42 tittmann: our northern boundaries 



In connection with the re-marking of the boundary from the 

 summit of the Rocky Mountains westward, it developed that no 

 trace could be found of the report of the American Commissioners 

 on the delimitation of the boundary between 1856 and 1869, 

 By a singular coincidence and fatality no trace could be found by 

 the British Government of the records of its Commissioner, al- 

 tho copies of the maps were on file in both countries. The 

 circumstances connected with the discovery of the British records 

 have perhaps never been published and may be here recorded. 

 Pending the consideration of the marking and re-marking of the 

 line the Dominion Government despatched Dr. Otto Klotz, a 

 Canadian astronomer, to London to make another attempt at 

 their recovery. He searched the archives of the Foreign Office 

 and War Department, but in vain. While on a visit to the obser- 

 vatory at Greenwich, he happened to note a box on one of the 

 upper shelves with the letters ''B.N.A." inscribed on it. Reinter- 

 preted them to mean British North America and their possible sig- 

 nificance flashed thru his mind. He asked what the box con- 

 tained. No one knew. A ladder was sent for and the box opened 

 and the records were found. 



The relevant and important parts were printed for the use of 

 the Canadian Government. A copy was furnished to this govern- 

 ment. This happy find by Dr. Klotz doubtless prevented com- 

 plications which might otherwise have arisen as to the details of 

 the boundary and obviated the necessity of a new treaty or of 

 special provisions in the general treaty already referred to in the 

 beginning of my address as having been negotiated by Secretary 

 Root, Under this Treaty of 1908, the task of marking and re- 

 marking the boundary was assigned to two Commissioners, The 

 definition of the line through the Great Lakes was assigned to 

 the existing International Waterways Commission and extends 

 through a distance of about 1200 miles. 



The survey and re-marking of the remainder of the distance, 

 about 2500 miles, that is from the Pacific Ocean to Lake Superior 

 and from the St. Lawrence to the Grand Manan Channel, was 

 entrusted to the Superintendent of the Coast and Geodetic Sur- 

 vey, representing the American Government and Dr. W. F. King, 



