276 ACCOUNT of 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. 



Besides, that a people, more civilized than the ancient Ca- 

 ledonians, muft have been in this country before the mofs of Kin- 

 cardine exifted, is completely eftabliihed 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 conflxudled 

 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 lowefl: and wetteft parts, they are funk about two feet un- 

 der the furface. 



This 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 narrowed, towards a road, fuppofed to be Ro- 

 man, 



* That 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 Herodian that favours the fame opinion. That hiftorian 

 mentions the army of Severus paffing t« ir£e@i@*r>iAi>ot ^i-Juaru, -a k«i yJi^a.Ta m 

 Pupuiat ec^yje. He adds, that on this frontier the Barbarians eafily made their 

 efcape, and concealed thcmfelves in the thickets and marjhes. HEROD. Lib. iii 

 cap. 48. 



