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THE ANCIENT STONE CROSSES OF DARTMOOR & ITS BORDERLAND. CHAPTER L An OH World Region and One of its Antiquities* Extent of Dartmoor — The Border Towns — WildnesB of the Moor— The Forest Perambulations — A home of Ancient Castoms — Border Scenery — Antiquities — The Cross an Object of Veneration — Purposes of the Stone Cross — Dartmoor Crosses Rude in Appearance — Their Surroundings— The Border Crosses. The wild and elevated tract of country known as Dartmoor is situated in South Devon, and, according to a report by Dr. Berger, in Moore's history of the county, con- tains nearly three hundred and fifty square miles of surface. Other authorities, however, estimate it to be considerably less in extent, the difference arising accordingly as the several commons lying near what is now considered as Dartmoor proper, have been included or not. These commons partake of its character to a very great degree, and undoubtedly at no distant time formed a part of it. There is a large extent of moorland lying to the eastward of Moretonhampstead and Lustleigh, bounded by the river Teign, which De la Beche, in his Report on the Geology of Coi^nwall, Devon, and West Somerset, considers to be both geologically and geographically a part of Dartmoor, and it was by including this and other similar tracts, that Dr. Berger arrived at the estimate he has given of its size. These portions of moorland have, however, been cut oflF by cultivation from the moor proper, and have not been included by the other authorities when making their estimates. B