3 8 THE ELAN VALLEY AND 



Or, at the noiseless noon of night, 

 Would climb some heathy mountain's height, 

 And listen to the mystic sound 

 That stole in fitful gusts around." 



Its second claim to be honourably mentioned 

 is, that pleasantly situated as it now is, it is 

 inevitably doomed to be swallowed up by the all- 

 devouring waters which will some day come down 

 upon it, or, rather, rise up gradually and over- 

 whelm it. Before reaching this point we come 

 upon the church and churchyard, equally doomed. 

 We looked down the chimneys of several cottages, 

 and one could fancy what curious traps these 

 chimneys will make for trout which may find their 

 way into kitchens and parlours, and pantries down 

 below, but may have a difficulty in finding their 

 way up again. 



I was informed that the ancient inhabitants of 

 these cottages are quite bewildered, and cannot 

 understand what is going on around them. Just 

 like the old dwellers in the bottom of Lake Vyrnwy, 

 they will not quit the ancient dwellings in which 

 they were born till the waters rise up around them. 



On the Elan river there are four dams in course 

 of formation. There is another valley, Nantgwilt 

 I think it is called, down which the river Clearwen 

 flows into the Elan, where three more dams are 

 being erected. 



Both Elan and Clearwen were formerly fine 

 salmon and trout streams before these works 

 began, but the two thousand workmen have now 



