DOCUMENTS BEAEING ON TREATY OP 1783. 179 



but which treaty is not to be concluded, until terms of a peace shall 

 be agreed upon, between Great Britain and France ; and His Britan- 

 nic Majesty shall be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly. 



Whereas reciprocal adrantages, and mutual convenience are found 



by experience, to form the only permanent foundation of peace 



108 and friendship between States ; it is agreed to form the articles 



of the proposed treaty, on such principles of liberal equity, 



and reciprocity, as that partial advantages, (those seeds of discord !) 



being excluded, such a beneficial and satisfactory inter-course 



between the two countries, may be established, as to promise and 



secure to both perpetual peace and harmony. 



Article 1st. His Britannic Majesty acknowledges the said United 

 States, vizt. New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and 

 Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Penn- 

 sylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro- 

 lina and Georgia to be free sovereign and independent States; that 

 he treats with them as such ; and for himself, his heirs and successors, 

 relinquishes all claims to the government, property, and territorial 

 rights of the same, and every part thereof; and that all disputes 

 which might arise in future, on the subject of the boundaries of the 

 said United States, may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and de- 

 clared that the following are, and shall be their boundaries vizt. 



Article 2d. From the north west angle of Nova Scotia, vizt. that 

 angle which is formed by a line drawn due north, from the source 

 of St. Croix River to the highlands, along the said highlands which 

 divide those rivers that empty themselves into the River St. Law- 

 rence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the north- 

 westernmost head of Connecticut River; thence down along the 

 middle of that river to the 45th degree of north latitude ; from thence 

 by a line due west on said latitude, until it strikes the River Iro- 

 quois, or Cataraquy ; thence along the middle of said river into Lake 

 Ontario; through the middle of said lake, until it strikes the com- 

 munication by water between that lake and Lake Erie ; thence along 

 the middle of said communication into Lake Erie; through the 

 middle of said lake, until it arrives at the water communication 

 between that lake and Lake Huron ; thence along the middle of said 

 water communication into the Lake Huron; thence through the 

 middle of said lake to the water communication between that lake 

 and Lake Superior ; thence through Lake Superior northward of the 

 Isles Royal and Phelipeaux, to the Long Lake; thence through the 

 middle of said Long Lake, and the water communication between 

 it and the Lake of the Woods, to the said Lake of the Woods, thence 

 through the said lake to the most north-western point thereof, and 

 from thence on a due west course to the River Mississippi ; thence by 

 a line to be drawn along the middle of the said River Mississippi, 

 until it shall intersect the northernmost part of the 31st degree of 

 north latitude. South, by a line to be drawn due east, from the 

 determination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of 31 degrees 

 north of the equator, to the middle of the River Apalachicola, or 

 Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof, to its junction with 

 the Flint River ; thence straight to the head of St. Mary's River, and 

 thence down along the middle of St. Mary's River to the Atlantic 

 Ocean. East, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the River 

 St. Croix, from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its source; and 



