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What work did James Watt perform as a surveyor in Scotland?
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James Watt
James Watt, oil painting by H. Howard; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Beginning in 1766, James Watt worked as a land surveyor in Scotland for eight years. During this period, he was continuously occupied with marking out routes for canals. This professional commitment was significant because it prevented him from making further progress on his steam engine inventions at that time.1