HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE. 376 HYDROGRAPHY. HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE. A Govern- liKMit iii-titiiti<jii for tlu' preparation, pultlii-u- tioii, nnd distribution of cliiirts. ami n.iuliinl infornintion. It is a bureau, or otiice of a bureau, in the Navy Department. The principal liydrn- grnpliic olliees of the world are the British, French, United States. Kus.sian. German. Italian. Japanese, Netherlands, and Spanish. The I'nited States HydroKraphic Ollice is third in the num- ber of ditferent charts published. It was estab- lished by act of Coniu'ress approved .June 21, 1806. Before that date both the navy and mer- chant marine dependeil upon foreign olliees for their supply. Charts for the na-j' were supplied through a depot of charts located in Washington, which purchased and kept on hand the charts needed for >ise. The Navy Department published n few charts prior to the establishment of the Hydrographic Gtlice — notably tho.se of the Wilkes E.xploring K.Kpedition — but such publications were exceptional. The ijrescnt Hydrographic Office was for a time a branch of the Buronu of Navigation of the Navy Department, but some years since it was transferred to the Bureau of Equipment. It is composed of the divisions of Chart Supply, Chart Construction. Sailing Directions, and Meteorology. The head of the Office, a captain or commander, is styled the Hi/drorjrapher to the Bureau of Equipment. The chiefs of divisions except that of Chart Construction are naval officers; the chief of the division of Chart Con- struction is a hydrographic engineer, and in 1901 was an ex-naval officer. On July 1, 1001, the number of engraved chart plates on hand was 1100. in addition to which there were 28 pho- tographic plates. Besides these a considerable numlKT of charts are produced by photolithog- raphy for temporary use until the engraved plates can be prepared. The total number of charts published and sold or issued to United States vessels or for governmental purposes dur- ing the preceding fiscal year was 62,194. In addition to charts of the usual character there were published about 50,000 copies of the Pilot Chart (see Pilot Chart) of tlic North Atlantic Ocean, and 21.000 copies of the Pilot Chart of the Pacific Ocean. The Office also issues weekly a pamphlet of several pages called Xotires to Mniiiiers. which give accounts of all newly dis- covered dangers and changes in lighthouses, buoys, and aids to navigation reported during the week, and other information of importance til navigators: of these pamphlets 885.72.5 copies were published during the fiscal year 1900-01. The pilot charts are only issued monthly, and a weekly supplement called the Iti/drofirnphic Bulletin ser%'es to bring the information up to date. The Office publishes lists of lighthouses, buoys, etc.. throughout the world, and volumes called sailing directions, which contain full in- formation in regard to ocean currents, weather, character of the seacoasts of diflfercnt parts of the world, descriptions of harbors, aids to naviga- tion, and other matters of interest to navigators and mariners generally. The other publications of the Office are Botrditeh's Praftirnl Xavigator (q.v.), A:imuth Tables, and similar books for the use of mariners. For the purpose of gathering and disseminat- ing information of interest to mariners and as- sisting them as much as po,ssible, branch hydro- graphic offices have been established in the ports of Baltimore. Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleve- land, Duluth, (lalveston. New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Portland (Me.), Portland (Ore.), Port Townscnd, Sault Stc. Marie, San Francisco, and Savannah. Additional branches are contemplated in Porto Rico, Hawaiian Islands, and the Philippines. The charts piblislied by the Hydrographic Office cover the (ireat Lakes and their coasts and har- bors, the Philippines, Samoa, ilavvaiiun Islands, Guam, Porto Kico, foreign territory, and the oceans. Only general sailing charts of the United States' own coast arc published by it, the detail charts being published by the United States Coast Survey. For further information, consult: Hughes, Founding and OeiclopmenI of the Uydrographio Offiee (Washington. 1S87); and innual Krportu of the Hydrographer to the Bureau of Equipment (Washington). See IIydhogr.m-iiy; Chart; and section on N.tvv under United States. HYDROG'RAPHY (from Ok. Hup, hydor, water + -jpo^i'd, -i/raphia, writing, from yfidcmv, graphein, to write ) . That branch of the science of physical geography which treats of the surface waters of the earth particularly with reference to their bearing on navigation. Practically every civilized nation, and particularly all maritime nations, have special governmental departments whose duty it is to survey and chart the naviga- ble waters belonging to the nation, and also the waters of the oceans wherever navigation ex- tends. The hydrographical work performed by these organizations may be divided into two branches: (1) The collection of hydrographic data; and (2) the recording of these data, and marking the records available for the mariners. In the succeeding discussion these two branches of hydrographic work will be considered sepa- rately. First, however, it will be interesting to note very briefly the earliest attempts at sys- tematic hydrographic work. The first step in the modern science of hydrography was made in the fifteenth centurj* by Henry, 'The Navigator,* who was the first to construct a sea chart worthy of the name. Not much of importance in the way of hydrographic work was accomplished, however, until Captain .Tames Conk, of the Eng- lish Navy, commenced his long career of ocean sur-eying in 1750. Captain Cook's first work was the hydrographic mapping of the Saint Law- rence River from Quebec to the .tlantic Ocean, which he accomplished while stationed with the British fleet coiiperating with General Wolfe in the attack upon Quebec. In 1703 Captain Cook was sent to sur-ey the coast waters of New- foundland, and in 1764 he performed a similar duty for the coast of Labrador, and thereafter he continued similar hydrographic obser%'ations wherever he was ordered until his death in 1770. The French had been observers of the operations of Captain Cook, and in 1785 La Pfrousc was sent with two ships and a corps of .scientists to visit the northwest coast of America and to ex- plore other parts. He made important obser"a- tions there, and also on the northeast coast of Asia. -After spending two years and a half he went to Botany Bay. after which he was never heard from, except that information was obtained seven or eight years afterwards which made it probable that the ships were wrecked on a coral reef on the coast of Mallicollo. La Pfrouse had, however, sent duplicates of charts and journals
