shite 
—-— 
*“Manufac- 
tures. 
Canals, 
GLA 
Wales, is a huge cromlech, consisting principally of an 
immense stone of lapis molaris: ‘The lake of Config is 
esteemed a singular geological Curiosity. ‘The ‘water is. 
contained in a depression of an irregular form, inthe 
midst of sands; and, though lying within a very short 
distance of the sea at flood ‘tides, invariably retains its 
freshness pure and untainted. At a short distance 
from Newton Noltage is the well mentioned by Cam- 
den, which ebbs’ and flows reversely with the tide of 
the sea. The only: mineral spring in the county of 
Glamorgan is at Swansea. This spring has an acid, 
styptic taste, like alum, though the predominant salt 
in it is the sulphate of iron. It turns blue with vine- 
gar, but will not curdle with milk. 
The principal manufactures of iron, copper, &c. are 
at Swansea, Merthyr Tydvil, and Neath. In 1720, 
Swansea was noted for the manufacture of straw hats ; 
in 1730, the first copper work was established, on the 
-east side of the river ; since that period they have gra- 
dually increased, as well as the iron works, to an ex- 
‘tent equalled in few parts of the kingdom. Lead is 
also smelted here. The copper is brought from Angle- 
sey, Cornwall, and Devon. Merthyr Tydvil was a very 
inconsiderable village till 1755, when the iron and coal 
mines in its vicinity first attracted attention; and a Mr 
Bacon obtained the lease of a district abounding in 
them, eight miles long and four wide, for £200 per 
annum. About 10 years ago, about 190 tons of iron 
were, on an -average, sent weekly, from one person’s 
works only, to Cardiff. The number of smelting 
houses is sixteen. About the year 1800; an’ overshot 
wheel was constructed, upwards of 50 feet in diameter, 
and six'in breadth; the gudgeons, on which ‘it turns, 
ate supposed to be the largest in the kingdom. The 
quantity of iron sent from Penydarran works by’the 
eanal, averages annually about 7000 tons; the Dowlas 
works produce annually about 5000 tons; and the 
Plymouth works about 4000 tons. In the neighbour- 
hood of Neath are very extensive works for the manu- 
facture of iron and copper. Two immense blast fur- 
naces produce 30 tons of pig-iron'every week. A cop- 
per foundery, and manufactory on a very extensive 
plan, is carried on near the village of Margam, the 
works of which consume 70 tons of coal daily. The 
tin works of Melin Gryffyd, four miles to the north of 
Cardiff, are, perhaps, the largest in the kingdom ; pro- 
ducing not less than 13,000 ‘boxes of tin plates, eacli 
containing 225 plates, in one year. 
The internal commerce and manufactures of this 
county are much facilitated by its canals. ‘The ‘canal 
for the carriage of the coal to the Neath river, was the 
first work of the kind attempted in Wales. There is a 
bog of two miles, between the colliery and the ‘river, 
the spongy nature of which, for some time, baffled the 
skill of the engineers, The length of the canal is little 
more than_threé miles; it was executed entirely at the 
-expence of a private individual. The canal from Mer- 
thyr Tydvil to Cardiff was completed in 1798 ; it is na- 
vigable for barges of 100 tons. In some places it skirts 
precipitous mountains, at the height of 300 feet above 
the river Taafe, which it accompanies. The space it 
passes is 26 miles ; in which there are 40 locks, and as 
many bridges. The new iron rail-way runs nearly by 
its side. The fall of the canal is nearly 600 feet. “The 
head of the Swansea canal in Brecknockshire is 372 
feet above the level of the Tawy at Swansea bar ; there 
are 36 locks upon it in the space of 16 miles, and seve- 
tal aqueducts, 
8 
288 
Glamorgan- of Carn Bryn, one of the highest mountains in South) 
GLA 
- As connected with the antiquities of this county, the Glam 
ouses, may be men- 
ancient buildings, » Church-houses y 
tioned. There are at least fifty of them still re 
in this district. Their origin and use are not accurate-" 
ly: known ;' but» most probably 
which the courts of legislation and of B rerertp re oy 
for the respective petty lordships of the great lordship _ 
of Glamorgan, every one of whom exercised jura re. _ 
galia. The Roman stations, forts, and prone in this 
county, are generally understood to be at iff, Caer= 
filly, and Caera. The great Roman road runs over 
Newton Down, through Kenfig, Margam, Aberavon, 
and Neath. But the most celebrated monument of an< 
tiquity is Caerfilly castle, now in ruins, said to have 
been the largest in the kingdom, next to that of Wind« 
sor. The wall of the celebrated leaning tower of this 
castle is still between 70 and 80 feet high, and of a 
prodigious thickness. It hangs 11% feet out of the per- — 
pendicular. : yo : ; 
It is a very common ice in thi to 
the tele. With oes haan oveunatial ete! 
No person ever plucks them up; but a relation or a 
friend will gather a little, and wear it in remembrance 
of the deceased. When a young are to be mar- 
ried, their way to church is strewed with sweet-scented 
flowefs and evergreens. About two miles from Cow- 
beidge is a place famous for the meeting of the Welsh 
is: it took place annually on the 28th of May, un 
der the immemorial patronage of the Hensolt at 
whose expence they were entertained. The last meet« 
ing was held in 1720; and in consequence of the death 
of Richard Jenkins, the'last of the family, it was dis- 
continued. oot 
In the tifne of the Romans, Glamorgan was in- 
habited bythe Silures: it was, in succeeding ages, an 
independent pri ity, which was overrun and di- 
vided by sofhe @ William’s Norman nobles in the year 
By the population returns, there were; in 1811, 8217 
families in this county, principally employed inagricul< 
ture, and 7915 in manufactures, &c. (w.8.) 
' GLANDS. See Puysto.oey. 
GLANDERS.’ See Vererinary MEprIcIne. 
GLARIS, or Giarus, ‘is a town of Switzerland, and — 
the ehief place of a canton of the samename. The town 
is vefV gloomily situated upon the river Linth, and is 
large and’ populous. The town-house is a build- 
ing, and contains, in one of the antichambers, the huge 
horns of the Bouquetin, an animal which was destroys 
ed in the canton about the end of the 16th centu 
and also a bear which was killed in the Alps in 171 
There is here a good public library, founded by a socie- 
in 1758. India stuffs and drabs ‘are manu! at 
laris ; and there are mills in which is‘prepared the 
famous green cheese, known by the narne of Schi : 
There is an ble"promenade to Enneda, a thrivit 
little town, inhabited by about 150 families. The i 
habitants of Glaris are principally merchants, who 
wander through the whole of Europe, from Lisbon to _ 
Moscow. t a 
GLARIS, Canron or, is one of the Swiss cantons, — 
extending about 15 leagues in length and 7 in ‘breadth. 
It contains 214 square phical miles, only two of 
which are arable. This canton consists of a t vale 
ley, and three lateral vallies enclosed on all sides C 
the north-east by lofty mountains, rising to the 
preg e toe ae oye ec Saamoa ‘ 
are wate the Linth, the Sern Lontsch; 
and its te he lakes are those of Wallenstadt and | 
theptweres:teshalle cy: .ael 
