Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-06-25
ELETS IN THE CHESAPEAKE
One Hundred of Them Below
the Susquehanna's Mouth.
ARE EXTREMELY PICTURESQUE
Great Variety of Industries
There Carried On.
Several OF the Larger Islands Famous for
Rich Crops and Others the Homes Of
Thrifty Fishing oommunities-Some His
toricaI Recullections-Th Inhabitants.
Now York RyenInE Post

Beautiful in spring ana early sum |
mer are tho hundred islands of the
Chesapeako. They ho scattered, great
and small, through the 200 miles of |
salt water between tho Susquehanna's |
mouth and the southern capes.
Captain John smith must have |
known many of them when he was "A !
rover in those parts Several OF tho |
larger islands are famous for rich |
crops of wheat Indian corn, peaches |
and other fruits, and garden vegetables,
while others are homes OF thrifty fish |
ing communities, some of them models |
in their way, not only of industry and |
prosperity, but of orderly local self
government. Although many of these
islands arc reached by steamboats, |
trading to Baltimore, tho ordinary |
method of local intercommunication ie
by means Of small sailing craft, as
often as anything else the Chesapeake
"bugeye, II long. narrow craft, somo'
times still made canoe fashion, of
single followed log.
The traveller by steamboat secs
myriad of these craft, great and small,
| at tho island ports and sailing the bay.
| As the steamboat at early morning
picks her steps warily among the shall
| lows at the mouth of some crooked
tributary of the bay, the wakeful pas
\ senger sees hore and there an islander
seated in the stern OF his little craft
| and hastening to tho nearest wharf
with produce to be shipped to tho
market by tho incoming steamer. \
dozen such craft, their long, slender
musts quivering in tho wind, await tho
| incoming steamer.
| Some are laden with oysters; othors
aro unloading fish Of many sorts, Just
brought from pound nets far out in
! the hay, while still others boar country
produce. small fruits and vegetables in
/ summer, and sweet potatoes in autumn.
They are handy, weather tanned
race, these Islanders, having no high
way but tho waters of the bay, no
| vehicle but their own stanch little
craft. In striking contrast with tho
light sailing akiifs handled by ono
man, or often by small boy, are the
groat Ahugeyes' of the pound fisher
men in narrow boats driven at times
by immense oars in the hands of
sinewy negroes.
Furthest north of the large island is
Spesutia, locally pronounced Spesoosha.
1t lies only few miles below Havro do
Grace, and is the home Of ducking
club whose club. house is crowded in
LlG thllNhh- buGh bbubhtls AtNltf WV
tho United States Fish Commission
carries on an important part OF its
work
The local fisheries are famous, and
at one shore on tho island the haul
Of herring at single drawing Of a
great seine this spring was estimated
at ., 600 barrela or quite million fish.
The seine enclosed nearly two acres of
water dense with fish, and the fisher
men were throe days in landing their
catch.
Tho name Spesutia is memorial of
Captain Nathaniel Uty, who, being
sent by Lord baltimore about the mid
die Of the seventeenth century TO warn
the Dutch out of New Amstel, fortified
tho island and named it in Latin
"Ifope Of Uty." :
Larger than Spesutia, and, indeed,
considcrably the largest of the Chesa-
! peake islands, is Kent Island, 81 miles
southeast OF Baltimore, and belonging to
the Eastern Shore comfy of ST. Anne's.
, Although Kent Island is connected
I. with tho mainland by bridge, the
! island has marked character Of its
own. Hore io some of the most
i charming old Maryland homesteads,
and the island farms are famous for
wheat A yield of 35 bushels per acre
i is not uncommon.
= The island, which ia deeply indentcd
by arms of the bay, Is also Noted with
roads that run through smiling
country of orchards and pastures.
Private landings bristle along the
. shores of the island, and from these
4 landings farm produce is sent directly
!. to market Kont island is historically
y one of the richest spots in region oI
/, peculiarly rich tradition. Hero it wat
u, that Lord Baltimore, on becoming
u master Of his palatinate, moro thar
i 2G0 years ago, found troublesome
= Captain William Claybourno in ad
;, verse possessicn. The story of Clay
y bourne's stubborn war with tho new
a power. his expulsion and subsequen
return, followed bv his second ant
Il, final expulsion, is one Of the most pic
u turosque episodes in colonial history
Ono of the earliest Maryland court
was established on Kent Island, ant
Y. Claybourne's settlement, dating iron
i about 1881, was tho earliest made b.
. tho whites in the reigon now calleI
y, :, Maryland. George Evelyn was th
~ first commander of Kent Island unde
the Calvorts.
A more picturesque figure was Gile
Brent, appointed TO the command q
the island in 1910, when the islander
were restless undor the rule of th
M Culvorts. Tho Bronts. two brother
and two sisters, had come over t
ed Maryland with large corps q
servants, two years before. 1t wa
Ile the sister Margaret who as administra
trix of Gov. Calyert's estate, an
H.. attorney for the Lord Proprietor, dc
10 manded in iGl5 two votes in the MARY
land assembly, one on her own accour
NJ us woman of business and the othC
as Lord Baltimoro'a attorney. Her dt
ng mand was denied, but when Lord la
bit timoro assailed her with hard Wort
for having pacified the unpaid soldier
all by paying their wages from tho pr'
fix ceeds of Gov. Calyert's estate, II
assembly made spirited reply in hi
a., defence. Calvert had pledged himse
M to pay tho soldiers, and his instru
mi tinns to his eXccutriX we're: 'Iake q
and pay all" " Tho assembly declare
..h that she had quieted the almo
- mutinous aoliers when no ono ell
could have prevailed with them. Gil
Brent rpcaived from Lord Baltimo
the lorlship of Kent Fort on ke
or Island, together with 1000 acres
Irk land. The lortlship Of Kent Fort r
an mained in tho Brent family until Il
war Of tho Revolution.
tn Wye Island, at tho mouth OF Il
at Wyo river, though smaller than he
ing Island and of less historic importanc
est il beautiful and fertile tract. local
famous as the homestead of tho Faca
ery The old house, rich in family tracc