LEVKLS OF FRANCE. <22 1 



There only remains to determine to what agents Govern- 

 • ttient fliould entruft the performance of the general levelling 

 of France, in order to have it executed with the gieateft ex- 

 af^nefs, fpeed, and economy. 



The engineers of bridges and highways, already placed in The engineers of 

 the different deparlments, wliere this operation fhould be per- J'^^" ^"^^yj^ 

 formed, are evidently the only perfons to whom it could be be the moft pro- 

 confided, fo as to fulfil thofe three conditions. ?=•■ P"^^"^ to 

 ' . , ^ employ in ;hi9 



In fa6t, the execution of all projeds relative to the eita-work, 



blifhment oi communications by land or by water, require, 

 that the elevation in relief of the country, through which the 

 works fliouId be carried, thould be known. The theory and 

 pra£lice of levelling form an eflfential part of the inftruflion 

 given to the engineers of bridges and highways ; and greater 

 reliance may be placed on the exaflnefs of the refults which 

 ihey might furniih, becaufe the ufe of the inftruments necef- 

 fary to this operation^ is more familiar to them. 



On the other hand, there are none of thofe engineers who 

 could not dedicate fome days of the fummer to taking the. 

 levels of that portion of fuch great rivers, or ftreams, as (hall- 

 traverfe his diftrid ; and as it is eafy to take the levels of four 

 or five kilometres (about three EngliOi miles) each day, efpe- 

 cially when the line to be levelled is previoufly determined by 

 the diredion of the river or current of water, it is certain, that 

 the engineers of the bridges and highways might collect, in a 

 very ftiort period, very minutely detailed materials for a phy- 

 fical chart of France. 



Laftly, thefe materials would be colle6led by them with the They could per- 



leaft poflible expence, becaufe Government would neither ^""""^ '^ ^'^^°"- 

 , r n • expence to th; 



have to fupport the coft of extraordinary JQurnies, nor the nation. 



purchafe of inftruments, as the engineers are already, by the 

 very nature of their employments, dilperfed over the feveral 

 diftrifts where it would be necelfary to operate, and are, at 

 the fame time, provided witli the different inftruments re- 

 quired for this Jiurpofe. 



It may alfo be added, that the taking the general levels of It would tend 



France appears to be, with the more propriety, a work that '""^^i. '^^ ^'l"'^ 

 n , , , r r. own benefit CO 



inould be performed by the engineers of bridges and high- have it cff^ftei* 



ways, as they would be the firft to prolit by this operation in 



putting their projefls into execution. 



V«JL. XIII.— March, 1 806. R Suppofe 



