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the extreme north. This is called, | Bombay coast. When appointed supertechnically, the "Great Arc Series,' ,"intendent, he at once took up the and it is fifteen hundred and forty"Great Arc," which in 1824 he carried miles in length. Lambton first carried up to Sironj, where he measured a the triangulation southwards to Cape base-line. Then he had to go home to Comorin, where a base of verification recruit, and was absent for five years, was measured; and then, in 1811, be- during which the assistants carried on gan to work northward from Banga-a chain of triangles east and west, lore. But he was also working east known as the "Calcutta Longitudinal” and west, and by the year 1815 had series. This series was completed on laid down a complete network of tri-a measured base-line of verification at angles between Madras, Bangalore, Calcutta in 1832. This was, however, and the Godavery River, although he was kept very short of money, and was constantly being harassed by government officials, who could not be made to understand the utility of his operations.

after Everest had returned to the head of affairs, and had taken out with him the new Colby measuring apparatus, which was for the first time in India applied to the Calcutta base-line.

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Then the "Great Arc" series of triLambton had not only pecuniary angulations was resumed with ardor, difficulties and official opposition to as forming the main axis of the trigo contend with. The country was in a nometrical survey. A great deal of state of political disturbance. Yet he the work had to be done during the succeeded in demonstrating not only rainy season, for the sake of the clearer that the accepted breadth of the pe-atmosphere then, but at the cost of ninsula at Madras was forty miles much loss of health and life to the wrong, but also that Arcot was ten surveying party. In traversing the miles out of place on the maps; and that Hyderabad was eleven minutes in latitude and thirteen minutes in longitude wrong. The disturbed condition of central India caused a suspension of the "Great Arc" series of surveys for a while, and Lambton went south again to complete the network of triangles there. Later, he resumed the "Great Arc," and broke down under the severe exertion and exposure on the survey between Hyderabad and Nagpore. He died at a lonely spot in the Central Provinces, on the 20th of January, 1823, and a modest pillar now marks the place where lies the body of the father of the Great Indian Survey.

plains, permanent towers had to be erected to gain the necessary elevation, and this involved tremendous labor and delay. There were between Sironj and the hills seventeen of these towers, each fifty feet high, and each containing a stone platform, on which the instruments might rest without vibration. They were at great distances apart, and a special system of signalling, both for day and night, had to be devised.

A party was sent on ahead to prepare a site for a terminal "base of verification" to complete the "Great Arc" series. The site was selected in the Dehra Doon Valley, between the SeColonel Lambton died at the age of walik hills and the Himalayas. When seventy, and he had been twenty-one the calculations were corrected, the difyears engaged exclusively on this great ference at the base-line as between work. His operations comprised a tri- triangulation and actual measurement angulation of 165,342 square miles, at was only seven inches and one-fifth. a cost of £83,537. He was succeeded This shows how careful was the work, by Colonel Everest, whose memory is and how accurate the instruments. perpetuated in the name of one of the But some other verifications had to be highest summits of the Himalayas. made; and it was 1841 before the Everest, indeed, had been for some "Great Arc," the central meridional vears Lambton's chief assistant, and survey of India, was completed. It had carried the "gridiron" along the is a stretch of fifteen hundred and

forty miles; it comprises an area of triangulation about fifty-seven thousand square miles, and the triangulation had occupied nearly forty years.

In the same year (1841) the Bombay longitudinal series was also completed, extending a distance of three hundred and fifteen miles, and comprising an area within the triangulation of 15,198 square miles.

filling up the triangles with details has been industriously going on. The gridiron is the skeleton upon which every contour and feature of the country has to be impressed. The whole system of the Indian Survey now rests upon ten measured base-lines, all now revised with the Colby apparatus — namely, at Cape Comorin, Bangalore, Beder, Sironj, and Dehra Doon; at Calcutta and Sonakoda; at Attock, Karachi, and Vizagapatam.

The Great Indian Trigonometrical

Now had to be undertaken a series of parallel meridional chains to the "Great Arc" with cross-connections to complete the "gridiron." Colonel Survey has been a marvel of patient Everest retired in 1843, broken down in health; and it was he who introduced the gridiron or intersecting chains of triangles, in preference to the continuous network with which operations began in the south.

persistence and of resolute grappling with obstacles of the most stupendous kind. It remains a model of precision and accuracy, certainly not the least noble of the monuments to British skill, energy, and devotion to duty.

From Temple Bar.

The work of the several chains or arcs, has been carried on by different parties, and under successive leaders, from year to year. The mortality CHINESE GENTLEMEN AND VIRTUOSOS. among the officials of the survey has been very heavy; and the swamps and You must know that the Chinese is jungles of India have exacted fearful far more commonly a virtuoso than tribute for the imposition of the meas- we. And a Chinese collector is a real uring-chain. It would take too long, connoisseur. He has no idea of beauty and would be too tedious to name all-except to eye it suspiciously as probthe technical and territorial divisions ably of Japanese or other foreign of the work; but we may say that origin; all he worships is age. And the "North-eastern Himalayan" series mark this most curious trait- anformed a sort of cap to the whole, by tiques of his own country only. What connecting the northern ends of the a conservatism to boast of this! The several chains of triangles, and form- Chinese scholar and virtuoso has the ing a sort of framework for the grid- profoundest admiration for his own iron. This Himalayan series includes country's ancient literature and art. some of the highest mountains in the He will not deign to have anything world, whose heights and distances had foreign or new on his shelves. I think to be determined—including Mount this is somewhat of a rebuke to us, Everest, twenty-nine thousand feet hunting for relics of every country but above the sea. East and west, north our own. It puts us on the stand of and south, the work of triangulation | nouveaux riches. And don't think that has proceeded since the completion of a Chinaman spends nothing on his colthe 66 Great Arc" without intermis- lection. He will outbid the vulgarest sion, save during the Mutiny; and in millionaire in the world for a genuine 1883, the main triangulation, or gridiron, old bronze or porcelain. His collection was completed over an area of a mil- is not built up in a day by wholesale lion square miles. But since then, the commissions given to dealers. His is chains have been extended eastwards bought piece by piece as opportunity into Burma, and westwards towards and finances allow. The collection Beluchistan and Afghanistan; while made by a single man's lifetime is all the time, as the framework was nothing. You will see pieces in his being built up, and since, the work of catalogue bought by father and grand

father and remote ancestors. They are that the Chinese is a man of remarkheirlooms. They are passed down ably refined and æsthetic ideas. The from father to son. They are the type of cultivated man, as represented mark of education and noble birth; in the novels and poetry, is one who because the only nobility there is edu- retires from official life to some quiet cation and official rank, and noble birth hillside temple, where he sits at an is being the descendants of ancestors open casement gazing out on quiet who have held office and taken de- trees and listening to the songs of birds. grees. An heirloom of a choice bit of On the table before him is a vase with porcelain proves education and wealth a rose, or hyacinth, or chrysanthemum, in the purchaser. Does this not make and teapot and open book and pen, you feel rather new, with your two- where he is composing poetry. There penny fans and plates on the wall? he lives, the world forgetting by the In a native city like Yangchow (na- world forgot, studying the classics and tive means a Chinese town where no poets, and composing. At times he foreigners reside, and seldom visited will gather a few friends to a cup of by them; that is to say, some other wine or a night's conversation on art than the treaty ports) in Yangchow, and philosophy; but he finds his soul's the bric-a-brac dealers look with dis- contentment in the study of books and favor on foreign purchasers. They nature. know it is displeasing to their patrons. Now this is an idyllic type rare It seems like desecration that the ig- among nations. The Chinese have a norant trading and fighting barbarian grand old literature and philosophic should imitate their polite hobby. books by the side of which Plato and They are still more angry when they the Memorabilia of Socrates and Christ find he has been spying out the land, seem mere brochures. The Chinese and has got books with the seals and are essentially a literary and æsthetic descriptive words. It is as we feel, if people, although they too can boast we are poor but ardent critics, when of many campaigns and architectural we look over the collection of books monuments. Their public buildings in and paintings bought on retirement by brick are few; but those in mud still a gentleman whose youth was spent in fill us with admiration. Their tradisomewhat different pursuits. The poor tions are wholly opposed to ours; I do man is inclined to throw up his hobby. not say their character, because I beWhat is the good of me, he cries, who lieve it is so strongly imitative as to have an educated and hereditary taste become as energetic and enterprising and discernment in these things, spend- as our Own under the iconoclastic ing my rare and hard-earned cash in impulse of Western (I do not say civa single specimen, when this man, ilized) ideas. It is this encroaching whose judgment has exercised itself contact of these manners and ideas so all his life in "dosset," flings down a opposed to their traditions that causes cheque for a thousand pounds, and tells the intense hatred that they as a nation his dealer to "get him a roomful of feel for us. For their traditions are them China knick-knacks; good 'uns, very old, very theoretical. Barbarous mind!" This is the feeling a Chinese traditions grown up in the rough pracgentleman would have on viewing our tice of life are more easily displaced public collections, although he would than those which have their roots imcertainly show nothing but the po- bedded in an ancient but evergreen litest admiration. Further acquaint-philosophical literature. But when the ance would of course convince him that public examinations, on which success we are no "new men" in our appre-in life depends, shall cease, no matter ciation of antiques; but I do not think by what blow, to confine themselves to he would for that regard us as a brother. Chinese classics alone, then gentleman He is too nationally conceited. John will become as laborious, docile, Yes, it will be new to some to learn and enterprising in modern war and

finance and policy, and military and industrial methods and training, as humble coolie John already is in shopkeeping in San Francisco and Australia and the Straits. Then we shall have to look out.

I believe that China is irresistibly the coming race.

obvious as to make non-observance forced.

I remember once I was endeavoring to get hold of a sea-slug away in the middle of the table; when I did grip it with the chopsticks I cut it in half; one minute; no notice. I got one, and dropped it half way; no remark, exBritishers insist on shooting-boots cept a lively continuation of the conand nothing to do with natives. In- versation. I tried again-I was fond stead of being of no importance, of them. no importance, of them. My under chopstick slipped, personal appearance and dress is every- and I flipped the soup and half a slug thing on a first introduction among across the table. "Allow me," said Chinese, just as it is elsewhere; and my host; "that's a slippery customer, Chinese favorably impressed, and not but far too good to let go for want of insulted by disregard of convenances, | a net," and he handed me over one in can be very pleasant hosts. In fact, I a spoon. "I am extremely fond of have found the saying a true one, that them myself; but I never attempt the the Chinese are the politest nation in chopsticks. I like to get a good mouththe world. But don't be frightened by ful, so I use my spoon.' "" Of course he the tremendous formality that the had never done so in his life. Of books talk about. In half an hour, if course he commenced eating them you are gay yourself, every constraint himself with a spoon. Fortunately disappears and jollier companions could I recollected a pun on spoons and ponot be found. They have that genuine liteness, and brought it out, full of politeness that annihilates constraint. Full of tact, they do not press you with attentions or observe by the slightest sign your mistakes in language or etiquette. Unless your mistake is so

wrong tones and Wadified conceits. The most hearty good mirth followed; the dinner was as heartily enjoyable and full of real fun and laughter as if we had been old chums reunited.

STRINGS OF THOUGHT. It is not easy work out complex calculations. Combined to imagine ourselves without the means of with oral tradition, and working by the communication furnished by the twenty- laws of association, the guipu preserved four letters of the alphabet. How could the annals of the Peruvian Empire. Yet we carry on our business? And, indeed, with this imperfect substitute for writing those races who are ignorant of writing and notation, the Peruvians advanced to a have remained in a state of barbarism. degree of civilization which, though in The ancient Peruvians were an exception some respects inferior to that of their to this rule, but they were not altogether Spanish conquerors, was in others dewithout a means to communicate their cidedly superior. They constructed magthoughts to those absent. They trans-nificent roads, they maintained an elaborate mitted their ideas by means of the guipu. religion, they constructed solid and elegant The Panama Star and Herald says: The instrument was a cord about two feet long, composed of threads of different colors tightly twisted together, and with a number of smaller threads suspended from it in the manner of a fringe. The colors denoted sensible objects and even abstract ideas. Arithmetical purposes were served by knots tied in the threads, indicating ciphers; they could be associated so as to

buildings, they overcame the difficulties of their arid climate by means of a stupendous system of irrigation, their aqueducts being among the wonders of the world, and they cultivated the fine arts with some success. One proof of their advanced civilization is the fact that the population of Peru under the Incas was twelve times greater than it is at the present day.

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