400 DARTMOOR AND THE DART. 



Another quaint little bridge crosses the winding 

 Dart at a most charmingly wild spot, having passed 

 which, we rapidly ascend, and approach Leigh Tor, 

 (pronounced Leftor,) a remarkable ridge of granite, 

 crowning an eminence, which runs for some distance 

 from east to west. We alight to examine it. It 

 consists of enormous blocks, so thrown up as to pre- 

 sent a sharp angular keel to the sky, of course irre- 

 gular and broken, and much more vast than it looks 

 from the road. There was something very noble in 

 its rude magnificence, as we stood against it. The 

 common polypody in profuse abundance was creeping 

 about the sides and points, making thick carpet-like 

 draperies of its many bright green pinnate leaves, 

 while in the dark crevices and obscure holes, over- 

 hung by the leaning blocks of stone, the brood buckler- 

 fern was fine, and wood-sorrel displayed its threefold 

 foliage. 



The woods of the Chace, through which we are 

 still winding, are very beautiful; they are chiefly 

 oak, but there is a great deal of birch, sufficient to 

 give quite a preponderating character ; and the light 

 mobile foliage of this tree, " the lady of the woods/' 

 contrasts well with the massiveness of its lordly com- 

 panion. Ferns, too, are very abundant and luxuriant, 

 especially the blechnum, which I never before saw so 

 fine. 



The travelling becomes increasingly steep ; the pro- 

 spect behind and on either side wider and grander ; 

 the country through which we are passing is more 



