FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. I49 



In the division of islands I find no mention of any of the 

 islands of Casco Bay and vicinity. Therefore if Massachusetts 

 had no claim to any of the islands of Casco Bay, within the limits 

 of the City of Portland, Maine has none. If Massachusetts 

 owned them and did not divide them at that time, they would 

 pass by deed in 1853. 



Conclusion. The investigation of this part of the question 

 seems to be conclusive as to these facts: That in 1684 Massa- 

 chusetts had granted to the town of Falmouth all the unsold and 

 ungranted territory; that it has not claimed any of it since ; and 

 that the State of Maine as succeeding to the right of Massachu- 

 setts has no valid claim to any of the ungranted islands in Casco 

 Bay. 



Old Falmouth included Cape Elizabeth, Portland, Deering, 

 Westbrook and Falmouth. Similar deeds to that mentioned 

 above were given by President Dan forth to trustees for the 

 inhabitants of North Yarmouth, Scarboro, and York. 



If Mr. Hull's construction of this deed of President Danforth 

 to Falmouth, — that it includes all the unsold and ungranted ter- 

 ritory within the limits of the town — is correct, then possibly 

 all of Massachusetts' interest to the coast and islands between 

 the Kennebec and Portsmouth was disposed of in the confirma- 

 tion of titles of lands to the inhabitants of the several coast 

 towns within these bounds, as President Danforth was author- 

 ized to make legal confirmation to the inhabitants of the District 

 of Maine. That he gave such trust deeds as that to Falmouth 

 to the inhabitants of North Yarmouth, Scarboro, and York, I 

 know, but from sources available I have been unable to learn 

 of others to the inhabitants of the other coast towns within these 

 limits. 



Possibly a careful investigation of this point by someone by 

 training qualified for such work, would give us definite informa- 

 tion as to both the construction to be given and the number of 

 these trust deeds, and might determine the question of Massa- 

 chusetts' title of these islands between the Kennebec and Penob- 

 scot at the time of Separation beyond all doubt whatever. I 

 could not s])are the time for such a research and there are, 

 undoubtedly others who from their knowledge of the available 



