 There was much discussion regarding where the baseline would be, with the primary candidate originally being an extension of the Third principal meridian baseline.However, it was ultimately decided to use the confluence of the St. Francis River and the Mississippi River for the base line, and the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi for the meridian.Two survey teams started on the same day and proceed north (led by Prospect K. Robbins) and west (led by Joseph C. Brown), respectively.