The Heights of iviountains l:njt n" ,r"i", t\o."r., '1' iv-",it $: . i.!th. -Igg-r'li.'rr,...r[Cl\":ffi{=jNCLLt- '," .I'{,R 3 ; b,,'"'Tn,*, "i#r'rtw7:ii;J";-l;i9tl&',,rnno'n1.7, :utir on iurLntit n[tj-'Plr"wtL i I j*iitr"#W'i{Poahbnlt -X,,, ,na nnclrut Ddl@ar;., ffi d' ria ,n nnialrF' "@,.ffiy*iir"ur -i L Fm,+ri;ruffi'AY-.q-p---ar- , E;[ Chart of the Englith Channel by Lucor 17'aqhenaer. Itt tll" lt a{({rr./ oi tltt iatt l 6th centurt. landnari.r atri toc.rtalprofilts tre indicattd to heLp tite nutigator dtterntine hisposition. and the Lengths of Rivers by John A. Wolter The studv of the cartoqraphic record, because cartoeraphic format, concentrating in particular of the ereat varietv in format and stvle over the on the isoline in all its variations.2 Isolines. ac- centuries, inevjtablv leads to speculation regard- cordinq to Robinson, "are the setsof lines iusu- ing the oriein and diffusion of a given printing allv on a map) that show by their absolute and technique or means of cartographic expression. relative positions the locations and gradients Often this speculation is a natural outErowth of rvithin a set of numbers, which set may range research rvhich has as its central theme the search from temperatures and elevations to population for the first cartosraphic depiction of a place or densities or even the blooming dates for physical feature. Since earliest recorded history flotvers," 3 cartoqraphers have used description of relati,,'e Littlc has been rvritten, horvever, lsqnliinq the location, or thc direction and distance of a place historical development of the profiling conven- from other places.t Eratosthenes devised a crude tion-the use of profiles to depict the earth's sur- earth erid-svstem as earlv as 200 B.C., but only face or undenvater features, particularly for the in the past ferv centuries has location been ac- purpose of showing relative heights and depths. complished rvith increasing accuracy bv use of the I have explored both bathymetric and hvpso- geographical coordinates of latitude and longi- rnetric measurement as depicted in profile and tude; John Harrison's invention of the chronom- leel that the latter may very rvell have given eter in the first half of the lBth century has sub- birth to the former (as opposed to current think- sequentlv made the determination of longitude ing regarding the isoline), but this essav is bv lelativelv easv. The historical development of no means a definitive statement. It is a history these two means of describing spatial location and as such is subject to the continual process is well documented. of reinterpretation. I hope that my cornments The '"'erticai dimension, that of height or rvill, however, stimulate further research.for the depth, has aiso been studied, br,rtto a lesserex- lristorv-of 19th-centurv cartographr'. particulariv tent. Arthur H. Robinson. Irranqois de Dainville. .\merican cartographv, is relativelv trnexploreci and Norman J. IV. Tlirorver have described in and in that rvav, perhaps, is analogous to the some detail the historv and development of dif- state of cartosraphic art at the beeinning of that ierent rvavs of expressing the third dimension rn ( enturv, u'hen cartographers turned to the use ol the profile until something better came along.l A. Wolter is Assistant Chief of the Geography 'Ihe John origin of the profiling convention is ob- and Map Division. The article is based on a lecture scure. Bccause the concept of end-on vierving is presentedat the annual meeting of the Society for the rclatively simple, it is certain to have been used History of Discoveries, at Yale Universirv on Novem- ber 13, 1971. The author wishes to acknowledge the in remotest antiquity. The use of profiles in early assistanceof Barbara R. Noe in translatine the German mining opcrations and for planning and con- textual material and in the compilation of tables 1 structing canals ancl rrngation rvorks is docu- and 2. mented in records dating back to dynastic Egypt. 462-950 O-72-3 188 The tecliniclue seemsto have been revived in the thc landc dothe rise vpon euer)'side: and what sreater iate l{enaisiance ancl has passed u-itli modifica- inconuenientc rnav thert' qrD\\'c bv anv meancs, than titcrc mav b1'rnistaking c,f a placc: for it *'ere twentie ri^- "..ti."1".1'. in rg6Ll1a61'Of meaSUrement, timcs better to be throughlv persuaded that he knoweth into our own time. it n,'t. than to thinke he doth knou'e it not beinq that As eariv as the second half of the 15th centun'. nlac. For whereas he doth tlrinke tc' prcucnt r-hedan- ryere iliustrateo lutiel.i oI tire sea.or yrilot books. qcrs, be nrav wiilinql_v runnc \?()n thc dangers not lx' rouqir coastei profiles or vien-s of prominent Inorvtr oi hinr. Tircreiorr.in m;' r,;;iniorrthrv can do iandn:ar'lis as secll frorrr sean'arcl ancl oriented no i,cltcr than tLrirrrnish their t'acent piacesin thcir (,oastlii bv t olii;.rss ciircctiorr. lrrofiies u'ere itt- pilrir ancl cards with this mattcr: lor therc can be cluciccicitlrt'r' rvitli or on st:a charts. partictrlarll nothinLabettcr.' those in tlrt:sca atlases trr "\\'agqoners" rrublisircci Sirrrilar profile-s arc used in con.iunction \ritil ,,f th,' r'.rrlr I itir cerrtrrrr'. .\n intt'restincdescrip- lnodcrn clrarts anrl qood cxrlnl)lcs appear in the tion ot- tirc Lrst ancl rvortii oi coastal profilinq is seiliril clilcctiolis arrcl adrniraitv Jrilots published contrurtcriirr.1 1ir'lirrrr'nt t.ltt Sta and ()thtr ittr bv rnost of tlrc national livdroqraphic bureaus.c ll'riting, ott ^\'aiigation. hr-\\'illiam IJourne. a 'l ir,' lanciscall(' sr.rn'oun(linq fortifications con- l6tlr-ccntulv l:rrgiislrqunncr and sailor: stfu('tcrl clurinc tlre late 17th ancl eariv l Bth :ils,,is r-'rr rrr,tessrrit be furnishcvqr (entrrrirs Thl; t,, doneto is also illustratccl ir.r lrrofile in miiitan' all thl vlcant pl:rrcsof the plat or cardc.to drarvethe trcatiscs and atl:r-scsof thc period. shaDr'or f:rshi.n oI cuen hcadland or high lande J'lrc iresinninq of scicntific. or rneasured. pre- alonestt rrcrvc();rst that is needcfullto be knowne,and cision in graplric r)resentation ancl the first ex- at rlir:: I)(,\'ntc (rf tlrt'compassc the la,nde is of that tensivc use of tht: bathr-rnetric appcars fashi<,n: et houc farrt: off the lande n'seth in that ltrofile irr Luiqi Iicrdinanclo \Iarsiqli's Histoire fashi.'l: ertd sr, to lnal:e thc fashion of the landc as fh),sique dc la nter,; often as rhr lande altcretir thc forme and fashion: and published in Amsterdam in 1725. last r'i all. at wh:\t povnte of thc contpassethc lande Thc several transects shou'r-ron the profiles in hathc that shape or fashion: for beins vpon one side, Corl t du Gollt dc Lion, dratrn sea\1-ardfrom the thc landc n'scth of onc fashion. and on the othcr side coasts of l{oussillon. Langrredoc. an(i Provence, of another fornrc or fashion: Also being neare the arc lines of sotrnclinqstaken in the Gulf. In Pro- it rvill in iande bc onc fashion, and being far off in ./ilesttu coupc.r du ba.rsirtde Ia nter, individual an other fashiorr . for there is nothins morc neede- full and rreccssarielor a Scaman. than this: to knowe P,ofileof the oceanbattorn ds ntcasured uion( diiierent tlic landc rrhen hc seeth it, and there is no way better tronstcts.Front lfarsisli's Histoirephvsiquc Cc la mcr. to make hirn rernember it, than to haue notes howe r725. t iB9 [)L.tN DE- lls T) E. ITN I)E [.tt,t, i= .ilfa Block-diaqram detail ironr Philippt: Bttnclte: Clartede I'ocean'crs l,i<1uatcur. tlcyrthsarc markcd in l>rrsscsr fatiton-rs llong the trvo profilt--s.rrrrt: o1'rvhir'Ir. l lrlan of tirc ;rrcasrrr- transLr( !s encl illrrstr.atcd in prolilc. l.l:rch lrori- rorrncling the is]anci of Iclnanrlo rlt' -\or.onha zontal line irl)pcrirs to ctlLrei lir.c irrasses.ltrrt I73 t). irrclrrck'slroth rlltir.a.l rrncl l:,rrizoritlrl llic ai)senc() of I r.ertic.al scalc on tire plltc rrurkcs rneasLrrcrnents.in brlsse: anrl toises ti picrls or- tltis estirnatcconjc.r:trrral. Drr Dairtr.iilclres nt>tecl 2.1315r'ercls) resltectivelr.. It could be r.c,nsicler-cci tlrat -\[arsiqii's L'urtt rlu Gulft tlc Lion also con_ lrn carlv forelunncr of tlrc blot.k-cli:tgranr.il rncAS- tainsonc- o[ t]rc iirst r,ndenr,,tcr rlcptlr t.r,ntoLrr.s.. rrlccl pcrspcr:tiverilaning rvhich {ives l thr-cr-- In 1757 Philiq;pe Iirrache. a I:renr,h scosra- tiirncnsionalirnplessiorr of lenriforrn. pher. incluciccltrro .i (.'artrs r.harts interesri:t lris Tlre sc-t'ondl)rolrlc. ('lltitl('(l C)ou1t,.rit i,tnt/'t rle tt tabie.; 'ta tlc la gttttqrapltie l:itt,sirtut:etr ttutureiit;.r, rrtt:rt'tttrt d',-7frirluc ci L'-,ltttcriqttci,3{l auci The first chart. entitlc.tl Carte dt-.i,)L.catr i (;rr elso ntcasurecl in bt'asses.is of :r. trlrnstct frr_rrn I'iquateur, orisinallv pubiished in 1737. contains \\'est ;\frica to Ilrazil. Br,rache'ssecond cirart, first l tli) publishcclin 17i2. is the vc'rl interestinqand inr- Cailao. Geometric mcasrlrements u-ere used for l)ortarlt Oartt t tt crtuf(.r du Cana! dc l,t iieiehts ancl locations benr.t'en tire nrountains. AI ancltr.tn This plate contains a rnttch morc \'Ieasurernent oi this cquatoriai arc and similar sophisticateclrlrofile of tire rniddle of the Enqlish arcs in tlre hich latitudes of Lapland and the mid- Clrenncl.