tions occasioned by the convergence of meridians or any other cause are made. East of the First Principal Meridian the Ranges are numbered east of that meridian and the townships numbered as usual.

Every township is sub-divided into thirty-six "sections," each containing one square mile or 640 acres, more or less. All townships are subject to the conveyance and divergence of meridians, together with certain road allowances having a width of one chain on each section line running north and south, and on every alternate section line running east and west. Under the old system of survey all road allowances were one chain and a half (110 feet) wide, but a new system was inaugurated last year by which all are now reduced to one chain (66 feet). Diagram No. 1 gives a township as laid out under the old system of survey, and No. 2, one under the new system.

The following extracts are taken from an excellent little work published by Captain C. W. Allen, of Winnipeg, entitled the Land Prospector's Manual and Field Book :

:

"Survey lines are marked on the ground by the planting or erecting of such posts, stones, mounds, or other monuments as will serve the temporary purpose of guiding Prospectors through the country, and which also constitute permanent landmarks to establish the legal boundaries of farms held by different proprietors.

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'Only a single row of posts (or other monuments) to indicate the corners of townships, sections, or quarter-sections is placed on the ground to show the line surveyed, except in the case of correction lines. Such posts are invariably planted along the western limit of the road allowance on all lines running north and south, and in the southern limit of the road allowance on all lines running east and west. It follows, accordingly, that such corner posts always stand on the northeast corner of the township, section, or quartersections to which they belong; also, that these single lines

of posts govern the relative position of the corners on the opposite sides of the road allowance (or road allowances) on which they stand, whether the same may be those of adjacent townships, sections, or quarter sections. (See diagram No. 2.")

On correction lines, however, the boundaries on both sides of the road allowance are planted with monuments indicating the township, section, and quarter-section corners.

"The kind of monument employed varies somewhat, according to the material available in the locality surveyed; but the position in which all such are placed is governed by unalterable rules, and the inscriptions or marks are all in conformity.

"In a timbered country, a post, three inches square, and showing two feet above ground is firmly planted at the township or section corner to be indicated, and it bears marks as hereafter described.

The post distinguishing a quarter-section corner in such a region is three inches wide, being flattened on two sides, and it stands eighteen inches only above the surface, with the flattened sides at right angles to the line on which it stands. In a wooded region where stone abounds, corners are sometimes defined by simple stones correctly planted and properly marked. The position of all such corners are indicated by simple monuments, such as a post or stone, and further defined by the astronomical bearing, and distance therefrom being marked in red chalk upon some adjacent tree, the side of which nearest to the monument is also inscribed with the letters "B. T." cut into the trunk.'

"In a prairie country, the posts stand in the centre of mounds, generally of earth, thrown up in the form of rightangled pyramids. At the corners of townships, these mounds are three feet high, their bases being six feet square; at the corners of sections or quarter-sections the mounds stand at two feet and six inches high, and their

bases are five feet square. In the formation of these mounds, the earth is taken from four square pits, each being opposite one of the four sides of the mound. In a prairie country, that is also stony, the mounds are often built of stones, piled up around the posts, so as to conform, as nearly as possible, to the earth mounds in size and shape.

"If a township or other corner fall in a ravine, the bed of a stream, or some similar situation where it would be impossible to erect a monument of a permanent character, and should a "bearing tree" not be obtainable the surveyor indicates the position of such corner by erecting at the nearest suitable spot a "witness mound." witness mound." In this case the mound is in the form of a cone 2ft. 6in. high, its base having a diameter of 6ft. The post in the centre is marked “W. M.” and also inscribed, in red chalk, with the bearing and dis tance to such corner.

"The posts in all mounds show at least ten inches above the apex of the same, whether the latter have been built of earth or stones.

"On ordinary surveyed lines the posts and mounds are so placed that their angles rest upon the line on which they stand.

"On correction lines, however, the post and mounds are erected square with the line, which passes through the centre of two sides of the mound.

"Iron posts, which are placed at every township corner, consist of either iron bars or tubes, driven into the ground with a sledge, and inscribed, by means of a cold chisel, with the necessary marks. The mounds in connection with such monuments form an exception to the general rule, in that they are so placed that the iron post stands at the northern angle thereof. There is, however, with iron posts, the usual difference in respect to monuments on correction lines, the mounds in connection with which are built with their bases facing the cardinal points of the compass, the iron post

being established in the centre of the base of the mound fronting the road allowance.

"The letters, marks, and figures on posts and trees are distinctly cut in with a knife or scribing iron; those on iron posts and stone corners with a cold chisel.

"Quarter-section corner posts are simply marked with the conventional sign "" to indicate their character, and bear no inscription showing to what township or range they belong.

"Posts or stone monuments indicating all other corners bear sufficient marks to thoroughly indicate the position they are intended to legally establish; and must always be read from the top of the post downwards.

"On township corners the upper figure on either side of the post indicates the number of the township which that side of the post faces, and the next figure indicates the

range.

"On all other section corners, whether on township lines or in the interior of a township, the numbers of the sections only are to be found on the corresponding faces of three sides of the post; but in addition to the section number, the number of the township and that of the range appear on the fourth face, which is invariably the south-west one.

"The posts planted along the correction lines simply exhibit marks to show the number of the townships and sections the boundaries of which they form respectively. Township corners have the number of the section shown on the west side of the post, and the numbers of the township and range on its north side. In cases where the posts stand in the northern limit of the road allowance, the letter "R" for road alone is marked on the other two sides. A correspondingly opposite plan will be found to have been adopted in marking the township corner posts in the southern limit of the road allowance on correction lines. Section corner posts on correction lines have the numbers of the sections on