A description of the part of Devonshire bordering on the Tamar and the Tavy; its natural history, manners, customs, superstitions, scenery, antiquities, biography of eminent persons, etcin a series of letters to Robert Southey . eat at his assuring me he could not moveit in the least. This convinced us he must haveacted as a poise; which was confirmed afterwards by VOL. 1. jyj 242 TOLMEN. [let. our examining; the inclination of the rock, and tliepoint on which he stood. As one part of the rockprojected considerably, it required something on theopposite side to balance it, and when this was re-
A description of the part of Devonshire bordering on the Tamar and the Tavy; its natural history, manners, customs, superstitions, scenery, antiquities, biography of eminent persons, etcin a series of letters to Robert Southey . eat at his assuring me he could not moveit in the least. This convinced us he must haveacted as a poise; which was confirmed afterwards by VOL. 1. jyj 242 TOLMEN. [let. our examining; the inclination of the rock, and tliepoint on which he stood. As one part of the rockprojected considerably, it required something on theopposite side to balance it, and when this was re-moved it destroyed the libration; so that there wasless danger of its falling when he was on it thanotherwise. ^Vllen he was half Avay down, the shep-herd again joined us, with the laugh of stupidwonder, and saying he had observed him on thetop, asked how he could possibly get down. On the same grovipe of rocks is a singularDruidical monument, or tolmen, for such I am con-vinced it is. The word is composed of Toll, a hole,and Mfen, a rock, in the Cornish language. After adescription of this, which is different from any men-tioned by Borlase, we will consider the purposes towhich works of this description Avere apphed. On. the top of a rock, with a flat surface, a stone, ninefeet long, and six wide, is supported by two other XIII.] TOLMEN. 243 stones. One of the supports is placed on the veryedge of the rock. Neither point of bearing is aninch in thickness, so that, in all appearance, a slighteffort would remove it. Through this aperture Icrept, not without apprehension, and took especialcare not to touch its supporter even in the slightestmanner.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdec, bookpublisherlondonmurray, bookyear1836
