70 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



is to be found at all points of his immense property. The 

 handsome hotel at Llanberris, from which the tourist com- 

 mences his toilsome ascent to the cloudy summit of Snow- 

 don, was built by him, and named " The Victoria ; " that 

 quarry whence comes the green slate, now so much in 

 fashion for ornamental buildings, was, for its superior 

 quality, called Victoria ; three of the best steam-yachts of 

 the many he built, and of which we shall presently speak 

 more in detail, were named " Fire-Queen." Her Majesty is 

 said to have asked Mr. Smith why he called the first of 

 these the " Fire-Queen." The reply of the veteran was 

 characteristic. " May it please your Majesty, I had a 

 yacht called the ' Fire-King,' which was superior to any I 

 had before : this is superior to that, and I call her ' Fire- 

 Queen.' " 



At no great distance from Vaenol stands the port of 

 Dinorwic, already formed by Nature for security, but con- 

 siderably enlarged by Mr. Smith in 1828, and now affording 

 shelter in tempestuous weather to as many vessels as are to 

 be found passing up and down the Menai Straits. Here is 

 safe anchorage for sixty or seventy craft of two hundred 

 tons burthen each, awaiting their cargoes of some of the 

 best slate in the world. The mountain where this useful 

 and valuable material is to be found is owned on the one 

 side by Col. Douglas Pennant, and on the other by Mr. 

 Assheton Smith ; they are quarrying away as fast as they 

 can to meet each other, though it will take a century to do 

 it. It has the appearance of a colossal plum cake, out of 

 which two boys are each trying to take the largest slice he 

 can. The harbour of Port Dinorwic is beautifully situated 

 in the very centre of the straits, equidistant from the open 

 sea at Caernarvon Bay and from Pufiin Island. From an 

 eminence above the port are seen the magnificent structure 

 of Stephenson and Telford's elegant and graceful work. 

 Opposite is the pillar erected to commemorate the gallantry 

 of one of the bravest of the house of Paget. To the left, 



