^8 excursion from dolgelle to 



The Cataract of the Mawddach. 



The river here forces Itfelf down a rock betwixt 

 fifty and fixty feet in height, whofe ftrata lying in 

 parallel lines feveral degrees inclined from the hori- 

 zon, give the fcene a fingularly crooked appearance. 

 The flream is thrice broken in its defcent, and the 

 balbn into Which it is precipitated is very large. 

 The rocks and trees form an amphitheatre around, 

 and the foreground was finely broken by the large 

 pieces of rock that had been once loofened from 

 above. I had to crofs the ftream before I could fee 

 the upper part of the fall, which was hidden by 

 intervening rocks. In this ftation the fcene ap- 

 peared complete, and it was certainly pi(5turefque. 



PisTYLL Y Cain *, 



The Spout of the Cain, is by far the higheft and mofl 

 magnificent cataradl of the three. A narrow llream 

 rufhes down a vafl rock, at lead a hundred and fifty 

 feet high, whofe horizontal flrata run in irregular 

 fleps through its whole breadth, and form a mural 

 front. Thefe, indeed, are fo regular, as in a great 

 meafure to deflroy the pi£lurefque effed of the 

 fcene, unlefs they are nearly hidden by a much 

 greater volume of water than ufual. Immenfe frag- 



* The word Pi/lyU, '» the Welfh language, fignifies a narrow 

 llream of water, fomewhat refembling that which iffues through 

 3 fpout. 



ments 



