350 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



and British America. The language of the Treaty of Cession in defin- 

 ing this boundary is copied from the Treaty of 1825 between Eussia 

 and Great Britain, Articles III and IV, as follows: 



Article III. Coiiimenciug from tlie soiitlieriiinost point of the island, called Prince 

 of Wales' Island, which point lies in the ])arallel of 54° 40' north latitude, and 

 between the 131st and 133rd degree of west longitndo (meridian of Greenwich), llie 

 said line shall ascend to tlie north along the channel called I'ortlaiitl Channel as far 

 as tlie point of the continent where it strikes the .56tli degree of north latitnde; and 

 from tliis last-mentioned i)oint the line of demarcation shall follow the snmniit of 

 the monatains sitnated ptarallel to the coast as far as the point of intersection of tlie 

 141st degree of west longitude (of the saane meridian); and linally, from the said 

 point of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its jirolongation 

 as far as the Frozen Ocean, shall form the limit between the Rnssian and British 

 possessions on the Continent of America to tlie north-west. 



Article IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the preceding 

 Article, it is understood: 



First, that the island called Prince of Wales' Island shall belong wholly to Russia. 

 [Now by this cession to the United States.] 



Secondly, that whenever the sumiuit of the mountains that extend in a directioir 

 parallel to the coast from the 5t)th degree of north latitude to the point of intei'sec- 

 tion of the 141st degree of west longitude shall prove to be at the distance of more 

 than 10 marine leagues from the ocean, the limit tietween the British possessions and 

 the lino of coast which is to belong to Russia, as above mentioned, shall be formed 

 by a line parallel to the winding of the coast, which shall never extend the distance 

 of 10 marine leagues therefrom. 



The line thus indicated has never been surveyed. The importance of 

 determining it before long is obvions. If, as is reiiorted, there are valna- 

 ble mines .near the bonndary, it is essential to tlie i»reservation of the 

 rights of proi^erty and of life that the limits of the jurisdiction of the 

 two nations be fixed. 



The principal ditticnlties which have been suggested in determining 

 and marking the boundary are the following: Some of the Canadians 

 have maintained (1 am not aware that the British Government has 

 taken such a ])Osition) that our maps do not correctly indicate the initial 

 point of the line at Portland Channel. Their contention is probably 

 withont good ground. Again, Avhile the Treaty x)rovides that the line 

 "shall follow tlie summit of tlie monntains," it is affirmed, and so far 

 as we now know with probable truthfulness, that the monntains do not 

 fin-m a range, but are so scattered here and there that it is im]n-actica- 

 ble to make a line that shall comply with the Treaty. Furthermore, 

 snp])0se it were ])racticable to run a line on the summit, the coast is so 

 irregular and so indented with bays that it may not l)e easy to agree 

 on a line from which to lay off the 10 marine leagues referred to in the 

 second paragraph of Article IV. 



But even if all these obstacles are removed, the actual labour and 

 cost of rnnning the line in this wilderness will be very great. In 1S72 

 our engineering ofilicers estiuiated that the cost would be 1,5()(),()()(> dol- 

 lars, and the time required for the field work nine years, and for the 

 mapping one more year. If, as seems probable from our scanty infor- 

 mation, the line described is an impossible one to run, Ave shall have to 

 agree on an arbitrary line run frohi somepoint in the south of the terri- 

 tory to some point in the neighbonrhood of the Chilkat Pass, so as to 

 give us substantially the territory intended to be conveyed by Article 

 IV. But it seems desiral)le tliat we slumld make some preliminary sur- 

 veys before we take any decisive action. The British, Avho have had 

 trading and scientific expeditions exploring British Colund)ia, doubt- 

 less know more of the region under consideration (han avc. They are 

 ready to begin negotiations at once. Congress shoukl not delay action. 

 Our experience has shown us that boundary questions are not speedily 



