A BOTANICAL TOUR. 121 



brella in hand, fought my way to the Barbican of Oystermouth Castle. I found 

 one advantage from this aqueous exploration, which is not common in visiting 

 Welch castles — no soul disturbed my reveries, or dissipated my visions of Norman 

 knights, by too plain intimations that the image of William the Fourth was 

 more desirable in the eyes of the present generation than that of William the 

 First. One of the apartments occupied by the soldiery, in the strongest part of 

 the castle, with its vaulted roof, strong pillars, and deep embayed windows, is 

 very entire, and here I paced to and fro for some time, conjuring up the forms of 

 mailed warriors looking out upon their savage and wildly clamourous besiegers. 

 I gazed long from the apartment over the gateway, but was unable to pierce the 

 fog that hung upon all the surrounding country, and even hid the wide-spreading 

 ocean in its embrace, while no sight of animal or human being, and no sound of 

 animation or melody, disturbed the solemnly falling rain. Gathering, therefore, 

 the CocMearice now festooning the walls of the baronial apartments, in place of its 

 once figured tapestry, and hastily dashing by the dripping Ivy that covers the 

 exterior walls, I again sought the comforts of the Mermaid, from whence finding 

 I could only return to Swansea in a miscellaneous Sociable, with a host of broad- 

 faced, laughing, Flemish-descended lasses, I fixed myself and my plants, with some 

 little pressure, as I best could, among the black beaver hats and scarlet shawls, 

 and was rumbled and shook along, for the intervening three miles, at a good 

 rattling pace, till the narrow clock -tower and arched parapet of Swansea Castle, 

 rising amidst the modern houses that now almost choak it up, again met my view. 



The next morning proved so eminently beautiful, that I could not resist a 

 ramble to the romantic shores of Caswell Bay, climbing its cliffs and gazing upon 

 the long and magnificent swell of ocean, pouring its waves upon the dark under- 

 mined rocks. I found it no easy task, however, to mount the rocks northward of 

 the bay, some ill-natured farmer of the land, and perhaps hater of the picturesque- 

 hunting " Saesenach," having so blockaded the path with a formidable barrier of 

 stones to the very verge of the cliff, where besides a chevaux-de-frize of thorns 

 had been placed, that it required some patience and determination to surmount 

 the obstacle. A number of Privet-bushes (Ligustrum vulgare) crowned the 

 summit of the cliff, where also the white Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) was 

 very abundant. The sea-view from hence is very fine, particularly northward, 

 but the bushes and shrubs crouching almost to the very earth, testify the prevail- 

 ing power and terrific influence of the western gales. Between this spot and 

 Oystermouth, the Aspidium aculeatum occurred in great magnitude and luxuri- 

 ance in a ravine, and a variety of Sambucus nigra, with beautifully variegated 

 leaves. 



On my return, the bay of Swansea sparkled with the effulgent radiance of de- 

 parting day, happy groups were loitering upon its shores, and far beyond the long- 



