﻿29 



GIRVAN. 



GLAMORQANSHIKE. 



GIRVAN, Ayrshire, Scotlaud, a small town and biirgh of barony 

 in the parish of Oirvan, is situated in 55° 14' N. lat., 4° 50' W. long., 

 on a flue bay at the mouth of the Water of Girvan, which here forma 

 a small harbour, 21 miles S. from Ayr, 61 miles S.W. from Glasgow. 

 The population of the town in 1851 was 7319. The town consists 

 principally of cottages containing each tivo rooms : one room deroted to 

 domestic uses, the other containing the weavers' looms. The iuha- 

 biUints are chiefly weavers ; a few are employed in fishing. In addition 

 to the Established Church, there are chapels for Free Church Presby- 

 teriuos, United Presbyterians, and Episcopalians. There are in the 

 town a subscription library and several friendly societies. (»Ve!0 Sla- 

 lutkal Account of Scotland.) 



GISORS. [EcBE.] 



GISSI. [Abblzzo.] 



GIULIANOVO. [Abhuzzo.] 



GIVET. [AUDENNES.] 



GIZEH, or JIZEH. [Eqtpt.] 



GLAMHIS. [FORFABSHIBE.] 



GLAUORGAXSHIRE, a maritime county of South Wales, lying 

 between 61° 23' and 51=' 48' N. lat, 3° 3' and 4° 18' W. long. This 

 county is bounded N. by Brecknockshire and Caermarthenshire, K by 

 Monmouthshire, and S. and W. by the Bristol ChanueL Its form is 

 irregular ; the greatest length is from east to west, from Llanvedw 

 biidge over the Rumney to the headland between Rossily Bay and the 

 river Burry, 52 or 63 miles ; ita greatest breadth, from the bead of the 

 river Rumney to the coast near Sully Island, 27 miles. The area is 

 estimated at 547,494 statute acre& Its population in 1841 was 171,188 ; 

 in 1851 it was 231,849, being an increase of 35*4 per cent. 



Coiut-linc, Jtlandt, <tc. — The line of the Glamorganshire coast, 

 from the mouth of the Rumney, where it uljoins Monmouthshire, 

 to Fenuarth harbour, formed by the Kstuary of the Taafe and the 

 Ely, is marshy. From Pennarth Point, on the south side of the 

 harbour, to Lavernock Point, are high clifls, which continue with a 

 few interruptions to Sker Point About midway between Lavernock 

 and Xash points is Breaksea Point, the most southerly part of 

 the county. Between Lavernock and Breaksea points are Sully 

 Island and Barry Island, both small. Barry Island, the larger of 

 the two, is joined to the mainland by an isthmus, or causeway, 

 dry at low water; it is nearly surrounded by clifis, is about a 

 mUe and a half in compass, and contains about 300 acres of land 

 occupied by a farmer, but for the most part retained in the state of 

 a heath or warren for rabbits. The island is supposed to have derived 

 its name from St. Baruch, a Welsh saint, who is said to have died here 

 about A.D. 700. Lelaud, who has deaoribed the island, says, " .Ther 

 ys no dwelling in the isle, but ther is in the midle of it a fair little 

 clmpel of St Barrock, wher much pilgrimage was used." The cliSs 

 ■long this part of the coast and in Barry Island are chiefly composed 

 of lias, except those in the neighbourhood of Sker Point, which are 

 chiefly of motmtain limestone. 



From Sker Point to the Mumbles the lino of coast forms Swansea 

 Bay. There are no cliflTs here ; the coast is comparatively low, and 

 skirted by broad sands, dry at low water. At. the Mumbles, which are 

 small rocky islets just off shore, the limestone cliffs recommence, and 

 continue with some interruptions along the line of coast, which runs 

 westward to Worms Head, forming several small bays. At Worms 

 Head the coast turns northward to the point opposite Holmes Island, 

 whence it runs eastward along the shore of the Burry Ecstuni^, making 

 the western part of the county a narrow peninsula, called Gower. 

 The river Loughor, which runs into the Burry, forms the boundary of 

 Glamorganshire and Caermarthenshire. Whitford Point is a small 

 headland of the peninsula of Oowcr, jutting out for a mile or two 

 into the Burry. The length of the coast, following its principal wind- 

 ings, may be estimated at 89 miles. 



Sai/acc, Hydrography, Communicatiom. — Glamorganshire is covered 

 with mountains, some of which branch off from the principal range 

 that extends east and west through Brecknockshire into Caermarthen- 

 shire. The centre of the county is occupied by a group of mountains 

 branching off in every direction except the north, and having its chief 

 extension from east to west from the valley of the Cynon to that of 

 the Neatb. The highest mountain in the county, Llaugeinor (1859 

 feet high), from which some of the principal tributaries of the Ogmore 

 How, belongs to this group. Margam Down, 1099 feet high, is near 

 the ejist side of Swansea Bay. The general course of the streams is 

 from north to south. The kttmney rises just at the north-east extre- 

 mity of the county, which it separates from Monmouthshire. Its 

 whole course is about 30 miles ; it is not navigable, nor does it receive 

 aoy tributary worth notice. The Taafe, Tuff, or Tif, the largest 

 river in the county, rises in Brecknockshire, between the mountains 

 ('apellante and the Van, or Beacon of Brecon, and flows past Merthyr 

 Tydvil, LUndaff, and Cardiff, into Pennarth harbour, which is formed 

 by the joint ajstuary of this river and the Ely. The whole course of 

 the Taafe is about 40 miles. Its chief tributaries are the Taafe Fechau, 

 or Little Taafe, the Cynon, and the liontha Vawr, or Great Routha. 

 The Ely, or Elwy, may also bo considered a tributary of the Taafe, 

 since they have a common testuary ; it is not navigable. The Daw or 

 Thav, rises near Cowbridge, and fliows 10 or 12 miles past that town 

 into the sea. Its month forms the little harbour of Aberthaw, close 

 t'l Breaksea Point The Oijmore ri.tes in the central mountain group 



of the county, and flows past Bridgend, about 18 miles, into the se^i 

 between Nash Point and Sker Point. It receives ou its right bank 

 the Garw, and thi; Llynfi, or Llynvi, which flow from the same group 

 of mountains, and on the left bank, near its mouth, it receives the 

 Ewenny. The J fon rises on the north side of Llangeiuor mountain, 

 and flows south-west 15 miles into Swansea Bay ; it receives thu 

 Corrwg and the Avon Fechan, or Little Avon, both small. It in 

 navigable a mile or two above its mouth for vessels of small burden, 

 employed by the proprietors of some neighbouring copper-work.-'. 

 The Xeath, or Nedd, rises in Brecknockshire aud flows south to tho 

 border of Glamorganshire ; in this part of its course it receives several 

 tributaries. From the border it flows through Glamorganshire into 

 Swansea Bay. Its whole course is about 23 miles ; it is navigable for 

 vessels of 2U0 tons up to Neath Bridge, about 2 miles. There is a 

 bar at the mouth with several rocks. It receives only one tributary 

 of any importance in Glamorganshire, the Dulais, or Dylais, which 

 rises in Brecknockshire and joins the Neath about 2 or 3 miles above 

 the town of Neath. The Tawe rises in Brecknockshire, and flows 

 south-west through Brecknockshire and Glamorganshire into the sea 

 at Swansea, called by tho Welsh Abertawe, the harbour of which is 

 formed by the mouth of tliis river. Its course is about 20 miles, 

 about half being in each county. Tho Lou(jhor rather belongs to 

 Caermarthenshire ; it has the lower part of its course, for 12 or 14 

 miles, along the border of this county, and is navigable up to tho 

 town of Loughor. Its principal Glamorganshire tributaries are, the 

 Lan or Llan, and the Leu or Liu. The sestuary of this river is called 

 the Burry, which name it takes from a streamlet of the peninsula of 

 Gower, which flows into it 



There are several canals in the county. The Glamorganshire or (as 

 it is sometimes called) the Cai\ii8' Canal commences on the east side 

 of the river Taafe, near ita entrance into Pennarth harbour, about a 

 mile and a half below Cardiff. In its course it passes the town of 

 Cardiff, and is carried over the river Taafe by an aqueduct bridge, 

 soon after which it is joined by the Aberdare Canal. The remainder 

 of its course is on the west side of the river, to the town of Merthyr 

 Tydvil, near the border of Glamorganshire and Brecknockshire. Its 

 whole length is about 25 miles, with a totjil rise of 611 feet. At its 

 termination in the tideway of the river Taafe there is a sea-lock, witli 

 a floating dock 16 feet deep, capable of receiving vessels of 300 tons. 

 The line from Merthyr to Cardiff was opened in 1794. There are 

 several railways along its line, connecting it with the mines aud coal- 

 pits. The Aberdare Canal is connected with the Glamorganshire 

 Canal near the aqueduct bridge over the Taafe ; and runs along thu 

 valley of the Cynon, on the eastern side of tho river, and nearly parallel 

 to it, to within a mile of Aberdare. Ita length is 64 miles, with a 

 total rise of 40 feet From the termination of the canal near Aber- 

 dare is a railway, which extends 2 miles farther in the same direction. 

 The Neath Canal commeuces at Abemant, ou the north-west side of 

 tho river Neath, or Nedd ; it crosses tho river, and passes the town of 

 Neath, a mile or two below which it terminates in the Neath River. 

 The Neath Canal is about 14 miles long. A branch cut from this 

 canal on the south-east side of the Neath is carried across that river, 

 aud runs on the north-west side of it till it terminates in the Brittou 

 Canah The Brittou Canal, which is little more than 4 miles long, is 

 cut from tho river Neath, opposite to where the main line of tho 

 Neath Canal opens into it, and runs nearly parallel to the coast into 

 Swansea harbour. The Swansea Canal comuieuces in Swansea har- 

 bour, and runs along the valley of the Tawe, on the west side of that 

 river, into Brecknockshu-e. It is about 17 miles long, with a rise of 

 373 feet Several railways connect it with the neighbouring mines. 

 The Penclawdd Canal commences at the village of Punclawdd, ou tho 

 testuary of the Burry, and has a crooked course eastward for nearly 

 4 miles. Somo railways are connected with this canal, which runs 

 through a part of the coal-field of South Wales. 



There are several railways for the conveyance of minerals in Glamor- 

 ganshire. Amongst these are the Cardiff and Merthyr Tydvil railway, 

 the Duffryn Llynvi and Forth Cawl railway, the Bridgend railway, 

 the Aberdulais railway, and the Oystermouth railway. Other rail- 

 ways connect the various canals with the miues near which they pass. 

 There are others connecting the little harbour of Aberavon with the 

 coal-pita and mines of the vicinity. The South Wales railway, the 

 great passenger line in connection with the Great Western railway, 

 enters Glamorganshire near Cardiff, and traverses the county in a 

 generally western direction, quittiug it at Swansea. Its length in this 

 county is about 42 miles. A branch, csdled the Taft' Vale railway, 

 runs from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydvil. Another connected liue, called 

 the Neath VaUey railway, about 22 miles long, runs from Merthyr 

 Tydvil to the main liue at Neath. 



The principal coach-road enters the county from the cost by Rumney 

 bridge, over the Rumney, between Newport (Monmouthshire) and 

 Cardiff, and runs by Cardiff, Cowbridge, and N eath to Swansea, and 

 quits this county for Caermarthenshire at the bridge over the Loughor 

 at I'ontarddylais. From Cardiff one road leads to Caerphilly, aud 

 thence into Monmouthshire ; another follows the valley of the Taafo 

 to Merthyr ; aud a third runs north-west to Llautriasent and Bridgend. 

 Several other roads traverse the county. 



O'eolo'j!/, Mineralogy, lix. — Tho uppermost of the fonuatious which 

 are found in this county is the blue lias, which occupies the most 



