FIRST LITERARY EFFORTS 205 



see no advance whatever. Some of the old customs have 

 vanished, for I was unable to obtain any flummery, and on my 

 inquiry for bake-stone bread I found that it was now rarely 

 made. A cake was, however, prepared specially for me, but 

 being made of white American flour it had not the flavour of 

 that which I used so much to enjoy made from the brown 

 flour of home-grown wheat. 



THE SOUTH- WALES FARMER 



Introductory Remarks 



In the following pages I have endeavoured to give a correct idea of 

 the habits, manners, and mode of life of the Welsh hill farmer, a class 

 which, on account of the late Rebecca disturbances, has excited much 

 interest. Having spent some years in Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, 

 Glamorganshire, and other parts of South Wales, and been frequently 

 in the dwellings of the farmers and country people, and had many 

 opportunities of observing their customs and manners, all that I here 

 mention is from my own observation, or obtained by conversation with 

 the parties. I have taken Glamorganshire as the locality of most of 

 what I describe, as I am best acquainted with that part and the borders 

 of Carmarthenshire, where the recent disturbances have been most 

 prominent. 



Whenever there is any great difference in neighbouring counties, I 

 have noticed it. I may here observe that in Radnorshire the Welsh 

 manners are in a great measure lost with the language, which is entirely 

 English, spoken with more purity than in many parts of England, with 

 the exception of those parts bordering Cardiganshire and Brecknock- 

 shire, where the Welsh is still used among the old people, the River 

 Wye, which is the boundary of the latter county and Radnorshire, in 

 its course between Rhayader Gwy and the Hay, also separates the two 

 languages. On the Radnorshire side of the river you will find in nine 

 houses out of ten English commonly spoken, while directly you have 

 crossed the river, there is as great or a still greater preponderance of 

 Welsh. In the country a few miles round the seaport town of Swansea 

 most of the peculiarities I shall mention may be seen to advantage. In 

 the east and south-eastern parts of Glamorganshire, called the Vale of 

 Glamorgan, the appearance of the country and the inhabitants is much 

 more like those of England. The land is very good and fertile, agri- 



