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It’s been more than 400 years since English colonists started exploring the James River, but a new expedition will launch this summer with a distinctly 21st-century mission.

In late June, a ring of six digital cameras will be mounted atop a pole on a raft that will float the entire 340 miles of the James, capturing a panoramic image every 30 feet or so. The goal, according to project organizers, is to create a virtual map of the river that will top the Google Street View experience.

“This is a huge opportunity to showcase the James River,” said Robert Clarkson, program director for the James River Association, which is collaborating on the project with

the local company that runs the websites RichmondOutside.com and Terrain360.com.

The trip will start on the west side of the Blue Ridge near the town of Iron Gate, where the Cowpasture River joins the Jackson River to form the James. It will end at the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads.

The vessel doesn’t have a firm name. But in keeping with the spirit of the endeavor, the team is thinking of calling it the John Smith, after the Jamestown adventurer.