THE WILD PONIES ok EXMOOB. 



He built a fence of forty miles around it, made roads, 

 reclaimed a farm for his own use at Simon's Bath, in- 

 troduced Highland cattle on the hills, and set up a 

 considerable stud for improving the indigenous race of 

 ponies, and for rearing full-sized horses. These im- 

 provements* on which some three hundred thousand 

 pounds were sunk, were not profitable ; and it is very 

 doubtful whether any considerable improvements could 

 have been prosecuted successfully, if railways had not 

 brought better markets within reach of the district. 



Coming from a part of the country where ponies are 

 the perquisites of old ladies and little children, and 

 where the nearer a well-shaped horse can be got to six- 

 teen hands the better, the first feeling on mounting a 

 rough little unkemped brute, fresh from the moor, barely 

 twelve hands (four feet) in height, was intensely ridicu- 

 lous. It seemed as if the slightest mistake would send 

 the rider clean over the animal's head. But we learned 

 soon that the indigenous pony, in certain useful quali- 

 ties, is not to be surpassed by animals of greater size 

 and pretensions. 



From the Grange to Simon's Bath (about three 

 miles), the road, which runs through the heart of Ex- 

 moor proper, was constructed, with all the other roads 

 in this vast extra-parochial estate, by the father of the 

 present proprietor, F. Knight, Esq., of Wolverly House, 

 Worcestershire, M.P. for East Worcestershire (Parlia- 

 mentary Secretary of the Poor Law Board, under Lord 

 Derby's Government). In the course of a considerable 

 part of the route, the contrast of wild moorland and 

 high cultivation may be found only divided by the car- 

 riage-way. 



At length, descending a steep hill, we came in sight 

 of a view of which Exmoor and its kindred district in 



