ON SCIENCES OP SURVEYING, HYDROGRAPHY, AND GEODESY. 347 



of the work had to be repeated in 1892-1907, when, owing to the adoption of 

 proper methods, and in spite of many difficulties, some 13,000 square miles 

 were satisfactorily mapped at a cost of under £450,000. 



The methods to be adopted depend upon circumstances, the nature of the 

 country, and the objects of the survey. The difficulties tu be overcome vary 

 in different parts of the world. The experiences of the various surveyors have 

 been published in their records and reports, but these are not in an easily 

 accessible form, nor is there any general index or summary to be found. The 

 originals are circulated to a limited number of persons and institutions, and 

 are buried in libraries, even if their existence is not forgotten. When a new 

 difficulty arises in any survey it has to be tackled de novo, though it is quite 

 likely that similar circumstances have arisen before. In such a case it is 

 probable that the surveyor in question does not know of it, and even if the 

 reports are accessible to him (which they frequently are not) the actual 

 information he wants is most effectually buried. This leads to much waste of 

 effort, as there is no central body to which he can refer. 



As regards existing Departments and Institutions, the Dominion, Indian, 

 and Colonial Surveys are all independent, and, broadly speaking, train their 

 own staff. There are, however, good survey schools in some of the Dominions. 

 The Ordnance Survey pi'oduce their well-knowm maps, which are revised 

 periodically, and they are so complete that no extensive survey work is required 

 by outsiders in this country. This accounts for the lack of attention paid to 

 the subject outside Government Departments, 'but the result has been that the 

 development of the science of surveying has largely stagnated in this country, 

 the centre of the Empire. 



There is, therefore, a distinct need for a sdiool and institution w^here 

 students can be trained in the principles of survey work, and where the subject 

 is studied as a whole. This school would also serve as a central information 

 bureau, enabling the scattered surveyors of the Empire to keep in touch with 

 developments, and to which they <;ould apply for information and assistance. 



It might seem at first sight that this could and should be undertaken by a 

 Government Department, but this is hardly possible for various reasons. There 

 is no central authority which deals with the Gtovernment Surveys of the 

 Elmpire, though a link is kept between the Colonial (as distinct from the 

 Dominion) Surveys by the Colonial Survey Committee. The various Surveys 

 and Departments naturally have to consider their own immediate needs first ; 

 they are usually short of funds, and consequently are not in a position to 

 carry out the work now being discussed. Even if a central authority were 

 formed for this purpose it could deal only with Government Surveys, and could 

 not train surveyors and engineers for private work. 



There seems little doubt that most of the Government Surveys would wel- 

 come a school from which they could recruit their staff, and an institution to 

 which they could apply for information, and which could keep them in touch 

 with the activities and progress in other parts of the world. 



The existence of such an establishment would also encourage the production 

 of improved designs of instruments, and the invention of new time-saving 

 devices ; there have been many such improvements of late years, but mostly 

 from abroad — f-g., Invar tapes and wires for base measurement (France), 

 improved levelling instrument (Germany). There are also many developments 

 in view which require working out — e.g., the use of wireless time signals for 

 the determination of longitude in the field, survey from aircraft, &c. At 

 present makers have little inducement to bring out new and improved patterns 

 of instruments ; their largest customers are engineers, who as a rule have had 

 a very elementary training as surveyors, and are shy of adopting a new 

 instrument or method. 



The above remarks apply particularly to land surveying, but are largely true 

 also of hydrographic work. India and Canada have their own Hydrographic 

 Services, but apart from this the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty 

 has to deal with all the seas and coasts of the Empire, and also with such others 

 as are not dealt with by their own Governments. The task is a large one, and 

 the resources available are all too small for the work. There is much work 

 waiting to be done, and anything that assist* in getting this work done quicker 



