212 
THE SCIENCE OF FRONTIER DELIMITATION. 
box with register book arid stationery. The Ordnance 
Survey will supply in addition the stationery, drawing 
materials, instruments, etc., necessary to complete the 
requirements in this line. 
A camera well provided with plates must not be omitted. 
Nautical almanacs, “ Hints to Travellers,” etc., etc., will, of 
course, be included. 
As regards stores, no regular catalogue can be given. The 
quantity and description depend on the country. Good 
brandy and whisky should be included, and several dozen 
pint bottles of champagne, which is a most valuable 
restorative after fever or exhausting work. But while 
carrying these stimulants for emergencies, it is advisable 
to use as little as possible of them when in good health, 
and never to touch alchohol during the day-time. 
A plentiful supply of drugs in tabloid form should be taken. 
In addition to the ammunition carried with the rifles of the 
R.E. party, some sporting cartridges should be taken, 
and 500 rounds or so of ammunition, per shot gun, 
carried. 
We now pass from the stage of preparation to that of actual work. 
On arrival in the country whei*e the boundary is to be delimited, if a 
sea voyage has been made, the commissioner must read his aneroid at 
sea level before leaving the coast. If he starts from some inland 
station his aneroid must be compared with a standard barometer, or it 
must be read at a known altitude. From this time forward the aneroid 
should be read twice daily, as far as possible at the same hour, say 
first thing in the morning and again^in the evening or]'at noon. The 
thermometer should be read at the same time, and the readings of both 
instruments should be entered in the margin of the diary or in a special 
book, the exact hour of reading being entered opposite them. At the 
starting point also, or at the nearest point to the boundary which is 
well fixed in longtitude, observations for time should be taken, at least 
one east and one west star being observed. A second set of observations 
should be taken at the same place some days later, from which a rating 
for the watches is obtained. The]watches should be compared daily, 
as far as possible at the same hour, one of them being used as a standard, 
and the result should be entered in a book. It can then be readily seen 
if any one of them is behaving irregularly. 
As soon as the commission arrives at country which has not been 
well surveyed, a careful route traverse should be commenced, the 
cavalry sketching case being used, the distances taken by perambulator 
and checked by observation of pairs of stars for latitude at each halting 
place. If a pair of stars cannot be observed, circum meridian obser¬ 
vations of one star should be made. Whenever the commission halts, 
observations for time should be taken on the first and last night. By 
this means, on arriving at the initial point of tho boundary to be 
delimited, a very near estimate can be made of the longitude. But it 
will not do to trust to the route traverse and time observations, and 
