The large and maffy ftones," he fays, "that are scattered about in the beds, or near the beds, of the rivers which flow out of Dartmoor, fhew that thefe ftreams were much larger than at present, as they have evidently been much moved, and fome are worn smooth that are now only in the vicinity of the water. This change is chiefly afcribed to our ancient woods having been deftroyed by men and beats. Trees not only abforb much moisture from the atmofphere, that would otherwife be carried off by the winds, but they alfo leffen evaporation, cloathing the ground by their foliage, which would otherwife be expofed to the heat of the fun. In this way the diminution of rivers in America has been accounted for, with great appearance of reafon. For when rains are not evaporated, they must fall into the earth, and fwell the fprings. A great part of the moor was unquestionably covered with wood in former times; and leaves, continually dropping from the trees into the rivers, must certainly have much increased thein. The Yealme must have changed its courfe in former times, as the two ftone bridges of Torr and Pullinch, which crofs it within a mile of each other, instead of being at right angles with the fream, are hardly at any angle at allthe water running almoft parallel with them before it finds its way through the arches. I have obferved the little river Liel fretting and wearing away its feemingly imperishable bed.' Rifdon has mentioned this circumftance; and Camden, long before him, has particularly noticed it. If there had been the fame fpirit for philo. fophical inquiry five hundred years ago, as at the prefent day, from obfervations at that time, we might have affigned fome probable fpace in which this fmall ftream has accomplished fo great a work."

We next attend the author to the fea, with the changes that have taken place on the coaft. On the whole, it would appear that it makes great encroachments on the land :

·--

"While fome parts," he fays, " of the lands of Devonshire are giving way to the waters, others are advancing upon them. But the increafe of our lands bears no proportion to their diminution. Devonshire lofes great quantities of ground continually, both en the north and fouth coafts. In the time of Edward I. Cornwall was much larger than at this day. And when the ill and of St. Nicholas was the emporium of the Devon and Cornish tin trade, that country was more than treble its prefent fize. In short, all the fhores of the island of Great Britain, and Ireland, which are expofed to the Atlantic ocean, are in a constant state of diminution. The fouth-weft part of Ireland lofes hundreds of acres every year. And the western isles of Scotland were once a part of the main land, which is perpetually fubdividing into other ifles. There are facts; to build an hypothefis upon them, I would not prefume."

From the waters of Devonshire, Mr. Polwhele proceeds to the land, and exhibits a view of the country-the foil and

Hh 4

ftone

ftone-strata next to the furface-difpofition of the ftratathe native and extraneous foffils. In his view of the country he begins with Exeter, and defcribes the fituation and aspect of the country in the vicinity of that city, and travels over the country as an obferver of the beauties or deformities of its afpect, giving an account of the nature and extent of prospects which meet the traveller's eye; thence he defcends to a particular confideration of its foil and stone :

"In most parts of the country," he says, "we obferve either the blackish mould, the thin light fhelfy foil, or the reddish or deep red loam. In the north-eaft part of Devon, the black mould is generally feen on Exmoor, and runs through Blackdown and other high contiguous grounds. The western part of Devonshire, border, ing upon Cornwall, the neighbourhood of Tavistock, Brideftow, Oakhampton, Holfworthy, Great Torrington, Chulmleigh, Chagford, Moreton, and all around the skirts of Dartmoor, as well as that large foreft itself, confift of this coarfe moory foil. In many of thefe places there is a ftratum of the black mould upon clay. In others, the yellow clay is the uppermost stratum. This black foil is of fo cold a nature, that on many, of the higher grounds it bears little elfe but four grafs, mofs, and heath, even where it is dry at bottom. In crofts, farther down from the hills, it bears good potatoes; and, in fields, barley and oats, but particularly the latter, I have seen, indeed, good turnips, and wheat on the black mou'd, which has been dreffed with lime and lime afhes. In fome places it is very light, and of a great depth, fo that a walking-ftick, four feet long, may be eafily thruft down to its head. In the very low grounds it is full of water, and on thefe bogs and marthes there can be little vegetation. Some of these bogs, indeed, are of fervice, as affording good peat for firing; one particularly, in North Bovey, about two miles from Moreton."

The fouth-west of England affords much more ample materials for fubterraneous difquifitions than any other part of the island. Before our author defcends into the earth for mineralogical research, he examines the ftrata next the furface;

"The bafis of the country," he obferves, " or what lies below the foil, confifts almoft univerfally of fchiftus, except the places occu pied by marble; and by lava, under the different forms of granite, bafaites, and whinitone. This fchiftus varies much in the degrees of its confiftence, and the thickness of the laminæ. In fome places it is folid, producing flate for the covering of buildings; but, in general, it is of a much fofter texture, being a fort of foliated clay or fhiver, which fometimes breaks into regular quadrangular pieces. The houfe-flate commences at Broadhempfton, proceeds weftward, croifes the Dart, and paffes to the neighbourhood of Plymouth. For a

confiderable

confiderable extent to the fouth and weft of Dartmoor, there are vaft rocks of fine variegated marble, of a confiderable height, that appear infulated in the fchiftus; and others, of great extent, that Occupy their original place fuperior to the fchiftus-the fubftratum of nearly the whole country, between the Teign and the Dart, and between the Yealme and the mouth of the Tamar. In the defcent from Roborough Down to Plymouth, after the granite ceafes to appear, it is fucceeded by fchiftus, from under which rifes marble; and these two fubftances fucceed each other alternately to the fhores that border the Sound, which are compofed partly of marble and partly of fchiftus. There is limeftone in other parts of the county, particularly on the little spot between the Sid and the Ax; but it is nowhere the general fubftratum, except in a great part of that district included within the parishes of Burlefcombe, Holcombe Rogus, Hockworthy, and Bampton, and in the fouth of Devon. At Haldon, the flint-ftone is more extenfive than in any other part of the county, though we meet with it on Blackdown. And, indeed, it is fcattered over many parts of Devonshire, A rock of a very different appearance rifes out of the fchift in feveral places near Exeter, particularly to the north of the city."

From the ftrata near the furface, he proceeds to the difpofition of the ftrata, which is frequently very irregular, of which irregularity he, in many instances, inveftigates the cause. The inclination of fractures of the ftrata fometimes form caverns, these are chiefly clefts or chafms of the limestone. The openings at Chudleigh Rock and Kent's Hole are the moft confiderable in the county, of which he gives a particular defcription. The cliffs and natural caverns have hitherto been the chief fubjects of his examination, but the direction and order of ftones and minerals, Mr. Polwhele is of opinion, may be ascertained in many places, by an inspection of artificial cavities, wells, quarries, clay-pits, coal-pits, or mines. All these he difcuffes with great knowledge and minutenefs. "Of mines," he fays, it is certain that many have been discovered at different times, though few have been worked with vigour or perfeverance.'

The fofils he divides into native and extraneous. Of the native, he takes a view of calcareous fubftances; calcareous earth, mixed with vitriolic acid, with fparry acid, and with filicious earth; and of muriatic fubftances. Devonshire abounds in argillaceous fubftances in every quarter. In the compofition of all the varieties of flate, there is a great mixture of clay.

Of metallic fubftances, there are no authentic accounts of gold being difcovered in Devonshire; little native filver is alfo found there, though the lead mines abound in filver; but

other

other metallic fubftances are in great plenty. There is a very curious account of extraneous foffils annexed to that of the indigenous. Subjoined to this natural hiftory, there are geographical reflections, in which the author concludes, from the phenomena he has ftated, that there have been deluges, volcanoes, and earthquakes in the county; and mentions feveral undoubted teftimonies and known facts actually fupporting the conclufion to which general phenomena led.

From the internal treasures of the earth he proceeds to the productions which appear on its furface, and enumerates a very great multitude of indigenous plants.

From the vegetable he betakes himself to the animal kingdom, beginning with birds, which he divides into land and water fowl; on which fubject he difplays very confiderable knowledge of ornithology. It would appear that Devonshire abounds in variety of birds, more than almost any single county. Of infects the flag-beetle and the mole-cricket appear to be the only ones to be found here that are not equally common to other counties.

From its variety of rivers, its peninfular fituation, and extent of coaft, Devonshire has very great variety of fifh; which the author details with great accuracy, and claffifies with the fkill of a man well acquainted with ichnography.

From the rapidity of the Devonshire ftreams, many of the ufual inhabitants of fmooth waters, fuch as pikes, perch, &c. are rarely to be found.

The reptiles are few in fpecies, being chiefly toads, lizards, vipers, and fnakes. The number of toads is immenfe. The viper is the only venemous animal. The fnake is more common than the viper. Of a creature of the snake fpecies, our author tells the following ftory:

"A fnake, of a monftrous fize, was killed near an old tin-mine, in the parish of Manaton, fome years fince. This fnake had fo greatly alarmed the neighbourhood, that fancy, worked upon by fear, had fwelled it beyond the fize of the human body, had given it legs and wings, had heard it hifs for miles around, and had feen it tranfport itfelf from its accustomed haunt into the diftant fields and woods, and fly back again with the utmoft velocity. The faf einating quality of the fnake is well known. The following fact, therefore, though curious, is not related as extraordinary :-A gen tleman walking in a field, near Exeter, obferved a fnake full three feet long, exerting its powers of fafcination upon a very large toad, whofe fears, at lait, rendered it entirely motionlefs; when the fnake took, into its mouth, the hinder leg and part of the body: the gentleman then stuck the fake on the back, with his ftick, and killed it; notwithstanding which, it retained its hold, and they were brought

brought home in that fituation; the toad, though ftill alive, being unable to difengage itfelf: they are now preferved in fpirits, in the fame ftate in which they were killed.”

Proceeding to quadrupeds, he confiders them under the ufual divifions, to be found in fyftems of zoology. There is no British county in which there is a more numerous variety of dogs, both of common and rare fpecies. The fox is very common. The wolf was formerly very prevalent. The bears, in very early times, were to be found in Devonthire. The wild cat has been driven from this county. The otter abounds very much. That pernicious little animal, the rat, is extremely plentiful. The horfes of Devonshire appear to have been originally fmall, but very strong and hearty. In the hilly parts, the horfes are ftill fmall:

"Though, in general," fays he, "about eleven hands high, and feldom exceeding twelve, they carry heavy burdens up and down precipices with a wonderful agility-a task which larger horfes would be incapable of performing. A number of thefe Exmoor horfes are driven every year to a particular fpot on the moor, where they are beat for fome time, in order to fubdue their wildnefs (when they are caught, and fold fometimes in lots); at other times, fingly-yielding from twenty fhillings to twelve guineas each. Few, however, within the last ten years, have brought lefs than three pounds a horfe. A fmall breed of horfcs on the Holfworthy moors, and on the Downs about Moreton Hamftead, differs little from the Exmoor horfes."

Affes here appear to be more vicious than is ufually the cafe with that patient and laborious animal. The horned cattle here are, alfo, comparatively, fmall; but, in the north of the county, there is a very famous breed, concerning which, the author quotes the account of the Clergyman of Eaft Down, near Barnstaple :

"This country, for about ten or twelve miles round, abounds in a breed of bullocks, remarkable for their beauty, and much coveted, but which degenerate, in two or three generations, if removed into other countries, or even a few miles off. On the contrary, I have obferved, that various other kinds brought here, the mixed breed, have gradually become the fame as the full breed. The farmers choofe to breed only one colour, and are as particular in the points of a bullock as of a horfe: a fmall defect, or difproportioned horn, will depreciate a bullock twenty fhillings. Numbers of bulls are bought at a high price, and fent even to Jamaica. Thirty guineas is the price frequently given for the best bulls."

Devonshire is peculiarly eminent for fheep, of the finest fleece, and moft delicate mutton. Of the fheep, there are

both