Page:Alaskan boundary tribunal (IA alaskanboundaryt01unit).pdf/39

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ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES
31

by our arriving at the head of the arm where it terminated ina small fresh water brook tlowing from low niurshy wround in lutitude 54-56", longitude 22 28° Et thas appears that the journey, during which Vancouver truversed a body of water muned by him Portlhund’s Canal, heoan at least thirteen miles from the passage so entitled in the Brit- ish Case aud ended at Nakat Tnlet. of fest 00 miles there trou.

That Vancouver regarded * Observutory Inlet” terely as att branch” of this “arm of the sea.” is made clear by the following: “Nothing of any note having occurred during tay absence. T shall conclude this chapter by the insertion of the astronomical and muntical observations nnide at this place, and in consequence of our baying been so fortunate as to be able to obtain those that were essential for correcting our former survey. and for future regulation in that respect, this breueh obtained the nuane of Observatory Inlet and the cove where the ves- sels were stationed that of Salmon Coye. from the abundinee of that kind of fish that were there taken.” ”

The British Case. p. 0. correctly states that “As to the greater part of the length of the Porth Channel above shortly described, there is not. and could not he. any dispute. Reference to the charts will show that. at any rate, that portion of the westerly water which extends inland from the upper end of Pearse Island to the head of the channel marked *Portlind Canal’ must be comprised in Vancouver’s Portlind Canal. And this is the common case of both sides. The dispute is as to the remainder of the channel” That is to say, the matter whieh vemains in dispute is this: Is Portland Channel. below the point of ugreement, that body of water which voes “seaward between Pearse. Wales, Sitkhin, and Kannaghunut Islands on the east and south. and the continental shore, Filhnore and Tongass Islands on the west and north;” or is it that body of water which goes seaward “between Pearse Island and the peninsula, passes Ramsden Point, in (or at the entrance of) Ohserva- tory Inlet. and reaches the ocean by the channel between Pearse and Wales Island on the west. and the easternly coutivental shore, enter- iny the ovean between Point Wales on the west and Point Maskelyne on the oast.”

At this stage of the argument it will be helpful to contrast, with

the aid of physical geowraphy. the relative volume of the two bodies Sao :

eb. C. App. 146.