There is no continuous water communication between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods, as the Lake of the Woods is known to discharge its waters, through the Red River of the North, into Hudson's Bay. The dividing height or ridge between the eastern sources of the tributaries of the Lake of the Woods and the western sources of Pigeon River appears, by authentic maps, to be distant about forty miles from the mouth of Pigeon River, on the shore of Lake Superior.

It is not improbable that, in the imperfection of knowledge which then existed of those remote countries, and perhaps misled by Mitchell's map, the negotiators of the treaty of 1783 supposed the Lake of the Woods to discharge its waters into Lake Superior. The broken and difficult nature of the water communication from Lake Superior to the Lake of the Woods renders numerous portages necessary; and it is right that these water communications and these portages should make a common highway, where necessary, for the use of the subjects and citizens of both governments.

When the proposed line shall be properly described in the treaty, the grant by England of the right to use the waters of the River St. John for the purpose of transporting to the mouth. of that river all the timber and agricultural products raised in Maine on the waters of the St. John or any of its tributaries, without subjection to any discriminating toll, duty, or disability, is to be inserted. Provision should also be made for quieting and confirming the titles of all persons having claims to lands on either side of the line, whether such titles be perfect or inchoate only, and to the same extent in which they would have been confirmed by their respective governments had no change taken place. What has been agreed to, also, in respect to the common use of certain passages in the rivers and lakes, as already stated, must be made matter of regular stipulation.

Your Lordship is also informed, by the correspondence which formerly took place between the two governments, that there is a fund arising from the sale of timber, concerning which fund an understanding was had some years ago. It will be expedient to provide, by the treaty, that this arrangement shall be carried into effect.

A proper article will be necessary to provide for the creation

of a commission to run and mark some parts of the line between Maine and the British Provinces.

These several objects appear to me to embrace all respecting the boundary line, and its equivalents, which the treaty needs to contain as matters of stipulation between the United States and England.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, your Lordship's most obedient servant.

LORD ASHBURTON, &c., &c., &c.

DANIEL WEbster.

Lord Ashburton to Mr. Webster.

Washington, July 29, 1842.

SIR,I have attentively considered the statements contained in the letter you did me the honor of addressing me on the 27th of this month, of the terms agreed to for the settlement of boundaries between her Majesty's Provinces and the United States, being the final result of the many conferences we have had on this subject. This settlement appears substantially correct in all its parts, and we may now proceed, without further delay, to draw up the treaty. Several of the articles for this purpose are already prepared and agreed, and our most convenient course will be to take and consider them singly. I would beg leave to recommend, that, as we have excellent charts of the country through which the boundary which failed of being settled by the commissioners under the seventh article of the treaty of Ghent is partially marked, it would be advisable to make good the delineation on those charts, which would spare to both parties the unnecessary expense of new commissioners and a new survey. In this case, the only commission required would be to run the line on the boundary of Maine.

The stipulations for the greater facility of the navigation of the River St. Lawrence, and of two passages between the Upper Lakes, appear evidently desirable for general accommodation; and I cannot refuse the reciprocal claim made by you to render common the passage from Lake Erie into the Detroit River. This must be done by declaring the several passages in those parts free to both parties.

I should remark, also, that the free use of the navigation of the Long Sault passage on the St. Lawrence must be extend

ed to below Barnhart's Island, for the purpose of clearing those rapids.

I beg leave to repeat to you, Sir, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.

HON. DANIEL WEBSTER, &c., &c., &c.

ASHBURTON.

Lord Ashburton to Mr. Webster.

Washington, August 9, 1842.

SIR,It appears desirable that some explanation between us should be recorded by correspondence respecting the fifth article of the treaty signed by us this day for the settlement of boundaries between Great Britain and the United States.

By that article of the treaty it is stipulated that certain payments shall be made by the government of the United States to the States of Maine and Massachusetts. It has, of course, been understood that my negotiations have been with the government of the United States, and the introduction of terms of agreement between the general government and the States would have been irregular and inadmissible, if it had not been deemed expedient to bring the whole of these transactions within the purview of the treaty. There may not be wanting analogous cases to justify this proceeding; but it seems proper that I should have confirmed by you that my government incurs no responsibility for these engagements, of the precise nature and object of which I am uninformed, nor have I considered it necessary to make inquiry concerning them.

I beg, Sir, to renew to you the assurances of my high consid

eration.

HON. DANIEL WEBSTER, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Webster to Lord Ashburton.

ASHBURTON.

Department of State, Washington, August 9, 1842. MY LORD, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of this day, with respect to the object and intention of the fifth article of the treaty. What you say in regard to that subject is quite correct. It purports to contain no stipulation on the part of Great Britain, nor is any respon25

VOL. VI.

sibility supposed to be incurred by it on the part of your government.

I renew, my Lord, the assurances of my distinguished consideration.

LORD ASHBURTON, &c., &c., &c.

DANIEL WEBSTER.

SUPPRESSION OF THE SLAVE-TRADE.

Mr. Webster to Captains Bell and Paine.

Department of State, Washington, April 30, 1842. GENTLEMEN, Your experience in the service on the coast of Africa has probably enabled you to give information to the gov ernment on some points connected with the slave-trade on that coast, in respect to which it is desirable that the most accurate knowledge attainable should be possessed. These particu

1. The extent of the western coast of Africa along which the slave-trade is supposed to be carried on, with the rivers, creeks, inlets, bays, harbors, or parts of the coast to which it is understood slave-ships most frequently resort.

2. The space or belt along the shore within which cruisers may be usefully employed for the purpose of detecting vessels engaged in the traffic.

3. The general course of proceeding of a slave-ship after leaving Brazil or the West Indies on a voyage to the coast of Africa for slaves, including her manner of approach to the shore, her previous bargain or arrangement for the purchase of slaves, the time of her usual stay on or near the coast, and the means by which she has communication with persons on land.

4. The nature of the stations, or barracoons, in which slaves are collected on shore to be sold to the traders, whether usually in rivers, creeks, or inlets, or on or near the open shore.

5. The usual articles of equipment and preparation, and the manner of fitting up, by which a vessel is known to be a slaver, though not caught with slaves on board.

6. The utility of employing vessels of different nations to

cruise together, so that one or the other might have a right to visit and search every vessel which might be met with under suspicious circumstances, either as belonging to the country of the vessel visiting and searching, or to some other country which has, by treaty, conceded such right of visitation and search.

7. To what places slaves from slave-ships could be most conveniently taken.

8. Finally, what number of vessels, and of what size and description, it would be necessary to employ on the western coast of Africa, in order to put an entire end to the traffic in slaves, and for what number of years it would probably be necessary to maintain such force to accomplish that purpose.

You will please to add such observations as the state of your knowledge may allow relative to the slave-trade on the eastern coast of Africa.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

CAPTAINS BELL AND PAINE, United States Navy.

DANIEL WEBSTER.

A detailed answer was returned by Commanders Bell and Paine to these inquiries, and upon the information which it contained, as to the nature of the slave-trade on the coast of Africa and the best means of suppressing it, the eighth article of the treaty of Washington was drawn up.