OF THE WELSH. ^y ^ 



Morris's alTertion, (and he was a man not likely to 

 make an alTertion without being convinced of its 

 truth,) that whilfl the miners are engaged in one 

 kind of work, the knockers, as they are called, are 

 carrying on another : while for inftance, as he fays, 

 the miners are boring, the knockers are hlajling, the 

 former conjedture mud fall to the ground ; and the 

 droppings of water could in no cafe produce an 

 effect that might be miilaken for blafting. I am 

 acquainted with the fubjedl only from report, but I 

 can aifure my readers that I found few people in 

 Wales that did not give full credence to it. The 

 elucidation of thefe extraordinary fa<Els mufl be left 

 to thofe perfons who have better opportunities of 

 inquiring into them than I have. I may be per- 

 mitted to exprefs a hope that the fubjeft will not be 

 negledted, and that thofe who refide in any neigh- 

 bourhood where the noifes are heard, will carefully 

 inveftigate their caufe, and, if polTible, give to the 

 world a more accurate account of them than the 

 prefent. — In the year 1799, they were heard in 

 fome mines in the parifli of Llanvihangel Yfgeiviog, 

 In Anglefea, where they continued, at intervals, for 

 fome weeks. 



The lower clafs of the Welfli yet continue to be- 

 lieve in the exiftence of witches. Many old women, 

 therefore, only becaufe they happen to be old, and 

 perhaps deformed, have to bear the odium of pre- 

 venting the cows from yielding milk, and butter 



T 2 from 



