102 Mr. Moore's Remarks on the Origin of Rock-basins; 



Mr. Bray ley's communication may be, he should have been 

 more gratified by " the breach than the observance" of this 

 instance of civility; not because he had any aversion to his 

 opinion on the origin of rock-basins undergoing the test of 

 investigation, but because it was obviously improper to render 

 a work on topography the vehicle of controversy by the 

 writers of it ; and also, as he never meant to lay any stress on 

 his own opinion on that subject, he did not wish it to be made 

 a prominent subject in the above-mentioned work ; nor more- 

 over had he any intention of arguing the question fully in the 

 slight notice which he had taken of it there. However, as 

 Mr. Brayley has endeavoured to show the futility of this opi- 

 nion at considerable length, some sort of reply seems to be ne- 

 cessary, and the following remarks are therefore respectfully 

 submitted to the candour of the reader who may feel inter- 

 ested in the subject. 



Since the article alluded to has been published, an intel- 

 ligent and highly respectable correspondent in Devonshire, 

 who is said to be excelled by none in an acquaintance with 

 the antiquities and other curiosities of Dartmoor, has favoured 

 the writer with the following observations, which he begs 

 leave to insert as corresponding with what was suggested to his 

 own mind by the little which he himself saw, and by all that 

 he heard of the rock-basins in this district. " Respecting rock- 

 basins much diversity of opinion has existed; but whoever 

 will inspect them must be convinced of their artificial ori- 

 gin. To all appearance they have a connection with other 

 relics found in their neighbourhood ; for it may be remarked, 

 that these rock-basins are generally situated on tors which 

 overlook or border on the remains of the ancient British vil- 

 lages on the moor. They are also very distinguishable from 

 the hollows worn by the effects of weather, these basins being 

 often of very regular figure, arid cut in the hardest rocks, 

 where no other derangement of the surface is visible." 



On the opposite side of the question, Dr. MacCulloch, as 

 quoted by Mr. Brayley, has observed, " The true origin of 

 rock-basins is easily traced by inspecting the rocks themselves, 

 where they are found." Such is the opinion of my corre- 

 spondent just quoted; but that correspondent was also con- 

 vinced that such inspection would necessarily lead to a con- 

 clusion directly opposed to Dr. MacCulloch's. And the 

 only proof which this distinguished writer has adduced as 

 furnished by the appearance of the rocks is the following : 

 " On examining the excavations they will always be found 



to 



