The surveyors as they are respectively qualified shall proceed to divide the said territory into townships of six miles square, by lines running due north and south, and others crossing these at right angles, unless where the boundaries of the late Indian purchases may render the same impracticable, and then they shall depart from this rule no farther than such particular circumstances may require.
There shall be allowed to a surveyor for the surveying of a township at the rate of two dollars per mile, including the wages of chain carriers, markers, and every other expence, and so in proportion for every fractional part of a township.
The first line running north and south as aforesaid, shall begin on the river Ohio, at a point that shall be found to be due north from the termination of a line which has been run as the southern boundary of the state of Pennsylvania; and the first line running east and west shall begin at the same point, and shall extend throughout the whole territory. The geographer shall designate the townships or fractional parts of townships, by numbers progressively from south to north, always beginning each range with No. 1; and the ranges shall be distinguished by their progressive numbers to the westward. The first range extending from the Ohio to the lake Erie, being marked No. 1. The geographer shall personally attend to the running of the first east and west line, and shall take the latitude of the extremes of the first north and south line, and of the mouths of the principal rivers.
The lines shall be measured with a chain; shall be plainly marked by chaps on the trees, and exactly described on a plat, whereon shall be noted by the surveyor, at their proper distances all mines, salt springs, salt licks and mill seats, that shall come to his knowledge, and all water courses, mountains, and other remarkable and permanent things, over or near which such lines shall pass, and also the quantity of the lands.
The plats of the townships respectively, shall be marked by subdivision into lots of one mile square, or 640 acres, in the same direction as the external lines, and numbered from 1 to 36. Always beginning the succeeding range of the lots with the number next to that with which the preceding one concluded. And where from the causes before mentioned, only a fractional part of a township shall be surveyed, the lots protracted thereon, shall bear the same numbers as if the townships had been entire. And the surveyors in running the external lines of the townships, shall at the interval of every mile, mark corners for the lots which are adjacent, always designating the same in a different manner from those of the townships. . . .
As soon as five ranges of townships, and fractional parts of townships, in the direction from south to north, shall have been surveyed {Begin deleted text} [??], {End deleted text} the geographer shall transmit plats thereof to the board of treasury, who shall record the same with the report, in well bound books to be kept for that purpose. And the geographer shall make similar [?] from time to time of every five ranges as they may be surveyed. The secretary at war shall have recourse thereto, and shall take by lot therefrom, a number of townships and fractional parts of townships, as well those to be sold entire, as those to be sold in lots, as will be equal to one seventh part of the whole of such five ranges, as nearly as may be, for the use of the late continental army; and he shall make a similar draught from time to time, until a sufficient quantity is drawn from the return to satisfy the military claims, to be applied in manner hereinafter directed. The board of treasury shall then cause the remaining numbers, as well those to be sold entire, as those to be sold in lots, to be drawn for in the name of the thirteen states respectively, according to the quotas in the last preceding requisition on the states; provided that in case more land than its proportion is allotted for sale in any states at any distribution, a deduction be made therefor at the next.
