is now know as the Upper Peninsula, and in 1837 admitted it as a State.

Questions-In what year was the Territory of Michigan organized? To what Territory had it belonged for sometime previous to that? Where was the seat of government? What did the Territory embrace when first organized? When was Illinois admitted into the Union? What Territory was annexed to Michigan in 1818? In what year was Wisconsin organized as a Territory? To what Territory did Wisconsin then belong? In what year was Michigan admitted into the Union as a State? What difficulty arose between the people of the Territory of Michigan and the people of Ohio in 1835, and how was it settled? How many square miles of territory was given to Michigan in lieu of that claimed on its southern border?

CHAPTER V.

OF THE SURVEY OF THE PUBLIC LANDS-SUBDIVISIONS OF TOWNSHIPS AND SECTIONS.

The lands embraced within the territorial limits of Michigan, had been surveyed by or under the direction of the Surveyor General of the United States, before the State was admitted into the Union. The plan adopted in making this survey, was to draw two imaginary lines across the territory; one East and West, and the other North and South. The line running North and South was called the principal meridian, and the one running East and West was called the base line. The principal meridian commences on the South line of the State, between the counties of Hillsdale and Lenawee and extends to the Northern extremity of the State. The base line commences at a point in the Western boundary line of the State, between the Counties of Allegan and Van Buren, and extends East to the Eastern boundary of the State. In making the survey of Michigan, the territory was divided into townships six miles square, and these were subdivided into thirty-six sections, of a square mile each, the townships being numbered in regular order East and West of the meridian line, and North and South of the base line. Thus, where the meridian and base lines intersect and cross each other, the township next North of the base line, and next East of the meridian line would be called "township number one North, in range number one East," while the township next East of it would be," township number two East, in range number one North." The following diagram will aid in explaining this:

DIAGRAM

SHOWING HOW TOWNSHIPS ARE NUMBERED WITH REFERENCE TO THE MERIDIAN AND BASE LINES.

The sections contain six hundred and forty acres each, unless they are, as is sometimes the case, fractional. Sometimes a stream or a lake occupies a large portion of a quarter-section, and the part not so occupied we call "fractional." Sometimes in measuring the townships, the surveyors would, through the great difficulties they had to encounter in measuring the distances through the wilderness, swamps, and lakes, and over the hills, include a little too much territory, or perhaps not quite enough. In such case, when the townships were subdivided into sections, and the measurements were made with more care, the subdivisions on the North and West sides of the townships were made to contain whatever was left, more or less, so that all the other sections in the township should contain just six hundred and forty acres, each. The sections are numbered, commencing at the North-east

corner of the townships, and for convenience, are subdivided into quarters; and we frequently see lands described as a quarter of a quarter.

The following is a plan of a township, the subdivisions. representing sections:

The United States government gave to Michigan, section sixteen, in every township, of the public lands, for the use of schools, and in addition thereto, seventy-two sections for the support of the State University.

Questions-What two lines were adopted as a basis for surveying the Territory of Michigan? How was the Territory divided? How many miles square are the townships of Michigan? In what way are the Townships designated? Will you make a diagram explaining this? How are the townships subdivided? How many sections are there in a township? How are they numbered and designated? Will you make a diagram explaining this? How many acres are there in a full section? How are the sections subdivided? Are these subdivisions always uniform? In what way are some of the subdivisions made fractional? Will you illustrate the subdivisions of sections by a diagram? What is said of a grant from the

United States of certain lands to this State?