by the board and shown on the map, begins at a stone bound near the shore in the land line between Gloucester and Essex; and runs thence North 29° 30' East across the bay, passing through the south-easterly end of the line between Ipswich and Essex as above described, and out to sea until it comes to the exterior line of the Commonwealth in tide water. This line, as before stated, is an extension of the present land line between Gloucester and Essex.

As often as occasion may require, these lines can be run and staked out across the clam-grounds and flats, from the copper bolt and stone bound, one or both, by an engineer or surveyor, without difficulty. The courses as given above. refer to the true meridian, and allowance must be made for variations of the magnetic needle.

FIELD AND OFFICE WORK.

Miscellaneous Surveys.

The work on the South Boston flats has, as usual, occupied the larger part of the time of the Engineer and his assistants.

In February, a survey and plan were made of the locations of the mooring buoys below Charles River bridge, for use in the hearing on a complaint that they were dangerous obstructions to steamers entering and leaving the Hoosac Tunnel docks.

A survey and plan were also made of the railroad bridge over Belle Isle Inlet, between Breed's Island and Winthrop, with reference to the plans for building the metropolitan sewer across the inlet.

In June, the positions of seventeen stations in the South Bay were determined by triangulation from the basis of the harbor re-survey, and the positions calculated and plotted on plane-table sheets, preparatory to making plans of the bay as soon as other work permits.

A survey was also made of the section of Fort Point channel between the New York and New England Railroad and Congress Street bridges, and between the draw-piers of the bridges and the wharf of the Boston Electric Light

Company, and plans and specifications drawn for dredging this section to the depth of 16 feet below mean low water.

A survey was also made of Salter's Beach in Plymouth, for a short distance north of Gurnet Light, to determine to what extent, if any, the beach had been or would be injured by the removal of fine drift-gravel, under licenses given to Mr. Joseph L. Boardman, as authorized by chapter 212 of the acts of 1881. The comparison of this survey with that of June, 1889, did not show that any material change in the beach had taken place.

In July, a plane-table survey was completed and map made, based on the triangulation done in November, 1889, as stated in the last report, of the bay at the mouth of the Essex and Castle Neck rivers, for use in defining the boundary lines in tide water between Gloucester, Ipswich and Essex, as already described in this report.

In October, an examination was made of the banks of the Connecticut River at Springfield and West Springfield, to ascertain the extent of the giving away and exposure of the banks on the West Springfield side, and of the encroachments on the Springfield side.

In October and November, a survey was made of the section of the Merrimac River and its banks lying between Haverhill and Bradford. Twenty-two triangulation points were established and connected with the work of the coast survey through the work of Professor Quimby in the determination of the state line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Based on these points, two plane-table sheets were made, on a scale of 100, showing the river from the Boston and Maine railroad bridge down to a little below the junction of Water and Groveland streets in Haverhill, a distance of 13 miles. The sheets include the river and its shores between Washington, Merrimack and Water Streets on the Haverhill side, and the Georgetown Branch railroad on the Bradford side. There remains a few days' work on the Bradford side to complete the lower sheet.

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This survey is preparatory to the establishment of harbor lines on the Haverhill and Bradford banks of the river, one or both.

Licenses Granted During the Year 1890.

The following licenses, eighty-one in number, have been granted the last year. The licenses which are required under recent statutes for structures in the Connecticut River and in great ponds, as well as those in tide waters, are included in the list.

Nos.

1226. Petition of the American Powder Mills for license to place a mooring for one of its powder-boats on the South Boston flats in Boston harbor. Granted January 23, 1890.

1227. Petition of the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad Company for license to build a ferry-slip at its Boston terminus in Boston harbor. Granted January 30, 1890. Petition of the Boston Land Company for license to fill solid in Chelsea Creek at Breed's Island in East Boston. Granted January 30, 1890.

1228.

1229.

Petition of Selina C. Washburn for license to fill a dock adjoining her wharf on Malden River in the city of Malden. Granted February 20, 1890.

1230. Petition of the Old Colony Railroad Company for license to fill solid the pile bridge of the Nantasket Beach railroad across an arm of Hingham Bay, near Point Allerton, in the town of Hull. Granted February 20, 1890.

1231. Petition of William Minot, Jr., for license to drive piles at his wharf on Charles River in the city of Boston. Granted February 27, 1890.

1232.

1233.

1234.

1235.

Petition of the Boston and Maine Railroad for license to rebuild and widen the pile platform at Mystic wharf on the south channel of Mystic River in the city of Boston. Granted February 27, 1890.

Petition of the city of Boston for license to dump snow and ice into the rivers and tide waters in and around said city. Granted March 6, 1890.

Petition of the city of Salem for license to build stone piers to support water and gas pipes at North Street bridge on North River in the city of Salem. Granted March 6, 1890.

Petition of the North Packing and Provision Company for license to build a wharf and well on Miller's River in the city of Somerville. Granted March 6, 1890.