saved to Massachusetts at the west end of the line (in Williamstown)
about 1 deg. and 50 min. After the party left the Connecticut river on
April 6, they slept on snow at a depth of two or three feet every night
till they crossed the Hoosac river in Williamstown on April 12. "It
clouded over before Night and rained sometime before day which caused us
to stretch Our blankets and lye under them on ye bare Ground, which was
the first bare ground we laid on after we left Northfield." It was on
April 9 that they measured the present north line of Heath. Let the
clear-eyed surveyor describe in his own words the general situation of
the future Fort Shirley.


"At the End of three miles we came to a large brook running
Southeasterly and at the End of this days measure to another large brook
running Southerly, by which we took Our lodging. Here we tract a Bear
and therefore named it Bear brook, both these brooks being branches of
Deerfield River. The land this day was some of the best of Land and for
three miles together. The last year Pigeons' nests were so thick that
500 might have been told on the beech trees at One time, and they could
have been counted on the Hemlocks as well, I believe three thousand at
one turn Round. The snow was for ye most part three feet deep, the
weather was fair and wind Northwest."


Although Hazen named the last mountain on his line where he supposed the
eastern line of New York, would ultimately run "Mount Belcher," in honor
of the Governor who had commissioned him to lay it, the just
unpopularity of the line itself and Belcher's connection with it
immediately caused his recall from his government, and the appointment
of William Shirley in his stead. Belcher was Massachusetts born; while