Scotland/Scots > Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland

342 A JOURNEY TO THE
vd unprovided with inftruments for taking
heights and diftances.
There is yet another caufe of errour not
always ealily furmounted, though more
dangerous to the veracity of itinerary narra¬
tives, than imperfedl menfuration. An
obferver deeply imprefled by any remark¬
able fpe&acle, does not fuppofe, that the
traces will foon vanifh from his mind,
and having commonly no great conve¬
nience for writing, defers the defcription to
a time of more leifure, and better accom¬
modation.
He who has not made the experiment,
or who is not accuftomed to require ri¬
gorous accuracy from himfelf, will fcarcely
believe how much a few hours take from
certainty of knowledge, and diftin&nefs of
imagery ; how the fucceffion of objedfs will
be broken, how feparate parts will be con-
fufed, and how many particular features
and;