Robert Gibson

A Treatise of Practical Surveying: Which is Demonstrated from its First Principles: Wherein Every Thing that is Useful and Curious in that Art, is Fully Considered and Explained: Particularly Three New and Very Concise Methods for Determining the Areas of Right-lined Figures, Arithmetically or by Calculation, as well as the Geometrical Ones heretofore Treated of. Philadelphia: Joseph Crukshank, 1796.

Surveying both land and waterways was the first step in charting canals before their construction. The means of conducting surveys remained unchanged for centuries. Represented here is the 7th edition of this popular text with alterations and amendments, adapted to the use of American surveyors. It is likely that the surveyors who produced the drawings shown on the next page have referenced this text as it was published in Philadelphia.