WALES. 



tains, a ftiiklng geological faft will refult, correfpor.dent 

 with the principle of uniform though unequal declivity. 

 It is obfervable that the flates are always coarfcil in their 

 texture on the northern or nortii-weftern fides of the 

 ridge, and lefs fo on the fouth and fouth-wcllcrn fides ; be- 

 coming gradually finer as they approximate the lime-Hone 

 hills. Wales affords numerous quarries of other valuable 

 ftones ; i'/z. diftcrent kinds of marble fit for monuments, 

 columns, chimney-pieces, and other ornamental fculpture ; 

 ferpentinc and other fpecies of horn-ftone ; chert or petri- 

 folex, and pure quartz, for the ufe of the potteries. Nor 

 fliould that rare and curious fubftance be omitted, which 

 furnifi^es the albeftus, indellruftible by fire, found on the 

 ihorcs of Anglefea. The mona marble, from the ifie of 

 Anglefea, is now much ufcd in chimney-pieces and fancy 

 furniture. ( See Marble, Britijh. ) The Britons, as already 

 obferved, underftood the ufe of metals, and were further in- 

 ftruAed in the arts of mining by the intelligent Romans ; 

 but after the departure of the latter, felf-prefervation occu- 

 pied the attention of the natives, and peaceful fcience funk 

 under the devaftating hand of war. Yet their mines were 

 not wholly neglefted, for it was probably by means of this 

 fubterraneous wealth, that the Wel(h were enabled to fnp- 

 port againft the Englifh an unequal warfare for fo long a 

 time. During centuries after the conqueft, in England 

 the crown alTerted its exclufive right to all mines and mine- 

 rals ; and no perfon could fearch for ore unlefs empowered 

 by a royal grant, under conditions impofed at the difcretion 

 of the monarch. Edward I., on his conqueft of Wales, ex- 

 tended his mining authority over that country ; and it does 

 not appear that the proprietor of the land, on which a mine 

 was opened, had any fiiare in tlie profits, till the reign of 

 Henry VI., when the duke of Bedford having obtained a 

 leafe of all mines containing any gold or filver, a refervation 

 was made of a twentieth part of the proceeds to the owner 

 of the land. Queen Elizabeth, however, adopted a found 

 policy : flie fent over for fome experienced Germans, and 

 granted letters patent to them and their heirs for ever, to 

 fearch for and conduft the bufinefs of mines, through feve- 

 ral fpecified Englifh counties, and the whole principality of 

 Wales. The patentees divided part of their tenure into 

 fharcs for fale ; and with the purchafers of fuel) fharcs, they 

 were incorporated by the flyle of the " governor, afTiftants, 

 and commonalty of the mines royal." But though the 

 foundation was thus laid for the prefent fuccefs in mining, yet 

 little of importance was effedled till the reign of Charles I. 

 According to the tcftimony of Schlutter, the lead 

 mines in Flintfhire were not worked before the year 1698, 

 when Dr. Wright and his affociated adventurers ellablifhed 

 a fmclting-houfe at Halkin. The fubfequent extenfion of 

 mining concerns was encouraged by the repeal of former 

 reflridlive ftatutes, and by the enaftment in the firlt year of 

 William and Mary, that perfons having mines Ihalt enjoy 

 the fame, although claimed as royal mines ; the king having 

 the right of pre-emption in the ore at certain regulated 

 prices. 



Agr'icuUurc, BriJges, Roads, and Canals. Wales in a general 

 view may be confidered a century, at leafl, behind England 

 in its flate of agriculture. The mode of ploughing, the 

 courfe of crops, the deficiency of manure, the want of drain- 

 ing, and the rude implements of hufbandry, are ill calcu- 

 lated for making a progrefs in agricultural amelioration. 

 Many of the errors evidently arife from the ignorance, pre- 

 judice, indolence, and poverty of the tenants ; but other 

 caufes are attributable to the proprietors of ellatcs. One is, 

 not granting proper Icafes, the lands for the moil part being 

 let from year to year : a flill more injudicious ciiltom is the 



letting farms by auftion. But though this is the general 

 ftate of agriculture, yet ftriking and honourable inilances 

 occur, in divers places, of more rational coiiduft. Many 

 gentlemen are fetting the example of the moft improved 

 pradlice ; and almoil in every county, affociations of intel- 

 ligent agriculturifts have been formed for the introduftion 

 and encouragement of a better fyftem of hufbandrv. From 

 the nature, as well as number of the rivers in Wales, the 

 creclion of bridges mufl have excited, at an early period> 

 the attention of the Welfh. Infurmountable barriers mu'l 

 have been oppofed to the traveller, without the aid of what 

 may be termed pendent bridges ; that is, fuch as are thrown 

 from crag to crag, at a prodigious height above the water. 

 Of this kind is the bridge, or rather two bridges, called 

 Pont-ar-Mynach, near Hafod, in Cardigan fhire, forming a 

 pafs over an awful yawning chafm, through which the river 

 rolls its waters to tl-.e Rheidiol. Another, called Pont- 

 aber-glas-Iyn, forms a communication over a narrow defile 

 in the mountainous ridge frparating the counties of Caer- 

 narvon and Merioneth. Numerous bridges, of a fingle arch, 

 are fcattered over the country ; of tliisclafs is the celebrated 

 Pont-y-Prydd, crofTuig the boifterous TafFe in Glamorgan- 

 fhire. Among thofe bridges compofed of more than one 

 arch, the triangular-arched bridge over the river Dee at 

 Llangollen, is curious for its mode of conftruflion, and great 

 antiquity: the bridge acrofs the Conwy, near Llanrwft, is 

 an elegant llrufture, and does honour to the flcill of its ar- 

 chiteft, Inigo Jones ; the bridge of five arches at Batigor- 

 ifcoed, in Flintfhire, is a fine fpecimen of architefture. The 

 town of Caermarthen is entered by a long ancient bridge ; 

 but the ftupendous aquedudl, by which the continuation of 

 the EUefmere canal is carried over the Dee, at Pont CyfTyllte, 

 between Llangollen and Cliirk, in Denbighfhire, is the chef 

 d'oeuvre of this fpecies of architecture ; and can only be 

 exceeded in grandeur or utility, by the projefted bridge over 

 the Menai ftraits, by which it is propofed to form a land 

 communication between the county of Caernarvon Jnd the 

 ifland of Anglefea. Wales, though long famed for its 

 bridges, was, till of late years, nearly a llranger to good 

 roads. Except the two groat mail-roads, forming the com- 

 munication with the north and fouth of Ireland, by the way of 

 Milford and Holyhead, vvlience the packets fail for that 

 country, fcarcely a road could be found, calcidated for the 

 paffing of carriages. But to this effenlial point for profit 

 and convenience, the land proprietors have recently direded 

 their attention with tlie moft beneficial efFefts ; and tli*.' 

 country may now be traverfed in alnioft every direflion. 

 Under the aufpices of that public-fpirited nobleman, the 

 late lord Penrhyn, a grand road has been cut through the 

 immenfe range of lofty mountains, denominated Sninvdonia, 

 by which an cxtenfive communication has been opened be- 

 tween the internal parts of North Wales and the coaft ; and 

 the great thoroughfare from Loiulon to Dublin by way of 

 Holyhead diniinifhed in Icnglli, compared with the former 

 one by way of Shrewfbury and Conway, twenty-five miles. 

 Numerous roads have been widened, fliortened, and olhcrwife 

 improved, by the addition of drains, arches, bridges, &c. 

 to the great accommodation of travellers, and gencr.il be- 

 nefit of the inhabitants. Already has the country begun to 

 experience the advantages bv new coinmunications having 

 been opened for the producctof the interior, in the redudlion 

 of the rate of carriage, aiul in the ealy accifs thus afforded 

 for the conveyance of ponderous articles to the fea-coall, or 

 to the inter-communications with the navigable rivers by 

 inland canals. 



Improvement by internal uavigation was long ncglcAcd 

 in this country, though equally cap.iblc of fuch advantages 



as 



