142 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



with an engineer from Virginia and commissioners from Delaware 

 in the location of a canal on the Atlantic borders of Worcester 

 County. He found time, however, to perfect a plan for extensive 

 cooperation with Mr. Hassler, the chief of the United States Coast 

 and Geodetic Survey, in the conduct of the topographic survey of 

 Maryland. Through the adoption of this plan he hoped to be put 

 in possession of tried instruments, and it was expected the work 

 would be completed with more despatch and at less expense than if 

 left to be prosecuted with such means alone as he could otherwise 

 command. 



During 1835 the topographical engineer continued his surveys in 

 connection with various plans for further internal improvements, 

 which interfered with the preparation of the new State map. In addi- 

 tion to several maps which were prepared for special surveys he, 

 however, completed ji topograpliical map of Dorchester, Somerset, 

 and Worcester counties, on the scale of 1 : 211,200, with 4-foot contour 

 lines, and a similar topographical map of St. Marys, Charles, and a 

 part of Prince Edward counties on the scale of 1:200,000, with 10- 

 foot contour lines. Both of these maps had geological data placed 

 upon them and were published in the report of the State geologist. 



During 1836 the engineer was repeatedly engaged in the conduct 

 of special survey's which had been authorized by distinct resolutions 

 of the legislature, so that he was still further retarded in the prose- 

 cution of his work upon the State' map. Among those published 

 m his annual report for this year, however, is a detailed map of 

 the Frostburg region and another of northern Frederick County, 

 as a basis for the i^roposed railroad from Frederick to the Penn- 

 sylvania line. A topographical map of Calvert County with part 

 of Anne Arundel County was also published in this report. 



Impressed with the impossibility of successfully prosecuting the 

 topographical survey under such conditions, Mr. Alexander in a 

 letter to the governor recommended the postponement of the work 

 upon the new map of Maryland until it could be undertaken in 

 connection with the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, in 

 accordance with the plan of cooperation which had been earlier 

 effected with Professor Hassler. He still continued, however, to 

 prepare special maps for the reports of the geologist, between 1837 

 and 1840, and also compiled an admirable topographical map of the 

 State upon the scale of 1 : 200,000, with 50-foot contour lines to the 

 east and 100-foot contour lines to the west of the Monocacy River. 

 This map was never published in full. The date of this map is not 

 stated, but it was thought to have been probably completed shortly 

 prior to 1840. 



