SLATE QUAKllJES OF DINORWIC. 71 



as the traveller gazes up tlie straits in tlie direction of 

 Orme's Head, is the pretty town of Beaumaris, and imme- 

 diately above it the extensive woods encircling the noble 

 mansion of Baron Hill. Nature has indeed been bountiful 

 to the inhabitants of this picturesque locality. Here at 

 every turn is abundant scope for the imagination of the 

 painter and the poet in the dark overhanging masses of 

 every shade and colour ; whiU» the man of business and 

 commerce, as he stands at the door of the Victoria Hotel at 

 Llanberris, hears with interest and admiration the incessant 

 echo of the hammers, and watches the busy movements of 

 the workmen, clinging apparently to the almost perpen- 

 dicular sides of the cliffs. At the port, the excellent 

 arrangements for transporting and shijDping the slates do 

 not escape his notice; although he must be rather surprised 

 to see " Duchesses " and " Countesses " * so roughly handled. 

 The following accurate and graphic description of Mr. 

 Smith's quarries has been furnished for this memoir by Mr. 

 Millington, son of the gentleman who has for many years 

 most ably and zealously superintended the works. 



" The Dinorwic slate quarries are situated on a mountain 

 called the ' Elidir ' (one of the Snowdonian range, and con- 

 tiguous to Snowdon), v/hich rises about 2,000 feet above 

 the level of the sea : they derive their name of Dinorwic, 

 or Dinorwig, from an ancient manor in which they are 

 situated, and lie partly in the parish of Llanberris, and 

 partly in that of Llandemilen, in the county of Caernarvon. 

 The period at which slate was first found in these quarries 

 is unknown, but the regular and systematic working com- 

 menced about sixty years ago, and they have been gradually 

 increasing in extent. The great increase, however, has 

 taken place since 1828, when the late Mr. Assheton Smith 

 succeeded to the property at the death of his father. On 

 entering into possession, he carried on the works in a most 



* Slates known by these titles. 



