408 DARTMOOR AND THE DART. 



given spot, and impounds every one that has not his 

 mark. 



The sheep arid cattle, though allowed to wander 

 apparently without restraint, are said always to keep 

 company with those of their own flock or herd. We 

 could see this to be true with respect to the sheep ; 

 though we passed a great number in our course over 

 the moor, we never saw those marked with one 

 colour or set of letters mingling with those otherwise 

 marked ; they associated with their own exclusively. 

 These are true " Dartmoor muttons/' a little breed, 

 which you would think to be lambs. The sun was 

 powerful ; and the poor things in this shadowless 

 region were fain to creep up under the north side of 

 the stones, and even to the sides of the shallow pits 

 whence turf had been dug, as an apology for shade, 

 though even when they lay down more than half of 

 their bodies were in the full blaze. 



Just beyond Dinnabridge Pound we see a fine Tor, 

 which bears the name of Belevor, one of the numer- 

 ous eminences in which the name of Bel or Baal is 

 traced; a remnant of the Oriental idolatry which 

 spread its baleful wings over this region in primitive 

 ages. The country hereabout is full of aboriginal 

 monuments, and the Tors rise thickly on the right 

 and in front of us ; the mountains bristle with rocky 

 peaks and points, like monumental stones in a church- 

 yard ; grim memorials of the long, long past. Con- 

 spicuous among them is Longaford Tor, with its 



