37S SURVEY OP THE COAST 



confined to the making of the usual naval or surveymg in- 

 struments. 



The scientitic instruments which the best artists alone will 

 or can make, are improved by the establishment of the works 

 for amateurs ; and the artist obtains by them his credit and 

 fame. But the profit on them is of little consideration ; as 

 the time and care which the artist must bestow upon them 

 himself, to the detriment of his profitable work, renders them 

 very expensive to liim. On this account, none but artists 

 who are in easy circumstances can execute them. 



On the continent of Europe, the case is somewhat different. 

 The navy does not of course employ as many of these esta- 

 blishments as in England. They are more limited in their 

 extent, divided into a greater number of branches, and di- 

 rected more to such instruments and philosophical apparatus 

 as are used on land. 



The English establishments of this nature having towards 

 the end of the last century surpassed those of the continent 

 of Europe, they have frequently supplied the latter with in- 

 struments of various descriptions. But the improvements to 

 which science lias given rise on the continent, the delays oc- 

 casioned by the distance, and the separation occasioned by 

 the events of the last twenty-eight years, have established this 

 branch of the arts again on the European continent, in the 

 hands of various artists, and on a new and well principled 

 foundation. 



The frames of instruments made on the continent are ge- 

 nerally cast in one single piece, and filed by manual labour. 

 Their diameters are three feet, to avoid the spring of the 

 metal. Mr. Reichenbach in Munich refuses to make any in- 

 struments of greater diameter, in consequence of the bend 

 or spring to which they are subject. 



The English prefer such constructions as admit of turning. 

 They avoid the manual labour of filing, and therefore com- 

 pose all the instruments of large diameters of pieces that can 

 be turned. By this means, the instruments are constructed 

 lighter and at less expense than by the former mode, Mr, 



