THE VALLEYS OF THE LYN 
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bank is adorned with, giant forms of graceful Bracken, top- 
ping the gnarled and twisted roots of trees, and lending their 
elegant forms to enhance the beauty of the scene. 
Down, down, more steeply falls in its steep bed the river 
on our right, bordered on our side with ferny banks which 
slope down to it. Mossy boulder islets are scattered in mid- 
stream, and above, steeply rising still, the wood ascends 
from the water’s edge to the hill-top. Now, on our left, 
the banks which skirt the road are topped with purple 
heather, which beautifully contrasts with the green fronds 
of waving Bracken behind it. The river 011 our right sinks 
deeper in its roaring bed, where it is, from the path we 
are following, almost hid from view under the dark over- 
shadowing of the trees on each bank. We can hear the 
roar and catch sight, through the interstices of leafy branches, 
of the foaming water. Now our road slightly descends, but 
the river at the foot of steeply sloping banks, dotted by 
charming Ferns perched shuttlecock fashion on their sides, 
falls lower still. Darker now are the shadows thrown on 
the stream by overhanging trees. Yet lower and lower falls 
the bed of the stream. But the sound of its roar is hushed 
as it comes through a tangled mass of twigs, limbs, and 
leaves. A little further on and the stream is completely 
hidden from view by the impenetrable curtain of green ; and 
we hear nothing but the sound of rushing water to indicate 
its course. 
For some little way our path on the left is bordered with 
huge rocks, ornamented by purple heather and waving Brake, 
and small shuttlecock shapes of Ferns gracefully peeping out 
of moist crevices. Above these rocks the steep banks are 
studded with mossy and ivy-covered clumps, and overhung 
with shrubs and waving Brake, whilst above rises the 
precipitous hill-side. 
The Lyn below us, as we follow its unseen course, still 
