"There are now eighteen engravers-five employed on a salary, one on a per diem, nine on contract, and three apprentices. Much of the work can best be done by contract; all the lettering and figures, views, sands, swamps, and even hills. Only one letterer is now employed on a salary; and to him is assigned the most difficult work, as titles and general lettering.

"The contract system has generally given satisfaction." Major Stevens speaks favorably of the improvement made by the younger members of this department, and of the zeal and fidelity of all.

It is due to the efficiency of the drawing and engraving departments that nearly the whole work of the past year is presented in sketches, with this report, to Congress. Major Stevens observes: "Our arrangements now are such that the work, as fast as it comes in, can be given to the public in preliminary sketches. Its effect will be great, both as an incentive to parties in the field, who see at once the fruits of their labor, and to the office force, in affording a better opportunity to train the younger members and prepare them for the finished charts. These sketches will, in most cases, be the finished charts, simply by the addition of the ornamental work.

"So the system of preliminary sketches and finished charts will actually hasten the publication of the latter, besides being the best system to apply, men having different degrees of skill; all, however, gradually rising to the highest excellence.

"The electrotyping department has improved so greatly the past year in all its arrangements and processes, that at my request its chief, Mr. Mathiot, has made a general report on the subject of electrotyping, (Appendix No. 55,) which I respectfully commend to your consideration.

"The advances which have been made through the agency of the Coast Survey have scarcely been equalled in the history of any art. Not a single failure has yet occurred in Mr. Mathiot's process. A single plate has again been reproduced from the junction of plates with complete success.

"The time for reproducing a plate has been greatly abridged. Time has been saved, and a greater certainty given to the process, by a heating apparatus, which is described in Mr. Mathiot's paper, and which is exhibited on the sketch accompanying his report. The work of this department the past year is not to be estimated by the number of plates made-16, all that were required by the wants of the surveybut by the great improvements that have been introduced-improvements necessary to meet the wants of the department the ensuing year. The sale of maps will, undoubtedly, soon be greatly extended.

"The time has come to call into action agencies for special sale of Coast Survey maps. They should be carried to each man's door having an interest in commerce, navigation, geography, and science. Mr. Mathiot can with certainty, in the present state of the art, reproduce his first basso in eight, and every subsequent basso in four days. These times may be reduced to six and three days. A plate has actually been made the past year, and returned to the engraving department, in sixty-five hours from the time the alto was sent to the electrotyping rooms. Certainly in fifty days the plates can be made for 15,000 sheets of any Coast Survey map, however large and elaborate

it may be this shows the great practical utility of the process in the operations of the coast survey.

"Many of the plates will require three to four years' work of an engraver, and will cost from three to six thousand dollars. By the electrotyping process we can reproduce them in eight days, and at a comparatively trifling expense of some two hundred dollars."

A hydraulic press for map printing, intended to remedy the distortion which is now unavoidably produced, in a greater or less degree, by the copper-plate printing press, has been devised by Mr. Saxton, and is now in the course of construction under his direction.

The results obtained in the instrument shop, both in reference to the quality and economy, are very encouraging.

The arrangement of the archives has been much improved during the past year, in reference to registering, to completeness of detail in them when returned, and to facility of reference. Major Stevens again calls attention to the necessity for improved accommodations for the office of the survey. He remarks: "I again beg leave to call your attention not only to the pressing necessity of more extended accommodations for the safe-keeping of the archives, and for a probable increase in the business of electrotyping, printing, publishing, and sales, but to the unfitness of the present quarters for the purposes of drawing and engraving.

"I would recommend a suitable building as calculated to give a better tone to the whole establishment; making supervision more effective, giving better facilities for the furtherance of work, and abridging many expenses in the way of heating the rooms, and of repairs and attend

ance."

The following is a detailed account of the work done in the several branches, according to each of the officers engaged the credit for the results which he has forwarded:

1. COMPUTING.-The computing department has been under the charge of assistant J. E. Hilgard. Under his direction, the computations have kept up with the field-work sent to the office; the final reduction of the work of former years has made some progress; and the preparation of astronomical and geodetic results for publication has been brought to a state of forwardness. In Mr. Hilgard's absence his place has been ably supplied by Charles N. Schott, esq.

Mr. Hilgard, in his report, states that, "the project of work prepared at the beginning of the past year has been adhered to as nearly as circumstances would permit. The experience of the past will enable me to present a project for the ensuing year more definite in its provisions, and covering more fully the ground to be occupied."

Eugene Nulty, esq., has made the second computation of the latitude observations at Soper's, Hill's, and Webb's stations, Section III; with the zenith telescope, at east base Edisto island, Section V; at Point Conception and Point Pinos, Section X, with the zenith telescope; at Agamenticus, Section I, with the prime vertical transit; and azimuth observations at Breach inlet, Section V.

Assistant Th. W. Werner has computed the secondary triangulation of assistant Boutelle, in Massachusetts and Maine, 1850; the secondary triangulation of assistant Farley on the seacoast of Maryland and

Virginia, 1850; that of assistant Hilgard near Key West, 1851; and that of assistant Cutts in San Diego, 1851. He has also made the second computation of the latitude of Seaton station; has reduced prime vertical transits, observed at Nantucket, from 1846 to 1849; and has computed the azimuth observations at San Diego. Mr. Werner, having suffered from sickness and domestic affliction, has not been quite equal to the computations of the current geodetic work, some of which were made in the office.

Charles N. Schott, esq., has been chiefly engaged in the final reduction. of the work of former years; and in the revision of latitude computations. He has reduced, by the method of least squares, the horizontal angles at thirty-four stations of the main triangulation in Sections II and III, and established the conditional equations of that work to 1850. He has verified and in part recomputed the computations of latitude at Seaton station, Point Conception, Soper's, Hill's, and Mount Independence. He has computed the azimuths observed at Soper's and Hill's stations, Section III; the secondary triangulation south of Cape Hatteras, 1851; and the latitude observations at San Diego. He has also prepared a report on terrestrial refraction, and has made some computations of magnetic observations. Mr. Schott has also devoted much time and rendered much valuable assistance in matters pertaining to hydrography, which will be referred to under its appropriate head. He has great aptitude for scientific investigation, whether pertaining to astronomical, magnetic, geodetic or hydrographical subjects, and his zeal and industry are fully equal to his ability.

Dr. G. Rumpff has been engaged in completing and perfecting the register of geographical positions, and preparing them for publication. He has also made a preliminary reduction of the primary triangulation, Section I, from 1846 to 1850; and the reduction of the conditional equation of the primary triangulation in Section III, north of Kent island base; has made the second computations of the triangulation of the Salem harbor; of assistant Williams' triangulations in Texas, 1851; of azimuth observations at Marriott's, Section III; and of latitude observations at Nantucket, in 1845 and 1846; and has revised the computations of the latitude of Shellbank, Section IV, and east base, Section V. Mr. Rumpff, throughout the year, has shown his customary diligence and exactness as a computer.

Mr. H. Ginder reported at the office in June, and has been chiefly engaged on computations of verification and adjustment, required in the preparation of geographical positions for publication. He is now (November) relieved from duty in the computing department, and assigned to the party of Mr. Gerdes, as aid.

Mr. M. H. Ober has made miscellaneous computations, under the immediate direction of Mr. Hilgard; and has computed the latitude of Nantucket from zenith distances, observed from 1846 to 1849. Mr. Ober has suffered from ill health during the greater portion of the year. Mr. Keber has been on duty in the computing department since the 15th of October, and has made himself generally useful.

Mr. Fornaro also rendered service for a short period in the conversion of metre distances into yards and miles for the list of geographical positions.

Mr. Main joined the computing department on the 1st of November and from his high testimonials and the evidence of ability he has already shown, gives promise of future usefulness.

Mr. Hoover, one of the élèves of the Survey, has been employed in assisting Mr. Hilgard in the records, and in the simple computation, and has given entire satisfaction in the discharge of his duty.

The whole number of pages copied since November, 1850, is about 10,000, by an average of three copyists.

Hydrography.-Mr. Schott has devoted a considerable portion of his time to making reports and computations in connexion with the hydrography. Besides preparing several tide-tables for the published charts, he has made elaborate reports on the following subjects: on a thorough examination of the hydrographic work in the archives, including tides, currents, soundings, diagrams, and their registering, reducing, duplicating, arranging and binding; on directions for observing and reducing tides; on tides and currents in Hell Gate, and on the coast of New York and New Jersey; and on a method of representing currents. Besides the above, a number of reports on hydrographic matters, of less importance, have been sent in.

Lieutenants A. S. Baldwin and Wm. B. Whiting, and Passed Midshipman S. Nicholson, United States navy, and sub-assistant A. S. Wadsworth, and Mr. Jardella, have also been employed in tidal reductions.

2. DRAWING.-Since the 25th March, 1851, Lieutenant R. H. Rush, United States army, and assistant in the coast survey, has been in the permanent charge of this department. Lieutenant A. A. Gibson, United States army, and assistant in the coast survey, assigned to the duty of taking views for the published charts, has prepared the sketches for the list of geographical positions for Sections I, II, and III, brought up the back work on the diagram maps of Sections I, IV, and VIII, drawn the sketches accompanying the report on electrotyping, prepared titles, and arranged notes for the engraving department, and otherwise rendered important service in the drawing department.

Assistant W. M. C. Fairfax was occupied from the 1st of November, 1850, to the end of January, 1851, in the charge of the engraving department. Since then he has rendered invaluable assistance in the examination and elucidation of difficulties in the reduction of maps and charts. He has executed two sheets of topographical specimens, made a new scale of shades, and a partial report on the subject of lettering, all for the use of the office. He has also executed the principal work of the progress maps.

Assistant M. J. McClery continued in charge of the drawing department up to the 25th March, 1851, since which time he has been engaged principally upon the reduction of Chesapeake bay, No. II, scale He has also been engaged upon maps showing the progress of the survey, in the verification of drawing, and in other miscellaneous

80000

matters.

Assistants Fairfax and McClery are especially commended for their great skill and intelligence, and for their conscientious and rigid discharge of duty. They are exemplars, both as artists and as men, in the department.

Mr. Welsh has been engaged nearly the whole time in the reduction

of Boston harbor, scale, which is now finished. He has also executed a part of the topography of Charleston harbor; made additions to the map of Long Island sound, and several excellent tracings.

Mr. Mahon was occupied upon the reduction of the topography of Mobile bay No. II, which he finished in June. Since then he has been at work upon the reduction of the topography of Salem harbor.

Mr. Luce has finished the topography of Albemarle sound, scale 50000, and has executed the principal part of the hydrography. He has also made various right-line drawings, tracings, projections, and sketches for the annual report.

Mr. Ricketts has been engaged upon the hydrography of Mobile bay Nos. I and II, (No. II being finished,) hydrography of Key West, scale 0000, and has finished the hydrography of the harbors of Huntingdon, Black Rock, Captain's island, East and West, Hart and City islands, Cawkin's island, and Sheffield island; has reduced the hydrography of the vicinity of the city of Savannah, and made an entirely new reduction of Nantucket shoals, and much other miscellaneous hydrography.

Mr. Boschke has completed the topography of Key West, scale 30000, mouth of Columbia river, scale 70000 and 2000, and has made many projects, projections for plane-table and hydrographic parties, projections on copper, tracings, and annual report sketches.

Mr. Tennent was transferred to the engraving department in January, and previous to that time had been at work upon register maps, projections, &c.

Mr. Lambert has finished the topography of Wellfleet harbor, Hart and City islands, and Richmond island; and has been at work on the topography of Chesapeake bay No. I, and other miscellaneous matter. He has also executed some beautiful specimens of topography for use of the office. He has finished the New York current chart, and Charleston harbor chart, scale 1000. He left the survey on the 30th September.

Mr. Fornaro has executed the topography of Galveston city and harbor, and has been engaged upon the topography of Beaufort harbor, tracings, projections, and annual report sketches. He has suffered much from sickness for the last three months.

This estimable gentleman died on the 4th November, after a lingering illness of three months. He was a major of topographical engineers in the Swiss service; suffered much from ill health since his arrival in this country, and departed with the esteem and regrets of all who knew him.

Mr. Forsyth joined the office in December, 1850, and was occupied upon register maps, history maps, and tracings, until May, 1851, when he left the office.

Mr. Walker joined the office in December, 1850, and was occupied upon register maps and projects until May, when he joined a planetable party in the field. He was again attached to the office in November.

Mr. Townsend joined the office in August, and has rendered valuable assistance in making the progress maps. On the 15th October he was compelled to resign from ill health.