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Commission of Delegates appointed by the General Assembly of Connecticut Nov. 13, 1683, to negotiate with Gov. Dongan of New-York respecting the boundary.

To the Honorable Robert Treat, Gov., Maj. Nathan Gold, Capt. John Allyn Esq, assistants, & Mr. WTM Pitkin, Gentleman:

The General Assembly of his Majesties Colony of Connecticut at this present session the 14th day of Nov. 1683, We hereby nominate, commissionate and fully empower as also desire you to take your first opportunity to travel to the city of New-York where you are to visit the Hon Thomas Dungan Esq Gov' of his Royal highness the Duke of York his territory in America and to congratulate his honors safe arrival to New England and his highness territories and to manifest to him this Courts grateful sentiments of his honors professions by his letters of his desire to be in good amity with us and to assure his honor that we shall study and endeavor as we may by all good ways and means to show ourselves as amiable and serviceable to his Royal highness and his honor as we are capable of, and to that end we shall endeavor to remove all objections and do what is in our compass to settle and maintain a good & neighbourly correspondence with him for our mutual advantages.

Also whereas his honour hath been pleased in his letter to signify to us that he is not satisfied with the former stated bound between this colony and his Royal highness territories and hath moved for a treaty and settlement of what is or may be matter of difference between his highnesses claims and ours in that respect, You or any three of you are hereby fully commissionated and impowered to treat with his honour thereabout or such as he shall please to appoint, And if you shall see just reason to vary anything from the former settlement of the bounds between his Royal highnesses territories and his majesties Colony, and his majes

ties commissioners thereunto, by his majesty especially appointed and a committee from this Colony farther towards the east than was agreed on and hath been since approved by his majesty you have hereby full power and authority to do and agree therein with the said Govenor Dungan, or those he shall appoint for a final issue and settlement according to your best judgment, provided that his majesty and his Royal highness approve of and confirm the

same.

Instructions for the Hon. Robert Treat Esq., the worshipful Maj. Nathan Gold and Capt. John Allyn Assistants, and Mr. William Pitkin.

Gentlemen-You are to take by order of this court a commission given to yourselves to congratulate the Hon. Col Thomas Dungan, Esq., Gov. of his highness the Duke of Yorkes Territories his safe arrival into these parts and to treat with him as therein mentioned as also an attested copy of the former settlement of our Westward bounds by his Majesties Commissioners with a copy of Col Nicholls commission empowering him and the others with him thereunto, and of the commission of our committee that concluded with them, as also of his majestys gracious letters, wherein the same was confirmed with what other papers you may think necessary and as soon as God give you opportunity to get to New-York and there to visit the Honord Gov. Thomas Dungan and to salute and congratulate him according to your commission which you may show him and deliver him a copy of it if you see cause

2d. As to your treating and concluding with about setling the bounds between that territory and this colony you shall not exceed his demands of twenty miles eastward from Hudson's River but get him to take up with as little as may be. 3d you are to see his power to treat and conclude or if that appears not to your satisfaction then you must treat and conclude only conditionally and with this proviso, that his majesty and the Dukes highness shall please to ratify it. 4th As to the rise of our line at Momarronoke you are to declare there could be no mistake between the Commissioners about that and therefore endeavour to hold that bound. 5th If you grant any part of the lands within any of the townships of the Colony you are to endeavour to preserve those lands to the towns proprietey's though as to juris

diction they belong to his highness 6th You are to endeavour that the former line concluded on in all places shall take place unless it be where it is nearer Hudson's River than such a dis

tance as you can agree on. 7th. You are to remember all along to make his honour sensible how firm and legal the former settlement was, and that our varying from it is to oblidge his honour and promote a perpetual good correspondence between this his majestys colony and his royal highhesse's territories and the successive Governors of them both.

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ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT

Concluded November the twenty eighth One thousand six hundred Eighty three Between the Right Honorable Coll° Thomas Dongan, Governour under his Royall High James Duke of York Albany etc of New Yorke and its Dependensyse and the councell And Robert Treat Esq' Governour of Connecticutt, Major Nathan Gold, Capt. John Allyn, Secretary, and M' William Pitkin in commission with him.

It is agreed that the bounds meares or dividend between his Royall High Territory in America and the Colony of Connecticutt forever hereafter shall begin att a certain Brook or River Called Byram Brooke or River which River is between the Towns of Rye & Greenwich that is to say att the mouth of the said Brooke where it falleth into the Sound at a Point Called Lyon's Point which is the Eastward Point of Byram River, and from the said Point to goe as the said River Runeth, to the place where the Common Road or Wading place over the said River is and from the said Road or Wading place to goe North North west into the Country soe farr as will be Eight English miles from the aforesaid Lyons Point, and that a Line of twelve Miles being measured from the said Lyons Point According to the Line or Generall Course of the Sound Eastward where the said twelve miles Endeth Another line shall be Runn from the Sound Eight miles into the Country North North West and alsoe that a fourth line be Runn that is to say from the North most end of the line first menconed unto the Northmost end of the Eight mile line being the third menconed line which fowrth line with the first menconed Line shall be the bounds where they shall fall to runn. And that from the Eastward End of the fowrth menconed Line (which is to be twelve miles in Length) A Line Parralell to Hudson's River in every place twenty miles distant from Hudsons River shall be the bounds there between the said Territory or Province of New Yorke, and the said Collony of Connecticutt soe farr as Connecticutt Collony Doth Extend Northwards that is to the South line of the Massachusetts Collony.

Only it is Provided that in Case the Line from Byrams Brooks Mouth North North West Eight Miles and the line that is thence to runn twelve miles to the end of the third foremenconed line of Eight Miles Doe Diminish or take away any Land within twenty myles of Hudsons River that then soe much as is in Land Diminished of twenty miles from Hudsons River thereby shall be added out of Connecticutt bounds unto the Line aforemenconed & Paralell to Hudsons River and twenty miles Distant from it the addition to be made the whole Length of the said Paralell line and in such breadth as will make upp Quantity for Quantity what shall be diminished as aforesaid.

That what arrearges are Due from the Towne of Rye to the Collony of Connecticutt for former yeares and the present yeares Rate shall be paid to Connecticutt.

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That two Surveyors be appointed the one from New Yorke and the other from Connecticutt to make A Survey and Runn the before menconed Lines Partitions Limitts and bounds between His Roy High Province of New Yorke And the Collony of Connecticutt And the Surveyors Are to meete att the towne of Standford on the first Wednesday of October next Ensuing and to be Directed by one of the Counsell and two more Commissionated from Each Governm1.

That if it shall Please the King's Majesty and his Roy" High" to Accept and Confirme these Articles they shall be good to all Intents for ever between his Roy" High" and his heires and assigns and the Corporacon of Connecticutt and their Successors and this Agreem' is to be in full force Power and Virtue from the Day of the Date hereof In Witnesse whereof the Parties Above menconed have to these Presents Interchangeably sett their hands and Seals at Forte James in New Yorke the twenty eighth Day of November in the thirty fifth yeare of his Maties Reigne Annoq