[ 3»J J 
XXIV. An Account of the Meofurement of a Bafeon Hounflow- 
Heath. By Major-General William Roy, F, R.S. and A.S. 
Read from April 21 to June 16, 1785. 
INTRODUCTION. 
A CCURATE furveys of a country are univerfaily ad- 
mitted to be works of great public utility, as affording 
thefureft foundation for almoft every kind of internal improve- 
ment in time of peace, and the beft means of forming judi- 
cious plans of defence again ft the invafions of an enemy in 
time of war, in which laft circumftances their importance 
ufually becomes the moft apparent. Hence it happens, that if 
a country has mot actually been furveyed, or is but little known, 
a ftate of warfare generally produces the firft improvements in 
its geography : for in the various movements of armies in the 
field, efpecially if the theatre of war be extenfive, each indi- 
vidual officer has repeated opportunities of contributing, 
according to his fttuation, more or lefs towards its per- 
fection ; and thefe ohfervations being ultimately collected, a 
map is fent forth into the world, confiderably improved indeed, 
but which, being ftill defective, points out the neceffity of 
fomething more accurate being undertaken, when times and 
circumftances may favour the defign. 
The rife and progrefs of the rebellion which broke out in 
the Highlands of Scotland in 1745, and which was finally fup- 
Eee 2 prefted, 
