370 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
fresh and as smooth as when they were first cut. Uufortunately, this perhaps 
most splendid Druidical remain in tlic kingdom, was sold by the farmer, Mr. 
Amory, on whose estate the rock lay, to a granite-mason of Exeter, who, an 
old and experienced hand, considered this the hardest and best piece of rock he 
had ever worked. No siga of apparent stratification, no tabular formation, no 
flaw, no crack in any part, but one soKd, compact mass, without sigu of decay 
anywhere. The ])lau of all these basins is the cu-cle. Thus lias this beautiful 
reuniant of the past l)een lost to us, and methinks Mr. Jones' remarks in this 
instance wiU quite f;iil in their application. The carving of the bullock and the 
circles are so decidedly Druidie, and the character of the rock so diifereut from 
what is laid down in Mr. Jones' remarks, that the contrary conclusion must of 
necessity be come to, viz., that this rock-basin at least was not caused by 
atmospheric action. There are many others which, though not so elaborate, 
must yet be put down in the same category. Some of the basins are indeed 
carved on rounded tors, the sides of which are sloping or smooth, and in which the 
projectmg beds are neither frequent nor bold ; such as do project being for the 
most part rounded at the edges, simply because the carvers looked not so much 
at the degree of hardness of the rock as to its position for the required piu'pose : 
therefore, as might be expected, the atmospheric and aqueous agency of cen- 
turies have elongated the circles by the wearing of their sides in the maimer 
described by Mr. Jones. Moreover, these rock-basins are not found in any part 
of the world where those executors of mystic forms coidd not reach to work, or 
wliere, perhaps, Druidie rites were not known. Surely, if the atmosphere is 
the cause, these rock-basins might be found in all granite regions, and in all 
latitudes. 
Whilst speaking of rock-basins I may perhaps mention the locality where 
they may be found in another and very diiferent material. About a mde from 
the town of Chudleigh, and within nine or ten mUcs of the district I liave been 
speaking of, is Ugbrooke Park, the seat of Lord Clifford, one of the most 
beautiful for scenery, both near and distant, in the kingdom. Aqueous agency 
in the old time did much for this beautifid park, in the conformation of the 
ground, from many parts of which bold masses of coralline rock, known as 
l)evonslure marble, protrude from the surface. Near what was once a Danish 
encampment — which has a high mound round it about a mile in extent, and 
is as near a circle as possible — is a deep rocky gorge about haK a mile in 
length, the walls in many places being quite per])endicular for a depth of 
])erhaps two hundred or three hundred feet, in other places the slope from 
the top to the bottom is gradual and thickly wooded. Along this are 
footpaths to the bottom, and to various parts of the rocks. In the hollow 
lie some of the debris of tliis chasm — some blocks of stone, being cubes 
})robably of twenty feet each way. Amongst these blocks flows a brook 
of beautiful water, sometimes bounding over them in cascades. We need 
not search far for the principal cause of the formation of this gorge. It 
is due to that frisking, sparkling brook (very often a torrent) at the foot. 
In these rocks are several large caverns where stalagmite and stalactite may be 
procured in abundance. Beautiful specimens also of magncsian markings on 
t he limestone may at times be had of the quarrymen, but these are very scarce. 
I have some in my collection. There are several mines, chiefly of lead, in the 
neighbourhood, between the town of Chudleigh and the village of Christow, 
wiicre beautiful specimens of minerals may be obtained. Very near also is the 
Bov(;y coal-field, a visit to which will repay the amateur geologist. Possils 
may be obtained by the diligent searcher m many places around. 
But to return to the rock-basins. In the wildest part of the chasm many of 
them may be found cut in the hu-ge blocks of stone. They are uniform in size, 
quite circular, about six feet in diameter, and four or five feet dccji, with flat 
