Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

USE OF THE COMPASS 71you which way camp lies when you are lost. Sothe first and best place to use it is in camp, beforeyou go anywhere. If there are landmarks visiblefrom camp, take their bearings, and locate them ona sheet of paper or in your notebook. Then, if youare in a flat country, run a base-line as described inChapter III. If in a hilly region, climb the nearestheight, and from it make a sketch map of the surroundingcountry, with streams and prominent landmarksnoted and their bearings shown. Carry thatmap always with you, and add to it as you learn thecountry. No matter how rude it may be, it islikely to come in mighty handy.An experienced woodsman may photograph thelandscape op his brain, but not one city man in ahundred car do so with certainty that it will nothave blurred or faded away when he gets bewildered.So don't let any false modesty keep youfrom using j'^our pencil: the man who laughs at anamateur (or anybody else) for doing so is mostlikely a Reub who never has been a hundred milesfrom his own front door.Keeping a Course.—^When traveling in a regionwhere there are plenty of outlooks, the weather beingclear, the sun and visible landmarks are sufficientguides. When you do use a compass on themarch, and the country is not too difficult, it willbe enough to hold the instrument in one hand, and,without waiting for the needle to stop swinging,note the point midway of the limits of its motionand take that for north, unless the magnetic declinationis considerable (see below).In level, heavily timbered country, one must takegreater pains if he wants to reach a definite point.Lay the compass on the ground, or on any higherobject that will hold it level. Or, if both hands arcjfree, hold it in both of them at half-arm's length,with elbows resting on your sides, so as to bring theInstrument straight in front of the center of yourbodv. Then face some tall tree or other conspicu-