200 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV

West Line from the Susquehannah Westward towards the
Western Bounds of the Province, but as the Taking frequent
Observations with their Sector is exceeding tedious & retards
them sometimes for near three Weeks together I do not
expect they will this Summer extend the Line by many Miles
so far as the Country is settled which however you will per-
ceive they are instructed to do, & farther I am apt to think
they will not choose to go at any time nor indeed do the
Articles or our Commission seem to require the Lines being
described any farther at this time, tho one of the Articles
implys that the Line is to be actually run some time or other
so far Westward as the Western Limits of Pennsylvania. How
far that Province extends Westward is not yet known nor has
it been yet setled from what part of Delaware River The Pro-
prietors are to begin to measure their five Degrees of Longi-
tude, but it is supposed that Pennsylvania will extend many
Miles Westward of this Province & the Distance between the
Line which Mess^rs Mason & Dixon are now running (when it
shall be continued beyond the Meridian of the Fountain Head
of Potowmack) & the Beginning of the Fortieth Degree of
Latitude (which you know is the South Bound of Pennsylvania
as described by its Charter) will be several Miles so that if
that Part of Pennsylvania is to belong to Maryland as the
Articles seem to have intended It will be necessary to have it
previously ascertained from what part of the River Delaware
the Proprietors of Pennsylvania are to measure their five
Degrees of Longitude & actually to measure out such five
Degrees before the Articles of Agreement between His Ldp
& Mess" Penns can be compleatly carried into Execution,
wherefore I hope His Ldp will as soon as possible signify to
me for the Information of his Commissioners what they are to
do more when the Surveyors shall in pursuance of the Instruc-
tion already given them have extended the West Line so far
Westward as the Country is now settled. Speaking of the
Pamphlet called Remarks on a Message of the Upper House
you seem to think that the Journal of the Upper House
returned by M^r Ross the then Clerk was deficient & did not
contain all the Messages which had passed between the two
Houses because the Author of the Pamphlet had thought fit
to allude to a Message sent by the Lower House to the
Upper in the year 1739. Had I thought the Pamphlet would
have been considered by those you call our Superiours as an
authentic & just Account of our Transactions & not as the
Production of some discontented malitious Person who con-
scious of the false Suggestions it contained avoided setting
his Name to it I should have been more particular in my
Remarks on it, but I never conceived that more Credit would