AbstractDuring researches into cadastral surveying, the author was referred to an article by W. C. van der Sterr which had appeared in the Journal of the Institute of Land Surveyors of Transvaal. It was of course written in the South African context but it has a relevance elsewhere, especially in the field of integrated surveys and in any considerations as to the merits of sporadic or systematic surveys. What seems to be of interest is that it was written in 1912.