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Bennington 24 April 1806.

To Benjamin Swan Esq Treasurer of the State of Vermont.

Please to pay the Rev. Samuel Williams one hundred dollars for services to be performed by him in ascertaining the Latitude 45.

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Received Rutland 26 April 1806 by the hand of William Page 2 the order of which, the above is a copy.

-[Stevens MSS., in N. Y. State Library.'

SAMUEL WILLIAMS.

ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS

MADE BY ORDER OF HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR TICHNER TO ASCERTAIN THE LATITUDE OF THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE STATE OF VERMONT.

BY SAMUEL WILLIAMS, LL. D.

On Connecticut River.

The original Monument is yet standing. It is a square piece of timber, about eight inches in diameter and seven feet high. It stands on the bank of the Connecticut River, and is covered with woods, which extends for nearly two miles. On this monument are the following inscriptions:

On the North side.

H. CARDEN J. COLLINS QUEBEC.

On the South side.

NEW YORK.

On the East side.

Oct. 1st 1772— 901.

There are some other marks and letters which appear to have been of a later date, and are nearly obliterated. The timber is nearly rotten at the bottom, and will probably fall down in a few years, unless something shall be done to preserve it.

May 12, 1806.

Meridian Altitude of the Sun's upper limb by observation,

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Meridian Altitude of the Sun's upper limb by observation,

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The variation of the Magnetic Needle, by a good observation, was this day found to be 9 degrees West.

May 15.

Meridian Altitude of the Sun's upper limb by observation,

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43

4

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which is the true latitude of the monument on the East Bank of Connecticut River. The Northern line of Vermont, at that place, is therefore 12' 1" South of the Latitude of 45 degrees.

By the most accurate measures and computations which have been made by Astronomers, one degree of Latitude is equal to 69 miles. From the above observations then the result will be, that the Northern boundary of Vermont on Connecticut River, is thirteen miles, three quarters, and fifty-four rods more Southerly than it ought to be.

On Lake Memphremagog.

The ancient monument is a piece of timber about five feet high, and eleven inches diameter. It stands on the east bank of the Lake, and is surrounded and supported by stones. On the North side is this

inscription:

STANSTEAD.

On the East side are these words and figures:

July 24, 1772.

May 22.

Meridian Altitude of the Sun's upper limb by observation,

Sun's parallax..

65 30 34

+

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Meridian Altitude of the Sun's upper limb by observation,

Sun's parallax..

Refraction

Sun's semidiameter

Meridian Altitude of the Sun's centre

Sun's declination North

Latitude...

May 24

27

15 51

65

14 20

20 21 1

44 53 19

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which is the true latitude of the Monument, on the East bank of Lake Memphremagog. The Northern line of Vermont, at this place is therefore 6' 14" South of the Latitude of 45 degrees. By the customary methods of computation, this will amount to seven miles, and seventy one rods.

From these observations, compared with those made at Connecticut River, it does not appear, that the Monument made at Lake Champlain, is fixed exactly in the Latitude of 45 degrees, or that the line was actually run in a strait course. But admitting those to have been the case the direction of the line, instead of agreeing, with the parallel of latitude is in fact 8° 52′ 19" south of that line.

The length of the Northern line of this State by measure is 944 miles. On Connecticut River, this line is to the South of Latitude 45 degrees, thirteen miles, three quarters, and fifty four rods. These lines form a triangle, which contains 401,973 acres of land. Computed by the customary method of laying out a Township six miles square, this will amount to 17 Townships, and so much land is actually lost to Vermont, by the error in running the Northern line of the State. To this

'A gross error, as will hereafter appear. [P.

it should be added that as Connecticut River lies, in a Northerly direction as it approaches this State, one or two Townships, would on that account, accrue to Vermont, if the Northerly line was actually run on the Latitude of 45 degrees and continued till it intersected Connecticut River.

-[Stevens MSS., in N. Y. State Library.

Rutland, June 18, 1806.

TREATY OF PEACE AND AMITY,

Between his Britanic Majesty and the United States of America. Dec. 24, 1814.

Article the Sixth.

*

Whereas, by the former treaty of peace that portion of the boundary of the United States from the point where the forty-fifth degree of north latitude strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraguy to the lake Superior, was declared to be "along the middle of said river into lake Ontario, through the middle of said lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie, thence along the middle of said communication into lake Erie, through the middle of said lake until it arrives at the water communication into the lake Huron,

* And whereas doubts have arisen what was the middle of the said river, lakes and water communications, and whether certain islands lying in the same were within the dominions of his Brittanic Majesty or of the United States: In order, therefore, finally to decide these doubts, they shall be referred to two commissioners, to be appointed,

*The said Commissioners shall, by a report or declaration, under their hands and seals, designate the boundary through the said river, lakes, and water communications, and decide to which of the two contracting parties the several islands lying within the said rivers, lakes and water communications, do respectively belong, in conformity with the true intent of the said treaty of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three. And both parties agree to consider such designation as final and conclusive.

*

[U. S. Statutes at Large, viii, 218, 221.

*

DECISION OF THE COMMISSIONERS.

*

The undersigned Commissioners, appointed, sworn and authorized, in virtue of the 6th article of the treaty of peace and amity, between his Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, concluded at Ghent, on the 24th of December, 1814, impartially to examine, and, by a report or declaration, under their hands and seals, to designate, that portion of the boundary of the United States "from the point where

the 45th degree of north latitude strikes the river Iroquois, or Cataraqui, along the middle of said river, into Lake Ontario; through the middle of said lake, until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and Lake Erie; thence, along the middle of said communication, into Lake Erie; through the middle of said lake, until it arrives at the water communication, into Lake Huron; thence, through the middle of said water communication, into Lake Huron; thence, through the middle of said lake, to the water communication between that lake and Lake Superior; " and to "decide to which of the two contracting par ties the several islands lying within the said rivers, lakes, and water communications do respectively belong, in conformity with the true intent of the treaty of 1783," do decide and declare, that the following described line, (which is more clearly indicated on a series of maps accompanying this report, exhibiting correct surveys and delineations of all the rivers, lakes, water communications, and islands, embraced by the 6th article of the treaty of Ghent, by a black line, shaded on the British side with red, and on the American side with blue, and each sheet of which series of maps is identified by a certificate, subscribed by the commissioners, and by the two principal surveyors employed by them) is the true boundary intended by the two before mentioned treaties; that is to say:

Beginning at a stone monument, erected by Andrew Ellicott, Esq. in the year 1817, on the south bank or shore of the said river Iroquois, or Cataraqui, (now called the St. Lawrence,) which monument bears south 74° 45′ west, and is eighteen hundred and forty yards distant from the stone church in the Indian village of St. Regis, and indicates the point at which the 45th parallel of north latitude strikes the said river; thence, running north 35° 45', west into the river, on a line at right angles with the southern shore, to a point one hundred yards south of the opposite island, called Cornwall Island; thence, turning westerly, and passing around the southern and western sides of said island, keeping 100 yards distant therefrom, and following the curvatures of its shores, to a point opposite to the northwest corner or angle of said island; thence, to and along the middle of the main river, until it approaches the eastern extremity of Barnhart's Island; thence, northerly, along the channel which divides the last mentioned island from the Canada shore, keeping one hundred yards distant from the island, until it approaches Sheik's Island; thence, along the middle of the strait which divides Barnhart's and Sheik's Islands, to the channel called the Long Sault, which separates the two last mentioned islands from the lower Long Sault Island; thence, westerly, (crossing the center of the last mentioned channel,) until it approaches within one hundred yards of the north shore of the Lower Sault Island; thence, up the

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