A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 15 



nary utenfils, a fire-place, and a fmall 

 hatchet, found near them. There was 

 alfo found a number of Roman coins of 

 Antoninus, Jauftina, and others. One 

 ikeleton had a bracelet of glafs beads, 

 like- thofe Druidical rings called Glei- 

 niau 5Jladroedd *, or fnake's beads ;< the 



Offa 



* Thefe were glafs rings, generally about half as wide as 

 our finger rings, but much thicker, and ufually of a greenifh 

 colour. They were invented and ufed by the Druids, as 

 amulets or charms. The popular opinion in Cornwall, and 

 fome parts of Wales, respecting them is, that they are not 

 glafs, hut are produced at a certain time of the year by 

 a number of fnakes joining their heads together and biffing, 

 when they fay that kind of bubble of a flimy fubftance is 

 formed upon the head of one of them, which the reft, by 

 continued hilling, blow on, till it pafles quite over the body, 

 and off at the tail, when it immediately hardens into this 

 fubftance. Another opinion prevalent in Wales is, that, 

 at that time of the year when the fnakes ufually caft their 

 {kins, a number of them coiled together, and fo entwine them- 

 felves round one, that, from the rapidity of their motions, 

 they heat and foften it's fcales and flan, which being thruft 

 from it's head off at it's tail, foon after hardens into a folid 

 ring. When this office has been performed to one, another 

 undergoes the fame, till they have all gone through it. Some 

 of the inhabitants aiTert, that they have feen them at work. 

 They fay, that at thofe times their eyes appear fiery, and 

 gliften in an extraordinary manner; and they are fo fierce, 



39 



