GASNETT.] BOTTSTDAEIES. 467 



is on the meridian 10 miles east of the most easterly point of Yellow- 

 stone Lake. This point is at the upper extremity of the southeast arm, 

 near the mouth of the Upper Yellowstone. Here the shore of the lake 

 is a marsh, extending at the time of high water to the base of the 

 Yellowstone Range, while at seasons of low water it retreats between 

 1 and 2 miles to the westward. Hence, the eastern boundary, as at 

 present estabUshed, is a very uncertain affair. This line, however, can- 

 not, under any construction of the law, be more than a mile from the 

 110th meridian west of Greenwich, and on my map of the Park I have 

 taken the liberty of placing the eastern boundary on this meridian. 



The southern boundary is, for the same reason, equally uncertain. 

 Its position according to the law is 10 miles south of the southern point 

 of the same lake. On the map, I have represented it as dating from the 

 southern extremity (the head of the southern arm) at the time when the 

 survej" was made, i. e., September, 1878. 



The west boundary is 15 miles west of the western end of Madison 

 {sic) Lake. At the time the law was made, the lake now called Sho- 

 shone Lake, and known to be one of the sources of Snake Eiver, was 

 supposed to be the source of Madison River, and was accordingly called 

 Madison Lake. This brings the west boundary line but 2 miles west of 

 the western boundary of Wyoming. 



Xow that the true relations of the Park with reference to the adjacent 

 Territories are known, it would be much better, on many accounts, to 

 subject its boundary lines to slight changes in order to make them con- 

 form to Territorial boundaries and to certain parallels and meridians, 

 especially as this can easily be done at present without interference 

 with private claims, and. without throwing outside of the Park any of 

 its matchless wonders. 



The changes which I would propose are as follows : That the northern 

 boundary be made coincident with the northern boundary of Wyoming. 

 This would be equivalent to moving this line southward 2 miles. The 

 Mammoth Hot Springs are 4 miles south of the Park boundary, and 

 therefore, after this change, will remain 2 miles within the Park. The 

 eastern boundary should be i)laced on the meridian of 110° west of 

 Greenwich, or it might even be placed on the meridian of 33° west 

 of Washington, 2.5 miles farther west, without injuring the Park as a 

 wonderland, as in either case the line traverses a heavy and rugged 

 mountain range. The southern boundary should be placed upon the 

 parallel of 44° 10', thus acquiring a definiteness of position. This change 

 would require that the line be moved north for about 2 miles. 



The western boundary should be made coincident with the western 

 boundary of Wyoming, thus throwing it 2 miles farther east. Both lines 

 traverse for the most part a high, rugged, heavily-timbered table land, 

 utterly valueless for any pui-pose except for the timber which it sup- 

 ports. 



By these changes the whole area of the Park will be thrown into 

 Wyoming, thus avoiding all questions as to jurisdiction of territorial 

 government. Again, a great saving will be effected in the survey of 

 boundary lines, as the northern and western lines have already been 

 established, while the southern and eastern boundaries, which are very 

 poorly defined by the law, will be definitely established. 



The area of the Park, as at present established, is 3,312 square miles. 

 Its length north and south is 61.8 and its mean breadth 53.6 miles. By 

 the proposed change its length will be reduced to 57.5 and its mean 

 breadth to 49.5 miles, while its area will be reduced to 2,846 square 

 miles. 



