﻿Ill] 
  Speciai, 
  Report 
  No. 
  7 
  : 
  Meridian 
  Lines 
  313 
  

  

  possessed 
  by 
  the 
  transit 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  plain 
  compass. 
  But 
  the 
  

   possession 
  by 
  a 
  transit 
  of 
  a 
  horizontal 
  limb 
  provided 
  with 
  verniers 
  

   for 
  laying 
  off 
  or 
  reading 
  angles 
  directly 
  to 
  within 
  a 
  minute 
  or 
  less 
  

   of 
  an 
  arc, 
  gives 
  it 
  a 
  superiority 
  over 
  the 
  plain 
  compass 
  that 
  no 
  

   surveyor 
  can 
  fail 
  to 
  acknowledge 
  at 
  once. 
  

  

  As 
  time 
  goes 
  on 
  and 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  land 
  increases, 
  there 
  in 
  a 
  ten- 
  

   dency 
  to 
  lay 
  less 
  and 
  less 
  emphasis 
  on 
  the 
  actual 
  direction 
  the 
  

   boundary 
  lines 
  of 
  land 
  bear 
  to 
  true 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  or 
  east 
  and 
  

   west 
  lines. 
  Descriptions 
  are 
  based 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  upon 
  cultural 
  

   features 
  the 
  more 
  such 
  features 
  increase. 
  Points 
  are 
  fixed 
  by 
  

   their 
  distances 
  from 
  other 
  fixed 
  points, 
  the 
  angle 
  that 
  two 
  inter- 
  

   secting 
  lines 
  make 
  is 
  measured 
  with 
  the 
  transit, 
  and 
  such 
  angles 
  

   are 
  recorded, 
  while 
  the 
  true 
  bearing 
  of 
  either 
  line 
  with 
  the 
  

   meridian 
  is 
  neither 
  sought 
  nor 
  given. 
  

  

  If, 
  however, 
  there 
  is 
  need 
  of 
  knowing 
  accurately 
  (say 
  to 
  i 
  ' 
  of 
  

   arc) 
  the 
  bearing 
  of 
  a 
  line, 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  determined 
  in 
  the 
  day-time 
  

   by 
  the 
  same 
  transit 
  instrument 
  provided 
  it 
  possesses 
  a 
  vertical 
  

   circle 
  with 
  proper 
  graduations 
  and 
  verniers. 
  This 
  is 
  done 
  by 
  alt- 
  

   azimuth 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  sun. 
  The 
  solar 
  attachment 
  greatly 
  

   lessens 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  calculating 
  involved, 
  though 
  it 
  means 
  

   more 
  adjustments 
  to 
  care 
  for. 
  

  

  Cost. 
  — 
  The 
  ordinary 
  compass 
  can 
  be 
  bought 
  for 
  from 
  $25 
  to 
  $50. 
  

   A 
  good 
  transit 
  costs 
  at 
  least 
  $200 
  ; 
  it 
  cannot 
  be 
  carried 
  in 
  sad- 
  

   dle-bags, 
  nor 
  can 
  a 
  limb 
  or 
  rail 
  splinter 
  be 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  temporary 
  

   yet 
  admittedly 
  efficient 
  support. 
  Obviously, 
  then, 
  there 
  is 
  here 
  

   a 
  question 
  of 
  more 
  money, 
  time, 
  care 
  and 
  attention 
  at 
  stake, 
  

   points 
  not 
  readily 
  and 
  willingly 
  overlooked 
  by 
  employer 
  or 
  

   surveyor. 
  

  

  Yet, 
  if 
  the 
  parish 
  owned 
  the 
  instrument, 
  and 
  this 
  it 
  could 
  well 
  

   afford 
  to 
  do, 
  and 
  the 
  surveyors 
  were 
  selected 
  by 
  civil 
  service 
  

   examination 
  and 
  given 
  a 
  small 
  salary 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  their 
  fees 
  for 
  

   each 
  piece 
  of 
  work, 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  long 
  run 
  

   thousands 
  upon 
  thousands 
  of 
  dollars 
  would 
  be 
  saved 
  and 
  many 
  

   life-long 
  troubles 
  averted. 
  

  

  Improvement 
  of 
  Compass 
  Surveying 
  

  

  Magnetic 
  dediyiation 
  a^id 
  secular 
  chaiige 
  . 
  — 
  Every 
  surveyor 
  knows 
  

   that 
  to 
  follow 
  certain 
  lines 
  established 
  by 
  one 
  surveyor, 
  say 
  in 
  

  

  