2 A MANUAL FOR NORTHERN WOODSMEN 



The needle in compasses used for surveying purposes is 

 commonly between four and six inches in length. It rests 

 by a jeweled bearing at its center upon a steel pivot screwed 

 into the compass plate, and, turning freely in the horizon- 

 tal plane, its ends traverse the graduated circle. The plane 

 of the sights passes through the center of the circle, and 

 cuts its circumference at two points marked N and S, 

 known as the north and south points of the instrument. 

 From these points the graduation of the circle runs 90 in 

 each direction to the points marked E and W. These 



PLAIN SURVEYOR'S COMPASS 



points on the face of the surveyor's compass are reversed 

 from their natural position for convenience in reading 

 bearings. 



In using the compass, point the north end of the 

 circle forward along the line and read from the north 

 end of the needle. 



A compass bearing is the direction from the observer at 



