OUR HOLIDAY IN WILD WALES. 79 



could go I walked to explore the source of the 

 Vyrnwy ; for miles I plodded on through the wild 

 mountain pass, till at last, caught in a bog, I fell slap 

 into the very beginning of this water. Muddy and 

 rather slimy I returned to the carriage. 



We then drove on to the creek and netted thirteen 

 chub, and so ended our chubbing. 



On the road we found another bard, for they seem 

 to be as plentiful as bilberries in these parts. He was 

 a fine old chap, who goes by the name of Tom 

 Richards, he was engaged in painting the Corporation 

 rails which surround the lake. Thos. Richards is 

 endowed with a splendid baritone voice, old man 

 though he is. He made the welkin ring with that 

 spirited song, " Hyfaen y cwrw melen," which being 

 interpreted means, " The cream of good beer ; " then 

 he gave us " Dyffryn Clwyd," " The Vale of Clwyd," 

 and the "Men of Harlech " (of course in Welsh). 

 He finished by giving a carol in a very touching strain 

 for Thos. R. is known throughout the whole country 

 as an exquisite carol-singer. 



Friday r , July 6th. Another bright day. We 

 started off with lunch in our boats and hope in our 

 hearts to spend a happy day at the far end of the 

 lake. There was a pleasant ripple on the water, like 

 the silvery scales on the sides of a chub, as we trolled 

 lazily up the north shore, drawing each of us a poor 

 little spinning minnow behind us, but drawing no 

 trout thereby. I tried my celebrated spinner, known 

 as "the Derby Killer," and he brought me in one 

 fine trout, a small triumph over the natural minnow 

 the others were trying. When we reached the centre 



