276 ACGGOUNT o PEAT-MOSSES 
the river of Carron, which river, where it enters the carfe, and 
ceafes to be fordable, feems to have been the boundary of the 
Roman province *, and the mofs of Kincardine is only twelve 
miles diftant from the ftation at Camelon. Forefts, therefore, in 
either of thefe places would have afforded very convenient refuge 
to the Caledonians, whether they were making incurfions into 
the Roman province, or harafling the Roman armies in their 
expeditions towards the north. 
Besipgs, that a people, more civilized than the ancient Ca- 
ledonians, mutt have been in this country before the mofs of Kin- 
cardine exifted, is completely eftablifhed by the difcovery of a 
road on the furface of the clay at the bottom of that mofs, 
after the peat, to the depth of eight feet, had been remo- 
ved. The part of this road already difcovered is about feventy 
yards long; the breadth of it is four yards, and it is conftruéted 
of trees, meafuring from nine to twelve inches in diameter, laid 
in the direction of the road. Acrofs thefe have been laid other 
trees about half their fize, and the whole has been covered 
with brufhwood. The depth of the materials varies in con- 
formity to the nature of the foil; the trees, which are laid 
lengthwife, being generally on the furface of the clay, but in 
the loweft and wetteft parts, they are funk about two feet un- 
der the furface. 
Tuis road lies acrofs a piece of ground lower than the ad- 
jacent grounds, and its direction is from the Forth acrofs the 
mofs, where it is narroweft, towards a road, fuppofed to be Ro- 
man, 
* Tuar the river Carron was the boundary of the Roman province is rendered 
probable by the fituation of Arthur’s Oven, as it was called, which is fuppofed to 
have been a temple dedicated to Terminus, and erected near the Roman frontier. 
It ftood on the weft fide of the river Carron, or between that river and Kinnaird. 
There is alfo a paflage in Heropran that favours the fame opinion. That hiftorian 
mentions the army of SEVERUS pafling Te mr eof: SArnjxcvee eduard TE xab YOUaTA THs 
Poyasiwr aeync. He adds, that on this frontier the Barbarians eafily made their 
efeape, and concealed themfelves in the thickets and marfbes. ron. Lib. iii. 
cap. 48. 
