Milford chronicle., 1915-07-09
(Continued from Last week.l


The seventh requirement is Map max
| ing as follows Read a map correctly,
and draw from field notes made on the
spot and ineligible rough sketch map,
| indicating by their proper marks impor-
tant buildings, roads, trolley, main land
marks, principal elevations, etc. Point
out a compass direction without the help
of compass.
We will take up the last clause in this
requirement first, as it is the simplest.
Direct your hour hand of your watch to-
ward the sun. Halfway between the
hour hand and the II O'Clock mark on
the watch is the true south. This is one
way and the most accurate in the day
time. At night, of course. every Scout
should be able to point out the North
star, which is needed as one of the first
class requirements, and will be taken up
under the lesson of the tenth test. In
the woods moss will usually be found on
the trunks of trees on the side towards
the north.
The map making and roading part of
this requirement is a very interesting
proposition, and unequalled in its teach
ing of accurate observation. There are
number of technical points about maps
which must be thoroughly understood be-
fore the Scout takes up this work. The
frat thing is the scale, that is the ratio
between the actual distances and the
distances as represented on the map.
Without this knowledge the map would
be useless and unless the map is accu-
rately drawn to the given scale it also is
useless. This scale should always be
clearly marked upon the map, and is usu-
ally represented in one of three ways.
The first way is to write out the ratio, as
for instance inches. mile. The sec
ond way is to write the scale in the form
of a fraction, the numerator of which
represents the unit of length on the map
while the denominator shows the cores
ponding actual distance on the ground.
For example If the scale were one inch
to the mile, it would be written as fol-
lows: 1-63360. That is, one inch or in
deed any one unit on the map would rep
resent 63, 800 inches Zone mile) or 63 1850
units on the ground The technical term
for this fraction is the Representative
Fraction, usually abbreviated RF and
it is important for the reason that it is
in international use so that no matter
whether the scale is in meters, miles,
versts, or what not, it makes it easy for
the native of another country to deter
mine the scale in the units of distance
with which he is familiar.
The third way of indicating the scale
is to draw a line on the map the length
of the map unit and mark it with the
length of the ground unit represented.
For instance, if the scale is three inches
to the mile, draw a line three inches long
and mark it one mile. This scale is usu-
ally subdivided into halves and quarters
for convenience.
The most commonly used scales in
this country are as follows; One inch to
the mile of RF, 1853, $50; three inches
to the mile of RF 1-2l ,120; SIX inches
to the mile of RF, 1-10, $50. twelve in
ches to the mile of RF, is, ,280.
The United States Geological survey
maps are usually to the scale of one inch
to the mile, while the three inches to the
mile scale is generally used in making
sketches of roads. In making sketches
of positions the scale used is six inches
to the mile.
Either in reading or in making map,
the scale is the first thing to be deter
mined. The Reading scale, is the one
written on the may, but to draw a map,
a Working scale must be constructed.
There are number of different ways of
measuring distances without instruments
for the purpose of drawing maps, but the
one that will most probably be used by
the Scout is pacing. For convenience
the double pace is used that is you count
only the times your left foot strikes the
ground. To work out this scale. walk in
a natural manner, being careful to use
your ordinary pace, over a known dis
tance, carefully counting every time your
left foot strikes the ground. This will
give you basis on which to determine
the number of inches to your pace. Now
suppose you find your pace to be fifty