Chain carrier - An assistant to the surveyor, the chain carriers moved the surveying chain from one location to another under the direction of the surveyor. Condition - See Conditional line . Corner - The beginning or end point of any survey line. The term corner does not imply the property was in any way square. Surveyors used a compass to determine the direction of survey lines.
Compasses point to magnetic north, rather than true north.
This declination error is measured in degrees, and can range from a few degrees to ten degrees or more. Surveyors may have been instructed to correct their surveys by a particular declination value. The value of declination at any point on the earth is constantly changing because the location of magnetic north is drifting. Loosely, an overlap or gap between properties. Landmark - A survey mark made on a 'permanent' feature of the land such as a tree, pile of stones, etc.