CHAPTER VII 



COAST-LINING 



When and how the putting in of the coast-Hne is done must 

 depend much upon circumstances. 



If making a chart with pretensions to accuracy in the details, In a 

 it is better to do it before the soundings are taken, as, for the survev^ 

 inshore soundings, the httle points and bays, not distinguished 

 by marks, will be very valuable. In this case, too, every 

 yard of the coast that can be walked over should be. If the 

 surveyor pull along the coast in his boat, from one spot to 

 another, he will be liable to miss little details, such as stream 

 entrances, which may be blocked by the sand beach in summer, 

 lagoons behind the shore, etc. The boat should therefore only 

 be used to pass rocky points and cliffs that cannot be walked 

 along, or to make stations in, at anchor off the coast, if it is 

 necessary to do so, to shoot up the details. 



The method of putting the coast-line on to the sheet also Plotting 

 varies. The angles can be taken, and the details between 1^^^°^^*" 

 subsidiary fixes on the beach sketched into the angle-book, 

 using always a larger scale than that of the chart, and then 

 these fixes and angles plotted on to the chart after return on 

 board ; or the surveyor can take a field-board, with the points 

 on it, with him, and plot the coast as he goes along it on to 

 his board. 



Of these two the latter method is by far the better, and should Plotting 

 always be employed if possible. There is no chance of having G^o*und 

 necessary angles omitted if the fixes are plotted at the time, 

 and any Httle error is easier detected on the spot than when 

 plotting afterwards on board. Of course, rainy weather or 

 other circumstances will sometimes prevent the work being 

 plotted at the time, but unless some good reason exists, it 

 should be done. 



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