Miscellanea Cur i of a. 289 



told, gave the firft Original to Geometry 

 and Surveying. Abfolute Neceflity and Ufe 

 having introduced thefe, as Delight and Di- 

 verfion introduced Aftronomy amongft the 

 Chaldeans. 



And this brings me to another Objection 

 which may be made againft the Inftance be^ 

 fore laid down : It may be faid, That cer- 

 tainly the Surveyor which B imployed was 

 very ignorant, who would choofe to judge 

 of the Line P (K, rather by its bearing than 

 by determining the Point Q^y by measuring 

 from H and G. To this I anfwer, What if 

 both the Points //and G were vanifli'd fincethe 

 Down Survey was taken ? What if the whole 

 face of the Country were chang'd, fave only 

 the Point P and the Line P QJ How mail 

 the Surveyor then judge of the Line P ^but 

 by its bearing ? That this is no extrava- 

 gant Suppofition, we have an Example in 

 Egypt above-mentioned, where the Nile lays 

 all flat before it, and fo uniformly covers all 

 with Mud, that there is no diftinciion. In 

 fuch a Cafe your bearing mult certainly help 

 you out, there is no other way. 



But I anfwer fecondly, To fay that the 

 Surveyor might have determin'd the Point 

 by admeafurement from G and H, or any 

 other adjoining noted Points, as from F, 7C, I r 

 &c. 'tis very true ; But then 'tis againft our 

 Suppofition. I am upon (hewing an Error 

 that arifes from judging of the Line P Q by 

 Magnetic!^ bearing, and to tell me that this 

 might be avoided by another way, is to fay 

 nothing, I my felf mew how it may be avoid- 



V ed 



