CONSTRUCTION VII. THE PIER BASE 107

a, Fig. 12; b, the perspective appearance of such a base seen from above; and c, the plan of it.

§ 11. Now I am quite sure the reader is not satisfied of the stability of this form as it is seen at b; nor would he ever

be so with the main contour of a circular base. Observe, we have taken some trouble to reduce the member Y b into this round form, and all that we have gained by doing so, is this unsatisfactory and unstable look of the base; of which the chief reason is, that a circle, unless enclosed by right lines, has never

[Version 0.04: March 2008]