the life of thomas telford-第13章

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their　sway　on　Dartmoor；　where　there　exist　no　less　than　three

distinct　kinds　white；　black；　and　grey；*＇9＇and　there　are　still

professors　of　witchcraft；　male　as　well　as　female；　in　most　of　the

villages。



As　might　be　expected；　the　pack…horses　held　their　ground　in　Dartmoor

the　longest；　and　in　some　parts　of　North　Devon　they　are　not　yet

extinct。　　When　our　artist　was　in　the　neighbourhood；　sketching　the

ancient　bridge　on　the　moor　and　the　site　of　the　old　fair；　a　farmer

said　to　him；　〃I　well　remember　the　train　of　pack…horses　and　the

effect　of　their　jingling　bells　on　the　silence　of　Dartmoor。

My　grandfather；　a　respectable　farmer　in　the　north　of　Devon；　was　the

first　to　use　a　'butt'　（a　square　box　without　wheels；　dragged　by　a

horse）　to　carry　manure　to　field；　he　was　also　the　first　man　in　the

district　to　use　an　umbrella；　which　on　Sundays　he　hung　in　the

church…porch；　an　object　of　curiosity　to　the　villagers。〃　　We　are　also

informed　by　a　gentleman　who　resided　for　some　time　at　South　Brent'；

on　the　borders　of　the　Moor；　that　the　introduction　of　the　first　cart

in　that　district　is　remembered　by　many　now　living；　the　bridges

having　been　shortly　afterwards　widened　to　accommodate　the　wheeled

vehicles。



The　primitive　features　of　this　secluded　district　are　perhaps　best

represented　by　the　interesting　little　town　of　Chagford；　situated　in

the　valley　of　the　North　Teign；　an　ancient　stannary　and　market　town

backed　by　a　wide　stretch　of　moor。　　The　houses　of　the　place　are

built　of　moor　stonegrey；　venerable…looking；　and　substantialsome

with　projecting　porch　and　parvise　room　over；　and　granite…mullioned

windows；　the　ancient　church；　built　of　granite；　with　a　stout　old

steeple　of　the　same　material；　its　embattled　porch　and　granite…groined

vault　springing　from　low　columns　with　Norman…looking　capitals；

forming　the　sturdy　centre　of　this　ancient　town　clump。



A　post…chaise　is　still　a　phenomenon　in　Chagford；　the　roads　and

lanes　leading　to　it　being　so　steep　and　rugged　as　to　be　ill　adapted

for　springed　vehicles　of　any　sort。　　The　upland　road　or　track　to

Tavistock　scales　an　almost　precipitous　hill；　and　though　well　enough

adapted　for　the　pack…horse　of　the　last　century；　it　is　quite

unfitted　for　the　cart　and　waggon　traffic　of　this。　　Hence　the　horse

with　panniers　maintains　its　ground　in　the　Chagford　district；　and

the　double…horse；　furnished　with　a　pillion　for　the　lady　riding

behind；　is　still　to　be　met　with　in　the　country　roads。



Among　the　patriarchs　of　the　hills；　the　straight…breasted　blue　coat

may　yet　be　seen；　with　the　shoe　fastened　with　buckle　and　strap　as　in

the　days　when　George　III。　was　king；　and　old　women　are　still　found

retaining　the　cloak　and　hood　of　their　youth。　　Old　agricultural

implements　continue　in　use。　　The　slide　or　sledge　is　seen　in　the

fields；　the　flail；　with　its　monotonous　strokes；　resounds　from　the

barn…floors；　the　corn　is　sifted　by　the　windstowthe　wind　merely

blowing　away　the　chaff　from　the　grain　when　shaken　out　of　sieves　by

the　motion　of　the　hand　on　some　elevated　spot；　the　old　wooden　plough

is　still　at　work；　and　the　goad　is　still　used　to　urge　the　yoke　of

oxen　in　dragging　it　along。



＇Image＇　The　Devonshire　Crooks



〃In　such　a　place　as　Chagford；〃　says　Mr。　Rowe；　〃the　cooper　or　rough

carpenter　will　still　find　a　demand　for　the　pack…saddle；　with　its

accompanying　furniture　of　crooks；　crubs；　or　dung…pots。　　Before　the

general　introduction　of　carts；　these　rough　and　ready　contrivances

were　found　of　great　utility　in　the　various　operations　of　husbandry；

and　still　prove　exceedingly　convenient　in　situations　almost；　or

altogether；　inaccessible　to　wheel…carriages。　　The　long　crooks　are

used　for　the　carriage　of　corn　in　sheaf　from　the　harvest…field　to

the　mowstead　or　barn；　for　the　removal　of　furze；　browse；

faggot…wood；　and　other　light　materials。　　The　writer　of　one　of　the

happiest　effusions　of　the　local　muse；*＇10＇　with　fidelity　to　nature

equal　to　Cowper　or　Crabbe；　has　introduced　the　figure　of　a

Devonshire　pack…horse　bending　under　the　'swagging　load'　of　the

high…piled　crooks　as　an　emblem　of　care　toiling　along　the　narrow　and

rugged　path　of　life。　　The　force　and　point　of　the　imagery　must　be

lost　to　those　who　have　never　seen　（and；　as　in　an　instance　which

came　under　my　own　knowledge；　never　heard　of）　this　unique　specimen

of　provincial　agricultural　machinery。　The　crooks　are　formed　of　two

poles；*＇11＇　about　ten　feet　long；　bent；　when　green；　into　the

required　curve；　and　when　dried　in　that　shape　are　connected　by

horizontal　bars。　　A　pair　of　crooks；　thus　completed；　is　slung　over

the　pack…saddleone　'swinging　on　each　side　to　make　the　balance

true。'　The　short　crooks；　or　crubs；　are　slung　in　a　similar　manner。

These　are　of　stouter　fabric；　and　angular　shape；　and　are　used　for

carrying　logs　of　wood　and　other　heavy　materials。　The　dung…pots；　as

the　name　implies；　were　also　much　in　use　in　past　times；　for　the

removal　of　dung　and　other　manure　from　the　farmyard　to　the　fallow　or

plough　lands。　　The　slide；　or　sledge；　may　also　still　occasionally

be　seen　in　the　hay　or　corn　fields；　sometimes　without；　and　in　other

cases　mounted　on　low　wheels；　rudely　but　substantially　formed　of

thick　plank；　such　as　might　have　brought　the　ancient　Roman's　harvest

load　to　the　barn　some　twenty　centuries　ago。〃



Mrs。　Bray　says　the　crooks　are　called　by　the　country　people

〃Devil's　tooth…picks。〃　　A　correspondent　informs　us　that　the　queer

old　crook…packs　represented　in　our　illustration　are　still　in　use　in

North　Devon。　　He　adds：　〃The　pack…horses　were　so　accustomed　to　their

position　when　travelling　in　line　（going　in　double　file）　and　so

jealous　of　their　respective　places；　that　if　one　got　wrong　and　took

another's　place；　the　animal　interfered　with　would　strike　at　the

offender　with　his　crooks。〃



Footnotes　for　Chapter　III。



*＇1＇　'Three　Years'　Travels　in　England；　Scotland；　and　Wales。'

By　James　Brome；　M。A。；　Rector　of　Cheriton；　Kent。　　London；　1726。



*＇2＇　The　treatment　the　stranger　received　was　often　very　rude。

When　William　Hutton；　of　Birmingham；　accompanied　by　another　gentleman；

went　to　view　the　field　of　Bosworth；　in　1770；　〃the　inhabitants；〃

he　says；　〃set　their　dogs　at　us　in　the　street；　merely　because　we　were

strangers。　　Human　figures　not　their　own　are　seldom　seen　in　these

inhospitable　regions。　　Surrounded　with　impassable　roads；　no

intercourse　with　man　to　humanise　the　mind。　　nor　commerce　to　smooth

their　rugged　manners；　they　continue　the　boors　of　Nature。〃

In　certain　villages　in　Lancashire　and　Yorkshire；　not　very　remote　from

large　towns；　the　appearance　of　a　stranger；　down　to　a　comparatively

recent　period；　excited　a　similar　commotion　amongst　the　villagers；

and　the　word　would　pass　from　door　to　door；　〃Dost　knaw'im？〃　〃Naya。〃

〃Is　'e　straunger？〃　〃Ey；　for　sewer。〃　　〃Then　paus'　'im　'Eave　a　duck

＇stone＇　at　'im　Fettle　'im！〃　　And　the　〃straunger〃　would　straightway

find　the　〃ducks〃　flying　about　his　head；　and　be　glad　to　make　his

escape　from　the　village　with　his　life。



*＇3＇　Scatcherd；　'History　of　Morley。'



*＇4＇　Murray's　'　Handbook　of　Surrey；　Hants；　and　Isle　of　Wight；'　168。



*＇5＇　Whitaker's　'History　of　Craven。'



*＇6＇　Scatcherd's　'History　of　Morley；'　226。



*＇7＇　Vixen　Tor　is　the　name　of　this　singular…looking　rock。　　But　it

is　proper　to　add；　that　its　appearance　is　probably　accidental；　the

head　of　the　Sphynx　being　produced　by　the　three　angular　blocks　of

rock　seen　in　profile。　　Mr。　Borlase；　however；　in　his　'　Antiquities

of　Cornwall；'　expresses　the　opinion　that　the　rock…basins　on　the

summit　of　the　rock　were　used　by　the　Druids　for　purposes　connected

with　their　religious　ceremonies。



*＇8＇　The　provisioning　of　London；　now　grown　so　populous；　would　be

almost　impossible　but　for　the　perfect　system　of　roads　now

converging　on　it　from　all　parts。　　In　early　times；　London；　like

country　places；　had　to　lay　in　its　stock　of　salt…provisions　against

winter；　drawing　its　supplies　of　vegetables　from　the　country　within

easy　reach　of　the　capital。　　Hence　the　London　market…gardeners

petitioned　against　the　ex