On the Hill of AR THUR's SEAT. 7 



caufe, by the infpedtion of the turf cut up, and compared with 

 that immediately contiguous to the track ; for, on that occafion, 

 nothing was found that could give any light into the nature of 

 the operation. 



From the narration of appearances already made, the hiflory 

 of what has happened fince that fummer, 1776, will be extreme- 

 ly fliort, and may be comprehended in two or three words. 



In the fummer 1776, there was prognofticated a fucceflion 

 of appearances fimilar to thofe which, from the obfervations 

 then made, had been concluded as having already come to pafs, 

 and been tranfacfled with a certain regularity in a former period 

 of time. The event has fully juftified the judgment which 

 was formed at that time, refpedling the order and regularity of 

 the appearances, and has alfo left us in the fame ftate of uncer- 

 tainty, or rather ignorance, with regard to the caufe. 



In the fpring, about the month of April, the grafs begins 

 gradually to wither and decay. It is perfedly dead in a little 

 time, that is, in a week or two, and then appears white or wi- 

 thered. Thus, every plant being killed in the new track, 

 thofe vegetable bodies, expofed to heat and moiflure, gradually 

 decay, fo as next year to exhibit a dark or black, inllead of a 

 light or white track, which it had been the year before ; but 

 during the fecond year, the dead plants are ftill obferved in the 

 turf, which, as it begins to get new plants, lofes gradually the 

 appearance of the old ones, until at laft little more can be ob- 

 ferved, than a broad fhade of a much deeper green, which, 

 on the one fide, is compared with the natviral verdure into 

 which it fometimes feems gradually to terminate ; whereas, on 

 ►the other fide, the deep green colour of the ground formerly 

 tracked, is contrafted with the yellow or Ught colour of the wi- 

 thered grafs. 



From the infpedion of the ground, and the hiftory of what 

 has been obferved to happen, nothing is more evident than that 

 this regular fucceffive operation has been now repeated, at leaft 



in 



