who are familiar with the old historians of America will admit that the descriptions thus given are more than usually clear and definite, and correspond in a remarkable degree with the true state of the places to which they refer. The shoal mentioned in the last-quoted paragraph, in latitude of thirty-four degrees and three- quarters, is evidently the same which runs out from Cape Lookout in North Carolina; and the other shoals, twenty-two leagues farther northeast and thirty leagues from the bay of Santa Maria, may be at once identified with that which renders the passage around Cape Hatteras so much dreaded by our mariners. Cape Hatteras is thirty-four leagues from Cape Henry, the southern point of the entrance to the Chesapeake. That entrance is four leagues in width; the depth of its channel varies from six to thirteen fathoms on the south side, being much shallower towards the northern point, Cape Charles; and as the thirty-seventh parallel runs through the middle of this entrance, it appears unnecessary to adduce any farther arguments to show that the bay of Santa Maria could have been none other than the Chesapeake.2 1 Page 148. 2 Robinson's Early Voyages, p. 483. |
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