160 MAPS AND THEIR MAKERS 



national survey publishes a regular series on the scale of 1 : 2,500. 

 One may perhaps regret that the contour is the sole method 

 employed, except on the smallest scales, to represent relief. 

 Minor topographical features of local importance, occurring 

 between contours, are necessarily omitted, but could be 

 indicated by hachuring or shading; very often a significant 

 crest line, for example, is not brought out by contouring. 

 Contours, however, do not obscure other detail, and in strongly 

 accidented relief convey some visual impression. They are 

 certainly essential on modern medium- and small-scale maps; 

 supplemented by a restrained use of other methods, they would 

 supply the best solution. Judged by clarity of detail, use of 

 colour, lettering, and general design the Ordnance Survey 

 maps set a very high standard. 



Outside the British Isles, this country has been responsible 

 for the mapping of the colonial territories, and has contributed 

 in personnel and technique to that of India in particular, but 

 also to other countries including Egypt and Siam. For many 

 years, regular surveys were not undertaken in the territories, 

 and large sums were expended on maps for particular purposes 

 as required. It is now acknowledge that a regular topographical 

 survey, far from being a luxury, is an essential preliminary to 

 sound development, and therefore an economy in the long run. 

 This was officially recognized by the establishment of the 

 Colonial Survey Committee in 1905, which concentrated 

 mainly on tropical Africa. Most colonies now have their own 

 survey departments, but since they were at first entirely 

 dependent on local finances, their progress was necessarily 

 hampered, especially after 1931. The establishment of the 

 Directorate of Colonial Surveys in 1946, ensured a central 

 direction and more adequate resources. The task before the 

 Directorate is a heavy one; when it was set up some 1,500,000 

 square miles had still to be mapped, though a proportion of 

 this total is not an urgent necessity. Air survey is well adapted 

 to work of this type, and the Directorate is making considerable 

 use of it. 



Some Foreign Map Series 



It will be useful for comparison to note briefly what has 



