UNITED STATES PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS 61 



and added to or deducted from the western and northern ranges 

 of sections or half-sections in such townships, according as the 

 error may be in running the lines from east to west, or from north 

 to south ; the sections and half -sections bounded on the northern 

 and western lines of such townships shall be sold as containing 

 only the quantity expressed in the returns and plats, respectively, 

 and all others as containing the complete legal quantity. 



Sixth. All lines shall be plainly marked upon trees, and meas- 

 ured with chains, containing two perches of sixteen and one-half 

 feet each, subdivided into twenty-five equal links ; and the chain 

 shall be adjusted to a standard to be kept for that purpose. 



SEC. 100. The boundaries and contents of the several sections, 

 half-sections, and quarter-sections of the public lands shall be as- 

 certained in conformity with the following principles: 



First. All the corners marked in the surveys returned by the 

 surveyor-general shall be established as the proper corners of 

 sections, or subdivisions of sections, which they were intended to 

 designate, and the corners of half and quarter-sections, not marked 

 on the surveys, shall be placed as nearly as possible equidistant 

 from two corners which stand on the same line. 



Second. The boundary lines, actually run and marked in the 

 surveys returned by the surveyor-general, shall be established as 

 the proper boundary lines of the sections or subdivisions for which 

 they were intended, and the length of such lines as returned shall 

 be held and considered as the true length thereof. And the 

 boundary lines which have not been actually run and marked 

 shall be ascertained by running straight lines from the established 

 corners to the opposite corresponding corners; but in those por- 

 tions of the fractional townships, where no such opposite corre- 

 sponding corners have been or can be fixed, the boundary lines 

 shall be ascertained by running from the established corners due 

 north and south or east and west lines, as the case may be, to the 

 water-course, Indian boundary line, or other external boundary 

 of such fractional township. 



Third. Each section or subdivision of section, the contents 

 whereof have been returned by the surveyor-general, shall be 

 held and considered as containing the exact quantity expressed 

 in such return; and the half -sections and quarter-sections, the 

 contents whereof shall not have been thus returned, shall be held 

 and considered as containing the one-half or the one-fourth part, 

 respectively, of the returned contents of the section of which they 

 may make part. (Act of Feb. 11, 1805, and R. S., 2396.) 



SEC. 101. In every case of the division of a quarter-section 

 the line for the division thereof shall run north and south, and the 

 corners and contents of half-quarter-sections which may there- 

 after be sold shall be ascertained in the manner and on the prin- 

 ciples directed and prescribed by the section preceding. 



