WELSH POOL TO OSWESTRY. g^ 



Jufl before I arrived at Llanymynech, I had to 

 crofs the furious little river Virnwy by a ferry. 



Llanymynech, 



The Village of the Miners, is a finall white-walhed 

 village, ftanding on the northern bank of the Virn- 

 wy. Its name was evidently derived from the mines 

 in which the neighbourhood formerly abounded, 

 and which were worked in the adjoining hill, called 

 Llanymynech Hill, even fo early as the time of the. 

 Romans. Of this there are undeniable proofs. One 

 veftige of their work is a large artificial cave, of 

 immenfe length, called Ogo, from whence they ob- 

 tained confiderable quantities of copper. — The wind- 

 ings of this cavern are very numerous and intricate. 

 Some years ago, two men of the parifh, endeavouring 

 to explore it, were fo bewildered in its mazes, that, 

 when they were discovered by fome miners who 

 were fent in fearch of them, they had thrown them- 

 felves on the ground, in defpair of ever again feeing 

 the light. — ^Previoully to this peiir>d, fome miners 

 who were fearching for copper, found in the reeelTes 

 of the cavern feveral ikeletons ; and near them fome 

 culinary utenfils, a fire-place, and a fmall hatchete^ 

 Thefe too plainly indicated that the unfortunate 

 wretches had for fome time dragged on a life of 

 mifery in this gloomy manfion. One of the fkele- 

 tons had a battle-axe by his fide, and round his 

 left wrift there was a bracelet of glafs beads, like 



thofe 



