Leaving the Kent Narrows on the Callinectes, it was hard to imagine the area before it included all of the restaurants and boats. We left the pier and headed out into the Chester River on a very cold April morning. It wasn’t long before the houses, condominiums and marinas disappeared from view and all we saw were natural shorelines and river. While enjoying the ride, Dr. Seidel would point out various places on the river and refer to the maps that we would later be provided. Not only was I seeing what someone in John Smith’s time would have seen, but Dr. Seidel was also telling us about the Native Americans who once inhabited the region. I found it interesting to learn that the sites that would probably hold the Native American artifacts are probably all underwater because of sea level rise. As we continued past Eastern Neck Island, the river started to narrow. We stopped for lunch at a beautiful, old farm. While sitting in the field eating lunch, the captain and the Seidels talked to us about why this spot would have been an excellent place for a Native American settlement. What would people look for in a place to settle he asked us? High land with a view of the river was important. One needed the river for transportation and a higher view of the river would allow people to see who were coming, especially the enemy. A protected cove was also important. This spot had both of these things. Hearing about all the oyster shells that are found in the fields at this farm helps lead researchers to believe that people who settled here were eating those oysters and that is why we find the shells in the field today. This spot more than likely was an Indian Village in John Smith’s time. Back on the boat we talked about John Smith’s map of the area dated from 1612. His map is surprisingly accurate with maps of today. While we motored up the river, I looked out through the binoculars at the farms and houses on the river. In my head I was thinking if those spots were places that people would have chosen to settle hundreds of years ago. When we came around the bend to enter in Chestertown the Bride of Baltimore and the Sultana came into view. Talk about transporting yourself back in time! What an exciting way to end our voyage.
