in North America, the entrance between Cape Henry and Cape Charles, running up 300 miles between Virginia and Maryland. It is navigable almost all the way for large ships, and has several navigable rivers that fall into it, by means of which ships go up to the very doors of the planters, to take in their lading of goods.—Here was a sea-engagement in 1781 between the British fleet under Admiral Graves consisting of 19 ships of the line, and the French fleet of 24 line-of-battle ships under the Count de Grasse, which ended in the Count's keeping possession of the Bay, by which Lord Cornwallis and his whole army were made prisoners of war at Yorktown, being invested both by sea and land by very superior numbers.