Military Posts of the United States. 269 



tween 67° 04' and 95° 43' of lontritude west from Greenwich ; 

 embracing an extent of 18° 42' of latitude, and 28° 39' of longi- 

 tude. The elevation of the north-western or interior stations 

 above those on the Atlantic coast has not been accurately as- 

 certained. The following, however, is believed to be near the 

 truth. Fort Brady, situated at the outlet of Lake Superior, 

 is 595 feet above the level of tide water ; Fort Howard, at the 

 southern extremity of Green Bay, which empties into Lake 

 Michigan, 600 feet ; Fort Crawford, at Praire du Chien, near 

 the junction of the Wisconsan and Mississippi rivers, 580 feet ; 

 Fort Snelling, near the junction of the St Peters and Missis- 

 sippi rivers, 780 feet ; Council Bluffs, a few miles above the 

 junction of the Platte and Missouri rivers, 800 feet. Baton 

 Rouge, on the Mississippi, 120 miles above New Orleans, and 

 Cantonment Jesup, near the Sabine river, 25 miles from Natch- 

 itoches, are in Louisiana ; Cantonment Clinch, near Pensaco- 

 la. Cantonment Brooke, near Tampa Bay, and St Augustine, 

 in Florida. Fort Moultrie is in the harbour of Charleston, 

 South Carolina ; Fort Johnston near Smithville, North Caro- 

 lina ; Fort Severn at Annapolis in Maryland ; Fort Mifflin in 

 the Delaware, 6 miles below Philadelphia ; Fort Columbus in 

 the harbour of New York ; Fort Wolcott in the harbour of 

 Newport ; and Fort Sullivan near Eastport, in the State of 

 Maine. The observations at the city of Washington are in- 

 troduced by way of comparison, as the latitude of this city is 

 very nearly the same with that of the centre of the several 

 miUtary posts. They were made by the Rev. Mr Little, by 

 whom they were very politely furnished for the present pur- 

 pose. 



" Although, from the circumstances under which these ob- 

 servations were made at several of the posts, they may not be 

 as accurate as could be wished, yet they are perhaps suffici- 

 ently so for the purpose of general abstracts ; for the mean of 

 each month being deduced from 90, and of each year from 

 1095 observations, occasional errors would not materially af- 

 fect the general result. 



" The chief object at present being to record facts, the fol- 

 lowing remarks are premised merely for the convenience of 

 those who may be curious in these jnatters without wishing 



