30
Cost of the Department.
1. In the financial year ending 31st March, 1909, the Department has spent about £19,500, viz.:~
Personal emoluments about
↓
Other charges about
Special expenditure about
£9,130 9,230
1,150
2. The money allotted to the different services was as follows:—
Personal emoluments :—
Superintending staff
£1,122
Trigonometrical and Topographical Branch Cadastral Branch
3,168
6,562
Total
£10,852
Other charges.
Includes transport, labour, printing, instru- ments, payments to licensed surveyors,
&c., Trigonometrical and Topographical Branch
Cadastral Branch
Special expenditure:-
Superintending staff
Cadastral Branch
Total
Of which the principal item is for passages to and from Europe, and also includes stationery, books, and freights.
Trigonometrical and Topographical Branch
Total
Total sum allotted to the Department...
3,410 5,750
£9,160
£260
716
737
£1,713
£21,725
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Both these men had to be taught their special work, and both were new to the country, and language.
5. It will thus be seen that the Trigonometrical Branch has been very short handed, which has, of course, resulted in a smaller output of work than may be expected under normal circumstances. Moreover, during the whole year only one observer has been available: first, Lieutenant Cox (who was ill with fever for five weeks), and latterly myself, and I also was on the sick list for three weeks.
6. The work done has been to carry the major triangulation down from the Athi River base, near Nairobi, to the coast at Mombasa, through a distance of about 400 miles, crossing the waterless Taru Desert on the way.
This presented some difficulty in the way of organisation, but was successfully crossed without loss of life or time.
7. At Mombasa it was possible to compare the latitude and longitude as carried down from the Athi River base with one fixed by the Admiralty many years ago.
The discrepancies were about 5" in latitude, and about two seconds of time in longitude. The exact differences have not yet been computed. A check azimuth was also observed at Mombasa, the results of which are not yet ready for comparison.
8. From Mombasa about 70 miles northwards along the coast, and about 20 miles inland, both major and minor triangles were observed.
9. Owing to the absence of many prominent hills, and to the thick nature of the vegetation in this district, triangulation was a matter of considerable difficulty. I was also much hindered by the haziness of the atmosphere. In the Highlands opaque beacons were observable on most days up to about 40 miles; on the coast 15 miles was, as a rule, the limit of vision.
Another hindrance to good triangulation was the fact that the local natives hold many of the hill tops in veneration as the abode of the spirits of their dead, and in every case I avoided beaconing these places. Much extra work was entailed, and ill-conditioned triangles were a necessary consequence.
10. Unlikely though it may appear, the nature of the country is such-dense bush, ground very bumpy, masses of cocoanuts, and scarcity of drinkable water- that I could find no place between Mombasa and Mount Mangea at all suitable for measuring a check base.
11. Trigonometrical Branch,
Summary of Work Done.
1908-09,
1907-08.
1 observer in the field for
8 months
2 beacon builders
31 months
***
1 beacon builder
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
C.O. 885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
TRIGONOMETRICAL BRANCH.
Report on Work done for 12 Months ending 31st March, 1909.
1. The staff of this branch consists of only two officers and two non-commis- sioned officers, Royal Engineers.
2. Owing to the absence on leave of the Director of Surveys, his duties devolved on me for six months during the past year. During that period I was only able to find time to observe two minor triangles near Nairobi; and to spend some three weeks doing trigonometrical work near Nandi for a scheme of rapid allotment of farms, and to complete the computations of the previous season's work.
3. The rest of the trigonometrical staff commenced field work in the beginning of July.
On 4th of August the senior non-commissioned officer was recalled by superior authority to do plane-tabling near Nandi, where he most unfortunately died of fever. This left only one officer and one non-commissioned officer for trigonometrical work.
On 29th September the officer, and in middle of November the other non-commis- sioned officer, left their field duties to return to England on completion of their period of service, leaving me alone.
4. Subsequently the Director of Surveys arranged for a non-commissioned officer of the Topographical Branch to help me in beacon building. This non-com- missioned officer started work in the beginning of December. Later on one of the cadastral staff also helped till he went sick after seven weeks' work.
2 observere in the field for...
3 beacon builders for
***
Major Triangulation—
Area in square miles Average triangular error Number of triangles Number of stations Azimuths observed ... Minor Triangulation-
Area in square miles Average triangular error Number of triangles Number of stations ... Intersected Points-
•
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Additional area covered in square miles
41 months
།
months
montba
5,624
7,320
1-07-
1.77'
27
50
28
41
1
1
• About 600
3,610
1-66'
2.51'
•8
163
4
40
About 1,200
5,375
• NOTE.-Many of the major triangles are (owing to the physical character of the coast district) small enough to be used as secondary triangles.
G. S. KNOX, Captain, R.E.,
Deputy Director, Trigonometrical and
Topographical Branch.
Page 420Page 421
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
TELEC.O. 885
سلسلنا
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
32
Topographical Branch.
1. The staff available for topographical work has been one officer, three non- commissioned officers, and one civilian lent from the Cadastral Branch.
2. During the year ending 31st March, 1909, four plane-tablers have been at work for three weeks, two for three weeks in, addition, and one for four weeks in addition.
I have been at work for 13 weeks in all.
This gives an average of one officer and four plane-tablers at work for seven weeks.
3. In this period I fixed 16 trigonometrical points and 15 intersected points, covering sheets 94 A 4 and 94 G 2 with fixed points, averaging four inches apart on the paper.
4. The average triangular error of these tertiary triangles is 6".
5. The first sheet taken in hand by the plane-tablers was 94 G 2 (see attached index), scale 1/125,000.
Owing to the great amount of detail in and near Nairobi (which is situated in this sheet), and the importance of this settled area, a sheet on the scale 1/62,500, is being mapped of the area :—
Latitude 1° 7' 30" to 1° 22′ 30′′ S. Longitude 36° 37′ 30′′ to 36° 52′ 30′′ E.
All the plane-tablers are now at work on the above 1/125,000 and 1/62,500 sheets.
G. C. WILLIAMS, Lieutenant, R.E.,
DIRECTOR OF SURVEYS, SIR,
Assistant Director of Surveys, Trigonometrical and Topographical Branch.
Survey Department, Cadastral Branch,
Nairobi, April 6th, 1909.
I HAVE the honour to forward the annual report on work done by this Depart- ment for the financial year 1908-09. I have purposely kept the report as short as possible, as I feel that the statistical tables appended will show more clearly what has been done than a lengthy report.
There have been several important changes in the personnel of the staff, viz. :— Two Junior Staff Surveyors having left the service (viz., Mr. F. Lind and Mr. F. Smythe the former having resigned and the latter being discharged as medically unfit). The positions are now filled by Mr. A. Bessler and Mr. E. K. Boileau; both these gentlemen were employed in the Department previous to the present appoint- ment, Mr. Bessler as Draughtsman, and Mr. Boileau as Assistant Surveyor; both gave satisfaction in the work entrusted to them, and have given satisfaction in the present position up to date.
The most important change was owing to the resignation of Mr. E. L. Waring, Deputy Director of Surveys, Cadastral Branch; Mr. A. E. Townsend, Assistant Director, Cadastral Branch, was appointed Deputy Director, Cadastral Branch; and Mr. T. H. Galbraith, District Surveyor, was appointed to the position of Assistant Director, Cadastral Branch; Mr. Jordan, a Licensed Surveyor, engaged on survey work for the Department, was appointed to the vacant District Surveyorship.
Mr. Evans, an Assistant Junior Staff Surveyor, resigned his position, and Mr. Cortlandt Anderson was selected to fill the position.
A regrettable incident occurred in the Drawing Office during the year, viz., all the draughtsmen resigned owing to some fancied insult resulting from the searching of their quarters for missing goods. They, however, desired afterwards to return, but were not allowed.
In the Clerical and Accounts Branch of this Department there has been a com- plete change of staff. Mr. Bunting, Chief Accountant, went on leave on the 28th April, 1908, and did not return. Mr. F. Clarke, Assistant Accountant, was found medically unfit to continue his duties in the office, and was sent into the field to locate the various mission stations in Kenya Province. Mr. Catania, then ap Assistant to Surveyors, took over this work, but proved unsatisfactory both in accounts and as Assistant to Surveyors, and was therefore discharged. Mr. Clarke, on his return to the office, also resigned. Steps were taken to procure another man
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from England to replace Mr. Clarke, and Mr. West was selected to fill the position; in the meantime, Mr. Boileau acted as Chief Accountant, and in November was News was sent that sent into the field, Mr. West acting as Chief Accountant. Mr. Bunting was not returning, and steps were taken to obtain a Chief Accountant to replace him, Mr. Nicholls being selected for the post; both gentlemen have given satisfaction during the term of service up to date.
The clerical work of this Department steadily increases, as will be seen in comparison with the figures for last year; a total of 2,108 letters and telegrams were received and dealt with, as compared with 1,672 for the previous year, and 2,609 letters and telegrams were despatched this year, as compared with 2,572 for previous year. These figures are exclusive of inter-departmental letters, minutes, and A clerk is also memorandums, pay-sheets, indents, and survey-fees accounts. urgently needed in the Mombasa Office, as correspondence, &c., is increasing there at a very rapid rate, and also there should be someone stationed there to deal with all stores, &c.
The work for the year 1908-09 compares very favourably with that of previous years. The Official Surveyors were constantly in the field. The Licensed Surveyors were not employed so much as in the former years, the reason being that most of the work was of an isolated character, and, consequently, unremunerative; and the official staff was at liberty to undertake much of the work which was formerly given out to Licensed Surveyors. The rapid allotment scheme also contributed largely to the alteration in the state of affairs, as in former years such work would have been given to Licensed Surveyors. A fair amount of topographic reconnaissance work A considerable amount was undertaken to prepare for general laying out of farms.
of topographic work was also done for the Sleeping Sickness Commission, roughly, 200 square miles. A considerable amount of re-survey was done to re-establish missing or lost beacons; this being necessary owing to unsubstantial beacons being crected in first instance, the beacons being destroyed by fire, white ants, and in some cases fraudulently removed, and in other cases never erected by the Licensed Sur- veyors making original survey-the Department in the past being so under-staffed that any attempt at supervision was not possible; consequently many surveys were on paper only. It is now considered that the only permanent type of beacon is one of angle iron, 6 feet by 1 inches by 1 inches, set in one foot of concrete, and standing 4 feet out of ground, the balance of one foot being filled in with earth; such beacons cost, roughly, Rs. 7.50 each, on the spot. Much money and valuable time would have been saved if this type of beacon had been adopted in the first instance. Special note must be made of the Juba land surveys, these have been retarded owing to flooded state of the Juba River, and no details can be given of actual work done on this account, as nothing is yet completed; these, however, will be completed early in the financial year 1909-10. Mr. Lamb, who is in charge of Jubaland surveys, has fallen ill, and is returning to Nairobi by order of the Medical Officer, Kismayu. Mr. Shringarpure, Indian Surveyor, and assistant to Mr. Lamb, was proved medically unfit for further service, suffering from tuberculosis; steps have been taken to have him returned to his home in India; I regret that he is unfit as he was a willing and loyal worker, and earned the praise of all his superiors who had to deal with him.
The plane-table sheet of the old town of Mombasa was completed this year; the task must have been a very thankless one, and reflects great credit on the officers concerned.
Not much work was done on the coast this year, as until the Recorder of Titles is ready nothing much in the way of systematic work can be undertaken. I hope to see a great deal done during next year; this will settle a great deal of the unrest amongst settlers and prospective settlers at the coast.
The standard of efficiency has been well maintained, the average error of closed traverses is 1 in 3,500; this is very good, especially when one considers that the closing error allowed is 1 in 2,000.
The average triangular error is 6.4", and 64 triangles have been observed. The individual triangular errors can be favourably compared with the tertiary work in previous years, viz., 6.3", the allowable error is 20" per triangle, so that it will be seen the efficiency is well maintained. All triangles were, however, observed by 5' micrometer theodolites, and by careful observing the present efficiency should be well maintained. Professional pride alone should maintain a high standard, and I have not noticed any attempt on the part of any of the Staff Sur- veyors to scamp work.
The general average cost per acre compares very favourably with last year's
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