6 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [1830 



July 12. Found Papaver somniferum, Epildbium angustifolium, and 

 variety of Viola tricolor^ with blue flowers, in a corn field near the 

 town, but on the other side of the river, where there are no houses, 

 or I should have thought them cultivated. 



July 13. Attempted to find the road to the mountains near 

 Llanberis, but by taking what we supposed would be a short cut, 

 arrived at the river having only a foot bridge over it, with a gate in 

 the middle well guarded with spikes. The bridge was formed of 

 two planks parallel to each other, and bent into an elliptical arch by 

 being fastened tight to the rock on each side without any support in 

 the middle. Being stopped by this, we had to return nearly three 

 quarters-of-a-mile, and then continued the road we were in before. 

 After having crossed the river by a stone bridge further up, we 

 were foolish enough to take another short cut which appeared to 

 lead to the mountains, which we followed for about two miles, and 

 then stopped to examine a bog in which we found nothing worth 

 having, and then turned back, not having time to go farther. On 

 our road back we met with Sderanthus annuus and Alchemilla vulgaris^ 

 the first in plenty in one place, but only one specimen of the latter. 

 The finest day that we have had this summer. 



July 15. Wind continued very high so that we did not go far, 

 but only obtained a few plants and insects near at hand. 



July 19. Walked to the Llanberis lakes and saw Dolbadarn 

 Castle ; the view from the top amply repaid the danger of the 

 ascent. The castle supposed to have been in existence in the sixth 

 century, as it is mentioned as occupied by Maelgwm Gwynedd in 

 his contention with the Saxons. 



July 31. Started with Mallet for Llanberis, and on arriving at 

 the bottom of the lakes, took a boat which carried us to the top of 

 the first lake, from which, after examining the river between the 

 lakes, we walked up the road to the village of Llanberis, the road to 

 which is only passable for horses ; it passes under the enormous 

 precipices of Snowdon, near a copper mine. We then returned to 

 the Dolbadarn inn for dinner, just before which, Mr. C. Words- 

 worth, of Trinity College, came in, and not being able to find either 

 a room to sit down in or anything for dinner, he asked and obtained 

 permission to join our party. After dinner we went to see a water- 

 fall about half-a-mile from the inn, which is worth any person's 

 while to inspect, although small in quantity of water. The name of 

 the waterfall is Cannent Mawr, formed by a stream called Cwm 

 Brwynog, height sixty feet. After inspecting the waterfall, ascend- 

 ing a mountain, and getting into a bog, we returned to the inn, 

 intending to ascend Snowdon the next morning. 



Aug. 1. Very wet, unable to ascend Snowdon. 



Aug. 7. Went out to catch water insects, of which I obtained 

 a good many. 



