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. 
