Page 747 the smooth sheet 7874 



which in general are the names of everything above mean high water, shall be vertical 

 letters. The names of the hydrographic features, and in general of all features below 

 mean high water, shall be lettered in slanting letters. In the latter classifications are 

 included, of course, shoals, reefs and banks, rocks awash, and sunken rocks. 



The names of the most minor features on the smooth sheet shall be lettered in 

 characters 0.1 inch in height and this height shall be increased according to the impor- 

 tance of the feature to a largest permissible height of 0.25 inch. For an equal impor- 

 tance of names it is essential to remember that slanting letters should be slightly 

 smaller than vertical letters because an optical illusion makes the same size of vertical 

 lettering appear slightly smaller. 



7874. Inking Geographic Names 



Geographic names must never be inked by the field party or by the Processing 

 Office. This is done in the Washington Office after the geographic names have been 

 reviewed and approved (see 9321). The inking of the geograpliic names of hydro- 

 graphic features is often deferred until after the soundings have been verified and inked. 



All geographic names are inked in black using a mechanical lettering set. 



788. Limits of Adjoining Surveys 



The limits of adjoining surveys or the overlapping soundings must not be shown on 

 the smooth sheet by the field party. (See 3233 and 3256.) These will be added in 

 the Office at the time of verification. However, it is incumbent on the smooth-sheet 

 plotter to make a comparison with the overlapping soundings on adjoining surveys in 

 order to determine whether holidays, or excessive differences exist, and to permit 

 the drawing of the depth cm^ves in the area based on all soundings obtained. The 

 comparison is also necessary as a basis for information required to be included in the 

 Descriptive Report (see 842e7). 



Comparison is best made by tracing the overlapping soundings of one survey and 

 superimposing the tracing on the other. Where adjoining surveys are on different 

 scales, the soundings on the smaller scale should usually be superimposed on the larger 

 scale. The tracings, properly labeled, should be forwarded to the Office with the smooth 

 sheet. 



79. THE COMPLETED SMOOTH SHEET 



The completed smooth sheet shall be considered the authority for the hydrography 

 and for the topographic details within its limits offshore from the high-water line 

 (see 75). The smooth sheet as submitted by a field party or by a Processing Office 

 should be complete, except that certain portions are left in pencil for inking after 

 verification in the Washington Office (see table 28). After the sheet has been inked 

 and reviewed there should be no necessity for reference to either the Sounding Records 

 or the boat sheet, or to any other records, in order to interpret the data shown thereon. 

 (See fig. 171.) A smooth sheet is, of course, supplemented by information in the 

 Descriptive Report of a nature which cannot be shown easily by graphic means (see 

 section 84). 



The Chief of Party must supervise in a general way the preparation of the smooth 

 sheet to assure himself that it is being done in accordance with standard practice. 

 If the plotting is executed while the party is still on the working ground, he shall take 

 special care to see that any errors, onjissions, or discrepancies in the field work are 



