" NATIONALITY." 285 



For instance, in the valleys and mountains of South 

 Wales and from them largely gathered into " the Works," 

 i.e., the great centres of coal and iron manufacture, we all 

 know a short, dark, active race, Avith straight features, small 

 mouths, wavy or slightly curlj^ dark hair, and large brown 

 eyes. 



North and west of these there is a race of large, dark, 

 but florid complexioned men, with high cheek bones, large 

 mouths and teeth, and small dark bright eyes, straight nose, 

 and straight hair growing down over the forehead. We 

 recognise in " The Cardy " a distinct type of feature and 

 of character. It is among them that we have always found 

 the greatest intellectual activity. They have been the first 

 to encourage higher education, and have the reputation 

 of being the shrewdest men of business. They belong to 

 a type which most Welshmen think they recognise at 

 once. 



It is said that in ancient times there were two tribes in the 

 south of Wales, occupying at first, of course, a wider area 

 than that into which they were driven by invaders from 

 Roman, Old English, and feudal England, but holding their 

 own in the mountainous districts of the interior through all 

 historic time. These were the Demetee on the west and on 

 the east the powerful Silures, who had to bear the brunt of 

 every advance from the south-east. Each of these had 

 probably in succession been driven west from the south and 

 east of Britain, but when and by whom we shall probably 

 never know, and how they were originally made up there is 

 at present no evidence to show. 



Those who Avere pushed furthest west were probably the 

 first comers. 



There is another type to be found chiefly in North 

 Pembrokeshire and South Cardiganshire and extending far 

 into Carmarthenshire. These folk have prominent features, 

 soft light brown, but not flaxen, Avavy hair, grey-blue eyes, 

 good stature and carriage. These would be claimed by some 

 as the true Celts ; but as everyone seems to define that term 

 for himself, I have avoided the use of it except for a linguistic 

 group, which includes all these various races whose diversity 

 of origin I am insisting upon. 



Jiidging by their physical characters only I should be 

 inclined to refer these grey, fair people to a cross between 

 some native dark race and a seacoast people probably of 

 Scandinavian origin. 



