A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 385 



cular cliffs on each fide, fo nearly approach, 

 as only juft to leave width fufficient at the 

 bottom, for the road, and the bed of the 

 impetuous ftream which rolls at the fide of 

 it. The lofty and rugged rocks, which 

 oppofe to us nothing but a broken feries of 

 precipices, one above another, as high as 

 the eye can reach, madow the tranflucent 

 torrent which thunder's over the vaft frag- 

 ments, torn from the precipices above. 



It was moft probably from this very 

 fcene, that Giraldus Cambrenfis -f aflerted 

 of Merionethshire, that it was " the rough- 

 " eft and moft dreary part of Wales, for 

 " it's mountains were both high and nar- 

 " row, and fo equally grouped together, 

 " that fhepherds talking or quarrelling on 

 *' their tops could fcarcely, in a whole 

 " day's journey, come together.'* And 



t Itin. Camb. Syl. Gir. Cambrenfe. Lib. II. c. 5. 

 p. 865. 



VOL. i. C c Dray top, 



