34 BRITISH PLANTS NOTICED IN NORTH WALES. 
About the skirts of the mountains, on ledges here and there, we 
saw a few starvelings, but no shepherd, nor any employment for 
him; hence we hazard another conjecture—that the whole-is a 
poetic embellishment. 
From this celebrated pass we walked on to Beddgelert, the 
grave of Gelert, the dog celebrated in the legendary story of Llewe- 
llyn’s child, saved from a wolf by this faithful animal. The prince 
perceiving blood on his hound’s jowls, thought that the dog had 
killed the child, and in a transport of grief and anger killed its 
preserver. He subsequently noticed both the wolf and the child, 
the former dead, the latter smiling at the sight of its father. The 
hound’s name, Gelert, is said to be a corruption of the British 
cilhart (\all-hart), and a church is said to have been erected over 
his grave. From this romantic incident the Welsh proverb is de- 
rived, “I repent as much as the man who slew his greyhound.” 
Here a heavy rain detained us from twelve o’clock all the after- 
noon and evening, and compelled us to roost here for the night 
and walk to Llanberis next morning. ‘The rain of the previous 
day and night filled the channels of all the rivers and mountain 
torrents, and in the morning most striking views of numerous 
cascades were obtained. These rushed down from the mountains 
and seemed in the distance like long, narrow, crystalline lines, 
and on a nearer view appeared in their true character of water, 
impetuously dashing down into the lakes and rivers below. 
We travelled along Nant Gwynant (the vale of the stream), 
one of the most beautiful vales in Wales, where vales are many 
and of surpassing beauty. About a mile from the inn on the 
left is a lofty rock, mostly covered with wood, called Dinas 
Emrys, where once 
“Prophetic Merlin sate, when to the British king 
The changes long to come auspiciously he told. 
_ Which truly he foretold proud Vortiger should lose, 
As when him from his seat the Saxons should depose. 
That dreaming wizard told * * * 
From the top of Brith so high and wondrous steep, 
Where Dinas Emris stood, ete. ete.”—Drayton.* 
rc 
Llyn y Dinas (the pool of the fort) is a small lake a little fur- 
ther on. Near to this little lake there is another, called Llyn Gwy- 
* Polyolbion, fol. p. 158 e¢ seq. 
