164 M E R 
was publilhed by Dr. Roth, in Schrader’s -New Journal 
for 1807. It is the Ulva urabricalis, which fee. 
A Mertensia had all'o previoully appeared, from the 
pen of profeffor Wilklenow, in the Stockholm Tranfac- 
tions for 1804, belonging to the order of ferns ; but that 
is reduced to another genus. See Gleichenia. 
MERTE'QUE, a town of Mexico, in the province of 
Honduras. A conliderable quantity of cochineal is col¬ 
lected in its neighbourhood. 
MER'THYR TYD'VIL, a large and populous market- 
town in the county of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is a 
place of great antiquity, and is laid to derive its name 
from Tydvil, the daughter of Brechan prince of Breck- 
nockfliire, who was murdered here, along with her father 
and brother, by a party of Saxon marauders, about the 
clofe of the fifth century. This lady is reckoned among 
the number of ancient Britiih faints. After her death, 
the Saxons having been expelled by the prowefs of her 
nephew, a church was ereded and dedicated to her at 
this place, and called the church of Merthyr (or Martyr) 
Tydvil. 
From this period, nothing occurs deferving of notice 
relative to Merthyr Tydvil, till about the year 1620, 
when it was dihinguilhed for its zeal in the caufe of non¬ 
conformity. Though then tri vial in extent and political 
importance, it was neverthelels a fort of hot-bed, which 
contributed in no final! degree to engender and keep 
alive, for more than a century, thofe religious dilfenlions, 
the effects of which itill continue vifible in the feparation 
of the greater proportion of the inhabitants of Wales 
from the effablilhed church. In 1755 a new era com¬ 
menced in the liiflory of this place. The extenfive and 
valuable mines in its immediate vicinity had hitherto 
attraded but little notice. At this time, however, Mr. 
Bacon directed his attention towards them; and, having 
obtained a leafe of a diflrid, extending about eight miles 
an length and four in breadth, at the moderate rent of 
300I. per annum, he immediately began operations, and 
ereded extenfive works for the fmeiting and forging of 
iron. This gentleman continued increafing his eltablilh- 
ment till the year 1783, when he deemed it proper to let 
out the greater part of his property to Mr. Crawfhay, and 
the remainder to Mr. Hill: at the fame time, he referved 
to himfelf a certain tonnage on all the iron manufactured 
above a fpecified quantity. The new proprietors loon 
augmented the works; and the parts belonging to Mr. 
Crawfhay, at Cyfartha, are now by far the largelt in this 
kingdom, and probably in Europe. He employs no fewer 
than fifteen hundred men, whole weekly wages amount to 
at lealt as many pounds fterling. The average of iron pro¬ 
duced from thele works is from 180 to 200 tons a-week. 
Six furnaces, and two rolling-mills, are employed. For 
procuring blaff for the furnaces and working the mills, 
there are four fleam-engines; one of fifty, .one of forty, 
one of twelve, and one of feven, horfe power. The firff 
engine is connected with the four upper blafl-furnaces, 
to which is a water-engine annexed of nearly the fame 
power. The machinery of this ellablifhment is truly gi¬ 
gantic ; and that part of it worked by water is curious, 
and certainly highly powerful. The great water-wheel 
is a moft extraordinary piece of mechanifm: it was con- 
ffruded under the fuperintendance of Watkin George, 
and meafures fifty feet in diameter. W. George was then 
a carpenter employed about the works: he was afterwards 
taken into partnerfhip, and received 20,000k to give up 
his ihare. Befides thefe works, and thofe of Mr. Hill, 
there are two others at Pendarren and Dowlais; the for¬ 
mer producing about 140 tons of iron weekly, and the 
latter about three-fourths of that quantity. The total 
number of fmelting-furnaces near the town is feven- 
teen, viz. Dowlais four, Pendarren three, Plymouth four, 
and Cyfartha fix. 
No fail can. better i!hiflrate the magic influence of trade 
©n thecondition of a country, than the rapid change which 
has been effected at Merthyr Tydvil and its neighbour- 
M E R 
hood. Forty years ago, this town was an inconftderable 
village, and contained only a few hundred inhabitants ; 
whereas, by the foie operation of its iron-works, it has 
rifen to be by far the larged and moil populous town in 
Wales. The inhabitants of this parifn are now conjee* 
tured to amount to 10,000 perfons. The llreets in gene* 
ral are ciofe and confined, and have no proper outlets 
behind the houfes. Conliderable improvements, however, 
have already been made within thefe lalt five or fix years. 
Such llreets as have been built fince that period are much 
better arranged, and wider than thofe which were ereded 
earlier. The parilh-church, rebuilt in 1806, is a large and 
handfome building; and, befides it, there is a Ipacious 
chapel buiit by Mr. Crawfhay. The meeting-houles for 
diflenters of different feds are about eleven in number: 
three Baptills, two Prelbyterian, two Independents, two 
in the Wefley connedion, and two in that of Whitfield. 
A theatre has been lately ereded here. There is likewife 
a philofophical lociety. The inhabitants of this town 
are chiefly Welfli, and the language fpoken in it.almoff 
entirely lo. A court of confidence for the recovery of 
finall debts has been inllituted here by ad of parliament, 
within thefe three years. This town has three market¬ 
places, which are well fupplied twice every week, on 
Wednefdays and Saturdays; and fairs November 18 and 
December 2. There are likewife fairs May 13, Trinity* 
Monday, September 3, and Odober 21; and great mar¬ 
kets, every other Monday from May to Michaelmas, 
which are kept on a large mountain called the Wayn, 
about a mile above Merthyr. Thefe Angular markets, it 
is faid, have been held, without interruption, for upwards 
of eight hundred years; and are Hill much frequented, 
though not above fix houfes remain on the hill. 
The weighty and valuable produdions of Merthyr 
Tydvil find an eafy conveyance to the lea, by means of 
a canal which extends hence to Pennarth-liarbour, in the 
Briilol Channel, being.navigable as far as Cardiff for vef- 
fels of 300 tons, and above that town for barges of 100 
tons. This canal, a work of great ingenuity and labour, 
was completed in 1794. At the Cyfartha works, where 
it terminates, it is 568 feet above the level of the fea j 
which elevation is effeded by means of about forty locks. 
A new tram-road runs nearly by its fide, through its 
whole courfe, extending all together twenty-fix miles in 
length. It coll 120,000k 
Befides its iron ores, the neighbourhood of this town 
is abundantly produdive of other minerals ufeful in the 
arts, and conlequently fubfervient to the convenience and 
happinefs of man. Coal, fo indifpenlibly neceffary in the 
manufadure of the iron, is fupplied in immenfe quanti¬ 
ties, and of excellent quality; and it is calculated that not 
lets than 240 tons of this article are confumed every day 
in the various works. The iron-llone, coal, and lime- 
Itone, at fome of the works, are within a hundred yards 
of each other. Good mill-ltones, and Hones for paving, 
are likewife abundant; and in the lime-Hone rocks are 
found beds of black and variegated marble, not inferior 
to any in the kingdom. 
The parilh of Merthyr is very extenfive, and contains 
five hamlets. The marquis of Bute is lord of the manor, 
has the prelentation to the redory, and receives a chief- 
rent from every tenement of land therein. 
In the vicinity of Merthyr are the following villages, 
&c.—Seven miles louth is the village of Lanvabon.—Six 
miles and a quarter louth is the Quaker’s Yard, contain¬ 
ing an inn and tavern, and feveral houfes.—Three miles 
wefi is Aberdare village, with feveral pleafant feats.—Six 
miles north-weff is the village of Pen-y-darran, contain¬ 
ing three fmeiting-furnaces ; and adjoining to it is the feat 
of Mr. Homfray, a large and elegant houfe, furrounded 
with beautiful gardens and pleafure-grounds. 
Morlais callle Hood about three miles to the north- 
weH, on the fummit of a hill, about half a mile from the 
ancient road over the mountains from Cardiff to Breck¬ 
nock, overlooking a ravine of great depth, in the bottom 
of 
