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river on the west, seperating it from the counties of Prince
George's in its upper, Charles in its middle and St. Mary's
in its lower part, on the south it terminates in a point called
Drum Point.

It is about forty miles long, with an average breadth of
about eight miles. Its productions are those common to the
section, and its variety of soil is capable of raising them all
to the highest degree of perfection.

The soil of this county consists of a very fine quality of the
"Green Sand Soil the South and West river soils," in its
northern part, and in the neighborhood of Smithville. On
the bay store, the soil, as we proceed down the bay, becomes
somewhat lighter in texture, but more especially adapted to
the growth of the finest qualities of tobacco, early fruits and
vegetables.

The other varieties are of the class known as as white oak
soils, sandy soils, gravelly loams, with occasional red clay
soils of various degrees of strength.

The face of the country is rolling and in some places hilly.
On the bay it has bold, abrupt shores and bluffs, several
hundred feet above the surface of the water. The dwelling
houses command a thorough view of the bay and of the back
country. One can see from them all the diversity of hill and
dale, cultivated fields, flocks and herds, and at the same time
ships of every nation and of all sizes passing in full view,
bearing the products of every clime to market. On the Pa-
tuxent the shores are clear, and rise at a short distance in the
interior in fine, bold hills and gently undulating plains.
The geography of the county shows its facilities for the cheap-
est transportation, by tide water navigation, either from the
Patuxent or from the bay, by means of steamboats or sailing
vessels, which daily pass to and from its shores to Baltimore,
about five hoars' distant. In many parts of the county are
large and valuable deposits of shell marl, capable of improv-
ing the adjacent soils to a very high degree; in some places
aro large shell banks, which also afford most excellent fer-
tilizing material at the cheapest rates. The shell from the
oysters which abound in its waters are also valuable sources
of manure.

The bay and river afford fine fisheries of shad, herring,
and many other varieties of excellent fish, whilst wild duck,
geese and swan, &c., are found in very large numbers. The
land in this county is very cheap; good farms, well improved
with buildings, and of the best variety of soil, can be purchased
at from fifteen to sixty dollars per acre, according to their lo-
cation. Much of the land can be purchased at a rate not
exceeding tea dollars per acre, and some even at a less price.
There is none of this but what can be cheaply improved and
made to produce large crops of the kind adapted to the dif-
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