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The commission adjourned, to meet to-morrow at 10 o'clock a. m.

JOSÉ SALAZAR Y LARREGUI.

W. H. EMORY.

PASO DEL NORTE, January 12, 1855.

The commission met agreeably to adjournment, and agreed to place one monument as near the river as the nature of the ground will admit, to be of dressed stone, having on the north face:

U. S.
BOUNDARY,

Under the treaty of December 30, 1853.

On the south face:

R. M.

Limite conforme al tratado de 30 de Diciembre de 1853.

On the west :

JOSE SALAZAR Y LARREGUI, Comisionado Mexicano.

On the east:

W. H. EMORY, U. S. Commissioner.

The commission further agreed:

1st. To erect a pyramid of rough stone, cemented with mortar, where the line strikes the crest of the first range of hills, and one of the same description in sight of the road leading from El Paso to the north.

2d. To put up a monument at the extremity of the line of 31° 47′ of the same kind, and with the same inscription, as that first named; to put up pyramids along the line wherever the facilities of water and stone will admit.

3d. To lay the foundation of the monument nearest the river on the 24th January. There being no further business before the commission, it adjourned, to meet at 12 m, on the. 24th instant.

The commission met on this day.

W. H. EMORY.

JOSÉ SALAZAR Y LARREGUI.

PASO DEL NORTE, January 26, 1855.

The Mexican commissioner having notified the American commissioner, by letter, on the 16th, that, in consequence of his absence in making a reconnoissance, he could not attend the placing of the corner-stone of the monument until the 31st, the American commissioner agreed with him to postpone the establishment of the foundation of the monument to that day at. meridian, and we have this day met to give validity to that agreement. The American commissioner stated that, in consequence of not getting a sufficient supply of water immediately on the line, he had somewhat changed his plans, and had adopted, as the base of his operations, the north and south line between the parallels of 31° 47' and 31° 20'. The first division of his party (the astronomical) had completed all their work here, and was ready to move on that line, escorted by the dragoons, and would so move to-morrow; that he, the commissioner, would follow with the balance of his party, the surveyors and the supplies, immediately after the completion of their joint labors on the 31st instant. He further stated, he had established points on the line beyond the road, and by the 31st his parties would have

progressed with the line as far on the Mesa as was convenient to operate from this side. He proposed to the Mexican commissioner to concur in these plans, and to start also westward. The Mexican commissioner stated he fully concurred in those plans and adopted them, but that in consequence of having no escort, he could not move at the time proposed, but would follow as soon as his escort arrived; the Mexican commissioner further stated, that whilst here he would take the charge of the three monuments, agreed upon at our meeting of the 12th to be erected at this end, and see them completed.

The American commissioner assented, and further stated that he would leave Jean Ball, the stone-mason, to assist in the work under the direction of the Mexican commissioner.

The American commissioner stated, that the treaty required, for the establishment of the line, the concurrence of the two commissioners; that when he establishes the points west in the absence of the Mexican commissioner, if any accident should prevent a subsequent visitation and verification of the points by the Mexican commissioner, the validity of the point might be questioned, and the work of himself, the American commissioner, achieved at great cost, might go for nothing.

The Mexican commissioner stated, in reply, that to avoid that difficulty, he would now adopt all those points which the American commissioner, in his absence, might establish, in his own name, on the line which the treaty stipulates.

JOSE SALAZAR Y LARREGUI.
W. H. EMORY.

INITIAL POINT ON THE RIO GRANDE, LAT. 31° 47′,
January 31, 1855.

The commission met, according to agreement, at meridian. The chief officers of the vicinity, military and civil, from both sides of the line, being present, the foundation of the monument was laid. The following paper-one copy in English, the other in Spanish-was signed by the two commissioners and by the persons aforesaid, placed in a glass bottle, and deposited, at the depth of five feet, under the centre of the monument:

COPY OF THE PAPER.

"We, the undersigned, have this day assembled to witness the laying of the foundation of the monument which is to mark the initial point of the boundary between the United States and the Republic of Mexico, agreed upon, under the treaty of Mexico, on the part of the United States by William Hemsley Emory, and on the part of the Republic of Mexico by José Salazar y Larregui, latitude 31° 47′.

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The American commissioner stated that he had already sent the whole of his astronomical force to the western end of the 100-mile line, and that it was his intention to follow in the coming week with the balance of his force.

The question of the time and place of the next meeting having been raised, the Mexican commissioner stated it was not in his power to say when he would be able to join the American commissioner, but that he would endeavor to do so as soon as possible.

The commission adjourned, to meet when the Mexican commissioner shall join the American commission.

JOSÉ SALAZAR Y LARREGUI.
W. H. EMORY.

FORT BLISS, August 14, 1855.

In pursuance of notification from the Mexican commissioner of his arrival, made in conformity with the last article agreed upon January 31, 1855, the commissioners met this day.

The United States commissioner stated that he had concluded the running and marking of the line up to the 111th meridian of longitude, at which point he met the United States and Mexican parties working eastward from the Colorado, and that in the unavoidable absence of the Mexican commissioner he had concluded an agreement with Señor Jimenez, first engineer of the Mexican commission, which he now presented to the Mexican commissioner, and asked his approval of the same.

The agreement is in the words following, to wit:

Señor Don Francisco Jimenez, first engineer of the boundary commission, on the part of Mexico, being duly empowered by the Mexican commissioner to run the line between the Colorado and the 111th meridian of longitude, having arrived at the camp of the American commissioner, the latter invited him, in the absence of the Mexican commissioner, to a conference, having for its object the more speedy completion of the unfinished portion of the line; and accordingly the two have met this day, and the following is the report of that conference and its results:

The American commissioner stated that he had separated from the Mexican commissioner on the 6th of February; that the Mexican commissioner being unable to proceed with the line at that time, had empowered the American commissioner to proceed with it, and had agreed to adopt the line established by him in conformity with the treaty.

The journal of the joint commission, duly signed and sealed, was exhibited to Señor Jimenez, and a copy of the record of the 26th January, duly authenticated, furnished him. The American commissioner stated that he had caused the line to be run and the monuments to be erected as far as the 111th meridian of longitude. That meridian had been established from observations at Los Nogales by principal assistant Clark; and Señor Jimenez was invited to inspect the instruments, still in position, with which these observations were made, the observations themselves, and the computations by which the results were obtained. The result of that inspection being satisfactory, the American commissioner proposed, that in view of the urgent demands of both governments, to complete the line, Señor Jimenez should unite with the American party, and direct.the whole force of both parties to complete the tracing and marking of the line on the face of the earth from the 111th meridian, already established, to the point where Señor Jimenez and Lieutenant Michler left off in their attempt to run the line eastward.

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Señor Jimenez assented to this proposition, and it was, therefore, agreed as follows:

That the plan of triangulation is impracticable; that the American and Mexican surveying party shall proceed forthwith to run the unfinished portion of the line; take the topography near the line; erect monuments at points where the line crosses a mine, a settlement, a road, or water.

It is agreed if either party break down, the other is not to suspend or delay operations in consequence of it.

It is agreed the Mexican party is to determine the latitude and longitude of some central point of the line as a check upon the tracing of the line, and the result is to be furnished the American commissioner, who agrees to accept that determination.

It is further agreed that the convention entered into between Señor Jimenez and Lieutenant Michler, April 26, and the additional article agreed upon May 1, 1855, are approved in all the articles not in conflict with this convention.

W. H. EMORY,

United States Commissioner. FRANO. JIMENEZ,

First Engineer de la Como. de Limites Mexicano.

Los NOGALES, June 21, 1855.

The Mexican commissioner having approved this step on the part of the first engineer of his commission, the United States commissioner gave a brief legend of operations up to the 111th meridian of longitude, and invited Mr. Salazar to inspect the notes, astronomical and geodetic, upon which the line was based, and the rough draughts of the maps made in the field. The following is the substance of the legend:

After concluding all operations in the vicinity of the Rio Bravo, and pushing the line as far as was convenient, from that place, an astronomical station was established at Carrizalillo, which proved, from 72 observations with 46-inch zenith telescope, to be in latitude 31° 50′ 55".23 north; and longitude 107° 56′ 03′′.90, the result of observations during one lunation. Carrizalillo was the nearest water to the terminal point of the 100-mile line near to parallel 31° 47'. A monument was established on the road due south of the observatory, and the parallel extended in both directions-east, until it met, in the sand-hills, the line produced from the Rio Bravo; west, it was extended to the end of the 100 miles, and the parallel was obtained by measuring ordinates from the tangent. The 100 miles was obtained by combining the observed longitude at Carrizalillo, and the distance actually measured.

From the end of the 100 miles a line was produced due south to meet the parallel of 31° 20′. The reconnoissance to find water at the junction of the meridian and 31° 20' failed, and the observatory was established at the Espia, on the Rio Janos, ten or twelve miles east of the meridian. An elaborate set of observations (81) with zenith telescope, gave us the latitude of this observatory 31° 20′ 56′′.45; the tangent of 31° 20' was determined from this by direct measurements and produced to intersect meridian, and ordinates laid off to ascertain parallel. After producing parallel about seven miles, it was ascertained, as will be seen by the map, that the Ojo del Perro was near the line. The zenith telescope was reset, and a new tangent obtained; which result corresponding well with the last, this tangent was produced to the San Luis range of mountains. At the San Luis springs, about thirty miles west of the initial point of the parallel 31° 20, a new observatory was erected, the latitude of which (31° 20′ 31′′.51) was

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ascertained by more than 97 observations. The tangent to the parallel 31° 20' was ascertained and produced in both directions, east and west, and the ordinates to the curve of the parallel established. The coincidence between the new tangent and the old one, produced from Ojo del Perro, was satisfactory; after making the necessary allowance for the difference of ordinates, the error was found to be only a few feet. The tangent west was produced across the level of the San Luis valley and the Guadalupe Pass. In the mean time, a new observatory was erected at San Bernardino springs, and the latitude obtained with the same instrument, and nearly the same set of stars, was ascertained to be 31° 19′ 40′′.38 by 57 observations. A third tangent was produced east and west, that east being found to correspond and verify the second tangent. This last tangent, being the third, was, on account of the absence of water, produced as far as the hills west of the San Pedro. While this was progressing, the astronomical party established itself to the north of Santa Cruz, on the river of the same name, and the latitude of the point was ascertained to be 31° 17′ 56′′.33, from 73 observations. From this, a point on the parallel 31° 20′, due north, was ascertained by direct measurement, and a fourth tangent obtained, as in all the preceding cases, by elaborate measurements of the elongations of Polaris. An apprehension was entertained that the third tangent, by reason of its great prolongation, sometimes, as in passing the Guadalupe mountains, running over rough country, might prove crooked; but the verification by means of the fourth tangent was complete, showing the greatest probable error of either tangent, a distance of only 15 or 20 feet.

A chronometric reconnoissance was then made to the westward, and it was ascertained that the nearest durable water to the intersection of the meridian of 111 degrees west of Greenwich, and the parallel of 31° 20', was at Los Nogales. At this point was established an observatory. The transit and zenith instruments were both mounted; and the result of 120 observations. with the latter, and observations during two lunations with the first, gave for the latitude. 31° 21' 00".48, and longitude 110° 51′ 02′′.10 west of Greenwich. From observations at this observatory a fifth tangent was deduced, and extended by a separate party in both directions, running westward until the 111th meridian of longitude was reached. Owing to the difficulties of the country, the longitude was transferred by direct measurement and by triangulation.

Before this was concluded, a despatch was received giving the joint result of the Mexican and United States parties, of the latitude and longitude of the initial point on the Colorado river. With these data the azimuth of the line westward was computed to be 69° 19′ 45′′.9, and laid off by measurements from the elongation of Polaris.

This left nothing to be done but to trace the line and complete the topography between the 111th and the Colorado, and the dispositions made for that are all embraced in the convention between Senor Jimenez and myself, and Señor Jimenez and Lieutenant Michler, to which your approval has been given.

Major Emory, the American commissioner, further stated, that in reference to the instruments used, and the methods employed in obtaining results, Mr. Salazar, the Mexican commissioner, from long experience, was familiar with the mode adopted by both commissions, and it was therefore not necessary to enter into particulars-the notes would show for themselves; but he begged to remind Mr. Salazar that they had discussed before, the subject of longitude, and it was agreed between them, that in all determinations of longitude by the moon and moon-culminating stars they should take the Greenwich ephemeris, and not await the publication of the corresponding observations made at Greenwich, as at this distance it would necessarily involve a delay of eighteen months or two years-a result clearly not contemplated

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