The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-11-19


lie Royale, in Lake Superior, to which the commbs-
sioners of the two Governments arrived by agree
ment to the Rainy lake f; and also TO confirm nose
parts of the line to which the said commissioners
agreed.
Besides agreeing upon the line Of division through
these controverted portions of the boundary, 20"
have suggested also, the proposed settlement pro-
ceeds upon the ground Of comproma.s eng eqelVa-
tents, that boats belonging 10 her M&eyt su9Jec's
may pass the falls of the Long bsnt ~ o. La" :
renee on sithe. s.de of the Long 6G& Islands and
that the passages between the slaadH AZ or near
the junction Of the river St. Clair, with the lake Of
that name shall be severally free and open to the
vessels of both countries There appears reason
able objection to what is requested.in these particu-
lars and on the part Of the United States il is des-
rabIe that their vessels proceeding in from Lake Erie
into the Detroit river, should have the privilege oil
passing between Bots Blanc, an island belonging to
England and the Canadian shore, the deeper and bet
ter channel being on that side.
The line, then, now proposed to be agreed to, may
be thus described:
Beginning at the monument ut the source of the
river ST. Croix, as designated and agreed to by the
commissioners under the fifth article Of the treaty OF
1894, between the Governments OF the United States
aud Great Britain thence, north following the ex-
plorng line and marked by the surveyors OF the
two Governments in the years 1917 and 1873, under
the fifth article of the treaty Of Client, to It's inter
section with the river ST. John, and to the middle oil
the channel thereof thence up the middle Of tfe
main channel Of the said river ST. John, to the mouth
of the river ST. Francis thence, up the middle OF the
channel of the said river st Francis, and Of the lakes
through which it flows, to the outlet of the Lake Po
henagamook thence, southwesterly, in straight
line, TO point on the northwest branch of the river
St. JOHN which point shall be ten miles distant from
the main branch Of the ST. John in straight line, and
in the nearest direction but il the said point shall be
found TO be less than miles from the nearest point
of the summit or crest Of the highlands that divide
those rivers which empty themselves into the river ST
Lawrence from those which fall into the river st.
Johns, then the said point shall be made to rccede
down the said river to a point seven miles, iii
straight line, from the said summit or crest thence,
in straight line, in course about sou'h, eigni oe-
grees west the point where the parallel OF latitude
of 46 deg. % min. north intersects the southwest
branch Of the St Johns; thence, sou'hery, oy the
said branch to the thereof In the highlands al
the Metiarmette portage thence down along the
said highlands which divide the waters which empty
themselves into the river st. Lawrence from those
which fall into the Atlantic ocean to the head oil aiis
stream thence, down the middle OF said stream I'LL
the line thus run ntersecs the Old line OF boundary,
surveyed and marked by Valentine and Collins prev-
ously TO the year l774 the forty-hfth degree OF
north latitude and which has been known and UNI
dersood to be The line of actual division between the
States of New York and Vermont on one side and
the British province of Canada on the other; and
from said point of intersection, west along the SAID
dividing line, heretofore known and understood to
the lroquois or st. Lawrence river; and from the
place where the joint commissioners terminated their
abors under the sixth article of the treaty OF Client,
TO wit at point in the Neebish channel, near Mud
dy lake, the line shall run into and along the ship
channel between St. Joseph's and st. Tapmany
islands, to the division of the channel at or near the
head of st. Joseph's island; thence, turning east
wardy and northwardy, around the lower end of st.
Georges, or Sugar island, and following the middle
of the channel which divides ST. Georges from st.
Josephs island thence, up the east Neebsh channel,
nearest to St Georges island, through the middle Of
Lake George; thence west of Jonas island, into st.
Mary's river TO point in the middle OF that river,
about one mile above st. Georges Sugar island,
as to appropriate and assign the said island to the
United States; thence, adopting the line traced on
the maps by the commissioners through the river st.
Mary and Lake Superior, to point north OF lie Roy
ale in said lake, hundred yards to the north and
east OF lie Chapeau, which aforementioned island lies
the northe astern point Of lie Royale where the
line marked by the commissioners terminates; and
from the aforementioned point, southwesterly, through
the midi of the sound between lie Royae and the
northwestern main land, to the mouth of Pigeon riv-
err and up the said river to and through the north and
south Fowl lakes to the lakes of the height of land,
between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods;
thence, along the water communication, to Lake Sal
saginaga and through that lake thence, to and
through Cypress lake, Lac du Bois Banc Lac la
Cioix, Little Vermillion lake, and Lake Namecan,
and through the several smaller lakes, straits, or
streams, connecting the lakes here mentioned to that
point IN Lac la Puie, or Rainy lake, at the Chaudere
falls, from which the commissioners traced the line,
to the most northwestern poi of the Lake OF the
Woods thence, along the said line to the said most
northwestern point being in latitude 40 deg. % min.
So NORTH and in ongi ude IS deg Ia min 3S Sec
west, from the observatory at Greenwich; thence,
according TO existing treaties, the line extends due
south to its intersection with the forty ninth parallel
of north latitude, and along that parallel TO the Rocky
mountains ii being understood that all the water
communications and all the usual porages along the
line from Lake Superior to the Lake of the Woods,
and also Grand portage, from the shore of Lake SUI
perior 10 the Lake of the Woods, and also Grand
portage, from the shore Of Lake Superior to the
Pigeon river, as actually used, shall be free and
open to the use Of the subjects and citizens of both
countries.
1t is desirable to follow the description and the
act line Of the original treaty far practicable
There is to think that "I.ong lake" mention
ed in the treaty of l783 meant merely the estuary of
the Pigeon river, no lake called "Long lake." or
any other water strictly conforming to the idea of
lake, is found in that quarter. This opinion is
strengthened by the fact that the words of the treaty
would seem to imply that the water intended as
Long lake." was Immediately joining Lake Superb
or. In one respect an exact con pliance with the
words of the treaty is not practicable. There is no
continuous water communication between Lake Su-
peror and the Lake of the Woods the Lake of
the Woods is known to discharge its waters through
the Red river of the north into Hudson's bay The
dividing height ridge between the eastern sources
Of the tributaries Of the Lake Of the Woods and the
western sources Of Pigeon river appears by anthem
tic maps, to be distant about forty miles from the
mouth Of Pigeon river, on the shore of Lake SUI
perior.
1t is not improbable that in the imperfection of
knowledge which then existed Of those remote
tries, and perhaps mised by Mitchells map, the
negotiaors of the treaty Of 1888 supposed the Lake
of the Woods to discharge it waters INTO Lake Supe-
rior. The broken and difficult nature of the water
communication from Lake Superior to the Lake of
the Woods renders numerous portages necessary and
II IS right that these water communications and these
portags should make common highway, where ne
cessary for the of the subjects and citizens of
both Governments
When the proposed line shall be properly dcscrib-
ed in the treaty. the grant by England of the right to
the waters of the river ST. Johns for the purpose
of transpo ting to the mouth of that river all the
timber and agricultural products raised in Wine, on