When Captain John Smith and his crew set out from Jamestown to explore a body of water known as the Chesapeake in 1608, they didn’t know what to expect. Would their small, crowded boat sink? Would someone attack them? Would they die in a terrible storm? Or would they find another ocean and discover the gold that would make them rich? Based on Captain Smith’s diaries, this true story describes how the men fought hurricane-force winds, searched for gold, faced hostile (and friendly) natives, and suffered gnawing hunger and terrible sickness. After a total of fourteen weeks on the bay, they returned to Jamestown with the sure knowledge that the Chesapeake was bigger and richer than anyone had imagined – and so was the land around it. Charming illustrations provide a touch of humor and more information about the history and wildlife of the big and beautiful Chesapeake Bay. Middle grades–ages 7-10.