WISCONSIN.

THE TERRITORY OF WISCONSIN, as established at present, is bounded as follows: commencing in the middle of Lake Michigan, in north latitude forty-two degrees and thirty minutes; thence north along the middle of the Lake, to a point opposite the main channel or entrance of Green Bay ; thence through said channel and Green Bay to the mouth of the Menomonee river; thence through the middle of the main channel of said river to that head nearest the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line to the middle of said Lake; thence to the source of the Montreal river; thence through the middle of the main channel of that river to its mouth; thence with a direct line across Lake Superior to where the Territorial line of the United States last touches said lake northwest; thence along said Territorial line to a point due north of the head waters or source of the Mississippi river, in longitude ninety degrees and two minutes west from Greenwich; thence due south to the Mississippi; thence along the middle or centre of the main channel of said river to latitude forty-two degrees and thirty minutes north; thence due east to the place of beginning. It therefore embraces all that portion of the United States lying between the State of Michigan on the east, and the Mississippi on the west, which separates it from the Territory of Iowa; and between the State of Illinois on the south and the British possessions on the north; extending from forty-two and a half to the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, and embracing about ten degrees of longitude. Taking the length of a degree of latitude and longitude in

this part of the globe, it is ascertained that Wisconsin is about five hundred and fifteen miles from east to west, and four hundred and forty-nine miles from north to south, measuring from the extreme points. But the average or mean extent of the Territory in longitude is only about one hundred and eighty-five miles, showing, therefore, a superficial area of eighty-three thousand and sixty-five square miles or sections; equal to twenty-three hundred townships of six miles square each. Wisconsin is, therefore, more than one-half larger than Virginia, and more than twice as large as the State of New York. This calculation, however, is only an approximation to the truth, for so little is accurately known of the course of the Menomonee, Montreal, and a part of the Mississippi rivers, that no accurate estimate can be made of the extent of territory embraced within the limits of Wisconsin. The Menomonee has been ascertained to have a course very different from what was supposed, at the time it was selected as a part of the boundary; and a revision of that portion of the boundary between Michigan and Wisconsin which lies between Green Bay and Lake Superior becomes necessary, and will probably soon receive the action of Congress. A survey was made in 1840 and 1841, by Captain Cram, and it now only remains for Congress to decide upon the exact boundary. The Wasecota, a branch of the Menomonee, is ascertained to have its source nearest the Lake of the Desert, and will therefore probably be established as a part of the boundary.

Wisconsin being a part of the "Territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river," claims, and indeed, Congress has by direct action confirmed to her* all the

In the act establishing the Territory of Wisconsin, section twelve, where it is expressly declared "that the inhabitants of the said Territory shall be entitled to enjoy, all and singular the rights and advantages granted and secured to the people of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river, by the articles of

rights and privileges secured by the ordinance of Congress of July 13, 1787, one of which is, "that Congress shall have authority to form one or two States in that part of said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan ;" thereby fixing unalterably (without common consent) the southern boundaries of Michigan and Wisconsin. Notwithstanding this plain provision of the ordinance, which is declared to be "articles of compact between the original States, and the people and States in the said territory, and for ever to remain unalterable unless by common consent," yet Congress, in establishing the boundaries of the State of Illinois, extended that State about sixty miles north of the line thus unalterably established by the ordinance. This is claimed to be obviously unjust, and contrary to the spirit and letter of the compact with the original States. The subject of reclaiming this portion of our territory has been agitated in the Legislative Assembly. Michigan was compelled by superior influence to submit to a compromise by which she obtained, besides other valuable considerations, a much larger portion of territory than that in dispute; and Wisconsin may from the same cause be obliged to submit to wrong for want of ability to enforce her rights.

It is also contended by many that the portion of country set off to Michigan on Lake Superior, between the straits of Mackina and the Montreal river, as a compensation in part for the strip of land given to Ohio from her southern border, should also have constituted a portion of Wisconsin; and especially as Michigan never made the least claim to it, and as the convenience of the inhabitants (when it becomes inhabited) will be best consulted by uniting them with Wisconsin. The validity of our claim to this territory, compact contained in the ordinance for the government of the said Territory, passed on the thirteenth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven."

however, may be questioned; for it cannot be made out as clearly as in the case of the territory given to Illinois.

The difficulties which it has been apprehended might at some future time arise between the United States and Great Britain relative to that portion of our northern boundary lying between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods, have been prevented by the settlement of that question in the treaty of 1842, usually known as "Webster's Treaty." Great Britain claimed all that portion of our Territory lying north of the St. Louis river, while we claimed that the Kamanistaquia, or Dog river, should be the boundary. By the treaty, an intermediate route was agreed upon; and here again it is contended that the general government has given away a portion of the territory which should properly have belonged to Wisconsin.

It is not probable that Illinois, Michigan and Great Britain will be very ready to surrender the territory now claimed by them, and hence it becomes an important question to determine in what manner these disputes shall be settled. As in all cases of a similar nature, we may expect some difficulties to arise. It has been proposed in the Legislature to abandon all claims of this kind, upon condition that Congress shall construct certain works of internal improvement which are at present very much needed; and if the whole subject can be thus easily disposed of, it is undoubtedly the best policy for the United States to accept of this very reasonable compromise.

It is to be hoped that these questions of boundary may be settled to the satisfaction of all concerned, before they become of such importance as to create much excitement, trouble or difficulty in their adjustment.

There are no mountains, properly speaking, in Wisconsin; the whole being one vast plain, varied only by the river hills, and the gentle swells or undulations of country usually denominated "rolling." This plain lies at an elevation of from six to fifteen hundred feet above the level

of the ocean. The highest lands are those forming the dividing ridge between the waters of Lake Superior and the Mississippi. From this ridge there is a gradual descent towards the south and southwest. This inclination is interrupted in the region of the lower Wisconsin and Neenah rivers, where we find another ridge extending across the Territory, from which proceeds another gently descending slope, drained mostly by the waters of Rock river and its branches. These slopes indicate, and are occasioned by, the dip or inclination of the rocky strata beneath the soil. The Wisconsin hills and many of the bluffs along the Mississippi river, often attain the height of three hundred feet above their base, and the blue mound was ascertained by Dr. Locke, by barometrical observations, to be one thousand feet above the Wisconsin river at Helena. The surface is further diversified by the Platte and Sinsinawa Mounds, but these prominent elevations are so rare that they form very marked objects in the landscape, and serve the traveller in the unsettled portions of the country, as guides by which to direct his course. The country immediately bordering on Lake Superior has a very abrupt descent towards the lake; hence the streams entering that lake are full of rapids and waterfalls, being comparatively worthless for all purposes of navigation, but affording a vast superabundance of water power, which may at some future time be brought into requisition to manufacture lumber from the immense quantities of pine trees with which this part of the Territory abounds.

There is another ridge of broken land running from the entrance of Green Bay in a southwesterly direction, forming the "divide" between the waters of Lake Michigan and those running into the Bay and Neenah, and continuing thence through the western part of Washington county, crossing Bark river near the Nagowicka lake, and thence passing in the same general direction, through Walworth county, into the State of Illinois. The irregular and broken ap