The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-14 00:00:00

Topographical Department.

The report of Colonel Sir H. James for 1864
has been issued. It states in detail the progress of
the ordnance survey and of the publications on the
several scales. It is stated that sketch surveys of the
War Department of the Surrey and Kent hills about
London have been in progress for some years under
the superintendence of Lieut.-Col. Jervois. A de-
tachment from the survey force, consisting of a lieu-
tenant, a sergeant, two corporals, and 11 sappers,
was sent out to Canada last April, where it has since
been employed in surveying sites for works at Que-
bec. An accurate contoured survey of Jerusalem and
its neighbourhood being considered necessary for
the purpose of carrying out certain projected works
for improving the sanitary state of the city, and also
for the proper discussion of many interesting ques-
tions connected with its ancient topography, the
Dean of Westminster, on the part of the Bishop of
London and other philanthropic persons, applied to
the Secretary of State for War for a party of non-
commissioned officers and Sappers from the Ord-
nance Survey to be allowed to make the required
survey, stating at the same time that he was pre-
pared to pay the cost of the survey. Lord de Grey
having consented to this arrangement, *Capt. Wil-
son, R.E., with three non-commissioned officers and
two sappers, was sent out in Oct. last for the pur-
pose of making the required survey, and it was ex-
pected to be finished in March. It is gratifying to
learn that the party has received every assistance
from the Pasha and all the Turkish authorities, and
that the whole community, composed as it is of so
many religious sects, are impressed wtth the impor-
tance of having such a survey made, and give every
facility for the execution of the work. The party
would remain out for a short time further for the
sake of levelling from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea,
and from Jerusalem to Jaffa on their way home.
It has long been a question of great scientific inte-
rest to know the exact amount of the depression of
the level of the Dead Sea below that of the Mediter-
ranean, and it is also important that the levels and
contours of the Jerusalem survey should be con-
nected with the levels of the two seas ; and the
Royal Society and the Royal Geographical Society
having each voted £lOO to make up the estimated
cost, Lord de Grey consented to the arrange-
ment. At home the numerous applications
which have been made to the Government for
the plans of towns and Poor-law unions to be
made, with offers to pay a portion of the cost of the
survey, prove the extent to which the public now
appreciate the cadastral survey, the reasons given
for making the applications being the desire to
possess authoritative accurate plans upon which to
base the local valuations and the designs for local
improvements. As remarkable examples of the un-
certainty which exists as to the extent of highland
or moorland properties, it may be mentioned that
property was bought for a nobleman in Northum-
berland, the area of which was found from the
Ordnance Survey to be 10,000 acres less than it was
stated to be and actually bought for ; and in Perth-
shire a baronet finds that he has been letting a farm
estimated to be about 30,000 acres, which turns out
to be more than 40,000. In Westmoreland the Irish
reapers have gone to the agents for the sale of the
plans and ascertained the acreage of the fields they
have engaged to reap, and they have thus obtained
justice without an appeal to law. The publication
of the fac-sinzile of Domesday Book having given so
much satisfaction, Sir H. James suggested the pub-
lication of the fac-similes of a series of the most in-
teresting of our national manuscripts,. which, in
addition to the interest of the subject-matter of the
documents, should illustrate the change in our lan-
guage and in our writing at the several periods of
our history. This proposition having received the
sanction of the Government, and the concurrence
of the Master of the Rolls, a series of the most in-
teresting charters, grants, and letters from eminent
or remarkable persons has been selected out of
those in the Public Record Office, with a few (in-
cluding the most perfect original copy of 3lagna
Charta extant) from other sources for publication
by the photo-zincographic process. The first docu-
ment in the series is the charter of William the Con-
queror to the city of London, in Anglo-Saxon, and the
last the despatch of the Duke of Marlborough re-
porting the victory of Blenheim. These documents
are arranged chronologically, one Or more of each
reign being given, and each page will have the trans-
lation, where necessary, opposite to it. The docu-
ments are extremely interesting in themselves, and
they will serve to show the changes in the character
of the writing and in the language of the time of the
Conquest. This series will be published in four
parts. It is under consideration to publish also a
series of documents selected from those in the Re-
gister-office in Edinburgh, and a series from those
preserved in theßecord-office in Dublin. It may not
be generally known that the Topographical Depart-
ment now issues yearly, after the Army Estimates
have passed, a work showing the strength, compo-
sition, and organisation of the British forces. It is
sold through the Stationery-office at Is. 6d. Maps
to illustrate the military operations in New Zealand
have -been made. Maps illustrating the progress of
the war in Virginia have been prepared and issued
to military authorities and others.