a 88 MtJceUanea Cur to fa. 



of his defired Port by many Leagues but if 

 in his Courfe he hath allowed for this Varia- 

 tion, andinftead of failing a direct Southerly 

 Courfe by his Compafs, he had fteer'd 7 De- 

 grees from the South to the We ft ward, he 

 had hit his Point. Whether thefe be the true 

 Bearings of thefe two Places, it matters not : 

 We go on to the Suppofition that they are. 



Perhaps it may be obje&ed, That Surveys 

 may be taken withoutMagnetick Inftruments, 

 and that therefore this Error arifing from the 

 Megnetick Variation , and Change of the 

 Bearings of Lines, may be avoided. To 

 which I anfwer , firft, That granting a Sur^ 

 vey may be taken without Magnetick Inftru- 

 ments, this is nothing againft what we have 

 laid down relating to Surveys that are taken 

 with Magnetick Inftruments, as the Down 

 Survey actually was, and moft Surveys at pre* 

 fent a&ually are taken therewith. Secondly* 

 Though a Survey may be taken truly with- 

 out Megnetick Inftruments, fo as to mew the 

 exact Angles and Lines of the Plat, and con^ 

 fequently the true Contents , yet this will 

 not give the true Bearings of the Lines, or 

 lhew my Pofition in relation to my Neigh- 

 bours, or the other parts of the Country* 

 This mufb be fupply'd by the Magnet, or 

 fomething equivalent thereto, as finding a 

 true Meridian Line on your Land by Celeftial 

 Obfervations. And I doubt not but the an- 

 cient Egyptians, before the difcovery of the 

 Magnet were forced to fome fuch Expedient 

 in their Surveys and Applotments of Lands 

 between Neighbour and Neighbour , after 

 the Inundations of the Nile, which, we are 



told 



