TO THE COPPER MINES. 209 
In order to show the views of the government with 
respect to my proceedings, particularly with reference 
to the appointment of Lieutenant Whipple as Surveyor 
Lieutenant A. W. Whipple, preliminary to the establishment of the 
initial point of the boundary line on the Rio Grande. 
The Chief Astronomers of the two Commissions having mutually 
agreed upon and advised the Commissioners of the spot where, according 
to the results of their united observations, the point should be fixed, the 
joint Commission met at the place on the 24th ultimo, for the purpose 
of examining and ratifying the proceedings of said astronomers, should 
they be satisfied with regard to their accuracy. 
According to the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the presence of the 
Chief Surveyors is required on this occasion. The absence of Mr. A. B. 
Gray placed me in a very delicate position, which was rendered still 
more perplexing by the fact that the same treaty distinctly declares that 
the Chief Surveyor (no less than the Commissioner) shall be appointed 
by the government; and no provisions are made for contingencies like 
the present one; nor have I been clothed with power to appoint an 
individual to act temporarily as Surveyor. The difficulty was stated to 
the Mexican Commissioner, who, in reply, observed, that all the neces- 
-Sary arrangements on his part had been made to go forward with the 
survey at once, and he trusted that it would be proceeded with accord- 
ingly. Being unwilling that any obstacles in my power to remove 
Should impede the progress of this important business, I did not 
hesitate to make known my readiness to assume the responsibility of 
designating some one to act in the room of Mr. Gray for the time 
being, provided the Mexican Commissioner, in behalf of his government, 
would consent to the course, and thus prevent or obviate any supposed 
cause of complaint by that Republic hereafter. General Condé assent- 
ing to the proposition, I designated Lieutenant A. W. Whipple as Act- 
ing Chief Surveyor. : 
- The Commissioner and Surveyor having visited the spot, designated 
and examined the observations made, conferred together, and being 
satisfied with the proceedings of the astronomers, ratified their decision, 
and announced in the presence of the assemblage collected on the 
occasion, that they then and there established the Initial Point of that. 
voL. .—14 
