Thornton to William M. Evarts, January 19, 1878

No. 203. Sir Edward Thornton to Mr. Evarts.

Sir: On the 7th ultimo, I called at the Department of State, for the purpose of again submitting to you the expediency of taking some steps with a view to laying down the boundary between Alaska and British Columbia. Not finding you on that day, I had a conversation upon the subject with Mr. Seward, and urged that at least the boundary point on each bank of the Stickine River might be laid down with, perhaps, a few miles into the interior from each of those points. Mr. Seward then suggested that perhaps an arrangement might be made to send to the Stickine River an engineer officer from each country, and that these officers should agree to the best of their ability upon the boundary points on that river, on the understanding that their decision should not be final, but should be recognized by both governments until a regular commission could be appointed which would definitively lay down the boundary.

Mr. Seward will doubtless have communicated to you the suggestion which he made to me on that occasion, and which I subsequently transmitted to the governor-general of Canada.

In reply, his excellency has informed me that in March last the Canadian Government instructed an able engineer officer, Mr. Joseph Hunter, to execute a survey of a portion of the Stickine River, for the purpose of defining the boundary-line where it crosses that river between the Dominion of Canada and the Territory of Alaska.

These instructions were carried out, and I have now the honor to transmit herewith a copy of Mr. Hunter’s report, accompanied by a map showing the points where the boundary-line crosses the river.

Lord Dufferin has requested me to inquire whether the Government of the United States would be disposed to accept the boundary-line so ascertained until the exact line can be regularly determined, as such a course would save all expenditure for the present.

If, however, this proposal should not be acceptable, the Canadian Government would be prepared to accept the suggestion made by Mr. Seward, that an officer should be appointed, in conjunction with a similar appointment on the part of the United States, to report on a conventional line, which should be considered the boundary until regularly determined otherwise.

I shall feel much obliged if you will do me the honor of informing me of the views of your government upon this subject.

I have, &c.,