charter of King Charles, are the right and property of this State." But it appears from the operations of the United States Coast Survey at both ends of the line that the point of beginning on Currituck Inlet, instead of being, as so constantly assumed, in latitude 36° 30', or as determined by the surveyors in 1728, 36° 31′ is 36° 33′ 15′′, and the western end (of "the Walker line," of 1779, at Bristol, Tenn.) 36° 34′ 25.5′′. It is stated in Byrd's Journal that the variation of the compass was ascertained to be a little less than 3° W. [The magnetic chart of the United States Coast Survey would make it 3° E.] And no account is given of any subsequent correction, and if none was made at the end of the line surveyed by him the course would have been in error by nearly 30, as the amount of variation in this State changes a little more than 1o for every 100 miles of easting or westing. So that the northern boundary of the State as run is not only not the parallel of 36° 30′, but is far from coincident with any parallel of latitude, and must be a succession of curves, with their concavities northward and connected at their ends by north and south offsets.

The southern boundary between this State and South Carolina and Georgia was first established by a joint colonial commission in 1735 to 1746. The commissioners run a line from Goat Island on the coast (in latitude 33° 56′ as supposed) NW to the parallel of 35°, according to their observations, and then due west to within a few miles of the Catawba River, and here, at the old Salisbury and Charleston road, turned north along that road to the southeast corner of the Catawba Indian Lands. This line, resurveyed in 1764, was afterwards (in 1772) continued along the eastern and northern boundaries of the Catawba lands to the point where the latter intersects the Catawba River; thence along and up that river to the mouth of the South Fork of the Catawba, and thence due west, as supposed, to a point near the Blue Ridge. This part of the line was resurveyed and confirmed by commissioners under acts of assembly of 1803, 1804, 1806, 1813, 1814, and 1815, and continued west to and along the Saluda Mountains and the Blue Ridge to the intersection of the "Cherokee boundary" of 1797, and thence in a direct line to the Chatooga River at its intersection with the parallel of 35°. From this point the line was run west to the Tennessee line, between this State and Georgia, in 1807, and confirmed and established by act of 1819. The boundary between this State and Tennessee was run, according to the course designated in the act of 1789, entitled "An act for the purpose of ceding to the United States certain western lands therein described" (the State of Tennessee); that is, along the crest of the Smoky Mountains, from the Virginia line to the Cataluche River (in Haywood County), in 1799, under act of 1796. It was continued from this point to the Georgia line in 1821. The commissioners who completed this line, at the date lastmentioned, instead of following their instructions, diverged from the crest of the Smoky (Unaka) Mountains at the intersection of the Hiwassee turnpike, and run due south to the Georgia line, thereby losing for the State the valuable mining region since known as Ducktown.

And as to the southern boundary, the point of beginning on Goat Island is in latitude 33° 51′ 37′′, as shown by the Coast Survey, and instead of running from Goat Island northwest to latitude of 35° and thence along that parallel, it appears, from the South Carolina Geographical State Survey of 1821-25, that the course from the starting point is N. 47° 30' W., and instead of pursuing the parallel of 35° it turns west about 10 miles south of that line, and then on approaching the Catawba River, turns northward pursuing a zigzag line to the forks of the Catawba River, which is about 12 miles north of that parallel; and from this point to the mountains the boundary line (of 1772) runs, not west, but N. 88° W., bringing its western end about 17 miles too far north, and reaching the (supposed) parallel of 35° at a distance of about 130 miles east of the Catawba River. The loss of territory resulting from these singular deviations is probably between 500 and 1,000 square miles.

The following extract from the constitution of 1796, of Tennessee,

defines the eastern boundary of that State, which is the western boundary of North Carolina, as it was intended to be run and marked:

Beginning on the extreme height of the Stone Mountain at the place where the line of Virginia intersects it in latitude thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north; running thence along the extreme height of the said mountain to the place where Watauga River breaks through it; thence a direct course to the top of the Yellow Mountain, where Bright's road crosses the same; thence along the ridge of said mountain between the waters of Doe River and the waters of Rock Creek, to the place where the road crosses the Iron Mountain; from thence along the extreme height of said mountain to where Nolichucky River runs through the same; thence to the top of the Bald Mountain; thence along the extreme height of said mountain to the Painted Rock on French Broad River; thence along the highest ridge of said mountain to the place where it is called the Great Iron or Smoky Mountain; thence along the extreme height of said mountain to the place where it is called Unicoi or Unaka Mountain between the Indian towns of Cowee and Old Chota; thence along the main ridge of the said mountain to the southern boundary of this State as described in the act of cession of North Carolina to the United States of America.

In 1879 the legislature passed an act to appoint commissioners to make a survey from the northeast corner of Georgia westward. This point of commencement is common to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

In 1881 the legislature passed another act, providing for the appointment of a commissioner, who should act with commissioners from Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, or Tennessee, to re-run and re-mark the boundaries between North Carolina and the other States.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

The territory included in the present State of South Carolina was included in the charter of Carolina, which also embraced what is now the State of Georgia. (Vide North Carolina, p. 99.)

In 1729 the province of Carolina was divided, forming the two provinces of North Carolina and South Carolina. In 1732 the extent of South Carolina was reduced by the charter of Georgia. (Vide Georgia, p. 103.)

(For a history of the settlement of the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina, vide North Carolina, p. 99.)

By the charter of Georgia the line between South Carolina and Georgia was to be the Savannah River, to the head thereof. In 1762 difficulties having arisen, concerning the interpretation of the charter, as regarded the head of the Savannah, and also the title to the lands south of the Altamaha River, Georgia made complaint to the King, who issued a proclamation in 1763 giving the lands between the Altamaha and Saint Mary's Rivers to Georgia. The question of the boundary on the Savannah, however, remained unsettled until 1787, when a conven

tion between the two States was held at Beaufort, S. C., to determine the same, and the line was fixed as at present.

The following is an extract from the articles of agreement:

The most northern branch or stream of the river Savannah from the sea or mouth of such stream to the fork or confluence of the rivers now called Tugaloo and Keowa, and from thence the most northern branch or stream of the said river Tugaloo till it. intersects the northern boundary line of South Carolina, if the said branch or stream of Tugaloo extends so far north, reserving all the islands in the said rivers Savannah and Tugaloo to Georgia; but if the head spring or source of any branch or stream of the said river Tugaloo does not extend to the north boundary line of South Carolina, then a west line to the Mississippi, to be drawn from the head spring or source of the said branch or stream of Tugaloo River which extends to the highest northern latitude, shall forever hereafter form the separation, limit, and boundary between the States of South Carolina and Georgia. (Laws of the United States, Vol. I, p. 466.)

In the same year South Carolina ceded to the United States a narrow strip of territory south of the North Carolina line, which she claimed, about 12 or 14 miles wide, and extending to the Mississippi River; this strip now forms the northern portion of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Georgia being thus increased in extent northwardly, the line between the two States is clearly expressed in the code of South Carolina, as follows, viz:

The Savannah River, from its entrance into the ocean to the confluence of the Tugaloo and Keowa Rivers; thence by the Tugaloo River to the confluence of the Tugaloo and Chatooga Rivers; thence by the Chatooga River to the North Carolina line in the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude, the line being low-water mark at the southern shore of the most northern stream of said rivers, where the middle of the rivers is broken by islands, and middle thread of the stream where the rivers flow in one stream or volume.

GEORGIA.

Georgia was included in the proprietary charter granted to the lords proprietors of Carolina in 1663 and 1665, for which a provincial charter was substituted in 1719.

In 1732 the charter of Georgia as an independent colony was granted by King George II, of which the following is an extract:

All those lands, countrys, and territories situate, lying and being in that part of South Carolina, in America, which lies from the most northern part of a stream or river there, commonly called the Savannah, all along the sea-coast to the southward, unto the most southern stream of a certain other great water or river called the Altamaha, and westerly from the heads of the said rivers, respectively, in direct lines to the south seas.

This charter was surrendered in 1752 and a provincial government established. (C. & C., p. 369 et seq.)

In 1763 the territory between the Altamaha and Saint Mary's Rivers was added to Georgia by royal proclamation. (Vide South Carolina, p. 102.)

In the constitution adopted by Georgia in 1798 the boundaries are declared. The following is an extract therefrom:

The limits, boundaries, jurisdictions, and authority of the State of Georgia do, and did, and of right ought to extend from the sea or mouth of the river Savannah along the northern branch or stream thereof, to the fork or confluence of the rivers now called Tugalo and Keowee, and from thence along the most northern branch or stream of the said river Tugalo, till it intersect the northern boundary line of South Carolina, if the said branch or stream of Tugalo extends so far north, reserving all the islands in the said rivers Savannah and Tugalo to Georgia; but if the head, spring, or source of any branch or stream of the said river Tugalo does not extend to the north boundary line of South Carolina, then a west line to the Mississippi, to be drawn from the head, spring, or source of the said branch or stream of Tugalo River, which extends to the highest northern latitude; thence down the middle of the said river Mississippi, until it shall intersect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude, south by a line drawn due east from the termination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Chatahoochee; thence along the middle thereof, to its junction with Flint River; thence straight to the head of Saint Mary's River, and thence, along the middle of Saint Mary's River, to the Atlantic Ocean, and from thence to the mouth or inlet of Savannah River, the place of beginning, including and comprehending all the lands and waters within the said limits, boundaries, and jurisdictional rights; and also all the islands within twenty leagues of the sea-coast.

In 1802 Georgia entered into articles of agreement and cession with the United States, whereby Georgia ceded to the United States the lands west of her present boundaries, and the United States ceded to Georgia that part of the South Carolina cession of 1787 which lies east of the present western boundary of Georgia. The following extracts show the limits of the two cessions:

The State of Georgia cedes to the United States all the right, title, and claim which the said State has to the jurisdiction and soil of the lands situated within the boundaries of the United States, south of the State of Tennessee and west of a line beginning on the western bank of the Chatahouchee River where the same crosses the boundary line between the United States and Spain; running thence up the said river Chatahouchee, and along the western bank thereof to the great bend thereof, next above the place where a certain creek or river, called "Uchee" (being the first considerable stream on the western side, above the Cussetas and Coweta towns), empties into the said Chatahouchee River; thence in a direct line to Nickajack, on the Tennessee River; thence crossing the said last-mentioned river, and thence running up the said Tennessee River and along the western bank thereof to the southern boundary line of the State of Tennessee.

The United States cede to the State of Georgia * the lands situated south of the southern boundaries of the States of Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and east of the boundary line herein above described as the eastern boundary of the territory ceded by Georgia to the United States. For a history of the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina, vide South Carolina, p. 102.

The history of the boundary between North Carolina and Georgia has already been given (vide North Carolina, p. 101). It may be proper, however, to add that this line (the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude) was fixed by the cession above detailed, from the United States to Georgia