82 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 
Burt’s solar compass was used. The line east followed Sulli 
van’s old line, notwithstanding the fact that the latter was 
found to be quite crooked and to diverge from the parallel in 
many places. It was marked by posts every 10 miles. The 
length of this portion of the line was found to be 150 miles 
and 51.80 chains, making the total length of the boundary line, 
from the N. E.to the N. W.corner, 211 miles, 32. 80 chains, a 
result differing about 8 miles from that of the Brown survey 
of 1837. The line as thus surveyed was adopted. 
The survey of the western and southern boundaries of the 
State from the mouth of the Kansas river to the St. Francois 
river, was originally begun in September of the year 1823, 
shortly after Missouri became a State. The surveyor was 
Joseph C. Brown, acting under the instructions of Genl. Wm. 
Rector, surveyor of the U.S. lands of Illinois and Missouri. 
Theline was completed December 8, of the same year. Accord- 
ing to the original field notes, it started from the mouth of the 
Kansas river, after observations for the magnetic variation had 
been made. Thence, it continued south for a distance of 
177 miles to a determined latitude of 36° 30’ north.* At this 
point the S. W. corner of the State was marked by a stone 
post, and the line was continued east to the St. Francois 
river, under great hardships and difficulties. Determina- 
tions of latitude were made at intervals along the W. to E. 
line and the party was at one place as much as 31” out of 
position. The line was run with a compass, and a theodolite, 
sextant and an artificial horizon were part of the equipment. 
The line between the St. Francois and Mississippi rivers was 
not run at the time owing to the exhaustion of the party, the 
equipment and the funds. The distance from the S. W- 
corner to the St. Francois river was determined to be 232 
miles and 28 chains. No latitude determination was made at 
the St. Francois river. 
The survey was continued by Brown the following year, in 
October, 1824. According to the field notes the latitude of 
. * Later calculations with the aid of the Nautical almanac led Mr. Brown 
to place this point at 36° 30° =", : 
A resurvey of the portion of this line between the 26 mile post and the 
Marais des Cygnes river-on the 62 mile, was made in November, 1844. 
