The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume X, No. 6 [‎116v] (85/186)

V
<524 THE TOPOGRAPHICAL WORK OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA.
(4) Track or time surveys checked by sextant latitudes, and sometimes by
longitude observations.
The order of description is by provinces, commencing with Quebec and Ontario,
the two provinces of Canada till confederation in 1867, and then the others in
succession from east to west. While the work on the standard sheets is not less
important, and does not require less ability or diligence on the part of those en
gaged in it than the exploratory surveys of the north and west, yet, as a description
would be largely a recital of the number of miles of roads, lakes, and streams sur
veyed in each year, it has been abbreviated, and the sheets in each province dealt
with en bloc.
Quebec. —In 1844 and 1845 Messrs. Logan and Murray made a triangulation A surveying technique in which the position of a network of points is determined by creating a series of triangles between them and measuring at least two of the internal angles and one side length. of
the peaks in the hills that form the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. of Gaspe peninsula. They also
made micrometer surveys of portions of the Chatte, Great Cascapedia, Bonaventure,
Matane, St. Anne, and St. John’s rivers, in all 299 miles. In 1857 and 1858 the
work in this district was continued by Mr. Bichardson, who surveyed the Magdalen,
Restigouche, Patapedia, and Great Metis rivers, and several tributary streams and
lakes, in all about 200 miles. In 1862 Mr. Bell surveyed portions of the Dartmouth,
York, Malbaie, and Grand rivers, for an aggregate distance of 106 miles. In ad
dition, about 100 miles of traverse-lines were measured with the micrometer. In
1858 Sir W. E. Logan surveyed the upper part of the River Rouge and thirty-two
tributary lakes. Dr. Ells in 1881 to 1883, and Mr. Low in 1882 and 1883, com
pleted the information required for the mapping of Gaspe peninsula, 15,100 square
miles, on the 4-mile scale. Dr. Ells made a chained survey of the shore-line road
from Little Pabos, on the bay of Chaleurs, to Grand Metis, on the St. Lawrence, and
micrometer surveys of the Salmon branch of the Cascapedia, Grand Pabos, and upper
portion of the Bonaventure. Other roads and the coast-line were measured by
pacing; Mr. Low triangulated the peaks in the Shickshock mountains, and made
micrometed traverses of the south branch of the Ste Anne, Little Cascapedia, and
west branch of the Magdalen rivers.
In Ico8 bn \\. E. Logan surveyed the upper portion of the river Rouge and
thirty-two tributary lakes in the Grenville district. These surveys, with the
subsequent measurements, in the same district, by himself and Mr. J. Lowe, amount
to about 2600 miles, and form the basis of the so-called Grenville map, covering
an area of 1200 square miles.
The work on what is known as the “ Eastern Townships ” map-area was com
menced by Sir W. E. Logan in 1848, and continued by himself, at varying intervals,
up to 1871 ; by Mr. Richardson in 1850 to 1852, 1854, 1855, and 1863 to 1868;
and by Mr. Webster from 1870 to 1876. The paced measurements of roads and
•exploration lines by Messrs. Logan, Richardson, and Webster amount to about 17 000
miles, and cover an area of 26,380 square miles. The publication of the three
sheets thus far issued was delayed by the uncertainty as to the exact horizon of
some oi the members of the Quebec group, so called. The additional surveys, to
inng them up to date, necessitated by this delay, were made by Messrs. Ells in
1886 to 1890; Garoux in 1886 to 1894 ; Adams, 1886 and 1887 ; A. R. Low in 1889
and 1891; and McConnell and Ord in 1880; in all about 8600 miles.
• J LieUt ',^ She determiDed ’ telegraphically, the longitude, as compared
with Cambridge, of Quebec, Three Rivers, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto,
Co hngwood, W indsor, and Chicago. So uncertain were the longitudes at that time,
that an important place like Chicago was placed by the two best authorities as in
XL* Z™* 87 ° 28 ' W *. res P ectivel y> whereas Ashe’s observations gave
i 3< 44 , a difference of 9 44" in one case, and of 45' 16" in the other. Signals
were intercnanged with Cambridge which had been determined by the interchancre
of several hundred chronometers with Greenwich.