IN Anno. i681, The Lords of Privy Council having appointed John Adair to make a Survey of the whole Kingdom, and form particular Mapps of the ſeveral Shires, in Reſpect there were no exact ones done for them, did ordain a yearly Sellary to be payed him for that end, and recommended the deſign to the Nobility, Gentry, and Burrows, for a futeable incouragement to bear its-charge: But after ſeveral Shires were ſurveyed and exact Mapps of them made up, no thing anſwerable to the Work, or charge thereof could be procured either from Council or Countrey: So that the deſign was in a manner abandoned untill the year 1686 That the Parliament then ſitting were pleaſed to conſider that exact Geographical Mapps would be both honourable, and uſefull to the Inhabitants, and that true Mapps and Deſcriptions of the Sea Coaſt would not only be Honourable and uſeful, but moſt neceſſary for Navigation, and might prevent many Ship-Wracks, and great loſſes occaſioned by the want of them in time paſt. And therefore did form and paſs an Act in favours of the ſaid John Adair, ordaining him forthwith to goe on in the deſign, and for bearing the charge of Land Mapps did Authorize and impower the Heretors in each Shire to meet and impoſe upon their valued Rent, ſuch a Sume as they ſhould think proper to bear the charge of the work, to be uplifted by the Collectors of the Supply, and by them payed in to the ſaid John Adair, when ſurveying or having ſurveyed their reſpective Shires: But this part of the Act being founded only upon a recommendation to the Heretours was not put in Execution, albeit ſeveral Shires were ſurveyed, with reſpect to the ſaid fond, by the ſaid John Adair with great Travel and Expence: Likewiſe for bearing the charge of Navigating the Sea Coaſt, and Iſles, and making Mapps of them, one ſhilling Scots was impoſed upon each Tun of all Ships and other Veſſels belonging to this Kingdom, and two Shillings Scots upon each Tun of Forraign Ships yearly for the ſpace of five years next after the date of the Act, to be uplifted by the Collectors of the Cuſtoms at the ſeveral ports, and by them payed in to the ſaid John yearly at Mertimaſs. But the preſent War which ſhortly followed after, the negligence of ſome Collectors, and the fraud of others, rendered this part alſo of very little or no account, albeit John Adair in obedience to the Act of Parliament did Survey and Navigat the Sea Coaſt from Sunderland point in England to Buchanneſs, and delineat the ſame in eight large Mapps including the Firths and Rivers of Forth and Tay: In which are laid down all the Ports, and Creicks, Headlands, Bayes, Iſlands. Rocks, Sands, Shelves and other hazards, with the marks by which they may be eſcaped, their true bearings and diſtance, the deepings, with the beſt and ordinary places for Anchorage. Which work beſide his hazard and travel coaſt above 300 pound ſtarling: and to render the ſurvey true, and exact, he did buy and bring from Abroad Mathematical Inſtruments and other neceſſars, to the value of 100 pound ſtarling, alſo he brought over from Holland one Moxon an engraver to whom he payed 70 pound ſtarling which in all will be three times as much as was got from the Collectors upon the account of the Tunnage.

After all theſe diſcouragements, and diſappointments ſome three years agoe ſeveral Noblemen, and Gentlemen from a ſenſe of the uſefulneſs of the ſaid deſign, propoſed the cutting of the Mapps already done, and Printing of them, with a Deſcription be way of Subſcriptions and made account that 600 or 700 ſubſeribers might be got at 20 Shill. ſtarling each and the one half being payed per advance might bear the Charge, But this project ſucceeded no better than the former, for of that number not one hundred was procured, which being of no proportion to the deſign the money uplifted from the ſubſcribers (except very little) was let remain in the hands of thoſe who received it, and may be returned upon giving up the Receits granted for it. So that the Advance made upon that head, as the buying Capper plates cutting of Mapps bringing home Paper and gathering in the Accounts of natural curioſities and monuments of Antiquity through the Kingdom, for making up the deſcriptions, was performed at the expence of the ſaid John Adair, who by it, and what he had beſtowed formerly hath not only ſpent what money he could procure of his own, but alſo hath contracted conſiderable debt, ſo that he is rendered incapable to proceed any farther in ſo good a work.

This is humbly Repreſented that his Grace his Majeſties Commiſſioner, and High Court of Parliament may know and conſider the ſtate and condition of a deſign which truely concerns the Honour and Intereſt of the Kingdom though more particularly of theſe who travel by Sea, as many ſadd and dayly examples occaſioned by the want of exact Mapps and Deſcriptions of the Sea Coaſt and Iſles of this Kingdom do teſtifie.

As to the progreſs made in the Work, with an Account of the Money beſtowed upon it, and what in modeſt Computation it will yet coaſt before it can be perfected. The Report of a Committe of the privy Council lately appointed to examine the ſame lying ſubſcribed in the Clerk of the Councils hands, may not only be ſeen, but likewiſe the Mapps, and accounts themſelves are ready to be ſhewn to any who ſhall call for them.