wre those men doing, ked Little Damiu, pointing to the gentleman' with the theodolite, the gentleman with the staff decorated with a cross between an archery target and a traffic signal, and to the Chinese assistants who were busy stretching a steel tape the length of the street.
"They are surveying, dear, and incidentally are monarchs of all they survey. They wish to ascertain the width of the street." jut why don't they measure it across, then, and get -done with it?" the youngster wanted to know, "Because that would be far too simple, my son," explained hi mother. "It would be all over in 'a moment and no one would have! been inconvenienced. Besides, it! would deprive the gentleman with! the, theodolte of a chance to show "What is a theodolite, Mother?"
"It is portable instrument for determining horizontal and vertical angles.
ado not understand that, Mother."
"Neither does the gentleman who is using the instrument, Damiu."
"Then why does he keep on. gazing! through it "He is anxious to satisfy himself, that* the gentleman with: the. staff at the other end of the. street is looking: as.well as usual".
Sof"Dees the instrument.take., photor graphs, Mother?" 2004
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.