QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER of CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM The LADY MARYLAND'S ANCESTORS By Geoffrey M. Footner and Margaret M. Footner I ames Bond has small crew — some- become increas- times with only a single f ingly aware of sailor after all of the the fact that the pungy pilots aboard had been boat's dominance of placed on incoming the Chesapeake Bay's ships. These small commerce and of its schooners were really oyster industry has something new. been forgotten. Since It was from this pilot Bond is educational boat that commercial program director for cargo-carrying pilot the pungy reproduc- schooners developed, tion Lady Maryland, he the name now describ- is in a good position to ing the type or design know. The captain, rather than the origi- crew, and students nal use. The name aboard the Lady Mary- "pungy boat" came land have been trying some one-hundred to increase the public's years after the de- awareness of the im- velopment of the pilot portance of the pungy boat. Common wis- boat with visits to dom is that it derived various ports around from Pungoteague, a the state, including a The modern pungy Lady Maryland under sail. Photo copyright by Blakeslee-iane, used by permission small creek and town stopover at Solomons on the Eastern Shore of on August 20 and 21 where she was men who boarded incoming ships far Virginia. Bond doubts the legend that hosted by the Calvert Marine Museum. out in the Atlantic Ocean and piloted she is a cut-down version of the famous The goal of the staff and crew of the them through the shoal waters at the Baltimore clipper. Actually, the opposite Lady Maryland is to give the school entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. It was may prove to be the truth: that the clip- children of this region an experience in a first come, first served situation, and per, a ship of war, was a larger, sharper living history. Last year, some five thou- the winners where those with the fastest version of the original pungy design'. sand students were aboard her for a day sailing craft. A rather small, light, flush- During the first century as a colony, or longer. They learned about the deck schooner evolved, a vessel with Maryland (and Virginia, too) relied on pungy and how to sail her, and they two large gaff-rigged sails on bald- one crop. Tobacco, grown throughout also received lectures on the Chesa- headed masts, and with a single jib. The the Chesapeake region and shipped peake's resources and problems. pilots' boat's characteristics of a large only to Great Britain, dominated the It has been widely accepted by sail area on a light, sharp, fine hull economy of the two colonies. There maritime historians that the pungy's made it swift through the water, highly was little port activity in the colonies, design originated before 1740 with the maneuverable, and manageable by a (Continued on page 6) THE MUSEUM WILL BE CLOSED TO VISITORS DURING THE PERIOD NOVEMBER 28 THROUGH DECEMBER 1, 1988. ON DECEMBER 3 THE NEW EXHIBITION BUILDING WILL BE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC SEE STORY ON PAGE 3. Bugeye NEW PUBLICATIONS SELECTED RECENT ACQUISITIONS AVAILABLE Gifts for Seasonal Giving Included in most copies of this issue of the Bugeye TVmes is a brochure describing an attractive and interesting new book on a group of selected maritime museums of the United States. Entitled Maritime America: Art and Ar- tifacts from America's Great Nautical Collections, this book has just recently been published by the Balsam Press, Inc., of New York. Items from the col- lections of thirteen museums — in- cluding the Calvert Marine Museum — are depicted through hundreds of il- lustrations, mostly in color, of restored African Queen, Potomac River Dory. CMM photo by Paula Johnson vessels, picturesque harbors, marine paintings, boat models, figureheads, carved water fowl, and many other ar- The museum has acquired several around 1930 at Cobb Island. tifacts, along with carefully document- significant collections and artifacts From the estate of Frederick Tilp, ed chapters on each of the collections. since last spring. The Potomac River author, historian, architect, and friend The book is edited and introduced by dory boat, African Queen, was donated of the Calvert Marine Museum who Peter Neil I, president of the South Street to the museum by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur passed away in May, the museum re- Seaport Museum in New York. Copies A. Puchetti of Marathon, Florida, ceived 198 books, some 900 black and may be purchased from the museum formerly of Piney Point, St. Mary's white photographs, 1000 photographic store at $45.00 each, [ess ten percent County. The boat is one of the last slides, research files, and numerous for members, plus Maryland sales tax dories, a distinctive type of wooden prints and maps. All of these materials of five percent (where applicable) and workboat built on the Potomac River in pertain to Potomac River and Chesa- handling of $2.00. the late nineteenth and early twentieth peake Bay history, Fred's favorite sub- (Continued on page 7) centuries. The African Queen was built (Continued on page 7) "SITTING IN ON THE FUTURE" CONTINUES Bugeye Turn An Appropriate "Season's Greetings" Quarterly Newsletter of the Calvert Marine Museum Although the new exhibition building to date. A gift of $250 will entitle the and the is nearly completed, there is still time donor to a commemorative plate on the Calvert Marine Society, Inc. to take part in the "Sitting in on the back of one of the seats, as well as on (ISSN 0887-651X) Future" campaign and to buy a com- a wall plaque designed by LeRoy "Pep- Ralph E. Eshelman, Director memorative plate for a seat in the audi- per" Langley; a gift of $100 will entitle Paul L Berry, Editor torium or on a donor list on the wall the donor to a commemorative plate Other contributors to this issue: of the auditorium. As reported in the only on a wall plaque. In either case, Layne Bergin summer issue of the Bugeye Times, this the donor may have his or her (or a cou- Paula Johnson campaign is intended to raise funds to ple's) name on the plate, or the name Robert Gatton match part of a grant from the National of someone the donor wishes to honor Craig DeTample Endowment for the Humanities that is or memorialize. The bugeye was the traditional sailing craft to be used to fabricate and install the This "seat" campaign provides a of the Bay, and was built in all its glory at permanent exhibit, "Maritime Patuxent: most fitting and public way to honor Solomons, the "Bugeye Capital of the A River and its People," in the new those who have contributed to the World." Membership dues are used to Maritime History Hall. To date only history of the Patuxent area —.either fund special museum projects, programs, Calvert Marine Society members have through their past or present labors, or and printing of this newsletter. Address comments and membership applications received solicitation literature for this through support of the efforts of the to: campaign, but it will soon be extend- Calvert Marine Museum to preserve this Calvert Marine Society, Inc. ed into the local communities. heritage. Further details on the "Sitting P.O. Box 97 Since the campaign began in early in on the Future" campaign and an Solomons, MD 20688 (301) 326-2042 June, over $30,000 has been raised, order form may be obtained by a phone with over eighty of the 198 seats "sold" call or letter to the museum. 1988 3 P. multidentatus Cope, FOSSIL FACTS lower pharyngeals By Sandy Roberts (crushing teeth missing) Pharyngeal Teeth of the Black Drum Fish, Pogonias multidentatus In all probability the Miocene black drum, Pogonias multidentatus, was an inshore fish, a sandy bottom feeder with a special liking for oysters. It belonged to a noisy family of grunts, P. multidentatus Cope, croakers, and drums called the single crushing teeth Sciaenidae. Like the modern black drum, Pogonias cromis, which occurs in the Bay today, P. multidentatus was probably a huge, lumbering, black- finned fish with a large underslung mouth filled with teeth specially Teeth. Roughly triangular in shape, adapted for crushing mollusks. there were two major upper plates and Whiskery appendages, called "bar- a single, broad, tooth-studded lower bels," would have fringed its chin. plate that had developed sometime in These tactile sensory organs would the fish's evolutionary past when two have allowed the drum to feel and taste separate plates had fused together. its food before eating it. Fossil plates when collected are P. multidentatus was aptly named: it usually fragmentary and missing most, was indeed a "bearded, many toothed" if not all of their teeth. They may be animal. Its jaws contained hundreds of recognized, however, by the unique pat- small, close set, peg-like teeth. Deep Pogonias multidentus Cope, tern of their shallow, multisided sockets, within its throat were pharyngeal plates upper pharyngeals each of which is outlined with a nar- covered with flat, polysided, crushing (crushing teeth missing) row, polysided border. Since P. multidentatus replaced its pharyngeal teeth throughout its life, individual fossil teeth are common finds. The small (a quarter inch is a good sized OPENING OF NEW BUILDING tooth), shiny, black or brown enamel SET FOR DECEMBER teeth may be further identified by an in- dentation or pit on the bottom of each After over two years of construction, vember 28 through December 2), a tooth. They are easily found in the the museum grounds are finally reach- week during which the museum will be grave! beach wash of the Chesapeake ing a more normal appearance — but closed to visitors.