Peer

The spell Peer - in the older times of Ultima IV called View - is needed for orientation in the wilderness or dungeons.

Spell Description
If the mage needs a quick overview of the current surroundings, Peer is just the right thing. It shows an overhead view of the area around the mage in the form of a magical map. This map helps wise spellcasters to properly orient themselves if lost in the wilderness or deep within a dungeon. However, it doesn't warn the caster of the nature of any nearby enemies. For that task, the Wizard Eye spell should be employed to spy out possible enemies.

The spell has the same effect as Peer Gems (as well as the magical Mapping Helms found in Ultima II).

History
For the longest time, it was only possible to use magical items to get a magical overview of the surroundings. It was not until the last Age of Darkness in Ultima III that the spel Vieda allowed to do such without having to rely on special item. With the founding off Britannia, that magic was further developed in the Peer spell as we know it, thought at first it was called View.

Of note is that by the Age of Armageddon the spell had lost much of its usefulness. During that time, it could only show the position of the mage on the world. Even though that also worked while being underground - something a sextant logically couldn't accomplish - it was far less useful than its earlier incarnations.

Trivia

 * The spell was omitted from the C64-Port of Ultima VI.
 * In Ultima VII a sextant and map of Britannia have the same effect, the spell essentially having become useless.