92 The Ancient Stone Crosses in Carrington's Dartmoor^ which, however, in its main features is, probably, a correct representation of the tomb. The stone measured two feet three inches across. At the distance of thirteen inches from the bottom the comers were chamfered, which gave it an octagonal shape, and five inches higher the sides were sloped. This was continued to the top of the stone, the slope measuring five inches. One side of the socket, measuring eleven inches, was entire, the greater part of another, measuring nine inches, and a small portion of a third. Its depth was five inches. Not far from this stone I found another, with smoothed surfaces, three feet seven inches in length, and about thirteen inches square. On one side it had not been worked through- out, a portion in the centre about a third of its length being left in a rough state. I consider this stone to be one of those that formed the upper step of the pedestal or calvary, the unworked side being, of course, the inner one. The smoothed ends on that side were rendered necessary in order to ensure its fitting closely against the stones which ran at right angles to it. This stone shows us that the upper stage of the pedestal was about three and a half feet square. The third stone was discovered at the opp)osite side of the mound, and was a much smaller one. It had been smoothed and squared, but was only eighteen inches long, and was evidently a fragment. Such was all that my investigations on the site of the venerable monument brought to light. Early in the nine- teenth century it was standing in the solitude of the moor, the storms and buffetings of the hundreds of winters that had passed since first it was reared having left it uninjured. But the spoliator came, and that which time had spared speedily fell beneath his hand. We cannot but feel indignant when we reflect upon the wanton destruction of this ancient sepulchre. The writer of the notes to Carrington*s Dartmoor states that some of the stones of the tomb were appropriated for build- ing and doorsteps, but investigations made several years ago lead me to believe that not many of them were taken to the farmhouse. The three stages forming the pedestal were composed, as already stated, of twelve stones, and of these we have seen one lying near the kistvaen. Three
