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angle or point is about four miles south of the westen*tost
point which Virginia claimed as the boundary. To have
agreed to Maryland's demands would have meant the sur-
render of Virginia's rights on Smith's island and about
forty square miles of valuable oyster ground in the
Chesapeake Bay and Tangier Sound. In a report of
Messrs. Field and Powell,Ty we find it stated, that "Vir-
ginia has never conceded the right of Maryland to any
of the waters of Pocomoke Bay, and consequently your
commission claimed ail the waters of said Bay." It was
also held that Virginia had never recognized Smith's
Point as the beginning of the Chesapeake Bay line, except
in the compact of 1785, and then only in reference to the
use of the Potomac River. The commissioners were
unable to compromise their differences, and adjourned.73
In i87o, Virginia passed a measure setting forth the
fact that the location of the boundaries between Virginia
and the States of North Carolina, Tennessee and Mary-
land had become uncertain and disputed. These lines
had been "historically described as rurrning between cer-
tain initial and intermediate points in certain parallels
of latitude," and they could "only be truly located by
accurate scientific survey." The executive of the state
was directed "to apply to the United States Government
for the assignment of a competent corps of surveyors to
the duty of ascertaining and locating the true lines be-
tween Virginia and the above States." Two commis-
sioners were appointed to confer with the surveyors and
delegates from the other States. In the following year,
the number of commissioners- was increased to three, and
the states interested were invited to make similar appcrint-
ments for the purpose of conference." Messrs. Henry
Tj Thomas H. Kellam died before the report was made.
'a Report of John W. Field on the boundary. Doc. No. 8, Vir-
ginia Fuse of Delegates, r86g-7o.
74 .. y-Acts of Assembly," 18pa-i8y. Ch. 65.
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