address the General Land Office he will invariably be referred to the local office in such cases. The Commissioner of the General Land Office is by law ex officio Surveyor-General for those older land states, where the public lands have been surveyed and the Surveyor-General's office has been closed; applications for the survey of islands in these states should therefore be made to said Commissioner. These islands are usually of too little value to justify the government in incurring the expense of survey; but where a party desires the survey made and is willing to pay the cost thereof in advance, upon the conditions set forth in these instructions, it may be done under the provisions of the 10th section of the act of May 30th, 1862. The party desiring the survey to be made must file a written application with the Surveyor-General, giving an intelligible description of the locality of the island, its distance from the main shore, the width of the narrowest channel between it and the main land, with an estimate of its area. Upon receiving such application, made in the manner indicated, the Surveyor-General will examine the records and dates in his office, and if it appears that the island is public land and has not already been surveyed, he will furnish the applicant an estimate of the cost of surveying it, as directed for carrying into effect the 10th section of the act of May 30th, 1862, observing particularly that two separate deposits are to be made-one on account of the appropriation for field work, and one on account of the appropriation for office work-a separate certificate for each to be transmitted to the General Land Office with the contract and bond of the deputy surveyor. It will be understood that these instructions relate only to isolated islands, or islands that were omitted when the public surveys were extended over the adjacent lands, and do not apply to islands falling within the regular course of current surveys, which must be included in the contracts for surveying the public lands. As a general rule, a body of land separated from the main land by a perpetual natural channel may be regarded as an island for the purposes contemplated in these in structions. It will be understood, also, that the paying for the survey of these islands in advance does not give any priority of claim to the party depositing the money, nor in any manner affect the rights of parties in said lands. The survey is a necessary first step to get the land in a condition to be disposed of, and when it is surveyed it becomes subject to the same laws and regulations that other public lands are. It is the duty of Surveyors-General so to advise applicants before receiving their money. DIAGRAM. INDEX REFERRING THE LINES TO THE PAGES OF THE FIELD NOTES. Township No. 25 N. Range No. 2 W. Willamette Meridian. FIELD NOTES. South Boundary, T. 25 N. R. 2 W. Willamette Meridian. CHAINS. Begin at the post, the established corner to Townships 24 and 25 North, in Ranges 2 and 3 West. The witness trees all standing, and agree with the description furnished me by the office, viz.: A Black Oak, 20 in. dia. N. 37 E. 27 links, A White Oak, 15 in. dia. S. 47 E. 41 links. East, on a random line on the South Boundaries of sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36. Variation by Burt's improved solar compass, 18° 41′ E, I set temporary half mile and mile posts at every 40 and 80 chains, and at 5 miles, 74 chains. 53 links, to a point 2 chains and 20 links north of the corner to Townships 24 and 25 North, Ranges 1 and 2 W. (Therefore the correction will be 5 chains, 47 links West, and 37 links South per mile), I find the corner post standing and the witness trees to agree A Bur Oak, 17 in. dia. bears N. 44 E. 31 links, A Lynn, 20 in. dia. S. 42 W. 15 links, A Black Oak, 24 in. dia. S. 27 E. 14 links. From the corner to Townships 24 and 25 N. Ranges 1 and 2 Variation 18° 41′ East, 40.00 Set a post for quarter section corner, from which A Beech, 24 in. dia. bears N. 11 E. 38 links dist. 62.50 A Brook, 6 links wide runs North, 80.00 Set a post for corner to sections 35 and 36, 1 and 2, from which A Beech, 9 in. dia. bears N. 22 E. 16 links dist. A Beech, 8 in. dia. bears N. 19 W. 14 links dist Land level, good soil, fit for cultivation, Timber, Beech; various kinds of Oak, Ash, and Hickory. |