Part 39

Accordingly, they did meet at that place, and began their operations.

It may be desirable to state at the outset that for the sake of convenience the whole line of boundary marked by the undersigned has been divided in the mention made of the different portions into the following grand divisions, viz:

"North line," from the source of the St. Croix to the intersection of the St. John.

"River St. John," from the intersection of the north line to the mouth of the St. Francis.

"River St. Francis," from its mouth to the outlet of Lake Pohenagamook.

"Southwest line," from the outlet of Lake Pohenagamook to the Northwest Branch of the St. John.

"South line," from the Northwest Branch to the parallel of latitude 46° 25' on the Southwest Branch.

"Southwest Branch," from the parallel 46° 25' to its source.

"Highlands," from the source of the Southwest Branch of the St. John to the source of Halls Stream.

"Halls Stream," from its source to the intersection of the line of Valentine and Collins.

"West line," from Halls Stream to the St. Lawrence near St. Regis, along the line of Valentine and Collins.

To return to the narration of operations:

The exploring line of Colonel Bouchette and Mr. Johnson, as directed by the treaty, was traced from the monument at the source of the St. Croix to the intersection of the St. John.

The monument found at the source of the St. Croix, as described in the report of Colonel Bouchette and Mr. Johnson, and the course of their exploring line, was traced by blazes or marks upon the trees.

An old line, cut out by the assistant surveyors of Colonel Bouchette and Mr. Johnson, was also found, which terminated about half a mile north of the South Branch of the Meduxnikeag, where, by records to which the undersigned referred, they ascertained that it had been abandoned because of its deviation from the exploring line of Colonel Bouchette and Mr. Johnson.

After the exploration and re-marking of the north line it was cut out 30 feet wide. The same was afterwards done in all parts where the boundary passed through woodland. After thus opening the north line it was surveyed, and iron posts were erected at intervals to mark it.

The general bearing of the line was rather to the west of the meridian of the monument at the source of the St. Croix. The precise line laid down by the undersigned was determined by successive courses, of which each was made to be as long as was convenient, provided it did not pass out of the opening of 30 feet.

At each angle of deflection an iron monument was erected, and placed anglewise with the line. Other monuments were erected at the crossing of roads, rivers, and at every mile, commencing from the source of the St. Croix. Those which were not intended to mark angles of deflection were placed square with the line.

At the intersection of the St. John by the north line the river is deep and broad. The boundary runs up the middle of the channel of the river, as indicated by the maps, dividing the islands as follows:

No. 1. Ryan's Island................................ United States. No. 2. King's Island................................ United States. No. 3. Les Trois Isles.............................. United States. No. 4. La Septieme Isle............................. United States. No. 5. Quissibis.................................... Great Britain. No. 6. La Grand Isle................................ United States. No. 7. Thibideau's Islands.......................... United States. No. 8. Madawaska Islands............................ Great Britain. No. 9. Joseph Michaud's three islands............... United States. No. 10. Pine Island.................................. Great Britain. No. 11. Baker's } Turtle } Dagle's } islands ........................... Great Britain. Fourth } Fifth } No. 12. Kennedy's Island............................. Great Britain. No. 13. Crock's } Cranberry } islands......................... Great Britain. Gooseberry } No. 14. Savage's Island.............................. United States. No. 15. Wheelock's Island............................ United States. No. 16. Caton's Island............................... United States. No. 17. Honeywell's Island........................... United States. No. 18. Savage and Johnson's Island.................. United States. No. 19. Grew's Island................................ United States. No. 20. Kendall's Island............................. Great Britain.

The islands were distributed to Great Britain or to the United States, as they were found to be on the right or left of the deep channel. There was but one doubtful case, La Septieme Isle, and that was apportioned to the United States because the majority of the owners were ascertained to reside on the United States side of the river.

Monuments were erected upon the islands, marking them for Great Britain or the United States, as the case may have been.

After leaving the St. John the boundary enters the St. Francis, dividing the islands at the mouth of that river in the manner shown in the maps. It then runs up the St. Francis, through the middle of the lakes upon it, to the outlet of Lake Pohenagamook, the third large lake from the mouth of the river. At the outlet a large monument has been erected.

In order to determine the point on the Northwest Branch to which the treaty directed that a straight line should be run from the outlet of Lake Pohenagamook, a survey of that stream was made, and also of the main St. John in the neighborhood of the mouth of the Northwest Branch, and a line was cut between the St. John and the point on the Northwest Branch ascertained by the survey to be 10 miles in the nearest direction from it, and the distance was afterwards verified by chaining.

It was ascertained also, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty, by a triangulation of the country toward the highlands dividing the waters of the St. Lawrence and of the St. John, that more than 7 miles intervened between the point selected on the Northwest Branch and the crest of the dividing ridge. A large iron monument was afterwards erected on the point thus selected, and the space around was cleared and sown with grass seed. It is a short distance below the outlet of Lake Ishaganalshegeck.

The outlet of Lake Pohenagamook and the point on the Northwest Branch designated by the treaty having been thus ascertained and marked, in the spring of 1844 a straight line was run between them. Along that line, which passes entirely through forest, monuments were erected at every mile, at the crossings of the principal streams and rivers, and at the tops of those hills where a transit instrument had been set up to test the straightness of the line.

As soon as the parallel of latitude 46° 25' had been determined on the Southwest Branch, in the early part of the summer of 1844, a straight line was drawn from the boundary point on the Northwest Branch to a large monument erected on the left bank of the Southwest Branch where it is intersected by the parallel of latitude 46° 25'. The line so drawn crosses the Southwest Branch once before it reaches the parallel of latitude 46° 25', and at about half a mile distance from that parallel. There also a large monument has been set up on the left bank.

From the intersection of the parallel 46° 25' the boundary ascends the Southwest Branch, passes through a lake near its head, and so up a small stream which falls into the lake from the west to the source of that stream, which has been selected as the source of the Southwest Branch.