settlement followed at Saint Andrew's, and even reached the Penobscot on the theory that the territory was a part of the province. Shortly afterwards, however, a claim had been advanced by the United States that the Magaquadivic east of the 67° of longitude was the true Saint Croix of the treaty. Accordingly, in Jay's treaty of 1794, the fifth article set forth that the settlement of this dispute should be left to commissioners, with the provision that if they could not agree, they should each propose one person as arbitrator, and the one drawn by lot should be selected. They first met in 1796 at Saint Andrew's, and afterwards adjourned to Boston. The commissioners were Thomas Barclay, for Great Britain; David Howell, for the United States. By common consent they chose for a third arbitrator judge Benson, of New York. The decision arrived at was that the Schoodic was identified as the Saint Croix.

The main stream, the Schoodic, is fed by two branches, the northern, the Chiputneticook. The south-western, which had always been known by name as the Schoodic, was recognized by the commissioners as the main stream.

The instructions of the commissioners were simply to determine the position of the river Saint Croix; and in ascertaining this geographical fact they had performed the duty assigned them. But they went beyond their instructions, and selected the northern branch, the Chiputneticook, as the boundary. It is difficult to penetrate the cause of this proceeding, unless secret instructions had been given by the duke of Portland, the colonial secretary of Pitt's administration, to the British commissioner, to terminate the dispute in some form. Such view appears to have some ground of belief, for in 1798 an article was added to the treaty of 1794, discharging the commissioners from office, and declaring that the decision of the boundary should be binding on both countries. The commissioners, likewise, had taken upon themselves to place a boundary monument at the source of the river, as the starting point of any future proceeding.

The distance between the source of the main stream

1782]

"THE NORTH-WEST ANGLE."

157

and that of its northern branch is seventy miles. The meridians of these sources are about twenty miles apart, that of the main stream lying to the west. Thus the cession of this strip of land, extending over some two degrees of latitude, embraced the sacrifice of 3,000 square miles of British territory gained wrongfully by the United States. But the establishment of the north-eastern branch had no influence upon the adjustment of the northern boundary, so unworthily, and so at variance with justice and physical fact, subsequently accepted by lord Ashburton. When I have to record the treaty of Ghent, I will relate this painful passage in our history.

In the text of the treaty the words "the north-west angle of Nova Scotia" are introduced. It was the first occasion of

their use. This description was in subsequent years repeatedly quoted as if it set forth some known, defined, recognized locality. Whereas it is a mere phrase applied to the angle "formed by a line drawn due north from the source of the Saint Croix to the highlands, which divided the rivers that empty themselves into the river Saint Lawrence from those which fall into the Atlantic ocean." In after years the vagueness of this description became the warrant of the pretentions of the United States, to carry their frontier to within a few miles of the Saint Lawrence.

This view was aided by the first map furnished by Oswald, which, as has been said, laid down the river Saint John as a boundary to the sources of lake Temiscouata; but any importance claimed from this astounding proposition had been immediately set aside. The only evidence furnished by Oswald's map is the proof of his immeasurable folly, for the frontier traced upon it is so at variance with that described in the treaty as to be valueless.

There is one fact in connection with the events of this date which calls for mention.

After the terms of the separate treaty with the United States had been communicated to de Vergennes, he sent a map to Franklin with the request that the boundary

There is more

determined should be marked upon it. significance in the information furnished by Franklin than is usually conceived, for at that date France had not abandoned the idea of regaining Canada, and was opposed to any extreme northern boundary being obtained by the United States. The letter of Franklin, dated Passy, 6th of December, 1782, returned the map marked with a strong red line showing the limit of the United States as it had been established. This map was discovered in Paris by Jared Sparks, the United States historian. In enclosing it to his government, he pointed out that it was the line contended for by Great Britain, and, even conceded more than she asked, for, adds Sparks, "the line from the Saint Croix to the Canadian highlands is intended to exclude (from United States territory) all the waters running into the Saint John."

Had the boundary line so traced by Franklin been unacceptable to France, the fact would have been immediately dwelt upon by de Vergennes; that it was admitted, is a proof that it followed the natural direction of the highlands named, leaving the tributaries of the Saint John in the territory of Canada.

Franklin and Jay were desirous of leaving the matter to the decision of commissioners hereafter to be appointed. Adams, however, himself from Massachusetts, who knew the facts of the case, over-ruled their views, and the boundary was established as it stands.

What a monument of folly on the part of Great Britain this boundary, as it is now determined, must ever remain. This gigantic wedge running up into the eastern territory of the Dominion to cut the country, as it were, asunder. A boundary established in defiance of the very language of the treaty, which traced as a dividing line the height of land separating the waters running north and south, and at variance with the evidence in the possession of the United States, at the very time they were urging the claim which they knew to be untenable. Every principle of physical geography was distorted, while the good faith and honour which should

determined should be marked upon it. There is more significance in the information furnished by Franklin than is usually conceived, for at that date France had not abandoned the idea of regaining Canada, and was opposed to any extreme northern boundary being obtained by the United States. The letter of Franklin, dated Passy, 6th of December, 1782, returned the map marked with a strong red line showing the limit of the United States as it had been established. This map was discovered in Paris by Jared Sparks, the United States historian. In enclosing it to his government, he pointed out that it was the line contended for by Great Britain, and, even conceded more than she asked, for, adds Sparks, "the line from the Saint Croix to the Canadian highlands is intended to exclude (from United States territory) all the waters running into the Saint John."

Had the boundary line so traced by Franklin been unacceptable to France, the fact would have been immediately dwelt upon by de Vergennes; that it was admitted, is a proof that it followed the natural direction of the highlands named, leaving the tributaries of the Saint John in the territory. of Canada.

Franklin and Jay were desirous of leaving the matter to the decision of commissioners hereafter to be appointed. Adams, however, himself from Massachusetts, who knew the facts of the case, over-ruled their views, and the boundary was established as it stands.

What a monument of folly on the part of Great Britain this boundary, as it is now determined, must ever remain. This gigantic wedge running up into the eastern territory of the Dominion to cut the country, as it were, asunder. A boundary established in defiance of the very language of the treaty, which traced as a dividing line the height of land separating the waters running north and south, and at variance with the evidence in the possession of the United States, at the very time they were urging the claim which they knew to be untenable. Every principle of physical geography was distorted, while the good faith and honour which should