The country which has been the object of this reconnoissance is, as may already be understood, of very difficult access from the settled parts of the State of Maine.  It is also, at best, almost impenetrable except by the water courses.  It furnishes no supplies except fish and small game, nor can these be obtained by a surveying party which can not be strong enough to allow for hunters and fishermen as a constituent part.  The third detachment alone derived any important benefit from these sources.  The best mode of supplying a party moving on the eastern section would be to draw provisions and stores from the St. Lawrence.  It is, indeed, now obvious, although it is contrary to the belief of any of the persons professing to be acquainted with the subject, that had the commissioner proceeded from New York by the way of Montreal and Quebec he must have reached the district assigned to him a fortnight earlier and have accomplished twice as much work as his party was able to perform.

Although much remains to be done in this region, an extensive knowledge of a country hitherto unknown and unexplored has been obtained; and this not only sheds much light upon the boundary question in its present state, but will be of permanent service in case of a further ex parte examination, or of a joint commission being agreed upon by the Governments of Great Britain and the United States.

The season was too late for any efficient work, as the line to be explored was not reached before the 22d September.  Not only were the rivers at their lowest ebb, but ice was met in the progress of the parties as early as the 12th September, and snow fell on the 21st and 22d September.  The actual setting in of winter, which sometimes occurs in the first week of October, was therefore to be dreaded.  From this time the country becomes unfit for traveling of any description until the streams are bound with solid ice and a crust formed on the snow of sufficient firmness to make it passable on snowshoes.  The only road is that along the St. John River, and it would be almost impossible for a party distant more than 10 or 12 miles from that stream to extricate itself after the winter begins.

No duty could be well imagined more likely to be disagreeable than that assigned to Professor Renwick.  The only feasible modes of approach lay for hundreds of miles through the acknowledged limits of the British territory, and the line he was directed to explore was included within the military post of that nation.  It may be likened to the entry upon the land of a neighbor for the purpose of inquiring into his title.  Under these circumstances of anticipated difficulty it becomes his duty, as well as his pleasure, to acknowledge the uniform attention and civilities he has experienced from all parties, whether in official or in private stations.  All possibility of interruption by the local authorities was prevented by a proclamation of His Excellency Sir John Harvey, K.C.B., lieutenant-governor