18 
THE MOOR ORIGINALLY BARREN f 
the county, the violence of its winds and the 
bleakness of its air, great difficulties are encountered 
in raising timber in any but sheltered situations ; 
but, though the climate is thus unfriendly in its 
present state, and seemingly refuses to give support 
to vegetable life, it is to be considered whether 
there be any plausible objection to the proposition, 
of Dartmoor, having in a former period supported 
a very different aspect, and been under the influence 
of a. different kind of climate—an atmosphere, not 
deteriorated by great barrenness anduselesshumidi- 
ty. If the climate of a district depended simply on its 
situation, geographically and altitudinally, there 
could be no room left for this surmise, but it being 
notorious that its condition in respect of cultivation 
and wood, has considerable influence, and it being 
further ascertained, that the remnants of a forest 
are from time to time disclosed within the precincts 
of the moor, sunk deep in its bogs and peat; it 
being also shewn, that beasts of chace once held 
dominion in this tract, and must in consequence, 
have had woods to shelter them; there being in 
the centre of the moor, a small patch of oaks called 
“ Wistman’s Woodlastly, there being no prima 
facie obstacle in the soil, or rather rock of Dartmoor, 
and nothing to render the lowness of the temper¬ 
ature insuperable to modification when once the' 
operation of planting has been fairly begun, the 
principles of the above proposition may be 
considered established on the ground of extreme 
probability. It may be added, that as the Druids 
formerly inhabited Dartmoor, it is hardly possible 
to conceive that the country was devoid of timber, 
and of vegetation for the purpose of building, and 
for the support of cattle.* So far from any objection 
* Diodorus Siculus describes the dwellings of the ancient 
Britons of his time as u poor cottages constructed of wood, and 
