8 



But a complete and accurate survey and map is necessarily a work 

 of much time and labor. To give an idea of what has been ex 

 pended in this way in other parts of the world, I will state a few 

 facts gathered from the United States Coast Survey Report for 1858. 



The total area of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire 

 land is about 120,000 square miles, or 40,000 less than that of Cali 

 fornia. The entire cost of the topographical surveys of that coun 

 try had been, up to 1854, $12,000,000. And to complete the work, 

 $20,000,000 more was required ; 3,500 persons were engaged on the 

 survey at one time. This is exclusive of what was being spent at 

 the same time on the geological and hydrographical surveys. 



The survey of France an empire about one-fifth larger than our 

 State was commenced in 1818, on an estimate of thirty years for 

 the time required to complete it and an expense of $20,000,000 ; 

 2,500 men, besides laborers, have been employed in the work. 



Massachusetts, with an area only one-twentieth that of California, 

 spent more on her geographical map than our whole survey has cost, 

 and that more than thirty years ago. 



It may be said, however, what is the use of parading these figures, 

 which seem to demonstrate that the possession of a good map is 

 something that we cannot aspire to ? To this, I reply, in the first 

 place, that we are doing this work on a very limited scale, as regards 

 expenditure, and that we shall accomplish a great deal with a com 

 paratively small amount of money ; next, that if it is not done by the 

 State it will be attempted to be done by individuals, and the result 

 will be that no good map will ever be -obtained ; while, in reality, a 

 much greater expenditure of money will be made. Private parties 

 will be continually getting out new maps, each one of which will be 

 a little more of an approximation to the truth, but at the best ex 

 tremely defective ; while the public will be continually buying these 

 maps as they appear, rejecting the old ones already on hand, in the 

 vain hope that each new one will be sufficient for their needs a 

 system which will be equivalent to laying the people of the State 

 under a perpetual tax for the benefit of a few map makers, who work 

 without ever having any prospect of attaining satisfactory results. 

 Those who have not examined into the matter have little idea how 

 large sums are spent in this way in the State. I consider myself safe 

 in stating, that an amount greater than the entire cost of the survey 

 has been paid out, during the time our work has been going on, for 

 the imperfect maps which have been issued. And this state of 

 things will go on indefinitely, unless put a stop to by the State by 



