Whereas Shadrach Gillet and George Clark, of Wayne county, in the State of Michigan, and those from whom they have deduced their claim and possession, have, from a very early period, used, occupied, and possessed the certain shoal or small island in the Straits of Detroit, hereinafter mentioned, as a fishery:

Whereas the said shoal or small island is so far cover with the water of said Straits as to render it unfit for permanent residence and unfit for tillage, and therefore wound neither be confirmed to the occupants in virtue of the laws for confirming private land claims, upon proof of long continued residence thereon, and cultivation, &c., nor secured by purchase under any existing laws giving rights of preemption:

And whereas it is just, and accords with the policy of former laws relating to private land claims in Michigan, that the said Shadrach and George be confirmed in their said possession and claim: therefore—

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be granted, released, and confirmed unto the said Shadrach Gillet

---

and George Clark, and their respective heirs and assigns, as tenants in common, so much of that certain shoal and tract of land, partly covered by water, and situated in the Straits of Detroit, known and called by the name of Grassy island, as is by the said Shadrach and George possessed, occupied, and used as and for a fishing ground; the same being a fraction bounded on the east and west sides thereof by the navigable waters of the said straits, and purporting to be comprised within the limits of section twenty-one of township three south, and range eleven east, and contains, according to the surveys and computations in the General Land Office remaining, eighty acres and thirty seven hundredths of an acre, and that a patent issue therefor accordingly: Provided, nevertheless, That nothing in this act contained, nor in the said patent, shall be so construed as to convey, assure, or purport to convey to the said Shadrach and George, any other or better title to the premises than such as the United States now has thereto; nor shall the same be so construed as to comprehend, or purport to comprehend within the said conveyance to said Shadrach and George, any part of section number sixteen, within which section sixteen the northerly part of

---

said Grassy island purports to be; nor shall the same be so construed as to encroach upon any part of said island heretofore and now in the occupancy and possession of Simon Roussou, (alias Simon Rousseau,) hereinafter mentioned, nor to determine precisely the boundary line between the possessions of the said Shadrach and George on the said island, and those of the said Simon.

Sec. 2. And whereas the said Simon Roussou (alias Simon Rousseau) has in like manner and for many years peaceably used, occupied, and possessed, as a fishing ground, the lower part of the same shoal or small island, the same being in like manner unfit for tillage and for permanent residence: therefore,

Be it further enacted, That there be granted, released, and confirmed to said Simon Roussou, (alias Simon Rousseau,) his heirs and assigns, so much of said shoal and piece of land herein above described, and partly covered by the water of said Straits of Detroit, as is occupied and possessed as aforesaid by said Simon, below the tract occupied by said Shadrach and George, and, as appears by the surveys, maps, and computations remaining in the General Land Office, contains

---

fifteen acres and forty hundredths of an acre, being on the lower point of “Grassy island,” so called, bounded on the east, west, and south by the navigable waters of the Detroit, and constitutes a fraction lying within the limits of section twenty eight, of township three south, and range eleven east, and that a patent issue therefor accordingly: Provided, nevertheless, That nothing in this act contained, nor in the said patent, shall be so construed as to convey, assure, or purport to convey to the said Simon any other or better title to the premises than such as the United States now have thereto; nor shall the same be so construed as to comprehend, or purport to comprehend, within the conveyance to said Simon, any part of said island or shoal heretofore or now in the occupancy or possession of said Shadrach and George, in the first section of this act mentioned, nor in any wise encroach upon the tract in said first section of this act intended to be confirmed to said Shadrach and George; nor to indicate and establish the precise boundary between their respective claims and possessions upon shoal or small island.