We report a distributed approximating functional (DAF) fit of the nb initio potential-energy data of Liu [J. Chem. Phys. 58, 1925 (1973)] and Siegbahn and Liu [ibid. 68, 2457 (1978)]. The DAF-fit procedure is based on a variational principle, and is systematic and general. Only two adjustable parameters occur in the DAF leading to a fit which is both accurate (to the level inherent in the input data; RMS error of 0.2765 kcal/mol) and smooth ("well-tempered," in DAF terminology). In addition, the LSTH surface of Truhlar and Horowitz based on this same data [J. Chem. Phys. 68, 2466 (1978)] is itself approximated using only the values of the LSTH surface on the same,grid coordinate points as the at initio data, and the same DAF parameters. The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate that the DAF delivers a well-tempered approximation to a known function that closely mimics the true potential-energy surface. As is to be expected, since there is only roundoff error present in the LSTH input data, even more significant figures of fitting accuracy are obtained. The RMS error of the DAF fit, of the LSTH surface at the input points, is 0.0274 kcal/mol, and a smooth fit, accurate to better than I cm(-1), can be obtained using more than 287 input data points.