214 SHORT NOTES. 



interests of geographical knowledge, when the traveller's work 

 of all descriptions is beautifully finished up, as if it was all of 

 uniform quality, and that the very best possible. Such a map is 

 one of the compiler's greatest difficulties. 



If in the first case he laments a lost opportunity, he knows, 

 at any rate, the value of the little he has got ; while in the 

 second case he is tantalised by the possession of an apparent 

 wealth of topographical information, the accuracy of which it is 

 morally impossible for him to gauge. Consequently, he cannot 

 tell what to accept and what to reject. If he is too cautious he 

 may reject valuable information; if he is too trusting he may 

 introduce into his work some gross error. 



As an additional precaution against a misunderstanding it is 

 most essential that explorers should always show the actual 

 route they followed, and that they should mark with small 

 circles, or in some other way, all points off the route from which 

 they have taken bearings of any importance. 



It would then be always possible for the compiler to form 

 some sort of estimate as to what portions of the ground could 

 have been adequately seen. 



Importance of taking bearings to distant points. 



(VIII.) — Closely allied to the above considerations is the 

 question of recording bearings to different points. Such bearings 

 afford a most useful means of checking the accuracy of the 

 route and of connecting it to other work where the points have 

 been already fixed. These bearings should be separately re- 

 corded in a note book in ink, with a note to say whether they 

 have or have not been corrected for the error of the compass. 



The best plan is always to record the magnetic bearings 

 exactly as read, and to state that this has been done. 



Even thoug'h it may be obvious to the explorer that the 

 direction of his route will not enable him to obtain a second 

 suitable bearing' to the distant point, he should not omit to take 

 an observation on that account. Cases have occurred where 

 single bearings taken independently by each of two travellers, 

 from points some 50 or 60 miles apart, have sufficed to fix the 

 position of an important hill with considerable accuracy. 



