114 
be neglected by you. The distance is 
not 20 miles, and now that the moon is 
nearly at the full, we shall enjoy it 
above all things. Wecan be very well 
accommodated at the Bull, and can 
return to Dolgelley the day following.” 
We did not reject our friend’s admoni- 
tion, and went there the day after the 
ball. Jt was nearly eight o’clock ere 
we commenced our journey; and, as 
we left Dolgelley, the summits of the 
surrounding hills were every moment 
becoming more and more obscured by 
the descending gloom of twilight. The 
day had been rather sultry, but the 
evening was cool and beautifully serene, 
a gentle and refreshing breeze spring- 
ing upas the sun disappeared, diffusing 
new lifeand vigour over the face of the 
earth. 
The sun was slowly sinking to the west, 
Pavilion’d with a thousand glorious 
dyes; 
The turtle doves were winging to their 
. nest, 
Along the mountain’s soft declivities. 
The fresher breath of flowers begau to 
rise, 
Like incense to that sweet departing sun; 
Low sank the hamlet’s hum, the shepherd’s 
cries, 
A moment, and the lingering disk was 
gone? 
The evening was exceedingly fine, 
and we had not travelled far before 
the moon arose, shedding with her pale 
beams, a mild and lovely light on the 
rocks and woods around us, and pre- 
senting a close resemblance to a scene 
so glowingly depicted in the spirit- 
stirring song of the * Blind Bard of 
Greece.’? We allude to the well known 
passage in the eighth book of the Iliad, 
beginning Qc¢dorey ougayw agree, which 
Pope has so finely translated, or rather 
paraphrased in the following lines: 
As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night, 
O’er heaven’s clear azure spreads her 
sacred light ; 
When nota breath disturbs the deep serene, 
And not a cloud o’er-casts the solemn 
scene ; 
Around her throne the vivid planets roll, 
And stars unnumber’d gild the glowing 
ole ; 
Over the dark trees a yellower verdure 
shed, 
And tip with silver every mountain’s head ; 
There shive the vales—the rocks in pros- 
pect rise— 
A flood of glory bursts from all the skies ! 
Tt was indeed the night so magnifi- 
cently described by the poet, and we 
journeyed onwards wrapped in admi- 
ration at the beauties which the road 
Excursion through North Wales. 
{March i, 
at every curve displayed to our view. 
The paths we traversed were rude and 
rugged in the extreme, but the scenery 
thiough which they passed was of pe- 
culiar beauty and wildness. The road 
is formed on the declivity of a moun- 
tain, and bounded on both sides by 
dark and deep woods. On the right, 
and separated from the road by the 
thicket, the river Wnion washed the 
base of the hill, eddying with foam and 
fury over the fragments of rock, which, 
rooted in the bed of the river, impeded 
for a while its progress, only rendering 
it more furious and impetuous after- 
wards. The opposite shore in_ some 
parts rose into tall rocks, covered with 
brushwood—in others it was of a more 
gentle description, indented with small 
bays where the land sloped smoothly 
down, or sent into the river sinall pro- 
montories covered with wood to the 
water’s edge. Being elevated consi- 
derably above the land on the right, we 
could distinctly see a long extent of 
scenery in that direction, and beautiful 
was the scene submitted to our view, 
the deep silence and solemnity of which 
was only interrupted by the fitful hoot- 
ing of the owl, or the dashing of the 
troubled waters of the Wnion. About 
four miles from our journey’s end we 
came in sight of Bala Lake,” extending 
* Pennant gives the following account 
of this lake, which is, we believe, the 
largest in North Wales. “ Bala Lake, 
Pemblemere, or Llyntegid, lies at a small 
distance from the town of Bala, and is a 
fine expanse of water, near four miles long, 
and 1200 yards broad in the widest place. 
The deepest part is opposite Bryn Gollen, 
where it is 46 yards deep, with three yards 
of mud. The shore is gravelly; the 
boundaries easy slopes, well cultivated, 
and varied with woods. in stormy weather 
its billows run very high, and incroach 
greatly on the north-east end, where, 
within memory of man, several acres have 
been Jost. It rises sometimes nine feet ; 
and rains and winds greatly contribute to 
make it overflow the fair vale of Ediernion. 
Its fish are pike, perch, trout, a few roach, 
abundance of eels, and shoals of that Al- 
pine fish, the gwyniad, (salmo lavaretus, 
Lin.) which spawn in December, and are 
taken in great numbers in spring and sum- 
mer. Pike have been caught here of 25ib 
weight, a trout of 22tb (?) a perch of 10ib, 
and agwyniad of 5tb. Sir Watkin Wil- 
liams. Wynn claims the whole fishery of 
this noble lake. It has been the property 
of the Abbey of Basingwerk, for Owen de 
Brogyntyn made a grant to God, St. Mary, 
and the monks of this house, of a certain 
water 
