90 WHITE 



LETTER XLII 



SELBORNE, March gth, 1775. 



PEAR SIR, Some future faunist, a man of fortune, will, I 

 hope, extend his visits to the kingdom of Ireland ; a new field 

 and a country little known to the naturalist. He will not, it 

 is to be wished, undertake that tour unaccompanied by a 

 botanist, because the mountains have scarcely been sufficiently 

 examined ; and the southerly counties of so mild an island 

 may possibly afford some plants little to be expected within 

 the British dominions. A person of a thinking turn of mind 

 will draw many just remarks from the modern improvements 

 of that country, both in arts and agriculture, where premiums 

 obtained long before they were heard of with us. The man- 

 ners of the wild natives, their superstitions, their prejudices, 

 their sordid way of life, will extort from him many useful re- 

 flections. He should also take with him an able draughtsman; 

 for he must by no means pass over the noble castles and seats, 

 the extensive and picturesque lakes and waterfalls, and the 

 lofty stupendous mountains, so little known, and so engaging 

 to the imagination when described and exhibited in a lively 

 manner ; such a work would be well received. 



As I have seen no modern map of Scotland, I cannot pre- 

 tend to say how accurate or particular any such may be ; but 

 this I know, that the best old maps of that kingdom are very 

 defective. 



The great obvious defect that I have remarked in all maps 

 of Scotland that have fallen in my way is a want of a colored 

 line, or stroke, that shall exactly define the just limits of that 

 district called the Highlands. Moreover, all the great avenues 

 to that mountainous and romantic country want to be well 

 distinguished. The military roads formed by General Wade 

 are so great and Roman-like an undertaking that they well 

 merit attention. My old map, Moll's Map, takes notice of 

 Fort William, but could not mention the other forts that have 

 been erected long since; therefore a good representation of 

 the chain of forts should not be omitted. 



The celebrated zigzag up the Coryarich must not be passed 



