Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-04-22
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
AccoMAC.
OF rnE sArIosAI IxrELLIeEscEn.

EAsTViLLE, IVA. APRlL D, 1910.
cannot spare the time present give you complete
account Of my observations while exploring the g Eastern
Shore of Virginia !" but, by way Of giving your readers
taste Of quality, now purpose send you desuioy let
ter containing description Of its prominent pecuiaties
Upwards Of two hundred years ago the long peninsula,
now divided into the counties OF Accomac and Northampton
was known by the indian Of Acohaiomack. Anexten-
sve tribe Of Abognes who occupied the country bore the
title, and the meaning Of the word said TO have been
People ,oho Hve upon sheHsh Next 10 scanty record
embodied in Captain Smiths History Of Virginia, the earliest
printed account of this region may be found at the conclusion
Of pamphlet written by Colonel NoRwooD, OF England,
wherein he describes g Yoyage 10 Virginia IN l649'
AT the conclusion Of his peous voyage across the Atlantic
il the authors misfortune to be wrecked upon one OF the
islands ON the eastern shore Of Accomac and that too in the
stormy month Of January. To comment upon Norwoods
well written and very interesting pamphlet my OBJ
ect but win remark passing, that this document taken
in connexion with the county records Of the peninsula, which
extend as far back as the year 1882, and also with the
Gent Of the region would furnish material for an
exceedingly valuable and entertaining volume and am sur
ped that some enterpsng antiquarian Of Virginia has not
long before this taken the matter in hand smy province
TO speak Of Accoac by which mean the ancient dominion
known by that nancy appears to the traveller OF the pre-
sent day.
What the distance may be from Washington the north
ern line Of Accomac cannot imagine, but know that the
morning Baltimore Punctua and you are fortunate
enough the Whitehayen steamboat at Baltimore at
O'clock you may enjoy yournext breakfast at Horntown
few miles south Of the Maryland line. On board Of the
steamer which brought down the Bay, there rather
scarcity passengers but among them intelligent
gentlemen from of whom gathered the following items
Of information. The entire length Of Chesapeake Bay,
from Havre de Grace Norfolk, is hundred miles, in
width it varies from five to twentysx miles, and in depth
from four tweny-fou ahoms. Its shores low and
level with occasional bluffs however, and its waters clear
and greehsh hue II contains great number OF islands,
some Of which exceedingly fertile, but destitute OF all pic
tuesque beauty During The and winter its shalower
waters are filled almost every variety Of wateowl it is
said yield larger quantity Of oysters than any other
ton Of the globe of the and it is also famous for
the abundance and quality its shad striped basse rock
fish, its drum sheepshead, and species of seatrout On
approaching the Wicomoco river island of thousand
acres was pointed out to me- called Bloodsworth Island,
which the property Of two men, who reside upon their do
man pair Of vetabe hermits, who live upon fish and
teriow instead of cultvang their soil Ny attention
also directed to aneghborng island which seemed be in
state of high cultivation and told that the thereof
had refused the handsome price Of hundred dollars per
acre for the entire island With regard Deals Island and
Danes Quarter in this vicinity of the Bay, heard the fol-
lowing anecdoe The original name Of the first "Deys
Island" and that OF the second Damned Quarter any
may by referring to Of the older maps. Once
upon time, the story goes, Connecticut skipper in his
smack chanced make his up the Chesapeake and
he stranger in this region, he hailed nearly every
vessel boat he with lot Of questions What island
is that " inquired the Yankee Of downward bound brig.
" Derirs Island" the brief reply whereupon the
strangers conscience little disturbed. About hour
afterwards, What island is that !" again vocerated the
Gshar,
Quarter" At this intelligence the Yankee much
alarmed that he Immediately made sudden tack. and with
his helm hard up started for the outlet Of the bay, and
was heard Of more in southern waters.
The peninsula Of Accomac, nearly ascertain,
varies in width from eight twelve miles, and is far
from seventy miles long, Generally speaking, it is almost
level the sea- the highest ground attaining greater
elevation than twenty The soil Of sandy cha
racter and the forests, which quite extensive
posed chiefly Of pine and oak The country smost entire.
y destitute Of running streams, and nearly all the net
peciay the Bay side, lined with extensive Marshes
where snakes turtles and lizards particularly abundant
Along the side Of Accomac lie succession Of sandy is
lands which render the navigation dangerous and between
which and the main shore the shallow and far from clear
Two othe above islands, Assaieague and Chingoesgue
habed by peculiar people, whom shall have something
say another place The only villages in this district properly
so called, Drummondtown and Easve they
t seats and though bearing appearance they
tain good houses, and well worth visiting. You
hardly travel eight miles in any direction without coming
post Office which gloes in village name and therefore appears
paper much better advantage than in reality In
parts Of the country frequently noticed houses which seemed
have been abandoned by their owners the soil in the
vicinity had been completely out and could be pro-
fably cultivated These household ruins, together with the
apparent want Of enterprise which notices every where,
conspre to throw gloom the travellers mind thereby
preventing him, perhaps from fully apprecang the happiness
which really prevails among the people And these (as
the case in fact with every nook and Of the worldly
constitute the principal attraction Of Accomac for by
is lover Of his kind and have oil human heart
by which we live"
II were called upon to classify the Accomacians, would
divide them into the gentry, the miscellaneous fraternity, and
the slave population The gentry comparatively small
class but the principal andhode Of the district They
Of good old English families and highly intelligent and
well educated. The houses they occupy homcy sp-
pearance but well supplied with all the subsanas that
add TO the pleasures Of country life They think
Of comfort than display and distinguished for their
hosptatyto strangers The miscellaneous fraternity TO which
have alluded is extensive very large proportion OF
them obtain their living from the sea- annually bringing up
from its bed immense quantity Of oysters and CLANS which
they sell to the fishermen Of Philadelphia and New York
but these fishermen only send market large numbers Of
fab Init