The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-18 00:00:00

south, as had been erroneously reported by the sur-
veyor emplosed by the New Hampshire Commisaion-
ers in 1836, and r.)iterated in sveral official papers.
From the State corner, the dividing ridge was folowed
to where it had been previously explored by the patty.
Thence a course was taken to the north-east, so as to
reach the head of Lake Megantic, and thence to Lake
Ma;:autnac, where, on the Bth October, the two detach-
ments were again unite I. The detachment led by the
assistant, Mr. Cutts, had successfully followed the di-
viding ridge from 'the camp of the 24th, on Arnold
Rise-, to this place.
" It was now ascertained that the provisions remain,
lug were not sufficient to subsist all of the company
until the Kennebec road could be reached by iollowing
the height of land. It was thought advisable again to
separate into detachments—one to follow the ridge,
supplied with provisions for 20 days ; and the other to
strike for the nearest settlement, which, it was sup-
posed, could be reached in four or five days. This
movement commenced on the 10th of October, and
the detachiner:t, following the high land, reached the
Kennebec road on the 23d ; and on the following day
provisions for the party for 15 days were placed there,
and a like quantity at the mouth of the Metjarmette.
It was intended that the two detachments should move
simultaneously from these two points on the 26th to ex-
plore the boundary line as far as Lake Etchemin. A
deep snow, which commenced fa:ling on the night of the
25th, compelled the Commissioners to abandon further
explorations at that time ; and there was not the
slightest probability that they could be resumed before
another year.
The result of these explorations may be stated as
follows

" About 160 miles of country along or near the
height of land' have been traversed, the travelled dis-
tances carefully estimated, uad the courses measured
with a compass. Barometrical observations were made
as often as necessary, for giving a profile of the route
from the head of Hall's stream to Arnold's, or the
Chaudiere river, and thence to Like Magaumac via the
corner of the State of New Hampshire•. Same further
barometrical observations were made between this lake
and the Kennebec road ; but, for a portion of that dis-
tance, the barometer was unserviceable, in consequence
of air having entered the tube. Astronomical observa-
tions were made as often as there was an opportunity,
but, owing to the prevalence of clouds, not as often as
was desirable. They will serve for correcting the courses
and estimated distances as travelled. Barometrical
observations for comparison were made at the intersec-
tion of the Kennebec road and height of land, hourly,
from seven a.m. to five p.m., while the parties were
on the dividing ridge.
" The only discovery of interest made by this party
is, that the Megalloway river does not head any of the
branches of the Connecticut, as it was generally be-
lieved it did ; and, consequently, our claim to Hall's
stream is deprived of the support it would have had,
from the fact that ad the other branches were headed
by an Atlantic river, and, consequently, could not be
reached by the line along the height of land from the
north-west angle of Nova Scotia.
" The other Commissioner (Major J. D. Graham)
did not receive his appointment until 16th August, to
fill the place left vacant by the non-acceptance of Pro-
fessor Cleveland ; and to him was assigned the survey
and examination of the due-north line, commencing at
the source of the River St. Croix, and extending to the
highlands which divide the waters that flow into the
River St. Lawrence, from those which flow into the
Atlantic Ocean.

"Immediately after receiving his appointment, he took
t`-:e necessary steps for organising his party ; and, in addi-
tion to two officers of the corps of topographical engineers,
assigned to him by the commandant of the corps for this
service, he called to his aid two civil engineers, possess-
ing the requisite qualifications for the duties to be per-
formed. So soon as the requisite instruments could be
procured, and put in proper order, he left New York
for Portland, Mainf,, where he arrived on the sth of
September, expecting there to join his colleagues of the
commission. They had, however, proceeded to the
points designated for the commencement of their respew
tive duties ; the season being No far advanced to justify
their incurring any further delay.
" At Portland, a short conference was had with Mr.
Stubbs, the agent of the State Department, who fur-
nished the necessary means for procuring an outfit for
the party, in provisions, camp equipage, &C.
" The party then proceeded to Bangor, where it was
occupied until the 12th in procuring the necessary sup-
plies of provisions, camp equipage, transportation, &e.,
to enable it to take the field ; and a few astronomical
observations were male here, for the purpose of testing
the rates of the chronometers which were to be used
upon this service, as will as of obtaining additional
data for computing the longitude of this place, which,
together with the latitude, had been determined by the
Commissioners, by a very near approximation to the
summer of 1838, while occupied upon the inil:tary re-
connoisances of the north-eastern frontier.

On the I:2th, the Carty left Bangor for Houlton,
where it arrived on the evening of the 13th. A dept.
of provisions was established here for supplying the line
of their future operations, and the services bf the requi-
site number of men, as axe-men, chtsin•bearers, instru-
ment•carriers, &c.
Pending these preparations, and the time neces-
sarily occupied in cutting a roadway through the forest,
from a convenient point on the Cal.sis road to the
monument at the source of the raver S:. Croix, a series
of astronomical observations were made, both by day
and by night, by which the 1 ititudo and longitude of
Houlton were satisfactorily determined, and the rates
of the chronometers further tested.

" By the 24th of September, the roadway was suffi-
ciently opened to permit a camp to be established upon
the experimental meridian line, traced by the United
States and British surveyors in the year 1817, when an
attempt was made to mark this portion of the boun-
dary bet:seen the tso countries, agreeable to the pro-
visions of the treaty of Ghent of 1815.
" The provisions and camp equipage were trans-
ported upon a strong, but roughly constructed sledge,
drawn by horses, whilst the instruments were carried
by hand ; the surface of country over which this road-
way was opened being too rough for any wheeled
vehicle to pass.
" The point decided upon as the true source of the
river St. Croix, by the United St rtes and British Com-
missioners appointed for that purpose, under the sth
article of the treaty of 1794, was found and identified,
both by the inscriptions upon the monument erected
there to mark the spot, and also by the testimony of a
living witness of high respectability, who has known the
locality since it was first designated by the Commis-
sioners under the treaty of 1791. . _ _

" The avenue, which had been cleared through a
dense forest from the monument to a distance of 12
miles north of it, by the surveyors, in 1817, wav easily
recognised by the new and thick gro tth of young
timber which, having a width of from 40 to 50 feet,
now occupied it. Axemen were at once set at work
to re-open this avenue, under the supposition that the
due north line would at least fall within its borders for
a distance of 12 miles. In the meantime, the first as-
tronomical station and camp were established, and the
transit Instrument set up at r. dint tnce of 4,578 feet
north, of the monument upon an eminence of 45i
feet above the level of its base. Tuis positio❑ com•
manded a distinct view of the monument to the
south, and of the whole line to the north, for a dis-
tance of 11 miles, reaching Park Whilst the
work of clearing the line of its young growth of timber
was progressing, n series of astronomical obtcrvations
was commenced at this first camp, and continued both
day and night without intermission (except when inter-
rupted by unfavourable wca'hcr) with the sextants, the
repf acing circle of retie .Lion, and the trans t instrument,
until the latitude and longitude of the monument and of
this first camp were satisfactorily aseerta;ned, and also
the direction of the true meridian from the said monu-
ment established.

For this latter purpose, several observations were in
the first place made on the polar star (Alpha, Ursse
Minoris), when at i:s greatest eastern diurnal elonga-
tion ; and the direction thus obtained was afterwards
verified and further correcte 1 by numerous transit ob-
servations upon stars passing the meridian at various
altitudes, both north and scuth of the zenith. These
were multiplied with care, and with the aid of four ex-
cellent chronometers, whose rates were constantly tested,
not only by the transient observations, but also by equal
altitudes of the sun in the day, to correct the timo at
noon and midnight, and by observed alt:tudes of east
and west stars, for correcting the same at various hours
of the night.
" The direction of this true meridian, as thus esta-
blished by the Commissioner; was found to vary from
the experimental line traced by the surveyors of 1817,
by running in the first place to the west of their line,
then crossing it, and afterwards deviating considerably
to the east of it.
" At the second principal station erected by the party,
distant 6 miles and 3,952 feet north of the first camp,
or 7 mil !s and 3,240 feet north of the monument, it found
itself 60 feet to the west of the line of 1817. This ap-
peared to bet he maximum deviation to tie west of that
lb e, as near as its trace could be ident fled, which was
only marked by permanent objects recognised by the
party, at the termination of each mile from the monu-
ment. 5300 after passing this station, tie line of 1817
was crossed, and the party did not afterwards touch it,
but deviated more and more to the east of it as it pro-
gressed north, but by an irregular proportion of the dis-
tance advanced.
" In order to obtain a correct profile or vertical sec-
tion along the whole extent of this meridian line, in the
hope of furnishing data for accurate comparison of ele-
vations so far as they might be considered relevant to
the subject in dispute between the two Governments,
and also to afford an accurate base of comparison for
the barometers along the extended line, which must tra-
ation for many
verr many ridges that will be objects of minute explo
r
'rages of lateral extcrt, an officer was
appointed to trace a line of levels from the base of the
monument, marking the source of the river St. Croix to
tide water at Ca'ais in Maine, by which means the e;e-
vation of the base of the monument above the planes of
mean law and mean high water, and also the elevation