Page:Petty 1851 The Down Survey.djvu/365



the month of March, 1656, thirteen months after its commencement, dated from 1st February, 1655 (see p. 46), Dr. Petty, having completed the survey, "soe far as concernes my engagement," made application to the Council, as to what examination of the work, and what certificate, were considered necessary before payment was made to him, for which he felt obliged to press, that he might close with, and discharge his surveyors and assistants; for the consideration of which the council, on the 10th of March, appointed a committee, which met on the 11th, to deliberate. Colonel Thomlinson, a member of council, in the chair; after which, on the same day, the committee was re-appointed, with the omission of Colonel Hewson, Colonel Sankey, Colonel Lawrence, and Mr. Worsley; but on the 13th, Mr. Worsley was directed to attend ex officio, and on the 17th the committee reported favourably of the work, having examined, vivâ voce, several of the persons employed, and inspected their field-books, plots, &c. This report is curious, as detailing the mode of proceeding, and the various checks devised by Dr. Petty. It forms, in fact, a pendant to the "Briefe Accompt." On the I5th (? 18th), however, an order issued to Mr. Worsley, to examine and cast up the several plots and books, and "see that the same be duly perfected and returned according to the articles of agreement and contract, or otherwise to state and present the defects of the survey to this board."

This Mr. Worsley undertook to perform in three months. It occupied, however, till the 18th of August, when he presented a report alleging various deficiencies. Dr. Petty replied in great detail, and it must be admitted satisfactorily, indeed triumphantly, for whatever blemishes or shortcomings might be detected in so great a work, performed with such extraordinary rapidity, over so great an extent of country at the same time, there can be no doubt that, on the whole, it exceeded the articles of agreement, and that the delay which will be seen to have taken place in the payment, was vexatious and unjust. Obstructions were probably anticipated from the first committee. It obviously made no progress, and the fact of Colonel Thomlinson, who was not a member of the committee, being in the chair, as a member of council, "as well for the Doctor's credit as for the State's advantage," makes it probable that the exclusion of Colonel Sankey and others, and the attendance of Mr. Worsley at the second committee only as Surveyor-General, was the result of this apprehension. It led, on the contrary, as is usually the case, to yet further delay, from which, however, Dr. Petty emerged more fully at last, as all the objections produced no effect upon the council, and gave rise to the very satisfactory replies of the Doctor, after which he again addressed the council, urging his claim to an early settlement, stating the circumstances under which he entered upon the work, and the difficulties he had to encounter: by want of abstracts of the lands to be surveyed, and, by their imperfection, preventing his distributing his force to the best advantage. The Church and Crown lands having been added afterwards, at a lower rate, though charged with the same amount of repayment from him to the former surveyors;