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 Ellicot, 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 one hundred yards distant therefrom, and following the curvatures of its shores, to a point opposite to the north-west 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 centre of the last mentioned channel), until it approaches within one hundred yards of the north shore of the Lower Sault island; thence, up the north branch of the river, keeping to the north of, and near, the Lower Sault island, and also north of, and near, the Upper Sault (sometimes called Baxter's) island, and south of the two small islands, marked on the map A and B, to the western extremity of the Upper Sault, or Baxter's island; thence, passing between the two islands called the Cats, to the middle of the river above; thence, along the middle of the river, keeping to the north of the small islands marked C and D; and north also of Chrystler's island and of the small island next above it, marked E, until it approaches the north-east angle of Goose Neck island; thence, along the passage which divides the last mentioned island from the Canada shore, keeping one hundred yards from the island, to the upper end of the same; thence, south of, and near, the two small islands called the Nut islands; thence north of, and near, the island marked F, and also of the island called Dry or Smuggler's island; thence, passing between the islands marked G and H, to the north of the island called Isle au Rapid Platt; thence, along the north side of the last mentioned island, keeping one hundred yards from the shore to the upper end thereof; thence, along the middle of the river, keeping to the south of, and near, the islands called Cousson (or Tussin) and Presque Isle; thence up the river, keeping north of, and near, the several Gallop Isles, numbered on the map 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also of Tick, Tibbit's, and Chimney, islands; and south of, and near, the Gallop Isles, numbered 11, 12 and 13, and also of Duck, Drummond and Sheep islands; thence, along the middle of the river, passing north of island No. 14, south of 15, and 16, north of 17; south of 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 28, and north of 26 and 27; thence, along the middle of the river, north of Gull island and of the islands No. 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, Bluff island, and No. 39, 44 and 45, and to the south of No. 30, 31, 36, Grenadier island, and No. 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 47 and 48, until it approaches the east end of Wells' island, thence to the north of Wells' island, and along the strait which divides it from Rowe's island, keeping to the north of the small islands No. 51, 52, 54, 58, 59 and 61, and to the south of the small islands numbered and marked 49, 50, 53, 55, 57, 60 and X, until it approaches the north-east point of Grindstone island: thence to the north of Grindstone island, and keeping to the north also of the small islands, No. 63, 65, 67, 68, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78, and to the south of number 62, 64, 66, 69 and 71, until it approaches the southern point of Hickory island; thence, passing to the south of Hickory island, and of the two small islands lying near its southern extremity, numbered 79 and 80; thence to the south of Grand or Long Island, keeping near its southern shore, and passing to the north of Carlton island until it arrives opposite to the south-western point of said Grand island in Lake Ontario, thence passing, to the north of Grenadier, Fox, Stony, and the Gallop islands in Lake Ontario, and to the south of, and near the islands called the Ducks, to the middle of the said lake, thence, westerly along the middle of said lake, to a point opposite the mouth of the Niagara river; thence, to and up the middle of the said river, to the Great Falls; thence, up the Falls, through the point of the Horse Shoe, keeping to the west of Iris or Goat island, and of the group of small islands at its head, and following the bends of the river so as to enter the strait between Navy and Grand island; thence, along the middle of said strait, to the head of Navy island; thence, to the west and south of, and near to, Grand and Beaver islands, and to the west of Strawberry, Squaw and Bird islands, to Lake Erie; thence, southerly and westerly, along the middle of Lake Erie, in a direction to enter the passage immediately south of Middle island, being one of the eastermost of the group of islands lying in the western part of the said lake; thence, along the said passage, proceeding to the north of Cunningham's islands, of the three Bass islands and of the Western Sister, and to the south of the island called the Hen and Chickens, and of the Eastern and Middle Sisters; thence, to the middle of the mouth of the Detroit river, in a、 direction to enter the channel which divides Bois-Blanc and Sugar islands; thence, up the said channel to the west of Bois-Blanc island, and to the east of Sugar, Fox and Stony islands, until it approaches Fighting or Great Turkey island, thence, along the western side, and near the shore of said last mentioned island, to the middle of the river above the same; thence, along the middle of said river, keeping to the south-east of, and near, Hog Island, and to the north-west of and near the island called Isle à la Pêche, to Lake St. Clair; thence, through the middle of said lake, in a direction to enter that mouth or channel of the river St. Clair, which is usually denominated the Old Ship Channel; thence, along the middle of said channel, between Squirrel island on the south-east, and Hurson's island on the north-west, to the upper end of the last mentioned island, which is nearly opposite to Point au Chênes, on the American shore; thence, along the middle of the river St. Clair, keeping to the west of, and near, the islands called Belle Rivière Isle, and the Isle aux Cerfs, to Lake Huron; thence through the middle of Lake Huron, in a direction to enter the strait or passage between Drummond's island on the west, and the Little Manitou Island on the east; thence through the middle of the passage which divides the two last mentioned islands; thence, turning northerly and westerly, around the eastern and northern shores of Drummond's island, and proceeding in a direction to enter the passage between the island of St. Joseph's and the American shore, passing to the north of the intermediate islands, No. 61, 11, 10, 12, 9, 6, 4 and 2, and to the south of those numbered 15, 13, 5 and 1. "Thence up the said last mentioned passage, keeping near to the island St. Joseph's, and passing to the north and east of Isle à la Crosse and of the small islands numbered 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20, and to the south and west of those numbered 21, 22 and 23, until it strikes a line (drawn on the map with black ink and shaded on one side of the point of intersection with blue and on the other with red), passing across the river at the head of St. Joseph's island, and at the foot of the Neebish Rapids, which line denotes the termination of the boundary directed to be run by the 6th article of the treaty of Ghent. "And the said commissioners do further decide and declare, that all the islands lying in the rivers, lakes and water communications, between the before described boundary line and the adjacent shores of Upper Canada do, and each of them does belong to his Britannic Majesty, and that all the islands lying in the rivers, lakes and water communications, between the said boundary line and the adjacent shores of the United States, or their territories, do, and each of them does, belong to the United States of America, in conformity with the true intent of the 2d article of the said treaty of 1783, and of the 6th article of the treaty of Ghent. "In faith whereof, we, the commissioners aforesaid, have signed this declaration, and thereunto affixed our seals. "Done in quadruplicate, at Utica, in the State of New-York, in the United States of America, this eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two. [Signed] "PETER B. PORTER. [L. s.] In regard to the seventh "The commissioners made their final and separate reports under this article, in December 1827, accompanied with maps of actual survey, containing an exact delineation of the territory embraced within its limits, viz: from Lake Huron to the north-west point of the Lake of the Woods. "The boundary, throughout this extent, is also agreed to and established, with the exception of two points of difference, which occasioned the separate instead of joint reports to the respective governments. The first point in difference is, the island in the St. Mary's river (between lakes Huron and Superior), called the Sugar or St. George's Island; and the other is the water communication which the boundary ought to follow from Lake Superior to the Rainy Lake. With these exceptions, the boundary line under the seventh article is also traced upon the maps of the commission. The island in dispute contains about 25,000 acres of land, but derives its greatest value from the fact that the channel of the river lies between it, and the British main shore, so that if it is adjudged to belong to the British, they have a control over the navigation of the river. "The other point of difference is of greater territorial extent, but not, perhaps, of so much importance in other respects. The treaty directs that the boundary line shall be conducted "through Lake Superior, northward of the isles Royal and Philipeaux, to the Long Lake." To the northward of isle Royal it is established, but the isles Philipeaux and the Long Lake have not been identified; and thence a disagreement has arisen as to the direction the line should take from Lake Superior toward the northwest. There are three routes of water communication from Lake Superior to the Rainy Lake, where they unite and discharge into the Lake of the Woods. One is known as the Dog River route, and is the most northern; another is the St. Louis river route, and is the most southern; and the third, which is central to the two others, is known as the Grand Portage route. The American agent claimed the northern route in behalf of the United States, and adduced many maps, with other evidence, to show that the Long Lake was situated on that route. The British agent claimed the southern route by the St. Louis river; and the commissioners sustained the claims of the respective agents. A compromise was attempted, by a proposition to adopt the middle or Grand Portage route, but without success. The American commission accordingly adhered to the right of the United States to the most northern |