ating through the soil, stagnate, and cause, at
the same time, decay and vicious vegetation. They are seldom deep, and
can usually be reclaimed by subsoiling or otherwise breaking the pan,
and so drying the upper layers of bog. Bog-turf is largely employed on
Exmoor as fuel. On other precipitous descents, winter torrents have
washed away all the earth, and left avalanches of bare loose stones,
called, in the western dialect, "crees." To descend these crees at a
slapping pace in the course of a stag-hunt, requires no slight degree of
nerve; but it is done, and is not so dangerous as it looks.

Exmoor may be nothing strange to those accustomed to the wild, barren
scenery. To one who has known country scenes only in the best-cultivated
regions of England, and who has but recently quitted the perpetual roar
of London, there is something strangely solemn and impressive in the
deep silence of a ride across the forest. Horses bred on the moors, if
left to themselves, rapidly pick their way through pools and bogs, and
canter smoothly over dry flats of natural meadow; creep safely down the
precipitous descents, and climb with scarcely a puff of distress these
steep ascents; splash through fords in the trout-streams, swelled by
rain, without a moment's hesitation, and trot along sheep-paths,
bestrewed with rolling stones, without a stumble: so that you are
perfectly at liberty to enjoy the luxury of excitement, and follow out
the winding valleys, and study the rich brown and purple herbage.

It was while advancing over a great brown plain in the centre of the
moor, with a deep valley on our left, that our young quick-eyed guide
suddenly held up his hand, whispering, "Ride on without seeming to take
notice; there are the deer." A great red stag, lying on the brown grass,
had sprung up, and was gazing on our party--too numerous and too
brightly attired to be herdsmen, whom he would have allowed to pass
without notice. Behind him were clustered four hinds and a calf. They
stood still for some minutes watching our every movement, as we tried to
approach them in a narrowing circle. Then the stag moved off slowly,
with stately, easy, gliding steps, constantly looking back. The hinds
preceded him: they reached the edge of the valley, and disappeared. We
galloped up, and found that they had exchanged the slow retreat for a
rapid flight, clearing every slight or suspicious obstacle with a grace,
ease, and swiftness it was delightful to wi