A PLEA FOR PIONEERS.
By Rober-t Be/, B.A.Sc., ".D., LL.D.,
ASSISTANT DIRECT()OR OF 1'HE GEOLO)GuICAl SURVEY.
I wish to say a few words in defence of lpioneer explorers and
surveyors. WVe may excuse or iass over the ignorant remrarks of
those who are not supposed to knowo anything of the surveyor's work,
or of the difficulties he has to overcomne; but -hen criticisms come
from those of our Owsn calling, they deserve a word of notice. It is,
perhaps, too common a failing to point ut?t, and Ijerha ps ridicule,
the imlperfections of the first attem?spts to mais a sness coutntry. I)oes
it ever occur to those who indtilge in stuch pres?l?sitions of their
owsi superiority, to ask tiheliselves the qulestion, c ould they do ansy
better or indeed half so sell if l?laced unsder simil ir circumstaltnces ?
It is no doubt true that thie lreliiminsary slaps of a hithierto uin-
knsown district do somtetimes contains sinsguLlar atsd utlaccotluntalble
errors, even wvhen these have been the wsork of thie iuost clicfitll and
coiscientiotus men. WVIhen wse resmember tihat imtportant poioits in
regard to the construction of such mal)s depensd out single obsei-va-
tions, with no meanss of chiecking tlietn, it is easy to consclive how
such errors mssay arise, and how easy it lecomes to rctity thelll after-
vwards when thiey have been discovered, ansd thc mneans of correcting
themn have beeis pointed otut. Wihere thiere is 1no check, crrors 1nay
arise, similarly, in plottinsg w-ork which is itself good. Tllese are
imperfectionss whichl sihould t)e lensienstly dealt n-ith. I, et ??s take
the case of thie first atteml)t to consstruct a tol)ograllisical lilan ot a
district vwhici haid before l)eetn a coml?ss?ete blaltnk on the Ilss. The
explorer, let t?s siup)ose, has isset w-ith shecets of water w-hicsh m?ay
Pe lparts of one large lake, or thiey ?say l)e all sci)arate lakes; Istt he
has received wrhat he believes to Ibe relialle sketclies or dcIescriltion s
of thieir lpositions with r-egard to ou?e an?othier. Tllese relpresensta-
tions may agree wvith his owts ol)insiou? fromi tle iie of thie ground, and
he so rel)resents themss on his sheet, doinsg tlie l)cst he caln withi the
liimsited time and means at his dis?losal. Sulisclq?ent surve ys sliowv
himi to be wvrong, lperhal?s only its small msatters of detail, a??d, fortih-
with, some wsiseacre, wvhio thinkis all masps tistust lt jutdgcid Pv the
standard of those-say of the Ordinansce Su?rvey of Great Br-itaits,-
pronotunces him as incalpable, or a fra??d. ithe saise ki?sd of er-rors