Ossian Collection > Journey to the western islands of Scotland

342 A JOURNEY TO THE
vel unprovided with inflruments for taking
heights and diftances.
There is yet another caufe of errour not
always eafily furmounted, though more dan-
gerous to the veracity of itinerary narra-
tives, than imperfcdt menfuration. An
obferver deeply imprefled by any remark-
able fpedacle, does not fuppofe, that the
traces will foon vaniih 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, w411 fcarcely
beheve how much a few hours take from
certainty of knowledge, and diftin£lnefs of
imagery ; how the fuccefiion of objeds will
be broken, how feparate parts will be con-
fufed, and how many particular features
and