My Lords,
Having according to what I advised your Lordships in my last given Commission to Mr Byrd, Mr Fitzwilliams and Mr Dandridge three of the Council to meet the Commissioners of North Carolina in order to settle the Boundaries. They mett at Currotuck Inlet on the 5th of March, and with much labour and difficulty proceeded about 70 miles on the line as your Lordships will find by their Journal, which is now sent markt No. 1. But to the great surprise of all who had read the report of former Commrs, it is now found that instead of gaining a large Tract of Land from North Carolina, the line comes rather nearer to Virginia than that which Carolina has always allow'd to be our bounds: (I have herewith
sent the Plan.) This mistake has proceeded from a false observation of the latitude, & from not adverting to the variation of the compass which is now found to be 3° from the true west Point; yet as it is necessary to put an end to a controversy, which, it seems, has been for many years attended with much inconveniency to both Governments, and no small detriment to private persons, whose debtors found a safe retreat within the Bounds in dispute, where the laws of neither Province could reach them So it will be a considerable augmention of His Majesty's Revenue that the Boundaries in the inland part of the Country and towards the mountains be fixt, the uncertainty whereof has hitherto discourag'd the people from taking up His Majesty's Lands, and making settlements on that Frontier; To this purpose the Commrs are again to meet in September to perfect that work; and though the expence thereof is like to prove considerable, I hope it will be more than recompenced in a few years by the increase of His Majesty's Quit Rents, and other advantages as well to the Trade as the security of this Country.Your Lordships
Most dutiful most faithful and
most obedient humble servant
Virginia
June 8th 1728.