170 The Ancient Stone Crosses It is situated immediately beside the path, and consists in reality of two stones, though these were evidently one at some period, having probably been rent asunder, by some convulsion of nature.* One of the stones — the higher one — has seven small crosses cut on it, and the letters SI, S C, AC, with traces of others. The lower stone has the letters I B, I P, of somewhat larger size, with but two crosses graven on it. The larger of these stones measures eight feet and a half long, by about three feet in width, the other being six feet long and about three and a half feet across at its widest part ; this latter is triangular in shape. The Coffin Stone is so called in consequence of its having long been customary to rest the coffin here, when a corpse is being carried to Widecombe-in- the- Moor for burial. The letters are the initials of some whose remains have here been placed for a while when on the journey to the tomb.f I have seen the mourners grouped around this stone, in the quiet stillness of a summer afternoon, while the bearers rested in their toilsome ascent. The blue sky clear and cloudless, the river below laughing in the sunshine, all nature looking bright and joyous, but failing to cheer those hearts saddened and filled with woe. We shall obtain a fine view of the vale above Dartmeet from this spot, and shall not fail to admire its beauties. Various kinds of trees fringe the opposite bank of the stream, and with the enclosures of Brimpts form a striking contrast to the rugged steep on this side of the river, where are numerous rude stone remains, scattered among the natural rocks which are thickly strewn around. The hill is crowned with the granite peak of Yar Tor, which towers high above the narrow vale. We are now on the path which, after tracing across the forest from Walkhampton Common, we left at Dartmeet
- Numbers of stones are found In this state on the moor. A super-
stition connected with them is noticed in an extremely interesting little work, entitled, Dartmoor and its Borders^ by " Tickler " (Elias Tozer) : — " Our kind guide pointed out a stone, * rent in twain/ which he said occurred, in all probability, when Jesus was crucified,*' p. 74. j* Two of those whose names are represented by initials on the stone I knew well. One of them left the moor for the Metropolis, and there some time after I met him. I noticed that the colour was disappearing from his cheek, and in a brief space he returned to Dartmoor to die.
