70 WANDERINGS AND POXDERINGS 



and compact, we find the chasm narrow, and its walls nearly 

 perpendicular : where the soil is composed partially of rock 

 and partially of softer materials, the latter have yielded to the 

 action of the water, and have crumbled away by degrees, falling 

 into the stream ; while the more solid rocks still stand boldly in 

 their places, or have fallen from time to time into the torrent, 

 damming up its tumultuous waters, and compelling it to take 

 some fresh leap, or turning its course for a space in some new 

 direction. In these situations we frequently observed the finest 

 forest trees firmly rooted in the clefts of the rock, and stretching 

 their arms over the roaring waters. Again, in other parts, the 

 soil has been of a still more yielding quality, and the crumbling 

 has been a rapid and continual operation, insomuch that the 

 chasm has widened into a considerable ravine, the banks of 

 which are less abrupt, and are entirely covered with a shrubby 

 growth of forestry, which seldom rises even to a middle height 

 before the soil is loosened about the root, and the tree pines 

 away, or slides by degrees nearer and nearer to the water, until 

 some great flood wholly uproots it, drives it headlong over the 

 rocky river-bed, and perhaps carries it out to sea, or lands it 

 afar off, amid corn-fields and gardens. 



Immediately before the windows of the Ponterwydd Inn is 

 one of the finest of these chasms, or rather more correctly 

 speaking, is the finest part of that chasm which commences 

 here, and winds among the mountains for several miles. The 

 river Rheidiol, after passing under the two bridges at Ponter- 

 wydd, receives a very considerable mountain stream, which we 

 had observed accompanying the road hither from near the 

 Plinlimmon Inn : the united stream then rushes into the 

 chasm above described. After it has made the angle already 

 alluded to, another mountain stream leaps into it from a con- 

 siderable height : we saw this at night after a very heavy 

 thunder shower, and the cataract at such times is one of great 

 beauty ; beyond this the walls of the chasm are perpendicular 

 but irregular ; every little cleft affords rooting to some beauteous 

 shrub or waving fern. Afterwards the walls decrease in height 

 and beauty, then winding round a remarkable tongue of land, 

 covered with the greenest turf, the chasm deepens, and its sides 

 become sloping, though still excessively steep, and are entirely 

 clothed with forestry. This character continues for miles, the 

 bottom being solid rock, worn into the most grotesque and 



