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conditioned three-point problem. ‘The edge of the middle arm of 
the protractor is made to bisect the needle point on the map which 
represents the central station, then the other arms are spread apart 
so as to pass through the right and left stations. When thus set, 
the right and left angle are read on the protractor and recorded in a 
field book. We are now ready to set the buoy on the water. Two 
sextants are set at the angles as taken from the map, and we then 
proceed to find the one point at which the stations observed reflect 
one into the other with the sextants properly set. 
THE BUOY WORK. 
Early last spring efforts were again made to secure from the Coast 
Survey the services of Assistant Gershom Bradford and the loan of the 
schooner Palinurus. Prof. Hilgard signified his desire to continue 
the work of the Coast Survey in this section, but stated that want of 
means would prevent him from placing the Palinurus in commission 
before July 1st, and that after that date the schooner would be needed 
elsewhere. Upon an offer made by you to pay the running expenses 
of the schooner she was placed in commission and arrived in New 
Haven Harbor April 24th. As the Sound was too rough for buoy 
work, Mr. Bradford spent the ensuing four weeks upon triangulation 
work west of New Haven. The buoy work began on May 22d and 
continued until July 13th, on which date Mr. Bradford resumed 
triangulation work, the Palinurus being ordered to New London on 
the resurvey of the Thames river. The number of buoys set and 
buoys surveyed by Mr. Bradford and his assistant, Mr. Garland, was 
213. Mr. Bradford kindly consented to allow Mr. John G, Bramley 
and Mr. David C. Sanford to observe with him; and they did so for 
several weeks, thus gaining experience which is of much value to the 
Commissioners. 
The steamer James Morgan was used for the greater part of this 
buoy work. The observers stood on the upper deck abaft of the pilot 
house. The buoy lay on the upper deck, but the buoy-stone was 
held on the rail of the lower deck at the side. When ready to set the 
buoy the sextants are set at the required angles and the second or 
left hand observer takes an observation and says, ‘‘very large” or 
‘very small,” as the case may be, and the first observer knowing the 
condition of his own angle begins a series of orders to the pilot which 
are intended to make the observed angles like the required angles. 
Theoretically the point sought is at the intersection of two circles. 
The right hand circle being one which passes through the right hand 
