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ment of advanced moneys. These modifications were favourable to the Doctor, but they were only reasonable.
Throughout even this comparatively unimportant transaction, there is a tone of banter and of triumph towards Mr. Worsley, which one cannot but regret. He speaks of Worsley finding himself "overseen" in making the contract as to "this point;" of his having of mere joke led Mr. Worsley to recommend to the committee an arrangement by which he (Worsley) should himself become the "examinator-general" with a salary, with a totally new agreement for the work, in which of course he was not serious, and which he describes as lost only by a jocular remark. He appears in this, as throughout the narrative, to have felt so strongly his immeasurable superiority to those about him, that he used them, and boasts of using them, as mere tools; always, however, to accomplish a good end. This bearing doubtless gave offence, and raised him many enemies who eagerly watched for the opportunity of the small revenge of opposition, and, smaller still, of detraction. There was much, however, of good humour, to use a common word, fun, in many of his remarks, which show another side of his character, vehement and energetic, but still borne onward and upward by temperament. Spurning at obstructions, and never doubting his powers and ability to conquer, he made enemies, and neglected them.
CHAPTER VII.
Pages 46-53.
We now come to the definite point of the instructions drawn up by Dr. Petty for the guidance of his surveyors. They are in accordance with his offer, his contract, and his own instructions from Mr. Worsley, and very concisely and clearly expressed, distinguishing the field duties from those to be performed in the office, as explained by him to the council (see p. 17).
It will be seen that they relate chiefly to the distinctions to be observed, and the magnitude of spaces to be surveyed or estimated, of forfeited and unforfeited, profitable and unprofitable lands, as they lay interspersed among each other respectively, with directions for correctly ascertaining the boundaries; but they do not describe or enjoin any particular mode of surveying. He appears to have adopted the mode, common at that time, of merely traversing by bearings and distances, with a compass and chain, and protracting on sheets of paper, divided into squares of known dimensions, from the summation of which the area was obtained, instead of computing the area from the field-books themselves. By this means the correctness of the result was limited to the correctness of the protraction, instead of being deduced directly from the ground, with the protraction interposed merely as a test.
In his explanation to the Council, indeed, at p. 17, he takes credit for "exterminating the use of triangles and intermixt multiplication in the casting up of the superficial content, hav-
