The mean height of the highest waves in a storm, is about forty-three feet above the level of the hollow. After a storm of thirty-six hours' duration, they have been known to average thirty feet, from ridge to hollow. When they meet with an immovable perpendicular obstruction, they sometimes rise in immense masses of water, to the height of one hundred and six feet above the level of the sea! They travel with astonishing velocity, propagating their motion at the rate of thirty or forty miles per hour, and exerting a force equal to three tons per square foot! Five hundred and fifty-nine feet is the probable mean distance of the waves from each other, or from crest to crest. "The water does not advance with the wave, but the form only -the water rising and falling in the same place, except at the beach, where it becomes really progressive, because it cannot sink, and therefore falls over forward."

"When we see a column of water, at least thirty feet in height, advancing with the speed of a railroad train, we can readily imagine that its force is almost irresistible.

"These results are astonishing; and it is no wonder that in the encounter with such a force, the largest ships are but toys, and wood and iron almost as fragile as glass. Nothing but stone can be expected to resist such a force, and that must be as firmly fastened as the ledges on which the waves spend their fury. 'Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.'

Reader, have you ever stood upon the ocean shore, and looked out freely upon that broad and heaving bosom; and as you gazed, and wondered, and admired, felt how insignificant is man and how inconceivably powerful his Maker? Surely it must be, to all who can feel, a most exciting and inspiring scene. The feeling of solemnity and awe which it produces cannot be described. Every one is more or less moved, on beholding this mighty creation of God. Some are humbled, and feel like falling low upon the sand, and adoring Him who "rulest the raging of the sea;" some appear lost in wonder at the stupendous scene; while others are highly excited, and are ready to shout aloud, like a distinguished female author, who says:

"How happy I was to behold the beautiful sea once more; to be once more wondering at and worshipping the grandeur and loveliness of this greatest of God's marvellous works! How I do love the sea! My very soul seems to gather energy and life and light, from its power, its vastness, its bold, bright beauty; its fresh, invigorating airs; its glorious, triumphant, rushing sound. The thin, rippling waves came like silver leaves, spreading themselves over the glittering sand with just a little, sparkling, pearly edge.

"Close along the shore, the water was of that pale, transparent green colour, that blends so delicately with the horizon, sometimes, at sunset; but out beyond, towards the great deep, it wore that serene and holiest blue that surrounds one in midocean, when the earth is nearly as far below as the heaven seems high above us.

"For a short time my spirits seemed like uncaged birds; I rejoiced with all my might; I could have shouted aloud for delight; I galloped far along the sand, as close into the water's restless edge as my horse would bear to go. But the excitement died away, and then came vividly back the time when last I stood upon the sea-beach at Cramond, and lost myself in listening to that delicious sound of the chiming of waters."

It is pleasant to chase the retiring wave, and gather the variegated shells and pebbles thrown up from the fathomless depths. But to look upon those surges, long and high, rolling gracefully and majestically in from the distance to the shore, spreading their foam, and spending their power there, is well calculated to make a deep and lasting impression upon the reflecting mind. And to behold the cloudless sun or full-orbed moon, rise, as it were, from that vast watery bed; and the glittering spangles of every hue scattered far away upon the ocean's agitated bosom, is also a highly interesting sight—“like an infinite multitude of little fiery gems, moving and sparkling through endless confusion; or like brilliant insects, sportingall intermingled, and never tired or reposing the most vivid frisks."

They who have had the pleasure of seeing the grand and

splendid scenery of Harper's Ferry; who have seen the craggy, frowning cliffs near Cumberland; and from Laurel Hill and vicinity, have been favoured with a view of the magnificent scenery, thrown around by nature's hand in every direction, rolling, towering, diversified, and beautiful as it is; who have gazed with delight, far over those mountain barriers, upon many a charming, winding stream, and sparkling, murmuring waterfall; many a wide and wildly-rushing river,-acknowledge that they have never witnessed any work of the Creator which has excited so many thrilling sensations, as the boundless, fathomless deep.

"Dash on, ye ever restless waves;
Roll on, thou mighty sea!"

CHAPTER LX.

Chesapeake Bay-Its Beauty-Discovery-Opinion of Mariners-Delightful Trip-Night Scene-Lynnhaven Bay—Lynnhaven River-Fish and Oysters -The Inlet-The Channel-The Tides-Bottom-Singular Tradition-The River of Chesapeake-Pleasure House Creek-Adam Keeling, Esq.-Dike— New Inlet Branches of the River-London Bridge-Trading Point-Kempsville--Long Creek-Broad Bay--Linkhorn Bay-Fish-Beautiful SceneryTransparent Waters-The Desert and its Inhabitants-Old Fort-Remarkable Changes-Church Point-Parish Church Submerged-GraveYard-Reflections-The Grave-stones-Name Deciphered-Inroads of the Water-Probable Causes-The Winds and Tides-Donation Church-Parson Dixon's Donation-His Eccentricities-The Old Church DilapidatedLadies' Fair-Remarks of Mr. Broughton-Rev. Anthony Walke-Dick Edwards-The Old Cemetery, &c.-Baptismal Font-Silver Goblet-A Venerable Trio-Indian Mound or Fort-Blackbeard's Treasures-Witch Duck-Complaint of Luke Hill and Wife-Grace Sherwood, the WitchSearched by a Jury of Women-Strange Verdict-Poor Grace Ducked-Subsequent Difficulties-Graceless Affair-The Name Lynnhaven.

CHESAPEAKE Bay,* of which the reader has already observed occasional remarks, is considered by travellers to be among the

* Chesapeake is said to be derived from the Indian, signifying Mother of Waters, the parent or reservoir of all the great rivers emptying within it.Steth.

most beautiful and interesting collections of water in the world. "It was discovered by some of the first colonists of the island of Roanoke, and Raleigh had enjoined it upon one of his own expeditions to settle within its shores; and it is not improbable that the ships of some of the early voyagers may have ploughed its waters."

The following extract will serve very well to convey to the mind of those who have not seen this bay, an idea of its magnificence:

"The trip from Baltimore down the Chesapeake, in the fine steamer Georgia, was a delightful one. I have often heard old sea-captains, who have traversed almost every known sea, lake, bay, and river in the world, speak in the most exalted terms of the noble Chesapeake. As a bay, it has no equal, not even in that of Naples, all things considered. I know of no more delightful trip, especially in the summer season. Mine, on this last occasion, was particularly so. I emerged from the confines of a hot, murky city, and was soon out upon the broad blue waters, with an exquisite breeze, which came up with invigorating freshness from the silver waves. Night came on, and her azure curtain, gemmed with myriad stars, was drawn over the expanse above. A little while longer, and the pale moon, with her full round modest face, peered up the eastern horizon. She looked like a sylvan queen gently blushing to take the place of her lord and master, who had just sunk from his majestic career behind a golden halo.

"A scene on the Chesapeake, thus changing from noonday to gray eve, thence to dim twilight, and deepening into the soft azure of a summer's night, is truly inspiring alike to the poet and painter, as well as invigorating to health, and renovating to the finer feelings of sentimentality and romance."

Lynnhaven Bay is a portion of the Chesapeake, at its southern extremity, and lies between Cape Henry and a point at Little Creek Inlet. The waters of the Chesapeake here make a graceful curve into the land; and the view, to the north especially, is extensive, and very beautiful.

Lynnhaven River is, also, a truly beautiful collection of water, which extends into Princess Anne County from the bay. It has

long been celebrated for the finest fish, especially the hog-fish, sheep's-head, spot, trout, &c. As for Lynnhaven oysters, their celebrity has extended throughout the Union, and probably reached the Eastern Continent.

The present inlet to Lynnhaven is of modern origin, as we shall presently show. It is now very shallow; indeed, there is a sandbar across the entrance, which affords at high tide only about four and a half feet of water, excepting a channel some ten or fifteen feet wide, and from about four to six feet deep. At low tide, the inlet is only knee deep, excepting the narrow channel; and its transparent waters are of course forded with great facility. The channel, inside of the bar, varies from twelve to twenty feet in depth; in some places it is very narrow, and the ebb and flow of the tides therein are rapid, probably from four to six knots per hour. And it is quite worthy of remark, that the egress or ingress of the tides is in some places scarcely perceptible outside of this narrow channel, the water on either side being sometimes comparatively still and very clear and smooth during the ebb and flow of the tides, presenting, we should think, an appearance similar to that occasioned by the passage of the waters of the River Jordan through the middle of the Sea of Galilee, if the accounts of a certain traveller relative thereto be correct.

The bottom of Lynnhaven River is, for the most part, composed of loose brownish sand, which is constantly moved about by the force of the tides.

We have heard strange traditionary statements about Lynnhaven River, some of which are very absurd, and would be found difficult to substantiate. It has been said that this beautiful stream is of comparatively modern origin; that persons now living, probably knew the individual, who, by having a ditch or drain cut through his lands, caused the existence of this deep and clear river, or a large portion thereof; that the water flowing rapidly through this dike gradually wore it away to a deep and ample river-bed! This is, of course, all a mistake, a simple impossibility. It is sufficiently evident, that the River of Chesapeake, or as it is now called, Lynnhaven River, existed when the country was discovered. We will mention a circum