2 A Plc(t foi l Pio7seers.
milty be madre ien tisc fi rst efforts to illdicate the l)ranclhes of rivets in a
new conuntry; l)it surcriy thc liest I)ossible, unnder the circumstiances,
is better tiasll nothinig . Evet iii the stirveys oftownshii )s withi good
insitrutmsents, smistakes of the kiiid isere insdicated may occtir, and thiey
sere certaiily frcequIesit ennisqgi-thc sersveys of ouir predecessor s.
lut in tliose days, good isistrtismceits sere not so easily obtain?ed,
and tie lsay of siirveyors iras uno setter than tieir w-ork. KReferring
to miiscossel)tioiiLs al)oit tihe connectionis of rivsers, m55an5y of us weill
relneilsser- tlie case on tic il)l?cr s\aters of thie \iaitltid- River is
Onitar-io, which for a ih)ng time wsere ibelieved to l)clonsg to the Saui-
geen, as tlisr iramsses to tlis iday testify. Sisisilar e-t-ors as to rivers
ihave occuirred iii all ise\ coutntrises. What better conlsd have
ticen done s?s?til mnore lighlt wsas onbtained? It is casy to point
tliese thinsgs out after tiley have I)een discovered, antd it is seldom
tllat tliose rwho are the most tsncharitablle could hlave ione as
well themsel ves. 'lhe rnork of early explorers is often a labor of
love, and it is not to be slml)nosed that those gentlesmess, wrhile
tiiey tere workinsg hard, ansd doing the bIest they conld to mai) the
noitntry correctly, \rwotild pust dnosn errocrs onu Ilurl)ose Hons mssch
easier thiey ihave made the n-ork for tleir ssiccessors. lhe latter
are glad to take thie fiillest advantage of their labors, and by mleans
of their tmaps, even swith their ilnperfectio ns, tile w ay has bteetn made
clear for theiss, ansd tliey cant see at a gansce jlst what smore is wanted.
Even the islere indications of a ronite for travellinig Iy, or getting iii
-provisions, is oftens of great assistance. lor thiese advantsages tihe
siurveyors shoild lie gratefil, whio are therelby ensabled to get along
in more comnfort and lay onut mlore accusrate eork.
Allowan ces must also be made for the comlniler of other men's
work. He makes the best ise he can of ismperfect or prelimiinary
materials, relying most oni what he considers thie best; biutL after all,
mistakes are pretty sure to creer? in. The first man to coml)ile a
sheet, shonwing the connections of townships with all their lakes,
streams, roads, &c., whichi were before only to be found in a disjoint-
ed form, on many sheets or smany scales, does a good work, which fior
the first time enable s Is to see onsr way, as it sere, throigh tile oniin-
try. Such a map is of constanit use for reference, eveni in tle pirocess
of compiling an improved one, and it nwould ill-beconie those who
benefit by the use of susch maps to sneer at them or ridicule their
unavoidable short-comings. 'Ilhe very person w lho does so is pro-
bably the one who has found it most useful, anud has pershaps bascd
his own work upon it. It is alsvays so m?sch easier for the average
man to find fault than to do the wvork better himiself. Besides, he