Captain John Smith on the Sassafras River

Captain John Smith on the Sassafras River. . In 1608, English explorer Captain John Smith conducted two expeditions on the Chesapeake Bay. He was charged by the Virginia Company to seek precious metals and a water passage to the Pacific. His first voyage focused on the Bay's western shore. His second trip took him to the head of the Bay, where he explored what are known today as the Sassafras, Northeast and Susquehanna rivers. While on the Sassafras, Smith encountered a group of American Indians known as the Tockwogh. Though Smith did not find gold, silver or a "Northwest Passage," his writings and maps served as important guides for future explorers and settlers in the Bay region., Inset , Smith and his crew rowed and sailed a 28-foot open boat (shallop) throughout the Chesapeake Bay and along several tributaries., Map , Smith's remarkably accurate map of the Chesapeake Bay was published in 1612. (North is to the right), Black Inset , Sultana Projects, Inc. - based in Chestertown - replicated Smith's 1608 Chesapeake voyages during the summer of 2007 to launch the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Established by Congress in 2005, the Trail commemorates Smith's epic voyages and their import in American history. Visit www.smithtrail.net or www.sultanaprojects.org to learn more.