The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-08-23
Ghe Irareltr.
CHINC0TEAGUE ISLAND.

CHINC0TEAGUE ISLAND.
The following interesting description Of
Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, and
the ponies and the people that inhabit
them, is from the pen of j. P. Matthews,
Esq, of the Baltimore american
Along the Atlantic shore of the PENN,
sula, from Cape Charles almost to Cape
Henlopen, there stretches narrow strip
of land, or rather series of irregular sec.
tons, which at low tide are joined togeth-
err by shoals and sandbanks, and at food
tide are elongated islands Between some
of these islands there are inlets, through
which, when the tide is high, small YES.
sells can reach the still waters that wash
the mainland. These sounds, as they
are designated on the maps, are generally
five or six miles wide. They all abound
in shoals and sand fats. through which
the channel, known only to the native nav,
igators, threads its tortuous way. There
is no danger in sailing over the sounds
except that careless ship captain will al
ways be blowing up the oyster beds with
the keel of his vessel and getting aground
on the sand fats.
Just below the Maryland line, and par.
allel with the Virginia shore, is Chinco
league, section Of the broken chain Of
sand hills above described. 1t is FIVE
miles long and one mile wide. Separated
from it by narrow sound, fringed with
salt marshes, is Assateague Island, which
is about two miles wide, and at its north
ern extremity is sand bar, which links il
to the upper section of the chain. 1t i:
always spoken of as part of Chincoteague
and is under the same civil jurisdiction
The eastern shore of AsSateaguc borders
upon the ocean, and upon its low, leve
beach the mighty breakers toss their foamy
crests.
1t is probable that some account of the
first settlement of Chincoteague may BE-
found in the numerous histories of Virgin
ia, but nothing can be learned from the isl
andes themselves. They have no written
chronicles, aud their traditions are meagre
ILLS pIOuapiC thhb INC hist setueis caH'
to the island about the year 1850. They
were not fishermen, as might be supposed
from the occupation of the people who
now live here, but herdsmen. The island
was owned by some Of the landed propri
etors of Accomac, who raised cattle OF
these pasture lands, and hired men to at
tend to them. Until within the last forty
years the population was limited to the
descendants of these herdsmen, and there
were not more than fifteen or twenty
houses on the island In the course Of
years tho proprietors on the main lane
abandoned their island pasture grounds
and the cattle-driving tenants became the
owners of the lands and the herds.
The upper portion of Assateague is in
Maryland, and it was settled by IA small
colony of salt-boilers. The remains of tn,
ancient hearths on which they heated thu
evaporating pans are still to be seen. Dur
ing the Revolutionary War salt was pre-
cious commodity. When the Deawar,
was blockaded by a British fleet, CAPTAIN
Scott, one of the Assateague salt-boilers
was accustomed to load swift-sailing lit
tie schooner with the produce of his pans
steal quietly up through the Sounds ant
evading the hostile ships stationed at tn,
mouth Of the bay by strategcms best know
to the blockade runner, land his cargo il
Philadelphia.
Prior to 1874, the pursuits Of the PEG
pie were entirely pastoral, except that il
the summer season they fshed in tn,
sound from boats and small sailing vessels
In that year the first oyster beds wer
planted, and new branch of industry wa,
opened up to the islanders. The Chinco
league oysters became famous, and all the
vessels owned in the vicinity of the SCUM,
were employed in carrying the succulen
bivalves to Philadelphia and New York
The islanders thus became sea- farm.
people. In 1874 Chincoteaguc oyster
sold for IL cents per bushcl; in 1850 tn,
price had advanced to so cents per bushel
in 1861 they were worth 81 per bushel, ant
now the price ranges from two to tire,
dollars, according to season.
The native islanders, as a general rule
are quite illiterate, and very few Of tn
adults can read aud write. Since the wa
school has been established, which is nov
conducted under the general school system
of Virginia. A comfortable frame schoo
house, two stories high, has been built
and the people are very proud of the pro