THE QUARRIES DESCRIBED. 73 



Assieton Smith at a very considerable outlay about the 

 year 1843, solely for the purposes of the works. The 

 place of shipment is a commodious harbour, called ' Port 

 Dinorwic,' a private port, used only for the shipment of 

 slates from the Dinorwic quarries, and is situated in the 

 Menai Straits, half-way between Bangor and Caernarvon. 

 It was commenced on a small scale by the late Mr. Smith's 

 father, but was enlarged and extended to its present size by 

 Mr. Smith himself, who also added to it two commodious 

 and convenient docks. About 120 vessels can lie alongside 

 the quays and in the docks, securely sheltered from all 

 winds. Slates are shipped largely from hence to most of 

 the sea-ports of England, Ireland, and Scotland, to the 

 Baltic and German ports, and extensively to the United 

 States of America. A branch of the Caernarvon and 

 Bangor railway connects this port with the Chester, and 

 Holyhead, and London and North-Western lines, by which 

 means slates are conveyed in large quantities to the manu- 

 facturing and midland districts of England." 



The genius that could invent and organize the vast im- 

 provements recorded in the above narrative must have been 

 of no mean order ; while we admire the spirit and enter- 

 prise that thus furnished constant employment all the year 

 round to so many thousands. The tourist is permitted to 

 ride up the inclines, and thus to visit the quarries. This is 

 aa adventure requiring no little nerve : for although every 

 precaution is taken to prevent danger, and such is the 

 strength of the machinery, that an accident has scarcely 

 been ever known to occur ; yet the stoutest heart may well 

 throb, as the traveller, in making the ascent, looks down 

 when midway up into the dark watery gulf of Llanberris, 

 many hundred feet beneath him. This feeling will not be 

 diminished in his descent, although made with the utmost 

 care, and with no greater velocity than the ascent. The 

 cable which serves to raise and let down the carriages is of 

 many folds of twisted copper wire, and the weight of those 



