144 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
in these as in all similar cases, such work is habitually so accepted, and 
the principle involved has been justified in practice, for, notwithstanding 
incidental error, the work so performed is always found to be essentially 
correct, 7.e., on the whole and to all practical intents and purposes, the 
land in civilized communities is correctly measured, its property titles 
are correctly transferred, and its books of account are correctly kept. 
. 
III. THE REQUISITES FOR TRUSTWORTHINESS IN 
THE INDIVIDUAL. 
If one asks any person who is himself a trustworthy character whether 
there are not within the circle of his acquaintance certain individuals 
whom he holds to be trustworthy and in the correctness of whose 
statements he reposes especial confidence, he will answer that there are. 
In the course of the author’s inquiry the answer invariably given to this 
question was some such affirmative reply as, “ Yes,” “There are some,”’ 
or “A few.” If one asks further why they place this confidence in these 
particular individuals, the persons so asked show by more or less hesita- 
tion in reply that this is a point which they have never definitely con- 
sidered. They know whom they would trust; they are scarcely conscious 
why. 
The reasons given for this confidence after consideration by the 
persons of whom inquiry was made, may be divided into three classes :— 
1. Reasons natural and proper in themselves, which, how- 
ever, give no light on the requisites for trustworthiness in the 
individual, because they cite no characteristic of the particular 
individual or individuals regarded as trustworthy. Instances of 
such answers are: “From a general impression,” or “ From obser- 
vation extending over a long period of time.” 
2. Reasons which cite a negative ground for the confidence: 
“ Because I have never detected them in a falsehood,” or “ Because 
they have never deceived me.” 
3. Reasons which cite characteristics of the trusted indi- 
viduals. 
Every person who gave the negative ground for his confidence, 
“Because I never detected them in a falsehood,” or “Because they 
