XVII] RESIDENCE AT NEATH 



251 



I have already (in chap, xi.) described one of the curious 

 " standing stones " near the source of the Llia river, but 

 there is a still more interesting example about a mile and a 

 half north-west of Ystrad-fellte, where the old Roman road — 

 the Saru Helen — crosses over the ridge between the Nedd 

 and the Llia valleys. This is a tall, narrow stone, roughly 

 quadrilateral, on one of the faces of which there is a rudely 

 inscribed Latin inscription, as seen in the photograph, and in 

 copy of the letters given opposite. It reads as follows : — 



DERVACI FILIUS JUSTI IC lACIT 



meaning [The body] of Dervacus the son of Justus lies here. 

 It will be seen that the letters D, A, and I in Dervaci, and the 

 T and I in Justi are inverted or reversed, probably indicating 

 that the cutting was done by an illiterate workman, who 

 placed them as most convenient when working on an erect 

 stone. The stone itself is probably British, and was utilized 

 as a memorial of a Roman soldier who died near the place. 



One of our most memorable excursions was in June, 1846, 

 when I and my brother spent the night in this water-cave. 

 I wanted to go again to the top of the Beacons to see if I 

 could find any rare beetles there, and also to show my 

 brother the waterfalls and other beauties of the upper valley. 

 Starting after an early breakfast we walked to Pont-nedd- 

 fychan, and then turned up the western branch to the Rocking 

 Stone, a large boulder of millstone-grit resting on a nearly 

 level surface, but which by a succession of pushes with one 

 hand can be made to rock considerably. It was here I 

 obtained one of the most beautiful British beetles, Trichius 

 fasciaius, the only time I ever captured it. We then went on 

 to the Gladys and Einon Gam falls ; then, turning back 

 followed up the river Nedd for some miles, crossed over to 

 the cavern, and then on to Ystrad-fellte, where we had supper 

 and spent the night, having walked leisurely about eighteen 

 or twenty miles. 



The next morning early we proceeded up the valley to 

 the highest farm on the Dringarth, then struck across the 

 mountain to the road from Hirwain to Brecon, which we 



