Information in Relation to the Operations of the Commission Appointed to Run and Mark the Boundary between the United States and

Washington: GPO, 1850. 31st Congress, 1st Session, Senate Exec. Doc. No. 34. Two parts. 53pp, 22pp, 4 maps (2 folding). Foxing, sometimes severe throughout the text, three smaller folding maps with some foxing, large folding map loose but bright with little foxing. Disbound from the Serial Set, here rebound in cloth with minor external rubbing. At the ending of the Mexican War both nations immediately set about fixing the new boundary between the two countries. This report and the associated maps are a product of the first phase of the survey of the Mexican boundary. Initial work began in 1849 and immediately bogged down over establishing the length of a marine league and Mexican General Garcia Conde's demand that his country be given the port of San Diego. The large map (17 x 22 inches) was critical to the rest of the survey. Entitled Topographical Sketch of the Southernmost Point of the Port of San Diego and measurement of the Marine League for determining Initial Point of Boundary United States and Mexican Republic, it specifies that a marine league is equal to 5564 metres, and locates the initial point well south of the port. It is quite large scale with 2 inches to the mile. It shows several camps just inland from the bay and the surrounding topography. The Commissioner's route east is shown following the Arroyo de Tia Juana as far as Achilld's (sic) Ranch. The other maps are Plan of the Junction of the Colorado and Gila Rivers (8 x 6), an unnamed map of the same junction on a slightly different scale, and Map of a Survey and Reconnaissance of the Vicinity of the Mouth of the Rio Gila (11 x 16 ) quite a bit more detailed than the two above. The text consists of correspondence on file in the Department of the Interior referring to operations of the United States boundary commission. It shows the progress of the survey and gives detail of how the money appropriated for it was spent. Secretary of the Interior Thomas Ewing felt the reports from the boundary commissioner were vague and unsatisfactory and notes that an additional $50,000 will be needed for the current fiscal year. W-C-B 189a, Wheat 616, 650, 652, 653. Item #22126

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