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MESSAGE

FROM THE

GOYEMOR OE PENNSYLYANIA,

TRANSMITTING THE

REPORTS OF THE JOINT COMMISSIONERS,

AND or

GOL GHAHAM, U, S. ENGINEERS

IN RELATION

TO THE BOUNDAEY LINES

BETWEEN THE

STATES OF PEOSYLVANIA, DELAWARE AND MARYLAND,

HARRISBURG:
1. M. G. LE8CURE, PRINTER TO THE STATE.
1850.

(lkG3

EEPORT.

Mr. Bowen, from, the select committee to whom were referred the message of the
Governor, together wilh ihe accompaiiyirvg documents, in relation to the determination
of the point of junction of the boundary lines of the States of Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Maryland, by a joint commission from the said States, made the following report:
That they have with much interest examined tbe report of Joshua P. Eyre, Esq.,
the eommissioner appointed by the Stale of Pennsylvani'a, the report of the joint com
mission, and the very clear and elaborate report of Colonel J. D. Graham, of the
United Stales lopograpbieal engineers. ,
The importance of distinctly marking and commemorating the limits of adj'oining
Staites, is forcibly illustrated in the present instance. The work of Messrs. Mason
ai)d Dixon was the result of a protracted controversy between the proprietors of ad
joining proyinces ; was attended by every circumstance that should seem to be neces
sary to give it notoriety and leave ah indelible impression upon traditionai-y men»ory j
was finished by erecting permanent landmarks, of bold and striking character, which
.with two exceptions in the localities examined, reraain undisturbed; yet from the want
o-f a similar demarcatio-r* of the curved line beyond the point of junction, and closely
adjacent to the line thus exhibited upon the surface of tlie ground, territory exceeding
a thousand acres, in the small sp-ace affected by these lines, has been the subject of
misapprehension and doubt, which doubt lias extended even to those portions bf boun
dary which it is now shown are well defined by monuments, undisturbed since they
were first established.
The angle forming the north-eastern corner of Maryland, and tbe point of junction
of the boundary lines of thecthree States uniting in this commission, are now settled.
The curved line extending frora this point of junction to the river Delaware, has
never been surveyed and marked since the separation of the three lower counties now
forming the State of Delaware, from tbe province of Pennsylvania.
' It is probably twenty-four or twenty-five miles in extent, and its curvature renders it
peculiarly difficult to be ascertained for local and temporary purposes. Your committee,
therefore, recommend the appointment of a commissioner to unite with a commis
sioner on the part of the State of Delaware, should that State concur, to ascertain and
mark with precision this important line.
In consequence of the misapprehension before noted, and in view of the possible
results of such survey, your committee deem it a necessary precaution to provide for
the transfer of records and the final settlement of pending controversies, should any
exist, in relation to lands that may be found to lie within other jurisdiction than the
parlies in interest have supposed., Transactions in good faith, . founded upon such
misa]>prehension, are entitled to protection; and though limited to a narrow scope,
ranch evil may possibly ensue, if due provision be not made. Such provision should
be mutual between the adjoining States, and the passage of reciprocal laws is therefore
recommended in anticipation of the concurrence of the State of Delaware.

4
7o the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania :
Gentlemen : — The commissioner appointed in pursuance of the fourteenth section
of the act o! the Legislature of this State, of tenth April last, to act in conjunction with
commissioners appointed or to be appointed by the States of Delaware and Maryland,
with power to survey and determine the point of intersection of the States of Pennsyl
vania, Delaware and Maryland, and to fix some suitable mark or monument whereby
the said point raay hereafter be indicated, has submitted to me his report, together witli
the joint report of the commissioners to the several Executives of those States, of iheir
proceedings under their respective commissions, the report of the engineer eraployed
to conduct the survey, and a finished raap constructed therefrom.
In transmitting these documents to the Legislature, I would particularly invite atten
tion to iraportant suggestions in the report of the commissioner of this State. That
officer has, with much propriety, suggested the importance of procuring from the State of
Maryland, where they are fortunately preserved, certified copies of the official documents
relating to the original settlement of the boundaries between the provinces of Pennsyl
vania and Maryland, not now to be found among- the archives of this State. He has
also suggested the propriety of the passage of an act, authorizing the survey, defining
and marking, with suitable monuments, of that part of the circular line at present form
ing the entire boundary between the two States of Pennsylvania and Delaware, and
ratifying the existing titles to, and liens upon such lands heretofore supposed to be in
the Stale of Delaware, which may be found by the running of said line, to be within
tbe territory of this State; and providing a limitation within which such titles and liens
may be transferred to the State of Pennsylvania.
These suggestions are deemed worthy of, and are, therefore, respectfully submitted
to the attention and consideration of the Legislature.
WM. F. JOHNSTON.
Executive Chamber,
Harrisburg, March 13, 1850.

Chester, Pa., March 8, 1850.
To his Excellency, William F. Johnston, Governor of Pennsylvania :
The undersigned, commissioner appointed by your Excellency, on the part of the
State of Pennsylvania, under the fourteenth section of an' act of the General Assembly
of this Commonwealth, passed the 10th day of April, A. D., 1849, entitled "A sup
plement to an act, entitled 'An Act relative to the organization of courts of justice,'
passed the 14th day of April, A. D., 1834," "to act in conjunction with commissioners
appointed or to be appointed by the Stales of Delaware and Maryland, with power to
survey and deterraine the point of intersections of the States of Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Maryland, and to fix some suitable mark or monuraent whereby the said point
may hereafter be indicated," has the honor to transmit herewith the annexed joint re
port of the coraraissioners, (marked A,) with copies of the correspondence with Lieu
tenant Colonel J. D. Graham, the principal engineer, under whose charge the surveys
were conducted ; (marked B C &; D ;) and .also, the accompanying elaborate report
(marked E) and certified map of Colonel. Graham, exhibiting full, and, I hope, satisfac
tory details of proceedings and result of the work.
The field work of the surveys, from the jncleraency of the weather and other una
voidable causes, as set forth in the report of the engineer, was prolonged, and the ex
penses consequently increased much beyond what were. at first anticipated by the cora
raissioners. "They have, however, the satisfaction of stating that the work has been
carefully done, and the scientific portion of it prosecuted by a gentleman whose de
servedly high reputation in his profession, will give entire confidence to its correctness,
and iraportant and difficult points on the boundaries of the several States have Been deter-

mined and permanently established ; frora which the line between Pennsylvania and
Delaware, and the east and west line between the former State and Maryland can, with
out difficulty, at any future time, be riin out, determined and marked.
In searching for the official documents relating to the original seittement of the bounda
ries between the provinces of Pennsylvania and Maryland, none of any importance
could be found among the archives bf this State. They are all, however, fortunately
preserved among those of Maryland. I would, therefore, respecifully suggest the im
portance of proeui'ing certified copies thereof, and having them printed for preservation,
ih connection with the present reporls.
Permit me to reraark, before clbsing this introductory report, that in our intercourse
with those citizens o.f the States of Pennsylv^tnia and Delaware, owning property and
residing contiguous to the boundary line of the two States,, and who are deeply and
immediately interested in having- that,line well defined, we found they were under the
impression the commissioners were authorized— as it is believed it was intended by
those originatiqg the commission they should be— to run out, define and mark that part
of the circular line at present forming the entire boundary between the two States / but
our authority not appearing to contemplate such a survey, we could not feel ourselves
warranted iri gratifying their expectations and wishes.,
The necessity of defining and marking such circular boundary line, is the more appa
rent froni ihe fact, that thete does not appear to be any monuments or other certain evi
dences of its true location, and there being nothing but uncertain and conflicting tradi
tionary evidence of said line, great inconvenience has long been fell and losses sustained,
as well by the public in the assessment and collection of taxes, as by individuals own
ing land on or near the line ; since real estate in the vicinity, sold under proceedings in
partition or execution f&r debt, will not bring its full value by reason of the" uncertainty
of the titles derived from courts, whose jurisdiction mjiy not embrace such real estate.
This uncertainty also produces difficulty in borrowing and loaning moneys upon the
Caith of lands, when it is not known in which State to enter payments or record mort
gages to constitute a lien. I would, therefore, respectfully suggest to your Excellency
the propriety of recomraending the passage of an act authorizing the surveying and
marking Said line, with suitable 'monunients at convenient distances, to remedy the ex
isting evils.
' All of which is respectfully submitted.
JOSHUA P. EYRE.
Commissioner on the part of Pennsylvania.

' (A.) City of Washington, March 1, 1850.
To their Excellencies P. Francis Thomas, Governor of Maryland, William F.
JoHNSTONi Governor of Pennsylvcinia, arid William Tharp, Governor of Dela
ware:
The undersigned commissioners, appointed by your Excellencies in pursuance of
the legislation of our respeilive States for ascertaining and re-fixing certain boundaries
wheie the States of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware join each other, beg leave
to make the following report : ,
Early in October last, we individually and in joint consultation, sought the inforraa
tion necessary to the discharge of our duties, and after conference in the-city of Wil
mington, saw that much science and raany intricate raaiheraatical p'roblenis were
involved, that not only required the talents ef men as commissioners distingu shed in
the annals of out country, and surveyors, to carry out the agreement of the proprietary
governments in 1760, but finally'enlisted the services of those distinguished mathema
ticians, Messrs. Mason and Dixon.

The work before us involved the important points where the peninsular or tangent
line iritersecls the due north line,, and where the curve, on a radius of twelve English
statute miles from New Castle, was required to begin ; also, the interseciion of said
curve wilh the due north line, or point where the three States join each other, and the
intersection of the north line with the parallel of latitude — being the noith-east corner
of Maryland, or boundary of Pennsylvania and Maryland on the north.
Looking to the intricacy of the work and the distinction of our predecessors, the
undersigned sought through your Excellencies assistance from the General Government.
The Secretary of War promptly afforded it in the detail of Lieut. Col. Jaines'D. Gra
ham, of the corps of topographical engineers, alike distinguished for the corps to which
he belongs, and signal abihty with which he had executed raany national works.
After a full inquiry into the subject, and studious examination of the public archives
at Annapolis, where alone they were to be found in preservation, and copious extracts
and notes fiom all connected with the agreement of the proprietary governments of
1732 and 1760, by Col. Graham and the undersigned, we met Col. Graham again
in New Castle, Wilmington and Newark, Delaware, for obsei:vation, conference and
reconnoisance ; when, for the purpose of, a proper understanding of our respective du
ties, the accorapanying correspondence, raarked B and C and D, was had. It resulted
in an experimental survey, under the direction of Col. Graham, with a full corps of
assistant engineers, and such men, lor field service, as were required by him and ap
proved by the undersigned.
This experimental survey, the undersigned were gratified to find, resulted most satis
factorily, so far as land-marks, remaining nionuments, and supposed positions for some
of the lost monuments were involved; and we did hope that said survey might be
final, and jvould close our labors; but the computations and plotting developed great
discrepancies between our work, and that of the former commissioners and Messrs.
Mason and Dixon, both in measurement and the true position of the tangent point.
The measurement, too, of the radius, or distance frora the centre of New Castle to
the aforesaid tangent point, involved consequences iraportant to Maryland, Pennsyl
vania and Delaware, as well as the coirect running of the curve, and determined us, in
full consultation with Col. Gialiam, to prosecute- a systera of triangulaiion that would
explain all discrepancies, afford accuracy to the different measureraenls, and supply
the true distance frora the steeple, of the court house, at New Castle, to the aforesaid
tangent point, or to any part of the said curve.
This work was enlered upon and prosecuted with great diligence, and Would long
since have been completed but for the unsettled weather, which retarded the field labor,
interrupted instrumental observations, and detained the engineers upon the line from
the 15th day of November to the 7th day of February.
On the 8th day of February all the field hands were discharged, and Col. Grahara,
with his assistants, repaired to this place to complete their compulations, and raake out
such report and maps of the work as would afford to all a correct view of the labor
they had encountered,- and designation of an important portion of the territorial liraits
of our respective States.
The undersigned, having deterrained to meet at tbis place as soon as their presence
was necessary to a final adjustment of accounts and signing of maps, as well as for an
interchange of views as to their joint and several reports, soon ascertained-, that while
their stay would expedite the result, it would be marked with a delay commensurate
with all their early misconceptions of the work. We are, however, gratified with
the belief that constant and daily intercourse with Col. Grahara, has better enabled us
to appreciate the continued extent of labor, and precise scientific execution, that raust
ensure the confidence of the scientific world, all of which will be properly estiraated
by your Excellencies on exaraining the map and report of the engineer, frora which

we will not further withdraw your attention, and which are subraitted as the result of
our commission, We have the honor to be.
Respectfully yours,
H. G. S. KEY,
Commissioner on the part of Maryland.
JOSHUA P. EYRE,
Commissioner on the part of Pennsylvania.
GEO. READ RIDDLE,
/ Commissioner on the part of Delaware,

(B.)

Wilmington, Delaware,
November 12, I8i9.

.1

To Lt; Col. J. D. Graham,
Of the U. S Topographical Engineers :
Sir : — The undersigned, commissioners on the part of the States bf Maryland,
Pennsylvania and Delaware, appointed for the ascertainment of the boundary, or point
of intersection where the said States- join each other, and such other boundaries of the
said States as are necessary to accuracy in t-e-fixing and establishing the sarae, are
ready, under your assistance, to proceed with the work ; and looking tb your expe
rience for the mode or instructions by which the field operations are to be conducted,
ask you to furnish "a detailed plan" thereof for the approval of the board, and ac
complishment of the JDurposes of our respective States.
Permit us further to add, that if found necessary to accuracy in ascertaining the
above point, it is our purpose to refix such stones as may be broken or lost with new
stones or monuments, particularly at the following points, viz :
1st.' The beginning of the curve or north end of the tangent line.
2d. The meridian of the curve between Delaware and Maryland.
3d. The point or place of intersection of the dye north line and said curve, being
the point of intersection of the three States; and -
4th. The north end of the aforesaid due north line, or intersection of said line with
the east and west line of Mason and Dixon, being "a parallel of latitude fifteen Eng
lish statute miles south of the most southern part of the city of Philadelphia," and the
boundary of Pennsylva-iiia and Maryland on the north.
' ' ' Respectfully,
H. G. S. KEY,
Commissioner on the pari of Maryland.
JOSHUA P. EYRE,
Commissioner on the part of Pennsylvania.
GEO. READ RIDDLE,
' Commissioner on the part of Delaware,

(01)

Newark, Delaware,
'November 15, 1849.
Gentlemen: — I have thp honor to acknowledge the receipt, on tJie 12th inst., of
your joint communication of that date, requesting me to present, for the approval of
your board, a detailed plan of operations for the ascertainraent of the boundary or point

8
where the States of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware join each other, and such
other boundaries of .the said Stales as are necessary to accuracy in re-fixing and estab
lishing the sarae. Having, in company with your board, made an examination of a
portion of the boundaries extending from the north-east' corner of Maryland, two or
three miles. south of the tangent point, or point of contact of tbe peninsular line. with
the periphery of the circle of twelve miles radius from the centre of New Castle, I
now respectfully submii to you the following suggestions :
It appears that, the junction of the boundaries of the three States, is at the northern
intersection of the above named circle with the meridian line running due south from
the north-east corner of Maryland, and that the said meridian line again intersects the
circle at a point one mile and seven hundred and ninety-three yards and three-tenths
of a foot due south of the preceding point. This last mentioned point is the tangent
point, or point of contact of the peninsular line with the said circle.
If this tangent point can be identified wilh certainty upon the ground, having the di
rection of the tangent line, well marked by monuments already found, the portion of
the circle in question can, very readily, be traced and continued, until jts cord shall
coincide with the meridian line already named, which will give the point required.
If the stone which was originally placed to mark the tangent point is missing, it will
be desirable to find that point, and replace the stone monument upon it, as a point of
beginning to trace the curve. This may be done by prolonging the direction of the
tangent line deduced from any two raonuments found upon it, until the direction of the
line penpendicQlar to it, shall pass through the centre of the circle of twelve miles
radius, which is understrood to be the steeple of the court house at New Castle; or
this tangent point, -and also the point of junction of the three States, may be fixed by
prolonging trigonoraetrically the true meridian direction from the north-east corner of
Maryland due south, until the required distances, obtained from the original surveys of
Mason and Dixon, of three miles and nine himdred and ninety-nine and nine-tenths
yards, and five railes and thirty-three yards from the said north-east corner of Mary
land, shall be reached.
The meridian direction must, in that case, be obtained by astronomical observations
witb a transit instrument and good chronometers, and the triangulaiion be executed
with a good theodolite, adapted to nice geodetic operations, all of which I already have
at my command.
But the first step in the operation I conceive to be, to cause a rapid experimental
survey to be made with the chain and small transit theodolite, that shall lay down all
the monuments now existing, frora some point one or two miles south of the tano-ent
point, to the north-east corner of Maryland. When this survey is plotted, we shall be
enabled to shew all the nionuments now existing on the ground, and by comparing their
distances apart, with those given in the notes of survey of Mason and Dixon, to ascer
tain what monuraents, if any, are missing ; and then we shall be enabled to ascertain
likewise, with precision, according to the most applicable of the methods above sug
gested, the points they should occupy, and hence proceed to erect thera under your
iraraediate supervision.
If it meet your approbation, we will proceed at once with the preliminary survey.
I reraain, gentlemen.
Very respectfully. Your obedient servant,
J. D. GRAHAM,
Lt. Col. Topographical Engineers.
To Messrs. H. G. S. Key, Joshua P. Eyre, Geo. Read Riddle, Commissioners, &c.
&c., &c.

(»•),

Newark, Di';laware,
November 15, 1849.

ToLt. Col. J. D. Graham, '
United States Topographical Corps of Engineers :
'Sir: — We have duly received and considered your communication of this day, in
leply to ours of the twelfth instant, dated at Wilmington, and take pleasure in saying,
tbat we concur in your views and plans for the operations necessary tt^ the purposes
of our respective States.
The extent of work intimated in your communication, is about what we presumed
was indispensable to aftcuracy, from our early examination of the archives of our
States, connected with the operations of Messrs. Mason and Dixon, and the observa
tions we had made oi^ a previous examination of much of the lines that might be the
field , of our labors; ahd that the main points may be so marked with a view to future
permanency, we propose to mark with stones or monuments as follows : .
1. The tangent point, or north end of the tangent line, shall be marlced with the
letters TANGENT, and with the letter M oii the side next to the State of Maryland,
and the letter D on the side n^xt to the State of Delaware.
2. The meridian of the c'urve shall be marlced, on the side next to the State of Mary
land, with the letter M, and shall be oval off that side ; and shall be marked, on the
side next to the State of Delaware, wilh the letter D.
3. The point or place of intersection of the due north line and the curve — being the
point of intersection of the three States— shall be marked with a stone of triangular shape,
and the letters M, P, and D, on the sides towards the respective States of Maryland,
Pennsylvania and Delaware, and also with the' names of the- commissioners on some
side thereof;
4. The north end of the aforesaid due north line, or intersection of said line with
the east and' west line of Mason and Dixon, being the boundary of Pennsylvania and
Maryland on the north, shall be marked as follows : on the sides next to the State of
Maryland with the letter M, and on the side^ next to the State of Pennsylvania, with
tBe letter P.
We also propose, that all the said stones, or raonuments, shall have 1 849 in
scribed on sorae side thereof, and be fixed at, least four feet deep in the ground, ^and
shall show at least thirty inches above the, ground.
. We beg leave further, most respectfully to suggest, that the progress of your opera
tions may present modifications, which will be considered, by you and ourselves, with'
due regard to the objects to be attained.
We have thp honor to be.
Respectfully yoiirs,
H. G. S. KEY,
Cominissioner on the part of Maryland.
JOSHUA P. EYRE",
Commissioner on the part of Pennsylvania.
GEO. READ RIDDLE,
Cominissioner on the part of, Delaware.

10

(E.)
COL.ji^MHAM^S REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Washington, February 27, 1850.
To Messrs. H- G. S. Key, Joshua P. Eyre and George Read Riddle, Commis-
mi.isioriers for adjusting and re-fixing certain parts of the boundaries of the
States of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware:
Gentlemen : — ^Having been invited by yon, in November last, to conduct the. sur
veys and examinations necessary to the elucidation and adjustment of certain portions
of the conterminous boundaries of 'your respective States, "known as "M^ason and
Dixon's line," for which purpose yOu were appointed commissioners by the Governors
of those States, under authority of recent legislative enactments, I have the honor now,
in pursuance of a conference with you upon the subject, to, lay before you a report,
Shewing all that has been done in the field, and which will serve to sliew, and enable
you to decide, what more ought to be done, by authority of further legislation, to
complete the demarcation of the boundaries of two of these conterminous States;
namely, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
As soon as the maps shewing the surveys we have already made, can be completed,
which I understand you wish to lay before. your respective State authorities with aa
little delay as possible, I propose to m-ike a more full report, embracing, such notices
as will present a general view of the scientific operations of Messrs. Mason and
Dixon, and of their predecessors, in tracing the various lines which now constitute
important portions of -the boundaries of those States. This report will beduly com
municated to you when completed.
In pursuance of authority from the bureau of topographical engineers, I repaired,
on the 30th of October last, to Annapolis, to confer with the Governor of Maryland,
in reference to the' duly which relates to the veritication of certain points in the boun
dary between the States of MarylaniJ, Delaware and P'ennsylvania, and to investigate
the notes of Mason and Dixon, which were understood to be in the archives of the
State of Maryland. ¦ .
These documents, (together with the articles of agreement between Charles Lord
Baltimore, and the heirs and successors of William Penn, of the 10th day of May,
1732, and of the subsequent agreement between Frederick Lord Baltimore, and
Thomas and Richard Penn, the surviving, heirs of William Penn, entered into the 4th
of July, 1700, and also the records of the proceedings of their commissioners and
surveyors, from time to time duly appointed, all in manuscript, were placed at my
disposal by his Excellency, Philip F. Thomas, Governor of Maryland. These manu
scripts embrace a period of near thirty-seven years; namely,, from May 10th, 1732,
to the end of the yeai; 1768. From them such extracts and b'rief minutes were raade
as were deemed requisite to a proper understanding of the lines to be examined.
The articles of agreement filially entered into between the parties, and their instruc
tions to their commissioners, define clearly the lines of boundary betvyeen the then
provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania, in conformity to the memorable decree of
Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, pronounced the 15th of May, 1750, which set at rest
for a time, and was the basis of the final settlement of a dispute that had lasted raany
years, between the proprietaries, as Well as the border inhabitants, of these two pro
vinces. Without quoting these articles at length, it will be sufficient here to state that the
boundary between the two provinces was thus required to be run, namely : to begin
at cape Henlopen, and run a line due west to a point midway between that cape and
the shore of Chesapeake bay. '

11
Prom this middle point a line was to be run northerly in such direction, that it
should be tangent to a circle whose centre was decided to be the centre of the court
house* at New Castle, and whose radius should be twelve English statute railes, mea
sured horizontally. From the tangent point, of contact of the northerly line with the
periphery bf the .circle, the line was to be continued due north until it shou|d reach a
point fifteen English statute miles, measured horizontally, south of the parallel of lati
tude of the raost southern point of the city of Philadelphia.t
From^ the northern extremity 'of the saiil dne north Une, a lifts was to be run due
west, continuing upon a parallel of latitude until the western liraits of Maryland and
Pennsylvania should respectively be reached, which, in the case of Pennsylvania, was
defined to be five degrees of longitude west of the river Delaware.
The conclusion of the eighth article of the. agreement, of 1732, which is incorpor
ated into the instructions of Lord Baltimore and John, Thomas and Richard Penn, to
their respective commissioners, dated the 12th of May, 1732, and repeated in all the
subsequent instructions, provides that "in case said north line from the tangent of the
circle of New Castle, shall break in upon the said circle, in such case, so much of the
said cirple as shall be cut off by the ?aid line, shall belong to, and be part of the county
of New Castle. '.'J
Ip pursuaace of the decree of 1750, comrnissioners and surveyors were appointed
to run the required lines. Iri 1751, a line was traced due west from cape Henlopen
to the shore of Chesapeake bay, and its length ascertained, , by, measuring with a
chain, to be sixty^nine miles and two hundred and ninety-eight perches. At the dis
tance of sixty-six miles and twenty -four and one-half perches from the point of be-
,jginning. Slaughter's creek was reached, and here Lord Baltimore's commissioners
* See the old parchment ooiitainin? the iigreement of M^y, 1760, and the instructions from the
-cfflmmissioners to the surveyors, given at New (Jaslle, the Tfth'of November, 1761, contained in the
proceedings of the cdmmissianers, in manuscript, at Annapolis. 'J'hey specify the exact point for
the centre of the circle, as well as the length ofi and manner of tracing lOut the Vadias.
¦j^The following is an extract from the the proceedings of the commissioners, convened' at Phila
delphia, under date pf December 3,' 1763 : ¦ '
"The commissioners met according to. adjournment.
"Present as yesterday, and also Benjamin Chew, P^q., another 'of the commissioners for Penn-
¦sylvanla. - > , ' " ', '
"The commissioners having, in «)nsequeiice of their agreement of yesterday, requested the
mayor and recorder, and some of Ihe persons appointed to lay out lots and' regulate water courses in
the streets of the said city, which office requires that they should be men well acquainted with the
"exact situalion ofithe several streets, and liie dim^Mons of the several squares and lots of ground
therein, to shew them which is the njost scfathern part thereof. The said mayor and recorder, and
two of the said regulators, to wit : Alderman Rhoades and Mr. Jacob Lewis, went with the commis
sioners and .Messrs. Mason and Dixon, to the street called Cedar or South street, ttie south side of
which street the said mayor, recorder and regulators informed the commissioners is, and as th«y
verily believe ever has been, from the time the said city was first laid out, deemed and talien to be
tho southojrn boundary and limit thereof, and to which boundary the mayor, recorder and aldermen of
the said city huve constanlly exercised jurisdiction; by which inforhiation, and, a view Of some old
deeds that were produced by persons possessed of lots bounding on ihe said Cedar street, and of a
plat of the said city, the cbmmissioners w.ere all sati.flied that the north wall of a house at this time
occupied by Thomas Pluinsted and Joseph Huddle, is the most southern part of' the said city' qf
Philadelphia. The commissioners then adjourned to Monday morning, at ten o'clock.
J. RIDOUT; JAMES HAMILTON,
JNO. LEEDS, , " ;, ' RICHARD PETERS,
JOHN BARCLAY, ¦ ,WM. COLEMAN,
( , , GEO. STEUART, JIVQ. EW-ING."
, ¦ ,/ D.-^N. OF ST. THOS., JENIFER, / . ' ' , ,.
NwTE 3. — T^ie latitude of the noijth wall of this, house, occupied ip 1763 by ThbiiaS 'Plumsted
and Joseph Huddle, was determined ' by Messrs. Mason and Dixon, from •astronomical obsbrWtiWs,
in 1763-64, with a zenith sector, to be 39° 56' 29":.\1. The point, fifteen English statute miles dtie
south pf that parallel, was computed by Messrs. Mason and Dixon, to be in latitude 39° 43' ^8*^
From our knowledge of the dimensions and figure Of the earth, we should at this day compute it to
be in latitude 39° 43' 36" .3. / '• -.
:|:It seems to have beefa doubtful, -when these articles were drawn, whether the direction of the
tangent line woulil be north-westerly or north-easterly from the middle pbint of the west line run froiii
cape Henlopen to the ^hore of the Chesapeake bay.

12
contended the line should end;; hut those on the part of the Penns', insisted' that iff
should be extended to the eastern verge of the bay. '
In April, 1751, Charles Lord' Baltimore' died, and the demarcation 'bf the boundary
was suspended. His heir and successor, Frederick Lord Baltimore, raised objeptions^
lo the d'eferee of 1750V and.determined to resist its' executioiT.wfiich brought on anew con"-
froversy between the- proprietaries. Before a decree was had upon it, an agreement
was entered inlo between the parties on the- 4th of July, 1760, whio-h in fact adopted
the points that had beerr previoasry settled' by the. agreement of May fOth, 1732, and
the decree of Mgy 1750,- as to the lines defining the boundaries. The proceedings of
the former commissioners were aLso recognized by this agreement, and confirmed by
it so far as they were conclusive. Cape Henlopen was determined^ to be the poinli
previously fi'xed upon as marking this cape.'- and the terminafron of the ,due west line
from thenee-:aeross the peninsula, was decided fo be that which had been conterided
for by the commissioners of P'ennsylvani-a'; and" the' middle point of that lilies frons
whence the tangent line was to- start, wSs decideJ to be thirty -fouT miles -and three
hundred and' nine perches from tiVe point of beginning at cape- Henlopen.
At the m-iddle point of this peninsular line-, a boundary stone was to be planted at
their joint expense, marked on the south and west with the arms of Lprd BaiJlimore,
and on the north and east with tfie arms of the Penn family^ graven therbn.
Commissioners were required' to be appointed hy each of the parties within thirty ,
days after the execivtion of this agreement, to carry its provisions into effect. This
was accordingly done, and the said commissioners met at New Castfe the l-flth of
November, 1760. and immecnately entered^ upon the dlBch;arge of the duties committed''
to them-.
The lines, as they were ,traced and approved by the commissioners, were' marked
and de.fi.tiied by posts oif cut sioi-re- about fou^rfeet long and ten to twelve iticlies- square,
placed a* the distance of one mile apart. These sto-nes were prepared in England,.
and* sent over to America from time to time, as the lines progressed. Every fifth mile
stone was- engraved -with the arms of Lord. Baltimore on the side facing towards Mary
land, and with the arms of the Penn family on the side facing towards, Pennsylvania.
The agreement of 173:2? siipulated, and it was ordereij in the deeree,,by the Lord
High Chanceller, that the bounds should be marked with the arras of th'e proprietaries
on the sides facing towards th-eir respeetive territories.
The other mile stones were engraved with the letter M on (he sides' facing Mary
land, and with the letter P on the sidajiicing Pennsylvania.
From November, 176'0, to the fatter part of P'ctober, 1763, the commissioners and
surveyors were laboring in attempts to trace out the radius of twelve miles;, and the
tangent line from the middle point of the west line aero?s the peninsula. The measure
ments were all made with a chain of sixty-six feet, divided into one hundred links,.
except alone that a triangfllatioir was extended a short distance from the court 'house
at New Castle, iri running out the radius, in order that the true point of departure-
should be the steeple or centre (rf that buifding, which could not be reached with the
chain. The surveyors were required to compare 4heir chain? wilh a standard mea
sure as often, as might be necessary to reduce the chaining, to accurate measure.
Several experiments were riiade to; approximate to a, proper j,unction of the radius
of twelve miles, with a true tangent line, from the mtiddle post. ' In this protracted,
tedious and expensive operation, vistaa were required to be opened along all the lines-
traced through the dense forest that then overspread the country.
The rectilinear directions were attempted to be preserved by setting up poles or
staves in liney as the work progressed.
As late as the 31st of October, 1763, no. practical solution of this problem had been-
effected, although, as was afterwards ascertained, a close approxiriiation to the true
tafflgent point had been reached,
M -
A post marked ^jj had been planted at the extremitj^ of a Hne traced for a radius^
west from the court house at New Castle ; and two other posts, one marked ^tt
Ail,
and the other marked TP, had been planted at the northern extremities of lines traced

13
for pi tangent. Each of these three posts was supposed, when planted, to iipproxiraate
¦very near to the true tangent point.
In the proceedings of the commissioners under date of October 32, 1763, we find
ihe following rainute, viz :
MThe commissioners having talipn into consideration the agreement entered into by
them at their last mee.ting< to represent to their respective constituents what lines had
¦been already run, after what manner, and what had been the issue, in order that they
might give the necessary directions for running and ascertaining the tangent line, the
Pennsylvania commissioners informed the Mary'land commissioners .that they had lately
received a letter from the proprietors of Pennsylvania, dated the 10th of August last,
acquainting thera that they atnd Lord Baltimore had agreed with two mathematicians
or surveyors to come over and assist in running the lines agreed on in the original
articles, who were to embark for Philadelphia the latter end of August last, and that
Iheir arri-val might soon be expected. ¦ Whereupori, the commissioners were of opinion
that it was better to delay making the representation to their constituents, according to
their former proposal, until ihe arrival of the said mathematicians.
"Thes commissioners then adjourned to the 30th of Noveraber next, to meet at the
«ity of Philadelphia ; but agreed that if the matheraa.ticians should arrive long ^before
the 30th of November, the meeting should be on such other earlier day as the respec
tive Governors by letter should agree on, and at any other place than the city of Phila-
¦delphia, if it should be more convenient for -1:116 entering upon their work. "
Under date of December 1st, 1763, at a meeting of the commissioners, it is noted
that the articles of agreement were read bet-iveen Lord Baltimore and Thomas and
Richard Penn, and Charles Mason and ,Jerenfiiah Dixon, bearing date the 4th' day of
August last, directed to, -their commissioners.; also, a commission to the said commis-
-sione,rs, recoramending it to the-m to take to their aid and assistance the said Mason
and Dixon, and employ thein to mark, run out, settle, fix and determine all sneh pajrts -
of .the circle,, marks, lines and boundaries as '.are mentioned in ithe several .articles, i.pf
agreement or commissions, and are not yet completed. Likewise a paper of hints
given by Dr. Bevis and Mr. Harris to Lord Baltimore, and Thomas and Richard
Penn, referred and recommended to the consideration of their respective c6mmissioners,
and then adjourned to to-morrow, &c., &c.
Thus We are introduced to Messrs. Mason and Dixon, who superseded the former
-surveyors in the employment of ma/iarig out these boundary lines. , They immediately
entered upon their duties, and were employed in tracing and marking the severaMlnes
already described* until the 36111 of December, 1767,' when they were honorably dis
charged. Of the work of their predecessors, the running bf the due west line from
"cape Henlopen to its, termination midway between said cape and the shore of Chesa-
peiike bay, the trace and meastirement of the radius of twelve miles from. New Castle
'Court house, and the detei-mination of the tangent point in the circle, only were
accepted as settled. The lines traced by their 'predecessors in their attempts to run
(Jie tangent line; a'line of eighty two miles nearly iri length, were however, of great
aid to Messr-s. Mason and Dixoij in, fi,nally establishing that line, In tracing it by aid of
l!he transit instrument,- through a vista which they had opened in 1764, which was as-
.•sumed by calculation to be the true tangent line, Messrs. Mason and Dixon constantly
note how far, at e-ifery five mile post, their line passed from the posts previously set
hy their predecessors. ' ' - '
In their minutes of survey t'he^' say : ^'' Novem'ber 10!!/i, 1764. Produced the line to
the point shown us (in the direction of the radius of twelve miles from New Castle,
mentiotied in the minutes of the 35th and 37th of August,) to be the tangerit point
-settled by the former surveyors, .and measuredi the distaace of our line from the ?said
point, and fou,nd it was sixteen feet seven inches to the eastward oft the said, point.
* The Hne west from the north extremity of 'the due north line was not prolonged as far as five
^legrees of longitude from ihe Delaware by Mason and Dixon. On reaching. a point two hundred
and thirty hiiles, eighteen chains and twenty-bne links west of the extremity of the due north hne,
4heir further progress was arrested by .the Indiaus. :

14
" We continued, our line fifty-two and .a-half yards and then it was opposite the post
marked ~^yy^ and found we were sixteen feet.from the said post eastward.
'• Wegilso continued the line forty-one and a-half yards farther, and then we were
opposite the post marked T P, and then we measured the distance of our line from the-
said post and found it was fifteen feet twd and a haff inches to the eastward.
'^November 13. Sent two expresses, viz :, one to his Excellency Horatio Sharpe,
Esq., Governor of Maryland, and the other to the Hon. James Hamilton, Esq., to
acquaint them we finished our second line on Saturday last.
" November 13. From tbe data in the minute of the 37th of August we computed
how far the true tangent line would be distant from the post shewrt us to be the tan
gent point, and found it would npt pass one irich to the westward or the eastward:
"On measuring the angle forraed by our last Fine and iTie radius frora New Castle,
it was so near a right angle that on a mean from our lines the above mentioned post is
the true tangent point.
"From the whole we eonclude that the offset posts in our second line, marked M
D, are (as near as practicable,) in the true tangent line. " '
From the record of proceedings of the commissioners the following is an extract :
" Saturday, November 34th, 1764.
"The commissioners met according to adjournment.
" Present as yesterday, [namely : Horo. Sharpe, John Leeds, John Barclay, Dan.
of St. Thomas Jenifer; Benjamin Chew, John Ewing,. Edward' Shipping, Jr.7.and
Thomas Willing.] \ "
'^The commissioners havii^ resuraed the eonsideradoris of yesterday.
" .Agreed, That the post' set up by Messrs. Mason and Dixon, and by them marked
West, shall be and be deemed and accounted fifteen miles southof the parallel of the
most southern bounds of the city of Philadelphia, and that Messrs. Mason and Dixon
shall be instructed imra-ediately to proceed in running the west line directed by the
articles from the said pogt till it reaches the river Susquehannah, where an observation
shall be made by them. ' ¦
" .Agreed also, That the post set up in the extreraity of the radius of twelve mile*
from. New. Castle, markerl yp^ shall be and be- deemed and accounited to be the true-
tangent point, and that the surveyors shall, proceed to run; the north li'ne and such part
©f the circle as falls to ttie westward of said line, according to the articles, from the
said point, as soon as they have run the said .west line to the ri-ver Susquehannah.
'¦'¦Agreed also. That the posts set up by Messrs. Mason and Dixon at the easteri*
extremieties of the offsets raade from th-e line they first run from the poiat marked
MidduEt and by them marked M D, shall, be and be deemed and accounted to stand
in the direelioni of, and tO' mark and describe the tangent line.
^^ Agreed lastly,. That as soon as the surveyors shall have run the said wesfi line to
the river Susqiuehaiinah, and the said north line and jjart of the circle,, .stones shall be
set wp raarked with the arras of the Lord; Baltimore on one side, and the arms of the
proprietors of Pennsylvania on the other, as the articles require and direct, afong the
said tangent line, in the places where the offset posts stand therein, at the tangent
point marked -j^jj in. several points of the periphery of the circle, in- the north line»
at the' point where the said north line shall intersect the said west line, and along the
said west line to the rivef Susquehannah, to be and remain as marks and boundaries
forever, between the said provinise of Maryland and the counties of New 6asde,
•Kent and Sussex, on Delaware, and between the said province of Maryland and the
pravince of Pennsylvania,, as far a» the river Susquehannah,"

15
The commissioners then agreed to give instructions pursuant to the foregoing agree
ment and did so ; and then adjourned over to the 16th of June npxt, then to meet at
Christiana bridge. " Christiana Bridge, June 16, 176,5.
" The commissioners met according to their adjournment of November 34th, last,"
&o., &c.
" Commissions were read from the proprietors, prolonging the time for running the
lines to the 31st December, 1765," &;c., &c.
"Adjourned to to-morrow morning, ten o'clock." "Christiana Bridge, June 17, 1765.
"The commissioners met," &e., &c.
"The surveyors produced to the commissioners their rainute books, which being
compared, examined and found to agree, it appears thereby that in pursuance of the
instructions given them the 34th day of November last, they have extended the west
line to the west side of the river Susquehannah, run a north line frora the tangent pointy
to intersect the said west line, and also described such pa^rt o,f the circle round New
Castle as falls westward of said north Hne. ¦
"The commissioners approving of the lines run by the said surveyors, agreed to
have a stone (.(he only one they have at present, on which are graven the arms of the
respective prpptHetors,) immediately fixed at the said tangent pbint; another stone at
the point where the above mentioned west line and north line intersect each other;
one other stone in the s-aid north line,' w'ithoutthe peripl^ery of the circle ; one at the
point w'here the north line and circle intei-sect;, and three others at different plases in\
the said circle. The six last-menrioned stones toremai^ only until others more proper
for the purpose, and with the arms of the right honorable the Lord Baltimore, and the
honorable proprietors of Pennsylvania, graven thereon, can be procured. ,
''And then adjourned to to-morrow morning."
' "Newark, June 18, 1765.
"The commissioners met according to adjournment. Present as yesterday; and
went and fixed a stone, marked with the arms of the lord proprietary of Maryland on
the west, and the arras of the proprietors of Pennsylvania on the east side of it, in
the tangent point ; and also set up stones al the other places, according to their agree
ment of yesterday ; after which they gave Messrs. Mason and Dixon instructions to'
proceed with the running of the west line westward of the Susquehannah, as far as the
provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania are settled and inhabited, unless obliged to
desist on account of severe weather, or they should before that time receive instruc
tions to desist from their work. , ' '
"The commissioners then adjourned tb meet," fee, <fcc. ,^
1 "Thursday, November Zfi, 1766.
"The commissioners met," &c., &c. 'i
"Present as yesterday, [namely: John Barclay, Dan. of St, Thomas Jenifer, .T.
Beale Bordley; William Allen, Benjamin Chew, John Ewipg and Thomas Willing^]
j^ ' ¦ * - ' ^ ' is ¦ * . ^ * ^ * .,*,¦'''
"Messrs. Ewing and Barclay report to the other commissioners, that in pursuance
of their agreement, by their letters of the 5th and 33d of October last, thirty-one-
stories have been set up at a mile's distance each, in the tangent line, (in the places
where posts had been fixed in the said line by iVIessrs. 'Mason and Dixon,) from the
fiftieth mile stone, set up forraerly, to the tangent point ; each five mile stone being
marked with the arms of the right honorable Lord Baltimore on the west side, and the
arms of the honorable proprietors of Pennsylvania on the east, and the other intefme-

16
diate stones, with the letter M on the west side and the letter P on the east. And the
better to distinguish and ascertain the tangent »point, another stone, marked with the
arms of Lord Baltimore on the west side, and of the proprietaries of Pennsylvania.
on the east, hath been set up at the south side of the stone fixed in the said tangent
point, bythe commissioners on the 18th of June, 1765.
"That one stone, marked with the letter M on the west side, and the letter P on
east, hath been set up in the arc of the circle ; and three stones, raarked as the latter,
have been set up in the north line from the tangent point, in the places where Messrs,
Mason and Dixon had set.up mile posts in those lines :
"That sixty -four stones have been set up in the west line, the first of which stands
at the distance of one mile to the westward of the stone fixed by the coraraissioners,
on the 18th of June, 1765, in the point where the west and north lines intersect, and
the others at the same distance from each other, excejDt at the end of sixty-four railes,
where a proper stone was wanting, and is to be fixed at a future time, each five mile
stone having the arms of the Lord Baltimore graved thereon, on the south side, apd
the arms of the proprietors of Pennsylvania on the north, and the intermediate stones
marked with the letter M on the south, and with the letter P on the north side."
The rest of the proceedings of .this meeting relate to the completion of the west
line, and to obtaining the consent of the Indians to its being continued, &c., &c.
Then the commissioners adjourned to meet at Chestertown, Maryland, on the 19th of
March, 1767, or such earlier or later, day as the commissioners may by, letter agree
on. Their next meeting did not, however, for reasons stated, take place untd the IQih
day of June, 1767-. On that day the commissioners met. Sir, William Johnson, his
majesty's agent for Indian affairs, had obtained the consent of the Indians to &e tra-,
cing of the west line to its western extremity, that is to say, till it should reach to a '
distance of five degrees of longitude west from the river Delaware.
On the 18th June, 1767, the commissioners met and gave to-the surveyors their
instructions for continuing the trace of the west line to five degrees of longitude west
from the river Delaware, in the parallel of the said /west line, and cautioning them in
regard to a conciliatory and proper conduct towards the Indians.
•'Friday, December 25, 1767.
"The commissioners metaccording to adjournment," &c., &c.
"The surveyors' books were read, compared and found to agree, by which it ap
pears that they have extended the parallel of latitude, agreeable to the instructions
given them by the commissioners on the 18th day of June last, to the distance of
two hundred and thirty miles, eighteen chains, twenty-one links from the beginning
of said line, and two hundred and forty -four miles, thirty-eight chains, thirty- six links^
from the river Delaware, near to « path called the Indian war path, but that they were
prevented by the Indians deputed to attend them, by Sir William Johnson, from cour
inuing the said line to the end of five degrees of longitude, (the western limits of the
province of Pennsylvania,) which, in the'latitude of the said line, they find, and the
commissioners agree, to be two huridred and sixty-seven miles,* forty-eight chains
and ninety links, the said Indians alleging ,that they were instructed by, their chiefs, in
council, not to suffer the said line to be run to the westward of the said war path,"
&c., &c., &C. 1
On Saturday, December 36th, 1767, the commissioners raet and approved the con
duct of the surveyors, in desisting fi-ora the running of the parallel of latitude, ,upon
the opposition made, thereto by ,the Indians, to the full extent of five degrees of Ipngi-
tude from the river Delaware, pursuant to their former instructions.
After describing the work thus far done, the commissioners agreed to dtscharire
Messrs. Mason and Dixon from their service, they having finished the lines they were
employed and sent over by the proprietors, to run, under the direction of the commis-
* From our belter knowledge of the dimensions and figure of the earth, -we should, at this day,
compute, these iive degrees of longitude to be equal to two hundred and sixty-six. and thirty-one
hundredths .miles, or two hundred and sixty-six miles, twenty-four chains and eighty linlis.
J. D. G.

17
sioners, of which they g^ve the said Mason and Dixon notice, but agreed to make fhem
satisfaction for a draft or plan they were instructed to prispare., '
'« * « *'* '» « * *
The coraraissioners adjourned to raeet at Chestertown, Maryland, the 33d day of
March, 1768, or such other day as they raay by letter agree upon.- '•
After several meetings and, adjournments of thecommissioners, the proceedings of
which are not necessary to be noticed here, they met on
' Saturday, November 5, 1768.
When "Mr. Ewing smd Mr. Bordley informed" the' other commissioners that,
agree-able to the desire of the commissioners, they have set up two stones, that" is to
sayi Mr. Bordley, has put up one at the middle of jthe due west line, run .from Fen-
wick's island [cape Henlopen,] across the peninsula to Chesapeake bay, in theplace
of the post marked /'MIDDLE." i
"Mr. Ewing- has put up the other in the due west line, run in the parallel of
latitude fl-fteen English statU|te railes south of the most southern part of the city of
Philadelphia, at the intersection of the said west line with the meridian run from the
tangent point; the said stones having the arras of Lord Baltimore graved on tlie'sbuth
and west sides thereof, and the arms of the proprietors of Pennsylvania on the north
and east, sides thereof," &c, ifcc, &c.
Tlie following is an extract from the final report of the commissioners, niade to the
proprietaries of the two provinces, bearing date the Oth of November, 1768, taken from
the original records at. Annapolis. It embraces a notice of all the lines and ''bounda
ries run out, fixed, and delermined, under their direction, as well as those run out by
their predecessors,, and adopted as true boundaries, viz :
" 1st. We have completely run out, setUed, fixed, and determined, a straight line,
beginning -At the exact raiddle of the due east and west line mentioned in the articles
of the fourth of July, one thousand seven -hundred and sixty, to have been'run by
other commissioners, forrnerly appointed by the said Charles Lord Baltimore and the
said Thoraas Penn and Richard Penn, across the peninsula from cape Henlopen to
Chesapeake bay, the exact middle of which said east and west line, is at the distance
of thirty-four miles ^nd three 'hundred and nine perches from the verge of the main
ocean, the eastern end of the said due east and west line ; and that we have extended
the said straight line eighty-one miles seventy eight chains and thirty links up the penin
sula until it .touched and made a tangent to the western part of the periphery of a circle
drawn at the horizontal distance of twelve English statute miles from tl^e centre of the
town of New Castle, and have marked, described and , perpetuated the said straight
or tangent line, by setting up and erecting one remarkable stone at the place, of begin
ning thereof, in the exact middle of the aforesaid due east and wesi; line, according to
theiangle made by the said due west line, and by the said tangent line ; which stone,
on the inward sides of the same, facing towards the east and towards the north, hath
the arms of the said Thomas Penn and Richard Penn graved thereon, and on the out
ward sides, of the sa-me,! facing towards the.we.stand towards the south, hath the arms
of the said Frederick .Lord Baltimore graved thereon ; and have also erected arid set
up in the said straight or tangent line, from the said place of beginning to the tangent
point, remarkable stones at the end of every mile, each stone at the distance of or end
of every five, miles being particularly distinguished' by having t^ie arms of the said
Frederick Lord Baltimore graved on the side thereof turning towards the west, and the
arms of the said Thomas Penn and Richard Penn graved on the 'side thereof turning
towards the east, and all the other intermediate stones are marked with the letter P. on
the sides facing: towards the east, and with the letter M. on the sides faeing"towards
the west ; arid have fixed in the tangent point a stone with the arms of the said Fred
erick Lord Baltimore ^graved on the side facing^stowards the west, and with the arms
of the said Thomas Penrt and Richard Penn graved on the side facing towards the east.-'
"SwrfZi/,, TThat frdm the end of the said straight ..l|jpe or taiigent point, we have, run
ool, settled, fixed and determined a due north''line, of the length'bf five miles oiie
' ' a ,

18
chain and fifty links, to a parallel of latitude fifteen miles due south of the raost south
ern part of the city of Philadelphia, which said due north line intersected the said cir
cle drawn at the distance of twelve English statute miles from this centre of the town
of New Casde, one mile thirty-six chains and five links from the said tangent point,
and that in order to mark and perpetuate the said due north line, we have erected and
set up one unmarked stone at the point where the said line intersects the. said circle,
three other stones at a mile distance from each other, graved with the letter P, on the
sides facing the east, and the letter M. -fen the sides facing the west, between the said
place of intersection of the said circle and the said parallel of latitude, and £l third*
stone at the point of interseiction of the said north line and parallel of latitude, which
last stone, on the sides facing towards the north and east, hath the arms of the said
Thomas Penn and Richard Penn graved thereon, and on the sides facing towards the
south and west hath the arms of the said Frederick Lord Baltimore graved thereon.
^' 3d/«/. .That we have- run out, setded, fixed and deterrained such part of the said
circle as lies westward of the said due north line, and have raarked and perpetuated
the same by setting up and erecting four stones in the periphery thereof, one of which,
at the meridian distance of one mile, from the tangent point, is marked with the letter
P, on the east, and the letter M. on the west sides theVeof,
"4//i/«/. That we have run out, settled, fixed and determined a due east and west
line, beginning at the northern point or end of the said due north line, being the place
of intersection of the said north line with the parallel of latitude, at the distance of
fifteen English statute miles due south of the most southern part of the city of Phila
delphia, and have extended the said line tivo hundred and thirty milest eighteen chains
and twenty-one links due west from th6 place of beginning, and two hundred and
forty-four miles thirty -eight chains and thirty-six links due west from the river Dela
ware, and should have continued the same to the end of five degrees of longitude, the
western bounds of the Province of Pennsylvania, but the Indians would not permit
ns. And that we have marked, described and perpetuated the said west line, by set
ting up and erecting therein," stones at the end of every mile, from the place of begin
ning, tothe distance bf one hundred and thirty-two railes, near the foot of a hill called
and known by the name of Sideling hill, every five mile stone- having on the side
"ifecirig the north, the arms of the said Thomas Penn and Richard Penn graved thereon,
and on the side facing the south, the arms pf Frederick Lord Baltimore graven there-
•ion^ and the other intermediate stones are graved with the letter P. on the north side,
and (he letter M. on the south side ; and that the country to the westward of Sideling
hill being so very mountainous as to render it in most places extremely diflncult and
expensive, and in some impracticable, to 'convey stones or boundaries which had been
prepared and marked as aforesaid, to their proper stations, we have marked and
described the said line from Sideling hill to the top of the Alleghany ridge, which di
vides the waters running into the rivers Potowmack and Ohio, by raising and erecting
therein, on the tops of ridges and mountains over which the said line passed, heaps or
piles of stones or earth, from about three and a half to four yards in diameter, at bot
tom, and -from six to seven feet in height ; and that from the top,-of the said Alleghany
ridge, westward, as far as we have continued the said line, we have set up posts at the
end of every mile, and raised round each , post heaps or piles of stones or earth, of
pboat the diameter arid height before mentioned.
i^Lastly. That we have, according to the said articles of agreement, made dnt, signed
and sealed, a true and exact plan and survey, as well of the due east and west line,
whii^h was as aforesaid formerly run out by other commissioners, appointed under the
before-njentioned articles of agreement, of -the tenth day of May, one thousand seven
hundrddt^d thirty-two, and decree and subsequent order aforesaid, running across the
'This in nWdently an inadvertent error ia the ori^nal manuscript. It should be a fourth stone,
Ac J. D G.
-(-This distance of tnro hundred and thirty miles eighteen chains and twenty-one links is erroneously
printed two hundred and eighty failen, Se., &ciVin M'Mahon's History of Maryland, Vol. 1. Sea
^ 46. J. D. 6.

19
aforesaid peninsula from the verge of the main ocean towards Chesapeake bay, but
stopping in the exact middle of the said peninsula, as of such pa'rts of the said circle-,
lines, marks and boundaries as have been marked, run out, settled, fixed and deter
mined in manner aforesaid, by the respective commissioners who have been for that
purpose appiointed, subsequent to the before-mentioned articles of agreement of the 4th
day of July, 1760, which plan and survey we have hereunto annexed.
"In testimony whereof we have hereto set our hands and seals, at Chestertown, itt
the Province of Maryland, the 9di. day of November, in the 9th year of -the reign of
our Sovereign Lord, George the Third, King of Great Britain, &c., and in the year
of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight.^'
Then follows the certificate placed upon the map, recorded in the proceedings of
that date, and the whole is signed by
HOR'O SHARPE, WILL. ALLEN,
J. RIDOUT, . BENJAHillN CHEW,
JNO. LEEDS, JOHN EWING,
. JOHN BARCLA'S, EDW'D SHIPPEN, Jr.j .
GEO, STEUART. THOS. WILLING. ,<
DAN. OF. ST. THOS. JENIFER,
J. BEALE BORDLEY,
I have been thus full in the extracts and minutes from the origirial manuscripts at
Annapolis, because they appear necessary to a clear understanding of the linMve were
required to examine, and because we shall have occasion to refer to -many o*he facts
therein set forth, as having an iraportant relation to our own survey. ' ,
On the 9th of November last Iwent to New Castle, and on th;B lOth to Philadel
phia, to obtain the instruments in depot there which were required' for our surveys.
On the 13th, having met your board in conference at Wilmingtdn, Delaware, I was
invited to prepare and present for yoQr consideration and approval, a detailed plan of
the field operations necessary to the accomplishment of the objects pointed out by you.
I requested an opportunity of jpreviously making a reconnoissance of the line arid of
the land-m.arks within the limits of the portion of boundary in question, which was
assented to, and on the same day I accompanied the board to Newark,' Delaware,
which was decided on as the most convenient head-quarters of the Engineers during
^the field operations.
The 13th and 14th of November were spent in making the proposed reconnoissances
in company with your board.
We proceeded to the north-east corner of Maryland, or point of intersection of the
due north line with the parallel of latitude fifteen miles, south of the parallel of the
most southern' limit of Philadelphia, This point is in a deep ravine, on the margin
of a sraall tjrook, and near its source. The stone monument with the arms of Lord
Baltimore and Thomafeand Richard Penn graven thereon, which had been placed by
cpniraissioner Ewing, by order of the board of commissioners in 1768, tb designate
this .point, was missing.* From the ' tradition of the neighborhood, it appeared that
some years ago, after it had fallen nearly prostrate from its. place, owing to the en
croachment of the stream, upon whose margin it stood, sbnie individual had taken it
away for a chimney-piece. A ('stake was found firmly planted in the ground, which,
¦we were informed by the neighbors near by, occupied its place.
From this, point we proceeded to the west^ aind found the first, second and third mile
stones on the parallel of latitude, marked with the letter M. on the south, and the let
ter P. on the north sides, as described in the proceedings of the commissioners of
boundary of that period. The first of these stones was riiuch inclined in its posture,
and-somewhat infirm.
We next proceeded to examine the line south from this corner, with the view of as
certaining if the stones at the intersection of the due north line with the periphery of
the circle, and at the tangent point, were standing. We extended bur examinations
*See the proceeding? of the Commissioners, under date of November Sth, 1768, noticed at page
17.

20
to the south, upon- the tangent lii,ie, as far as the seventy-ninth mile stdiie from the
" Middle Point" of the peninsular line. We found a nurob-erof, stones, on the line,
some unmarked, which we supposed to be on the circumference of tlie circle. Witb,
a radius of twelve miles, such a cui-ve is so flat that it is difficult in walking over
ground intersecifed with forest timber, fences, and other obstructions, to distinguish,
without the , aid of instruments, the deflections of the lineg connecting monuments
on its circumference nearly a third of a milei^apart. Two of the monnments visited
were graven on their east and west sides with the arms so often descrribed in the pre
ceding documents, One of these was near Jesse IJpdegrove'shouse^ and the other in
Mr., Reynolds field, just north of the railroad track. ;
This last I supposed to be the stone erected to mark the tangent point, a:s the arms
were graven upon it, and it was much less, t|ian five miles, (indeed, not quite three
miles,) frora the preceding one, marked in a, sirailar , manner, to the southward. The
nearest neighbors posse.9sed no knowledge whatever of the particular point intended
to be marked by this stone. A vague- impression prevailed that it did not now occupy
its original position, but that it had been disturbed at Some distant bnt unknown period.
On questioning the individuals who entertained this impression as to their reasons, it
was stated that within the recollection of some of the inhabitants, fragments of stone,
similar both in quality and in cutting to the portion now seen above ground', lay strewed
at its base, The inference was that the stone was fractured near its base when taken
up, and that the fragments seen were originally a portion of it.; An impression like
wise prevailed that the stone^originally planted at the point of intersection of the. due
Jiorth line* with the arc of the circle of twelve miles radius, corresponding at this day
\vith the true point of junction of the three States of Pennsylvania, Maryland' and
Delaware, was ^Iso missing. , , ,
These were points that could only be settled by an accurate survey of the portion bf
the boundary involved in doubt or uncertainty, Eind' then cc/mparing the result with
-vvhat ought. to exist in conformity with the minute details contained vin the recorded,
proceedings pf the old conimissibners and of their surveyors. , ,
This course was suggested to your board, and met your approbation^
On cpiisultatibn with the board, and by its approbation, I immediately called to my
assistance Lt. Thom, of the Topographical Engineers, and Mr. Charles Radziminski,
civil engineer, who were assisted by Mr. Henry C. Derrick as sub-assistant, and the
requisite chain bearersj axemen, &c., and means of trarisportatibn on the line, having
been provided by you, the, survey was commenced on the 16th of November, with a
portable transit instrument having ah azimuth circle fbr measuring horizontal angles,
divided to read by aid of the vernier to minutes, and a chain of one hundred feet, di
vided, into one hundred, links of a foot each^ and, a standard five 'feet rod,. of wood,
with which the chain was compared several times every day, in order tb reduce th^
chaining to corf eiJt measure, , ' ,
It was necessary in this, survey, and upon the maps designed to accompany it, that
we should exhibit.a portion of the tangerit line, in order to lay down its true point of
intersection .with the due north line, for the purpose of tfesting the tangent point. Ac-,
cordingly we began at the stone marking the spventy-riinth mile of Mason aud Dixon,
reckoned from the middle point of the peninsular west line, having the letter M. en
graved on the west and the letter P. on the ea^t side,', and running northerly to a signal
placed at the base of the eightieth mile stone, we thus, obtained the direction of the
tangent line.- T(his eightieth mile stone is engraved with the arras of Lord Baltimore
and the Penn family on the west and east sides respectively, precisely as descriljed in
the old records. Continuing in this initial direction, by the aid of the transit, our
liri^ passed imraediately over the eighty-first mile stone of Mason and Dixon,, engraved
with the letter M, on the west and the letter P. on the east side, an,d also immediately^
over the next stone, which being engraved with the arms of Lord jBaltimore on the
west, and with'lhe arms bffhe Penn family on the east, side,' vvas recognized tq , be the
tangent point' '  ,'/ ",. .^,.^ _ , "_ ' ' , 'j, ';,,,', ,,,',,., '¦:,''. ,' ' , , " ''", ,',,|
We' her'e defliected at a trial angle of ^° 33' to the eastward bf the prolongation of'
our previous, line, and pursuing accurately a straight course, we passed four stones on

21
ii -, ,, .
trarleft, to, wJjich offsets were me'asured, alright angles to our lirie. The 1st, *2d,and
4th of these stones were unmarked, but Were cut in prismatic form, and rounded at
their topsi The 3d, which at the distance of five thousand rine hundred and fifty'feet
from the tangent stone, was 95.3'* feet perpendicular, and to the west from our line,
was marked with the letter P on the east side, and the letter M on the west side, and
is the stone raentioned in the report of' the commissioners of November 9, 1768, as
being at the meridian distance of one mile from the tangerit point.
These four stbuab were now re'cogniKed to be those described iq the 'proceedings of
the cpmraissioflers of Jtine 17 and 18, 1765, already quoted, dnd in their aforesaid
report, (see page 18,) as marking the arc of the circle, of twelve miles radius, west of
the due north line. It seems they were ri^ever sufestituted by stones bearing'the arms
of the proprietaries, as was contemplated*) to be done at some subsequent and con
venient period, when they were planted by the commissioners in 1765.
At the distance of 7,743.7 feet from the tangent stone, we reached an unparked
stone. Our trial line terminated nine feet West of it, measured at right angles to the
line we had run upon. This stone was recognized to be the point marked in 1765,
for the interse'otidn of the due north line with the periphery of the circle of twelve
miles radius, and stood now for the point of junction of the three States.
At every five hundred feet from the tangent stone, and' also opposite each of the
stones on the arc of the circle to which oflTsets were raade while running this experi
mental line, we had driven a wooden stake. These were regularly numbered from
one to nineteen inclusive. We now computed' the angle at which we should,' at the <
tangent stone, have deflected to t|ie right from the prolongation of the tangent line, to
obtain the true direction, in a straight line'; to the stone intended by Messrs. Mason
and Dixon to mark^the ihtersection of the, due north line with the periphery of -the cir
cle, and found it to be 3° 36' 09." i
By computation we also deterrained 'the points, and drove a new line of stakes op
posite to the forraer ones,' to,- mark ihis' true direction, '"arid determined thfe lengths of
the offsets to the stones on the arc of the circle '"at right a'nglesfroiri'lhe said new lin^.
Taking up the new direction, obtained by cpmiputation, we continued our survey to
the north, noting the topography, and carefully measuring offsets to the right and left,
to all houses, fences, !?treams and bther 'remarkable objects within a reasonable dis-
itance, as indeed we had done from the beginning of the survey.
Our line- passed over three boundary stories marked with the letter P on the east,
and with the letter M on the West sides| ebiTesponding with the description given by
the commissioners in their report, and by Mason and Dixon in their notes of suryey,
of the three stones on the due north liBe,inorth' of the pbrtion of the circle run out and
fixed by them ; and at its termination, our line passed immediately over the stake, al
ready mentioned as having been found by us in our reconnoissance of the r3th,of
November, which was said to mark the point whete the' old stone had stood, at the
intersection of this due north line with the east and west line of Mason and Dixon,
marked with the arms of Lord Baltimore and the Penn family. We did not deviate
two inches to the right- or the left of the centre of this stake. ' It was on the 30th of
November, that our sufvey reached this point.
On the following day we proceeded to find the true point of intersection of the east
and west line of .Mason and Dixon with this due notih line.
Beginning a-t the second milfe storie west of the required point on Mason and Dixon's
parallel of latitude, we** traced out this parallel due feast, and at the distance of five
thousand two. hundred and- ninety-five feet; by our measurement, we touched upon the
6^t mile stone'on this parallel. Contintjing upon the same parallel of latitude,' at the
distance of five thousand two hundred and eighty-two feet, by our measurement, from
the preceding stone, we strack the same stake al which our north line had terminated,
at a point about one incli north of its' centre. ' ¦ j
This last line traversed portions of thick forest, through which we were obliged'to
open vistas, and in several .places trees of large size, standirig in opfen ground, had to
* This offset becomes aO'1.4 feet ftom the due noflh line, as will hereafter appear.

22 :
, i
be cut down to admit of its prolongation, which proved that there could have been no
retrace of it until now, since the days of Mason and Dixon.
Having thus, by the intersection of the due north line with the parallel of latitude,
found the true position of the lost monument, we proceeded to mark and perpetuate il
by planting the new monument, which bad. been prepared under the immediate di
rection of your*board for that purpose. ' ,
Before^making the necessary excavation, the point to be oecupiefl' by the centre of
the base of the stone, was preserved by placing four pegs nearly in the form of a
square, so that the intersection of their diagonals should eorresponc^with the said point.
The nextstep was to constroct a dam to turn ofl" the water of the small brook whicb
washed almost the very point, and thus prevent its filling the cavity.
In making tbe excavation, we foTand at the depth of about three feet ^leloW the sur
face, a cut stone unmarked, and' of precisely the same form, dimensions and quality,
as the unmarked, stones on the arc of the circle, and at-.the intersection of the circle
with the due north line, already described. , ,
In- turning to the proceedings of the commissioners, under the dates- of, the 17tb
and 18th of June, 1765, We find that such a stone was placed by them, to mark that
point, on the last mentioned day. — (See page 15.) . , .
It was not until the year 1768,. that a second stone, marked with. the arms of the
proprietaries, was also placed at this point, as will be seen byitlte records of the pro
ceedings of the commissioners of that date. — (See page 17.) v ; '
It is quite within the memory of the neighboring inhabitants, that the stone w;hich
stood at this point in a tottering posture, to within a few years past, bore the arms, so
often described, graven upon it. ^ , ;
The unmarked stone of 1765, had probably been buried at the base of the one
bearing the arms, when the latter was placed at the same point by commissioner
Ewing, in 1768. v
The evidence afforded by the disinterment of this old stone, that the point fixed
upon from our survey, as the intersection of the due north line with the parallel of
latitude fifteen miles south, of the roost southern limit of the city of Philadelphia,
being the nprth-east corner of Maryland, corresponds so well with that orignally estab
lished by Messrs. Mason and Dixon, is certainly gr,atifying.
Th^ new stone re- marking this important pbint, was planted with its base resting
on rock, about five feet below the surface of the ground, ajid its top rising about two
feet above the ground. It is of cut granite, and of the following dimensions, viz : —
about seven feet long, and squares sixteen by eighteen inches. It is marked with the
letter M on the south and west sides, and the letter P on the north and east sides. —
Under this letter, on the north side, tbe date 184:9 is engraved in deep cut figures.
The striking discrepancies bet-ween some of our measured distances and thoSe of
Messrs. Mason and Dixon, and /their bearing upon the demarcation of the arc of the
circle west of the due north line, as well as upon the true relative positions of the
tangent stone; and the stone representing the intersection of this circle with the. due
north line, renders it proper that vve should here institute a comparison between thera,
with a view, especially, to ascertain whether the impressions which previ*iled, that one
or both of the last mentioned stones had been temaveA from their original pvositions,
were founded in reason.
If it were true that these important rooniumerits had been disturbed, no approximate
estimate could be formed of tbe extent of mischief thus perpetrated^ upon the boun
daries, without sijeh investigations as wouU. lead to a discovery of their o-rigiinal and,
rightful positions. The ascertainment of thetrue point of junction of the three Slates
was involved in this question, and this was the chief object to be investigated and. ad
justed under the especial legislation of those States authorizing your proceedings. Iri
regard tb Delaware, an impression prevailed among her citizens, that a considerable
portion of her territory had been abstracted by the curtailriient of her rightful radius of
twelve miles around New Castie. The unlawful disturbarice of these monuments, if
true, might well have producal such an effect, and it lay within, the powers delegated
to you, to correct the wrong, if it could be proven to be owing to such a. cause.
The comparison is embodied in the following tabular statement, vis :

TABULAR STATEMENT.

DISTANCES COMPARED.

Distances given by
Mason and Dixon.*

Distances by our
chain measurement
in 1849-'50.

Dilfe tenee.
G + iMD.

- - / „ ¦" -

Miles.

Feet.

Miles.

Feet.

Feet.

From the 79lh to the 80th mile stone on the tangent or peninsular line, -
" SOtJi to the 8Ist " " " - -
" 81st mile stone on do., to the tangerit stone, - - .-
" tangent stone, to the stone on the arc of the circle raarked M on the west, and
P on the east side, -- -- - - -_
^' tangent stone, to the stone representing the intersection of 1he diie north line
with the circumference of the circle of twelve miles radius, and at this day
maHit.ng the point of junction of the three States, - - -
Frora point oa due north line opposite to marked stone on curve, to mile stone on due
north line at M'Cowan's,- - - - - - - ~ -
Frora mile stone at M'Cowan's to do., at Steel's, near Christiana church, on due north
line, : - - ; -
From mile stone at Steel's, to do., at Gibson's, - - - - -
From milestone at Gibson's, to north-east corner of Maryland, -
From north-east corner of Maryland, to 1st mile stone on Mason and Dixon's due west
line, - , - . - - - , - -
From 1st to 3d mile stone on Mason and Dixon's due west line, - - --

1 1
0 1 11 1
1 1
1 1

5,168.42,379.3 99

1 1
00

32.530
5,145.9 5,150
2,463.7 215.5 3 5.3
119 2
15.2

+32.5
+30
, —22.5 —130 +84.4+215.5 +3 + 5.3
+20
+2+ 15.2

* These distances of Messrs. Mason 'and Dixon form no part of iheir measurement for determining the, length of a degree of
last mentioned Tiperation was performed with a very different apparatus in ihe year 1768, under ihe auspices of the Royal.Society
the marking of the boundary between M^aryland and Pennsylvania, and were discharged from the service of the commissioners.
Boy forthcoming report lo Colonel Abert, chief of the. Corps of Topographical Engineers. - _

latitude in North America. 'I'his
of London, after tbey hadjfinisbed
It will be noticed more fully in

24
The first discrepancy to be investigated was in regard to the length of the chord of
the arc cut off by the due north line. ' \
We, therefore, retraced it, by running a straight line from the tartgent stone to the
stone set by the old coraniissipners to mark the intersection. In addition to the first
measurement of, thisi chord, already given, two others were carefully made. The fol
lowing is a statement of the results of the three, viz :
By the first measurement, - 7,743.7 feet.
By the second measurement, - - - - 7,742.2 "
By the third measurement, - - - -, - 7,743.1. "
Mean of the three, - - - " .- - . " '''?'743. "
Length of this chord, given by Mason and Dixon, is one rnile,
thirty-six chains and five links, equal to- - : - 7,659.3 "
Our measuremerit is greater than the length given by Mason and
Dixon by - ¦ - - - - 83.7 "
Again : Mason and Dixon .state the meridian distance frora the taiigent stone to the
marked or third stone on the arc of the cirdle, to be one mile, or - 5,280 feet.
Our measurement gives this distance, - - r 5,^150 "
Our measurement is less than th^distance given by Mason and
Dixon, by - - - - -' - . - 130 "
These differences not orily.cast, at the moment, strong suspicion upon fhe present
positions of the tangent and the intersection stones, but they 'also affect, in a Very
important degree, the eleraents of the circle, an arc of which was to mark a part of
the boundary between Maryland and ,what is now the State of Delaware;
We had computed the' angle of deflection between the prolongation of the tangent
line and the due north line, to be 3° 36' 09"; and, the measurement of that angle after
wards, with the theodolite, verified suflaqiently, the accuracy of that computation; for
we finally found it, by a numbei^^of measurements, repeated on all parts of the limb
Of the instrument, to be 3° 36' 06".
With this angle, and the length of the measured chc/rd, the length of the correspond -
ing radius was computed on the supposition' that the stones on the arc of the circle
truly raarked that arc. ' \
Making c = the chprd. •'(,,. 1
d= the angle of deflection, from the tangent lirie to that chord
r= the radius. ¦' , , .
, , c , cosjne d
We will have )• =  . ; ,
sine 2 d
By this equation, with the angle of deflection above given, and the chord, as given
by Mason and Dixon, of one mile, thirty six chains and five links, the corresponding
radius is eleven miles and two thousand three hundred and two feet, or 11.44 miles.
With the same angle of ,defleetion, and the chord of seven thousand seven hundred
and forty three feet, which is the actual distance between the tangent and' intersection
stones, the corresponding radius is eleven miles and two thousand nine hundred and
sixty two feet, 'or 11.56 miles. ^'. , ' ^ ' '¦
We now made a trace of the curve upon 4ie ground, corresponding to a radius of
twelve miles. The length of a chord subtending an angle of one degree, at the centre
of a circle of that radius, .was computed to be l,i05X feet; and d-feparting from the
tangent stone by a deflection, in iJie first place, of halt a degree from the prolpijgation
of the tangent line, to obtain the first chord,, tmd afterwards by 'deflections of a degree
from chord to chof d of the above-raentioned length, a number .of points, were obtained

25
upon the circumference of the portion of the circle west of the due north line, which,
thus traced, intersected the due north line two hundred feet in advance, or north of the
position of the stone placedjo represent that point of intersection. ' j
We next comprited the length of the chord actually corresponding to the angle; olj
deflection of 3° 36' 06", and a radius of twelve railes, by the equation
r , sine 2 d
¦'¦(; = — — — ;
cosine d
and found it to be 7,960.6 feet. Which is tliree hundred and one feet four inches
longer than that, given by the survey of Mason and Di^on, arid two hundred and sev
enteen feet five inches longer than the actual distance between the tangent stone and
the, intersection 1 stone.
In' this state of the investigation, it. was determined, upon ray recommendation to
your board, representing to you, at the same, time, t\\e necessity of the measure to a
satisfactory solution of the problem involved, that the actual length of the radius or
distance frora the sjjire of the court house at New Castle, to some point on the curve,
as riiarked by the old monqraents, should be accurately ascertained by a triangulation,
which should be extended so as to give al^o the correct distances both from the tangent
Stone and the in'ter.section stone, to the nprth-east corner of'Maryland. The last-men
tioned point, in case of any future disturbance of its monuipent, may always readily be
found, as it is the intersection of two lines, both easily traced. Hence, knowing the
, distance from it to the otiier two, all three being upon ,the same meridian, a certain
guide would be obtained for restoring either of the latter to its proper position, if dis
turbed. ,
The distances given by the chain measurements of Mason and Dixon are already
shewn to be too inaccurate to sei"ve for such a guide.
On the ¦24th of November, I proceeded to Washington,, to ascertain if the records
of the coast survey ofiice cou|d furnish us a distance, from ils triangulation in this
vicinity, that'wou^d serve as' a convenient base for our triangulation. And I have
much pleasure here in acknowledging the eoui-tesy and promptness with which Pro
fessor A, D. Bache, superintendent of that work, had the records examined, and
furnished rae, from thera, several distances and azirauths which were determined, sorae
years past, when that work was under the superintendence of the late Mr. Hassler,
^fid'also, sketches of the localities of the se.veral stations, to aid us in finding the con-
¦cealed monuraents by which they were perpetuated,
Sorae calculations had to be made in order to prepare thera, and they were for-
¦warded to me at Newark, on the 9th of December, after my return to that place.
Among them we found the following suitable to our object, viz,:
1. FrX)m Iron Hill to New Castle court house :
Distance, 16,281.57 metres.* ^ ^
3. From Gray's Hill to Iron Hill:
Distance, 4,847.44 metres;**
Azimuth, ,233° 48' 07".8.t ' . .
The last given .distance was adopted as our base in the triangulation, and the neces
sary preparations were coraraenced for carrying it on with an excellent theodolite of
nine inches diaraeler,± reading wjth three verniers to fifteen Seconds each, made by E.
Draper, of Philadelphia. .
• Equal to 53,415.1 feet, '} At the rate of 39.368505.35 inches to the metre as adopted by the
•* Equal fo, 1.5,903, feet, 5 coast survey.
¦f The azimuth is reckoned froiiI the soui;h as 0, round by the west, north, and east, to the south,
raaking Seo?. . ( ' s^'
^: On the 29tH of January, while Mr. Radziminski was observing with tbis theodolite, during a
wiol'ent.gale of wind, the^beavy tripod station above him was blown over, and fell to the ground. It
struoU and deniolished the instrnment, and Mr. R. narrovply escaped being killed ; /the largest timber
just brushing his head, without, 'however, injuring him. This instrument was then substitued by
another which I -had iij depot at Philadelphia. - ' , •- .

26
In the mean time, a retrace of the arc of the circle west of the due north line was
carried on.
On the 9th and 10th of Deceraber it snowed heavily.,;
On the llth the weather was clear, but very cold, wi||i the snow nine inches deep
upon the ground. The work was^ however, prosecutedwith assiduity, notwithstand
ing there was %reat difficulty in clearing the lines throdgh the woods, in consequence
of the weight of snow upon the branches of the trees.
The second trace of this curve verified lh6 accuracy of the first. The direction of
the tangent line southward from the tangent stone, was also reexamined and verified.
The engineers werie then occupied in making the requisite reconnoissances of the
surrounding country, in order to select suitable positions fpr our trigonometrical sta
tions— in erecting those stations, and directing the opening of -vistas through the inter
posing forest, to render those stations visible one from another.
The severity of winter had fully set in. ^Notwithstanding this, the engineers were
actively eraployed, whenever the weather Was clear enough ttf see the stations, in
making the necessary observations;- and when prevented' from observing, for want of
a clear atraosphere, they were engae'ed in corapleting' the erection of the stations, arid
directing the clearings, a work which they foi'Wafded With every possible' assiduity^
often in the rain and, snow. ,
The coast survey stations at Iron Hill afld Gray's "Hill were discovered buried between
two and three feet below the surface of the ground. They were not disturbed, but their
centres were indicated in position by tHe intersection of the diagonal lines of a quadrangle
formed by four pegs driven into the ground, about eight feet apart. Then the cavities
were carefully filled again with earth, and a peg driven at the intersection of these
diagonal lines, to mark the extremities of our base line. In searching for the buried
station St Gray's Hill, we could, find only one of the points of reference given us in
the sketches from the coast survey office, with its distance from the station.
The snow then lay six inches deep upon the ground, and the mode adopted to find
this point was to take the Stated distance on a cord line, and attaching one end of it to
the given point of reference, describe an arc of a circle covering the probable liinits.
The snow was then removed from this arc, and afterwards a trench was dug in the
ground, following the curve until the station was found.
The trigonometrical stations are all laid down in position on the accompanying maps,
where, also, the whole triangulation is shewn. These stations were. marked upon the
ground by tin cones fixed to the tops of stout poles, supported by tripods of heavy,
undressed timbers, giving them an elevation of sixty to seventy feet above the ground.
The cones were adjusted perpendicular over the points marked upon the ground by-
short stakes, over which the centre of the theodolite was placed, when the angles
were observed. i
The tangent stone and the stone fixed at the' north-east corner of Maryland, stood
in such low depressions in the ground, that stations could not be erected at either of
them high enough to be seen from the base stadons, or indeed from any two of the'
other stations, suitable for fixing their positions. ' Two stations were, therefore, erectedl
on the due north line, as near to them as possible ; one on the, chord of the arc, at
the measured distance of 1,701.02 feet north from the tangent stone, and the other on
the due north line, at the measured distance of 730.4 feet* south of the monument at
the north-east corner of Maryland.
The distance between the trigonometical stations on the north line,
was found by our triangulation to be, - - - - 24, 139. 5 feet.
Distance from the south station on north line, to tangent stone,
(twice measured,) ---''- - - 1,701,02 "
From the north station on north line, to the monument at the north
east corner of Maryland, (twice measured,) ... 730.42 "
The sum, = the distance from the tangent stone to the north-east
corner of Maryland, , - - - - - . , - 26,570.94 "
*This is the chained distance corrected to correspond with the point perpendicular undei-. the cone.

27

Or, five miles and 170.94 feet.
Deducting from the above our measured distance from the tangent
stone to the intersection stone, - - - - ' -

7,743 "

18,827.94 "

63,357.7

We have the true distance from the intersection stone to the north
east corner of Maryland, = - -
Or, three miles and 2^987.94.
The distance from the spire of the court house at New Castle, to
the statiori on the arc of the circle, which is the actual radius of
the circle, marking in part the boundary between Delaware and
Maryland, was determined by our triangtalation to be, -
Or two feet and four inches less than the'-stipul^d radius of twelve miles.
During the investigations in relation to the arc west of the north line and its chord,
I found it necessary to go again to Annapolis, In order to see if a further search into
the notes of Mason and Dixon's survey would afford any explanations of the p'rintji-
ples upon which they traced this arc, and determined the length of its chord. These
notes, added to those of their'"predecessors, and the records of the commissionei;s of
that period, were too voluminous for me possibly to finish their perusal and close ex
amination within the period of my first visit.
The informatioii derived from them, combined with our determinations of the actual
length, of the radius, and the angle of deflection between the tangent line prolonged,
and the north line, served to elucidate the whole difficulty, which had arisen (where it
was least to be expected) in an evident error in a governing eleraent in their computa
tion of the length of this chord, and, consequently, ot the lengths of the ordinates at
right angles to it, which was the raethod adopted by them for marking the points upon
the arc west of the north line.
The following is an extract frona the records of their survey :
"1765, June 3d. Sent expresses to Annapolis and Philadelphia, to acquaint the
commissioners we should finish the line betwixt the tangent point and the parallel this
week. "Also measured the angle formed by the radius from New Castle, and the north
line, and found it = 86°, 32'. Hence the ofl^sets (at right-angles) to the westward from
the meridian for the boundary betwixt New Castle county and Maryland' are as fol
lows : , ,

Distance from tangent

Offsets.

point.

No.

Chains. Links'.

Chains, Links.

'

0

0 00

0 00

1
8 05
0 46
2
18 05
0 92
3.
28 05
1 28^
4
38 05
1 54^
5
48 05
1 701
I J
6,
58 05
1 75^
"= the middle or greatest offset."
7'
68 05
1 70i
8
78 05
1 54^
9.
88 05
1 28d
'
10
98 05
0 92
11
108 05
0 46
12
116 05
0 00
CHA. MASON,
JERE. DIXON."
28
" 1765, June 4th. Set off 4he offsets," &c.v-&c; ,
' We find, on investigation, that the foregoing elements of the arc of Mason and
Dixon are based upon the angle of deflection of the chord, frora the tangent line pro
duced, "of 3° 28', ,or the Complement of the angle, 86° 32', whicli they measured, on
the 3d of June,- 1765, "formed by the radius from New Castle and the north line."
It does not appear that they ever actually measured the angle betweeen the tangent
line, (or its prolongation,) and the ndrth line. That angle seems to have been as
sumed upon the supposed accuracy of their observation, noted in their survey book
under date of November 13th, 1764, as follows, viz :
"On measuring the arigle formed by our last line and the radius from New Castle,
it was so near a right angle, that on a mean from our lines, the above raentioned post
M
[the tangent post fixed by their predecessors, and by them markedYTj ] is the true tan
gent. point." _ ' ' ,
Now, the accuracy of that angle must have depended upon the coincidence of the
exterior termination of the radius of twelve miles, with a perfecdy straight line pi*o-
longed from the court house at New Casde quite to the tangerit, point. This radius
was determined by the simple raethod of measuring over the surface of the ground
with a surveyor's chain, for which piurppse a vista, or "iiisio," as it was called by
the surveyors in those days, , was opened through the forest as the work progressed.
We are surprised, at this day, that the length of the, radius should have been so cor
rectly obtained by such a method. There must have been, by mere chance, a com
pensation of the errors incidentto such a measurement over so great a distance. Very
sraall deviatipns frora the true direction would not, however, produce much effect upon
the distance, but this is not true with regard to the angle which would be formed between
the tangent line and the radius, or the north line and the radius. A slight deviation in
the direction of the radius at its termination, might affect, in a material degree, the
measi'ire of either of these angles, and we have, reason to believe .that the angle' mea
sured by Messrs. Mason and- Dixon, between the tangent line and thetadius from New
Castle^ which "was so near a right angle;" and "the angle formed bythe radius from
New Castle arid the north line," whichthey found to be= 86° 32', were both afl^ected
by such anerroT. The tangent stone stands on low ground, very near the margin of
a morass, knoWn by the name of Cat swamp. Looking from thence to the east, the
ground is pretty flat for half a mile; then it rises, by a rapid ascent, to the ridge run
ning northward frora the summit of Chesnut Hill; distant one mile. This rid|ge en
tirely shuts out the view of the whole country to the east of it, from the tangent stone,
and must at least have limited the view of the radius, when the angles it formed with
the tangent and north lines were measured by Messrs. Mason and Dixon.
These angles were, then, probably affected by whatever errors in direction may
have arisen in running eleven miles of that radius fiora New Castle,
Our own triangulation has given us the data for an accurate determination of the
angle formed by the tangent line and the line drawn from the spire of the court house
at New Castle to the point of intersection at the tangent stone.
From it we have- —
1, The angle at Iron hill Subtended by the spires of the court
house and the church at New Castle, - - - = 0° 26' 13",3=a
2. The angle at New Castle court house subtended by the
stations on Iron hill, and on the arc west of the north line, = 5° 18' 31" =6
3. Value of the arc of 63,357.7 feet radius, included between
the tangent stone and the trigonomjcal station on the curve, ,
whose chord was twice carefully measured and found to be ^i
. 7,53 feet, : '- - - - - - = 0° 40' 5l'*',3=c
4, Angle of deflection between the tangent line and the north
line or chord of the,arc of boundary^ - - - =3°36'06"=(i

29
And here we are again indebted to the coast survey records
for the azirauth of. the line from Iron hill to New Castle
church spire, which is given to be, - - . - 261° 28' 33".9 = e
Let the north-east angle formed by the tangent line and thera-
dius drawn from New Castle court house to the' taiigenj,
stone - ^ - , . I" __3,
And the south-east angle, formed by the same lines, . - =y
Then ai=a-f (6— f)-f e-f rf— 180°=90° 08' 32".9.
And y=360°— (a+(6— c)4-rf-|-e)=89° 51' 27". 1.
So that the tangent line does not form a right angle with the radius ^of twelve railes
drawn from the spire of New Casde court house to the point occupied by the tangent
stone. I <
The angle, at the tangent stone formed by these two lines, differs 8' 32". 9 from a
right angle. Now we find, by computation,, that the small deviation of forty-six and
one half seconds in direction, or thirteen feet one and one-half inch from a straight
line at the end of eleven miles, in running this radius from New Castle court house,
would be sufficient to produce this diflference of 8'32".9 in the measurement of Messrs.
Mason and Dixon's angle at the tangent post, supposing, their view to the east to have
been limited to the distance of one mile, as it evidently raust have been from the na
ture of .the ground.
Even this is indicative of a very sraall error in direction in tracing this radius, vvhen we
reflect that it was prolonged through the forest by ranging staves or poles in line, one be
yond another, as the surveyors advanced with their work, a method so inaccurate for tra-
cirig a straight line that we are surprised it should have been resorted to in so important
an undertaking. This was not, however, the work of Messrs. Mason and Dixon, but of
their predecessors, who v/ere less Versed in science,^ and in the use of the higher order
of geodetic instruments than were Messrs. Mason and Dixon.
That the arc of the circle west of the due nOrth line and the radius terminating at
the tangent stone, were traced and determined correspondent with one and the same
centre, by the surveyors under the agreement of 1760 and ourselves — that is to say,
the spire of the court house at New Castle, is manifeSi; from the folio wirig evidence
and authority.
The decree o.f Lord Hardwicke, of 1750, touches these two points and the posi
tion of cape Henlopen, in the following words, viz :
"And two questions in particular haying been raised in America by the commis
sioners* formerly appointed by the defendant, the Lord Baltimore, and being now made
in this cause, namely, where the centre of the circle, agreed by the' said articles [allu
ding to the agreement of 1732,] to be drawn aboui; the town of New, Castle .therein
mentioned, ought to be fixed, and whether the said circle ought to be of a radius, or
seriii-diameter of twelve miles', oi- pnly a periphery of twelve miles ; and. a third ques
tion being also made in this cause, namely, at what place the cape called in' the said
articles cape Hinlopen is situated, hi^ Lordship doth-declare that he is of opinion that
according to the true intent and construction of the said articles, the, centre of the said'
circle ought to be fixed in the middle of the town of New Castle, eis near as, the same ,
can be computed, and the said circle ought to, be of a radius or serai-diameter of twelve
miles, and that cape Hinlopen oijght to be deemed and taken to be situated at the place
where the same is laid down an^ .described in the map or plan annexed tp the said ar-
fticles, to be situated. And, therefore, his lordship doth further order and decree thai
the said articles be psrried into, execution accordingly," &'c., &c., &c.
The above extract is taken from the old parchment, bearing the priginal agreement
of .Tuly 4th, 1760, with the autograph signatures and the seals- of Frederick Lord Bal
timore, Thomas Penn and Richard, Penn, belonging, }o, the Executive Department of
the State of Pennsylvania, which insti-ii merit contains this as well as other recitals
from the decree of 1750,
In the body of ithat agireement are also found the following wordsj viz:
J "That the true length and extfent of the said line, [alluding to the line across the
peninsula from cape Henlopen,] was, and is, and shall at all times hereafter be es-

30
teemed, held, taken and adjudged to be si^ty-nine miles and two hundred and ninety-
eight perches, and neither more or, less. That, consequendy,'' the exact middle of
such west line (from whence the other line is to begin which is to run up the said pen
insula, till' it raakes a tangent to the western part of a circle, at the distance of twelve
English statute railes horizontally measured from the Court House in the said town of
New Castle,) was, and, is, and shall atall times forever hereafter be -esteemed, held,
taken and adjudged, to be at the exact distance of thirty-four of the said miles and
three hundred and nine perches, so measured west from the aforesaid spot or place of
beginning of the said west line, as the sarae were so mfeasured^ as, aforesaid," &Ci,
&c., &c.
Here we have an especial recognition of the Court House in New Castle as the point
fixed on for the centre of the circle.
The proceedings of the coraraissioners appointed on both sides, under the provisions
of the agreeraent of 1760, and their instructions to the surveyors are even more ex
plicit upon this point.
In the record of those proceeding, under the date of November 7th, 1761, we find
the ^following : "Saturday, the 7th of November,' 1761.
"Nine o'clock, A. M.
"The commissioners met according to adjournment.
" Present as yesterday. ,
"The commissioners, having made their calculation, find that the tangent will, at
the middle point, ^makean angle of three xlegrees thirty-two minutes and five seconds
with the meridian line lately run by tl^e surveyors, and they agree that a radius of
twelve ro.iles, horizontal measure, shall be run from the centre of the Court House in
New Castle, northwards of the line of intersection lately run frora that place, so as to
raake an angle therewith of nineteen degrees three minutes and fifty-five seconds^
which radius the commissioners find, by- the calculations they have made, will termi
nate in the tangent point in the periphery of the circle.
"Then the coraraissioners agreed to give the surveyors the following instructions,
viz :
"Gentlemen: — You are to run a straight line of the length of twelve English
statute miles, horizontal measure, 6r as iiearly horizontal as you can', frorii the centre
of the Court House in New Castle, in such direction as to make an angle of nineteen
degrees three minutes and fifty-five seconds northwards with the line of intersection
lately run by you from the centre of the said Corirt House; and at the end of such
twelve mile line you are to set up and secure a post or stone, at the same time making
such visible raarks near it, as may enable you hereafter to discover and determine its
place, in case it should be destroyed or removed. (Aud in order to preserve the di
rection of the said line, you are, also, at the end of six, ten and eleven miles from
New Castle, and at the distance of twenty perches eastward bf the end of such twelve
mile line, to set up other po?ts in the said line. November 7th, 1761.
J. RIDOUT, JAMES HAMILTON,
JNO. LEEDS, RICHARE* PETERS,
JOHN BARCLAY, BENJAMIN CHEW,
WM. COLEMAN."
"T'o Messrs. Thomas Garnett, Jonathan Hall, John Lukens and Archibald
M' Clean, Surveyors.
" The commissioners adjourned to the first day of April next, at which time they
agreed to meet again at New -Castle.
J, RIDOUT, JAMES HAMILTON,
JNO. LEEDS, RICHARD PETERS,
JOHN BARCLAY, BENJAMIN CHEW,
WM. COLEMAN."

31
We conclude the evidence on this point by quoting from the note book of the sur
veyors, who in the year 1761, traced the radius and fixed the post marked^, at its
western extremity. It will be remerabered that this is the post which the commis
sioners, in their proceedings of t^ie 24th of November, 1764, declared, "sh-all be
and be deemed and accounted to be the true tangent point, and that the surveyors shall
proceed to run the north line and such part of the circle as falls to the westward of
the said line, according to the articles, frorii tiie said point," &c., &c.
The surveyors records are as follows, viz : "Saturday, iVovewiier 7, 1761.
"In pursuance of the last jn?trnctions, and also other directions from the commis
sioners, we this day went to the post near Joseph Tatloe's house, and from thence
extended the direction of the line on which the base was measured for computing the,
distance from said post to the spire on New Castle cqurt house, to the distance of
twenty-four chains sixty-three links and three-tenths of a link, thereby subtending an
angle of 19° 3' 55" at the spire aforesaid, that being the angle which by the said last
instructions we were required to make with the line of intersection ;* which said dis
tance terminated in a point fixed pn a white oak post well secured in the ground in
' the aforesaid direction, and found, by calculation, to be seventy-five chains thirty-one
links and seventy-six hundredths link distant from the spire aforesaid, on' .the twelve
mile line therein directed lo be run,
JNO, LUKENS, JONA. HALL.
ARD. M'CLEAN, "November 8, -^wnf/ay, 1761."
"November 9, 176], Monday.
" After ingaging sundry axemen this morning, Mr. Thoraas Garnett, one of the
surveyors on behalf of his lordship, having resolved to go home, and Jonathan Hall
receiving ad^ce that his wife was sick, thought proper to go home a few days, and
there being none other here to act on the part of his Lordship, in running and measur
ing the line, which, by instructions of the seventh instant, we were directed to run
and measure, we were, therefore, under the disagreeable necessity, (notwithstanding
we have divers persons in pay,) to adjourn to the sixteenth of this raonth, at which
tirae we agree to meet at New Castle, in order to run and measure the line as in-
structsu ^
' JNO. LUKENS, JONA. HALL,"
ARD. M'CLEAN, i
"Monday, November 16, 1761.
"This morning early we met at New Castle, according to adjournment, and went
to the post, which, by the, direction of the commissioners, we set in the ground on
the seventh instant, at the distance of seventy -five chains thirty-one links seventy-one
hundredths of a link by computation frora the spire of the court house at New Castle,
and after opening a visto toward the said spire frora the point mentioned to be fixed in
said post, we extended a line westward in the direction of said spire and point four
chains sixty-eight links twenty-four hundredths. of a link to a squared white oak post
marked J ;which said post is found by the aforesaid computed and measured distances,
to be one mile distant from the spire on said court house,
JNO, LUKENS, JONA. HALL."
ARD. M'CLEAN,
* Alluding tb the first experimental lin^ run from the court house to intersect a due north line
-which was traced up the. peninsula from the "middle point" of the line lun west from cape Hen
lopen.

32 i ¦
After detailing each day's wor^, in the prolongation and m'easurem'ent of this radial
line, the surveyors describe its corapletioji.on the twenty-eighth of November, and its
re-measurement between that date and the Second of December, as follows, viz :
« , "Saturday, iVoi;e?n6e?- 28, 1761.
"Proceeded with the .line sixty-three chains, where we fixed and secured firmly in
' . , ' jy[
the ground in the meadofv, late Lewis Thomas's^ a squared white oak post raarkedT^Tj J
the said measure ending in a point fixed thereon, which said post, we are of opinion^
is twelve English statute miles, horizontal measure, distant from the spire of the court
house in New Castle, that being the distance which, by our instructions, we were en
joined to extend the said line, during the measure of which distance we kept the ac
count in four-perch chains, tho' where hills intervened the measure was performed by
instruments, before prepared for rendering the same horizontal, and where level, the
same was taken by a two perch' chain, which we frequendy and carefully measured,
arid after fixing the said twelve mile post, wetopk the courses and distances from thence
to the several trees, as expressed on the next , page,* thereby to determine its place, in
case it should be destroyed or removed ; afterward we' fixed a white oak post in the
said direction, at the distance of twenty perches to the eastward of the said postj
which done, we agreed to begin at the said twelve mUe post and re- measure the line
toward New Castle superficially, least a mistake should have been committed from the
different modes we were obliged to pursue or take in order to make the measure hori-,
zontal, which re-measure we continued to the ten mile post, and left off. Afterward
settled with and dismissed sundry of the labourers. ;
JNO. LUKENS, JOHN F. A. PRIGGS^ '
ARD. M'CLEAN, JONA. HALL,
"November 29, Sunc^ay."
"Monday, iVotiemfier 30, 1761.
'" Continued the re-measure of the line (as on the twenty-eighth instant) from the
ten mile post to the two mile post, where night came on.
JNO. LUKENS, JOHN F. A. PRIGGS,
ARD. M'CLEAN, JONA. HALL."
TuESDAi-, December 1, 1761.
" Continued the measure as before from the two mile post,, to the post which We
set up on the seventh ultimo,, from which the direction of the' line was taken, and from
the proportional agreement between the superficial and horizontal measure, find that
no n^istake hath been comraitted.
"Settled with and dismissed the chain- carriers, and all the other hands except the
steward and waggoner, then rode to Wilmington, there to lake account of and deposite
the stores for the winter season. ,
JNO. LUKtNS, JOHN F. A. PRIGGS,
ARD. M'CLEAN, ,', JONA. HALL."
, "Wednesday, ZJecemier 2, 1761,
>^ This day took account of the stores j stored, thera in Wilmington, in the care of
John Stapler, Esq., settled sundry accounts, dismissed the steward and the waffgoner
•¦^ 7N0, LUKENS, JOHN F. A. PRIGGS, '
ARD. M'CLEAN, JONA. HALL."
From the foregoing authorities, no doubt whatever can exist, that! .the point agreed
on and used as the centre of the circle of twelve miles radius by the commissioners
* The next page of the old surveyor's.hook contains the diagram referred to.

33
and surveyors of Lord Baltimore, and Thomas and Richard Penn, was one and the
saine a9 4hat in reference to which the arc of the circle WeStof the due north line,
and tiie radius terminating at the tangent stone, were traced and determined tjv us in
our recent survey. ' ' '\". •'
The discrepancies then, Ayhii^h have been sh'ewn between our work and theirs, in
regard to this arc arid the angle formed between, the radius and, the peninsular, or tan-.
gent line, at the tangent stone, cannot be attributed to any difference in our positions
respecting the centre of this circle. . ,, ¦ ,. • ,
The radius run put by the, surveyors in 1761, indicated hy a. line drawn from the
spire ol the court house in New Casde„,to thei present position of the tamrent stone.
Should be revolved about the centre of its circle, (the spire aforesaid) through an arc
0^,8. minutes and 34 seconds and one. tenth of a second to theisouth, and- then pro-
duc«(d two feet four inches west ward,, and the lineicalled .the tangent; line, should be
revo veil westward, about its southern extremity^ at the ", Middle; Point" of the cape
Henlopen line, through the inappreciable angle ;of one second and two-tenths of. a
second, and then these two lines wpuld meet at right angles,,at the distance; of 157.6
leet southward from the present position of the tangerit stone. . ,,,, , , '.¦:.'
,The, slight variation thus required in the azimuth of the tangent line, proves the sur-i
prising accuracy of its direction as determined by Messrs. IMasoriand Dixon, and how
truly it divided the provinces, in accordance with the articles of theantient agreemerit,
as far as it extended, which is given by Mason and Dixon in theii-' notes Pf survey; to
be 81 miles 78 chains and 31 links, or 17.2 yards less than 82 miles.
It is equally surprising that there should have been so great an error in their ele
ments for marking out the arc of the circle west of the north line, and in the length
of their chord, which they comjauted to be 116 chains arid 5 links, or 7,6'59,3 fee't,
And which we find to be, as actually' marked by the tangent and inter- ' '' '
section stones, - '- - •' - . . . . 7743 ««
But which, according to our computations; should liave been - - 7,96o!6 "
And should have begup at a ppint 157.6 feet southward of the, present position of the
tangent stone, and have ended 'af a point 143.7 feet north of the present position of the
stone set by Mason and Dixon, and the coiiiraisSioners of their day, to mark its termi
nation, and constituting now the point of junction of the three States.
¦ The origin of this error has, we think, been satisfactorily discoveted.
It is oiir opinion that the stones on the arc. we§t of the, north line, stand as originally
placed. Of this Ve have evidence, conclusive eiiou'^h, fi-oin the lengths of our mea
sured ordinates of that arc, compared with the' 3d, 6th and 9th in the table of Mason
and Dixon, copied at page 27.. ' ' "
The following is a comparison, of >our measurements with, theirs for this arc.

According to Mason and Dixon's survey
made in 1765.

According to our measurements on the
: : -1 1 . ¦• ground-in 1849.

Distances on chord- from
tangent stone, in feet.

Lengths of ordi
nates, in feet.

Distances on iohord from
tangent stone, in feet.

Lerights of .ordi
nates in; feet.'-

1
2 3

. il, 8.51.3
3,831.3
; 5;81i.3

84.8
115.8 84.8

1,855.3.
3; 836. 7
i .. ,64872.7 . ::

.85.4 ,;
115.6
. ;'84

ll-l-Kli

, We can make no comparison with the marked stone on the arc intervening between
the 2d and 3d of the above table,, and whichi was intended to be put at the meriditin
distance of one mile from the tangent stone, for the reason that Mason and Dixon do
npt give the .Iji^gth , of , their ordinate for that one. :, ,1 .',..., , ,, <
'a

34
We found it, however, to be 101.4 feet perpendicular from the chord, to the west,
and we find by cora'puting its, place frorii the elements assumed by Mason and Dixon
for marking this arc, that it would be 99.4 feet.
The foregoing table shows conclusively that the tangent stone could never have been
moved from its origirial position, for out first and second distances from it on the chord
or north line, correspond alriiost exactly with those given by Mason and Dixon, quite
"tvithin the probalile errors of careful chaining al least. The discrepancy in our dis
tances to the third ordinate is no doubt owing to an error in the count of one chain (66
feet) on their part, for our distance was tested by three measurement.?.
"There is no doubt that that stone and the intersection stone remain at this day in the
positions given to them by the coraraissioners and surveyors in 1765.
In addition to. the above evidence, we have that which arises from the fact that they
both now stand upon their proper lines of direction, which would scarcely have been
preserved had they been moved by'mischievous interference. The tangent stone stands
now priectsely upon the same right line, 'with the three monifmenls to the southward
df .it onlhe tangent line, and. the intersection stone stands as' truly on the north line.
The error in the distance intended to be given thera apart by .Messrs. Mason and
Dixon,' (which accidental distance we actually found to bs nearer the truth than their
computed distance,} was probably one of miscount in their chain measurement, as was
alsp the error of one hundred and thirty* feet in the ^eridian distance of the marked
4tpne on the arc from the tangent stone, which they state to be one mile.
Those who believed that the tangent stone had been disturbed in its position because
of the fragments pf stone of a sirailar character which for some tirae lay strewed- at
its base, were not carried sp far back by tradition as the period when this point was
marked by two siriiilar stones, erigraved alijie with the arras of the proprietaries and
placed side by side, ''the fetter, to distinguish, and ascertain the tangent point," as will,
appear was done by reference to the records of the commissioners under the dates of
June J8th, 1765, and November 20th, 1766, giy;en in the preceding- extracts and briefs
pf theii- prpceedii^gs.
The fragments which we were told of while engaged in the reconnoissances, were
the remains no doubt of the missing companion of the one we found a little inclined
in posture," but firmly planted in the ground. When it vi^as taken up, for the purpose
of placing the new stone, which will presently be noticed, it was unbroken and perfect
in its form, ,, , ,
Had Messrs. Mason and Dixon adopted the melhod of tracing the arc by deflecting
from their tangen.tline, (which is sfl true in its direction,) and then, from phord to chord
of a constant length to find points on the cireuriiference of , ihat arc, it would iiot- have
been affected by the want of perpendicularity in the assumed direction of the radius
to the tangent. They wpuld by this method have described the true arc, independent
of aniy reference to the radius, -except alone'^s'to ils length, and they- Would hav6 in
tersected the north line by the curve at precisely the distance from the tangent stone
computed by us, that is to say, at 7960.6 feet from it, and 217.6 feet in advance of its
present pds,ition-.- .¦¦;. ¦.¦r. ,,t -;:mi .-¦',,- -(--.'I! ¦ '¦.. '¦ :¦¦• .
The error ih 'their curve is not one of riioraenl, as regards (extent, of; territory, as it
abstracts- from Delaware- and gives to Maryland only about 1 /j'L, of an »cre. The-
versed line of their arc is 115.8 feet, and that of the arc they should have traced is
125.3. feet. , , :
-Although their measured distances are found to be affected by many errors, incident-
always to measurements of gi-eat extent wilh the chain, yet the directions of their linds
are coi-recf, and as the only, distance inchifled in their portion of the survey, and spe
cified as an element in the boundary, namely, ihe fifteen miles south of the paralleliof
the most southern limits of the city of Philadelphia was, after measurement with the
chain, corrected by yery a(!curate observations for the corresponding difference of lau-
tude, the absolute division bf territory between the then' Provinces was effected froni
'This error was probably caused by a miscouril of tiyb chainb, wliicti would be equal io one hun
dred and thirty-iwo feet.

55
t1ie souih extremity of the,,' tangent line (o tlie nonh extremity of the , north line, tJli the
whole, 'vyith great accuracV. Tfi.eirlprig west Ijiie or parallel of latitude we have had
no occasion to test, except for a shot-t distance, "bpt the great care with ,yi!hich, their as
tronomical observations, contained in the old manuscripts at Annapolis, were mide,
leaves no doubt pf the accuracy pf tiiai.pa.rt of , their work. ,^
'i'hese observations, together with the records of the proceeding'^ of the several j.oint
pommissioris charged with the division of the then provinces in questibri, will be more
fully alluded to, in a report to Col. Abert, Chief , of the Corps of Topographical .l^n-
gineers, and they will, I hope, be rescued from their long .slumber in, quiet obscurity,
and be laid befnre the world in a printed form. . , , , . ',
The conclusion having been arrived at, that none of tjiese mQnurrients.fpupd ot^ ^he
cuin^e, at the tangent priint, and at the intersection point, had been dislurlied in ihejr
original positions, which was ratified by your board, tlie obligation to considef. ihesm
true marks of boundary is imposed by the declaration to .that: effect by the commission
ers acting on behalf of tiieir respective constituents, Lord Baltjmpi'e, and Thb,mas and
Richard Penn, fully expressed on the records of thehr proceedings,, , ,¦ .
Accordingly, by your directions, in addition to the new monurapnt.fixed altiienprlh-'
east'corner of Maryland, as already mentioned, the following wei'e alstjj e,rected at the
laiiffent point, at the intersection point, or junction, of the three States, and on the me-"
ridlari of the curve, viz :
' kt the tangent point, a post of cut granite, 6 feet loiig, and squaring 18 bj 15
inches, was inserted 4i feel of its length in the grpund, on, tbe nordj ^ide pf^and
touching the old stone bearing the engrs^ved arras, which reraains. inits (ild positiom
On lhe north side of the new stone is graved, in deep cut letters, the word TAN
GENT, with the datie 1 §49. ¦. , ', .•;,','
At the point of junction of the three States, a triangular, prismatic post of cut ,granite,
18 inches wide on each side,' and 7 feet long, was inserted 4j feet, o(, its l,eligth in^O,
the ground. It occupies lhe exact spot on which the. old unmarked^stpne was foupd.
It ism^r^ed wjth.the letters M. P. and D., on the sides facing respectively towards
the' States of 'Mar'yla'nd, Pennsylvania and Delaware. On the north side, below the
letter P., are the names of the commissioners, in deep cut letters, namely: "H. G,
S. KEY. of Md., J. P. EYRE, of Pa.. G. R. RIDDLE, of Del, Commissioners,"
with the date 1 8-49. This boundary stone stands upon land now belonging to Wm.
Johnson. The old unmarked stone was buried, lying in a prostrate or horizontal po
sition, just below the surface of the ground, on the north side of and central with the
new stone.
At the meridian, or middle point, of the arc, corresponding to the length of the chord,
as we actually found it, and at the distance of 118.4 feet perpendicular from the mid-"
die point of said chord, a post of cut granite, 6 feet long, was inserted 4| feet of its
length inlo the ground. This stoi)e squares 17 by 14 inches. It is rounded on the
west side to indicate that it is on the curve, and on the east side the date 1849 is
marked in deep cut figures.
The circular boundary' between Pennsylvania and Delaware, frora the point of
junction of the three States to the river Delaware being yet unraarked, and a nuraber
of citizens residing near this common border being in doubt, and anxious to know to
whichStale they belong, at your suggestion lhe survey was conducted with such pre
cision as to enable us lo describe that boundary correctly, as will appear upon oui*
raap, for a distance bf about 3| miles north-eastward from the junction.
We have determined the distance by computation, at Which a due east line from the!
north-east corner of .Maryland will cut that circular boundary and find it to be 4036
feet, or .766 of a mile. We have also computed the angle wilh the meridian at the
said north-east corner, made by a line drawn from thence to the spire of the court
house al New Casile, and find it to be 70° 20' 45" east of south. At the distance of
3786 feet, measured on the said line frora the aforesaid nortii-east corner, this line will
intersect the circular boundary.
The vvant of a proper demarcation of the boundaries between States is always a
source of great incon.vjniefice, and ofl«sn of trouble to the border inhabitants j and il

is worthy of^remark, .that as our survey progressed, and while, making t^e necessary
effspts to housed ori the eastof the' riorth Itli^," we discover-ed that" tiiere was a,n impres
sion among mariy; that the bounciairy (if I)(^law,are exteinded up'tp ih,e north line, from
the juncfitiiri to the ri'orth e&st corner of Mai'yiand. - .-
• Mi-.' W. Srtiilh', a gentleman' who has price sei'ved as a member of the Legislature
of Delaware, resides a full half mile withiri' the State of' Pennsylvania, measured in
the Shortest directioh froin his divelliiig house to the circular boundary.
We find, also, by careful measurerrient, that Christiana church is in Pennsylvania,
full 'one hundred yards west of ' th(3 circul&r boundary. The (1 welling houses of
Messrs. J. Jones, Thomas Gibson, Thbm sis Steel arid J. M'Cowan, are all within tlie
bounds of Pennsylvania, according to our trace of the circle from computed elements.
"I take great pleasure, in acknowledging hercithe valu'abte aid rendered, in this survey,
by'ray assistahts, Lt. George Thora, of the Topograhical Engineers, and Mr. Charles
Radziminski; ' • , . . ,
; The foi-mer was obliged, jjy his duties in the office of the north -eastern boundiary,
to returri lo Washington on tfie 24th of Noveraber. He joined us, however, again,,
on the 29th of January, and ifiarticipated in the completion of the field'work,, on the
6th of February, sit a tirae when, owing to the delays which the alniost, continued,
storray and cloudy Weather in January had produced, his aid was very important.
Mr. Radzimin'ski reniained' in the field frorii the beginning to the epd bf the Work,
and used every exertion to forward it. Mr. Derrick, pur junior assistant, Jid the
same. They lost not a day that could be appropriated to the out-door work; and
often. When the weatlier was unpromising, they would go out, in order to be ready to
observe angles, &c., if it should clear, and would return, drenched with rain, or
coveted with sleef,' during the cold weather' of December and, January, never regard
ing their personal comfort, when the work could be forwarded by exposing theraselves.
I herewith present three finished maps, one for each of your respective States, con
fi'tructed from our surveys, and duly certified.
Air which is respectfully submitted, ', !
' , J. D. GRAHAM.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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