The National Geographic Magazine 



Each field party is a temporary or- 

 ganization which is created for a specific 

 operation by an order of the Superin- 

 tendent, which makes one of the officers 

 of the field force the chief of part}', and 

 if necessary assigns to him as subordi- 

 nates one or more other officers from 

 the same force. The part}' is disbanded 

 when the work assigned to it has been 

 completed. If the party is for duty on 

 land, the remainder of the organization 

 of the party, the hiring of recorders, 

 laborers, drivers, etc. , is left entirely to 

 the chief of party. If the party is for 

 duty on a vessel, the assignment of an 

 officer of the field force to command the 

 vessel carries with it necessarily the 

 command of the whole force on board 

 the vessel, including watch and deck 

 officers as well as crew. 



Congress has provided for over ioo 

 field officers, of which number about 77 

 are subject to ship or shore duty, and 

 are also subject to office duty between 

 field seasons, while about 30 are mainly 

 engaged in hydrographic surveying and 

 ship duty. 



The Survey has its own fleet of twelve 

 steamers and six sailing vessels, aside 

 from launches and other small craft. 



There are at present two suboffices, 

 each in charge of a field officer report- 

 ing directly to the Superintendent, viz., 

 at San Francisco, California, and Ma- 

 nila, Philippine Islands. The purpose 

 of these suboffices is to aid in the prompt 

 dissemination of information, to serve 

 as storage depots, and to save traveling 

 expenses by providing points at which 

 the field officers may be temporarily as- 

 signed to office duty between the seasons. 

 At the Manila suboffice the publication 

 of preliminary charts is authorized. 



DUTIES OF THE OFFICE FORCE 



The inspector of hydrography and 

 topography, reporting directly to the 

 Superintendent, has general supervision 

 over the classes of field work indicated 



by his title, places before the Superin- 

 tendent plans for such work, makes the 

 necessary inspection in the field to insure 

 that the Superintendent's orders are car- 

 ried out economically and effectively, 

 and is especially charged with the super- 

 vision of all matters relating to the ships 

 and their personnel. The Coast Pilot, 

 a publication in several volumes, giving 

 full description of the coast from the 

 mariner's point of view, sailing direc- 

 tions, warnings as to dangers to navi- 

 gation, and other information of special 

 value to navigators, is prepared under 

 his direction. 



The inspector of geodetic work, re- 

 porting to the Superintendent , is charged 

 with the duty of preparing plans for the 

 field operations of triaugulation, astro- 

 nomical determinations and precise 

 leveling, and of making inspections of 

 parties in the field, and of records and 

 correspondence received at the office 

 from field parties, with aviewof insuring 

 that the field operations are in accord- 

 ance with the Superintendent's orders, 

 are of the desired degree of accuracy, 

 and are efficient and economical. 



The inspector of magnetic work, re- 

 porting to the Superintendent's charged 

 with similar duties in regard to the mag- 

 netic work of the Survey. 



The assistant in charge of the office, 

 reporting to the Superintendent, super- 

 vises the work of the office at Washing- 

 ton, is charged with the disbursement 

 of all moneys allotted for that office, is 

 responsible for the safety and arrange- 

 ment of archives and property, and 

 receives all money paid to the Survey 

 for charts and other publications. As 

 the official head of the office, the chiefs 

 of the following divisions of the office 

 force report to him : Computing Divis.- 

 ion, Magnetic Division, Tidal Divis- 

 ion, Drawing and Engraving Division, 

 Chart Division, Library and Archives 

 Division, Instrument Division, and Mis- 

 cellaneous Division. Each of these di- 

 visions, under the direction of the assist- 



