Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-10-11
NATIONAL INTELLIGE ENCER.
MExIC BOUNDARY COMMISSION. oN.-WEsTERN
SECTION. HF


to run and mark the boundary line established BY
the treaty of peace between the two countries. In
this account especial reference was had, as of
course in an American journal, to the American
branch of the Joint Commission, and more par
ticularly TO that now going on under the supern-
tendence Of Mr.. JOHN X. BARTLETT, as Commis-
sioner In the course of it we reported the actual
completion Of that part of the line Of boundary
constituting the Western or Pacific Section, being
right or straight line drawn between the " initial
point on the coast of ile Pacific Ocean south of
the harbor of San Diego, in California, and the
point Of junction of the rivers Gila and Colorado.
Our present purpose is TO develop from authentic
materials more detailed notice than was embraced
in our former aim Of the proceedings Of the Off
GERS concerned in determining and visbly marking
this western section of the boundary line.
The Mexican Boundary Commission, it will be
recollec,ed, as originally organized, consisted Of
Joint Commission, to the head Of which was ap-
pointed on the American side Col. JOHN B. VEL
LER, and on the Mexican Gen. PEDRO GARCIA
CoNDE. The Astronomer and Chief Of the Scien-
ti6c Corps on the American side was Major WIN.
III. Emory, assisted by Capt. E. l.. F. HARDcAsTLE
and Lieut.tA. W.. .WHIPPLE, and Mr.. ANDREW b.
GRAY occupied The position (by appointment of the
President and Senalel Of United. States Surveyor.
On the Mexican side JOSE SALAzAR YLANEGUI was
Astronomer and Surveyor, assisted by Capt FRAN
CISCO JMENEz. RIcARDe RAMIREZ, AueusTIN G.
CoSDA, and FRANcisco NJ. DE CHAvERo.
Thus organized, the Joint Commission held its
first meeting at San Diego, California, on the 5th
of July, ls49 and proceeded to adopt plan for
the execution Of the work cohfded to them by the
two Governments. Accordingly, preparations to
take the field were made at once by the Scientific
Z Corps The observatory of Major Emory was
established at Camp Riley by the 18th of July,
! and the observations were commenced by him for
the determination, astronomcally, Of the initial
point on the Pacific. A few days after Mr.. Gray
established his camp in the vicinity, for the
purpose of making the preliminary surveys neces-
sary to establish and mark this point upon the
ground. On the goth Of July Capt Hardcasle
set out into the interior 70 make reconnaissance Of
the country over which the line would pass, and
Lieut. Whipple was engaged in connecting, by tri-
angulation the observatory with the "initia point
Early in September Lieut.. Whipple left for the
junction of the Ga and Colorado rivers, and on
arriving there commenced observations for the as
economical determination of this point. On the
Pacific the "initial point" was agreed upon, and
formally marked upon the ground by the Joint
Commission on the 10th Of October, 1649. Its
location is in north latitude 32o 81 $685. and Ion
gi,ude west from Greenwich 7h. 46m. s2ls.1, or
1l7o O5 l6' s in arc. Soon after this establish
ed. the Surveyor, Mr.. Gray, started for the Gla
and Colorado, in order to FIX The point of junction
of these two rivers, but after having proceeded
more than half way he returned. The point was
however, fixed by Lieut.. Whpple, in conjunction
with Senor Jose Salazar Ylanegu the Mexican
Surveyor.
BY the latter part Of the month Of November
the geographical positions of the two points had
been determined, and, all the elements necessary
for computing the azimuth of the straight line of
boundary connecting these tive points being OBJ
tanned, the determination of the line astronomical
ly was therefore accomplished. The mountainous
country intervening. over which the line would
pass, had been explored by Capt. Hardcastle in
three separate reconnaisances, and several points
had been determined by him astronomically. To
complete the operations under Major Emory, the
azimuhs were computed and laid off at the ex-
,remities of the line, and on the Pacific side the
line was run for several miles. ie
1t was not Until the month Of January that these
same results were obtained by the Mexican Astro-
nomers and Engineers, when the two were compar-
ed, and found to agree satisfactorily, and were
therefore adopted by the joint Commission. 1t
was then agreed upon by the joint Commission to
leave the unfinished portion Of the work in the
hands OF two engineers, one from each side. On
the part of the United States Capt e. L. f. Hard
castle was appointed, and on thatof Mexico Capt.
Francisco Jimenes, and on the 18th Of February,
1850, the Joint Commission adjourned to meet at
Ell Paso in the November following. @
Subsequent to this adjournment Col. Weller was
instructed by his Government to transfer 10 Major
Emory the direction Of the affairs of the Commits
sion, and fe latter was directed to close the work
on the Pacific. Capt. H Hardcastlea was charged
with tne e.ecntion Of this work, and, with Assist
ants G. G, Gardner, Edward IHgrshsn, and VIM.
Taylor, then commenced taking the typography Of
Emory returned to Wa hhRs A a.. oy;I s Ma9r
observations that had been already collected. The
work was still carried on by Capt. Hardcasie, as
sisted by Messrs. Gardner and Ingraham, and the
notes forwarded to Major Emory,ia at Washington,
as they were matured. 6sr-s1 la M
In the month of March the monuments that had
been ordered from New York arrived at San Diego,
but the non-arriva of The engineer who had been
appointed on the Mexican side it was feared would
delay the location of them upon the line. Fortu-
nately, however, Mr.. Ricardo Ramirez and Assist
ant Zamora arrived in the latter part of the same
month, 10 the place Of Capt. Jimenez, who had
been originally appointed. There was now no
longer any obstacle TO the completion of the. work.
viz the running and marking the line upon the sur.
face of the earth, save the desolate and rugged
character of the country to be traversed But the
work was commenced at once, and steadily prose-
cuted to It's close. The line was run over two
ranges of mountains and across desert Of seven.
ty-fve miles in width, and six monuments of cast
n ~ A.