22 



bare, are most interesting to the geologist, as the valleys are with their rich 

 treasures of plants, to the botanist ; and many of the valleys were, in the 

 earliest ages, one succession of lakes, now drained by the water wearing away 

 the barriers at the lower end. Our rivers are older than our valleys, and co-exist 

 with the rocks themselves. 



Far off, on vast Plinlimnon, near the borders of Cardiganshire and 

 Montgomeryshire, the Wye derives its source ; four sister rivers, the Severn, 

 Rheidol, Llyfuant, and Dulas also take their rise on that extensive range of 

 hills, and hence a very pretty legend, which we cannot stay to record. Away 

 the Gwy or Wye flies in hot haste from her mother's lap, and soon joined by 

 the Tarenig and Bidno hurries past Llangurig,— anon it receives the Marteg, 

 and still hastening on in its time-worn channel over the Lower Llandovery rocks, 

 rushes down the cataract at Rhayader Gwy, or the fall of the stream. 



The valley now expands, and on the right the Elan, swollen by the 

 tributary streams of the Claerwen and Claerdu, pays its goodly tribute to the 

 sovereign stream ; the vale of the Elan is for some distance very wide, and then 

 it becomes narrow and contracted, but sweetly pretty. From this point the 

 Wye divides Breconshire and Radnorshire, and now grown into a goodly stream 

 flows with rapid steps to Newbridge ; here it receives the Ithon, that grayish 

 white river, the bane of all salmon fishers on the lower water. We must hero 

 deviate from the onward course of the Wye, and turn up this brook, as the 

 scene of to-day's excursion is upon it. 



The Ithon is one of the largest tributaries the Wye has, and from its source 

 on Kerry-hill to its junction, flows thirty-one miles ; it receives in that long 

 course some very pretty tributaries, the Aran, Clywedog, and Dulas, all of which 

 the salmon, the king of fishes, frequents in the winter months in great numbers 

 for breeding purposes. Here it was, about two miles above Llandiindod, near 

 the junction of the Dulas, that that memorable affray took place last December ; 

 the flashing torch, the glancing spear, and the blackened faces of the poachers 

 on the one hand, and on the other the water-bailiffs, were all there, and the 

 night was one of pitchy darkness ; the only thing wanting to complete the 

 picture was, that the water-bailiffs, as Sorope says, should rush into the attack. 

 That was there too, and a long and anxious struggle took place, blow for blow, 

 until at length the water-bailiffs won the victory, the poachers were defeated, 

 and four of their number taken. We were informed during our visit, that 

 there is still much ill-feeling prevalent in that district against the salmon 

 fishery laws, many persons of the better classes siding with, rather than against 

 the destroyers of the breeding salmon, through the belief that the upper pro- 

 prietors are unjustly treated, and are prevented getting their fair share of fish 

 in the proper season. This should not be so, and as we have lately seen new 

 and wise fishery laws passed, giving a much better chance to the upper pro- 

 prietors than they ever had before, by the removal of fixed engines, a weekly 

 close time for nets, and the prohibition of all fishing by nets after the first of 

 September— all which regulations are very much in their favour— we may hope 



