I06 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



survey and the Commissioners shall be borne equally by the 

 two states." 



Pursuant to this section of the Act, Commissioners are ap- 

 pointed by Massachusetts and Maine. They commenced their 

 work in 1822 and finished in 1827, during which time a great 

 deal of the public land jointly owned by the two states was set 

 off in severalty. 



At the completion of their work the doings of the Com- 

 missioners in the form of the minute of all their meetings and 

 findings were made up in duplicate in the handwriting of their 

 secretary, and filed one with Massachusetts and one with Maine. 

 The doings of these Commissioners is of the utmost importance 

 in tracing land titles originating from Commonwealth or State 

 conveyances during the period of joint ownership of these lands. 

 The copy filed with the State of Maine was dug out of obscurity 

 by ex-Secretary of State Brown, who realized its value, and 

 is now on file at the Secretary of State's office. 



On December 28, 1822, the Commissioners took up the matter 

 of a division of islands, and proceeded to divide the islands 

 remaining unconveyed between the Commonwealth and the 

 State of Maine. 



The records of the Commissioners contain a list of the 

 islands awarded to Massachusetts and Maine, giving location 

 and acreage. The lists are preceded by the following state- 

 ments : 



"And thereupon the Commissioners divided and assigned to 

 the share of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, all the right, 

 title and interest which the said Commonwealth or the said 

 Commonwealth and the State of Maine had or might have in 

 the islands hereinafter named and described within the State." 



"And to the share of the State of Maine the Commissioners 

 assign all the right, title and interest the said Commonwealth 

 and the State of Maine had or may have in the islands herein- 

 after named and described within the said state." 



The lists are followed by this statement : "And the said 

 Commissioners do adjudge that the said right, title and interest 

 in the islands assigned to the share of the said Commonwealth 

 of Massachusetts and to the share of the State of Maine are 

 equal, and that the said Commonwealth of Massachusetts and 

 the said State of Maine do have and hold the right, title and 



