539 
W A 
Black mountains, from the appearance given to them by the 
. dark vegetable covering of heath and ling. Among indivi¬ 
dual elevations remarkable for their height, are Tre beddw 
mountain. Pen Mallard hills, the Black mountains strictly so 
denominated, and the high table land, which in the south 
part of Caermarthenshire is closed by the isolated mountain 
called Penbre hill. These mountainous tracks abound with 
various kinds of valuable minerals, mines of which are 
worked in numerous places; and abounding, as they do, 
with multifarious, rare, and scarce vegetable productions, 
afford an ample field for botanical researches. In many 
instances also they are accompanied with the most delicious 
and romantic valleys, through which innumerable rivers and 
streams, flowing from countless lakes, in meandering courses, 
deliver their waters to the sea; valleys which, in point of 
fertility, beauty, and picturesque scenery, stand unrivalled. 
Numerous lakes are scattered among these mountains, 
which it would be useless to enumerate. They amount, ac¬ 
cording to some accounts, to between 50 and 60, and in a 
manuscript description of North Wales, 62 are mentioned 
under their proper appellations. The most distinguished for 
extent, or the beauty of the surrounding scenery, in North 
Wales, are, Llyniau Nantle, Lyn Cy wellin, Llyniau Llan^ 
berries, and Llyn Conway, in Caernarvonshire; with Pim- 
blemeer and Tallyllyn, in Merionethshire. In South Wales, 
Llyn Bychlyn, in Radnorshire; and Llyn Savathan or 
Langors pool, in the county of Brecknock. 
Wales is remarkable for the profusion of flowing streams 
with which it is watered. These, issuing from considerable 
lakes, or aided by their waters, meander through the country, 
and form excellent harbours at their confluence with the sea. 
The principal rivers are the Severn, the Wye, the Conway, 
the Towy, and the Dee, which have not only attained pre¬ 
eminence in fame for the utility of their navigation, but, 
as the theme of poets, have been celebrated in song. The 
former constitutes the eastern, and the latter the north¬ 
eastern boundary of the country, between the embouchures 
of which many others, though less distinguished in a com¬ 
mercial point of view, yet highly valuable for their fisheries, 
and other properties, fall into the sea, through an extensive 
line of coast. 
The climate of Wales differs materially from that of the 
portion of England lying in the same parallel of latitude; 
assimilating- more with the northern parts of the island. 
Considerable variations, however, are discoverable within 
the confined limits of this narrow region. In a general view 
fhe air is sharp ; in the mountainous parts bleak; mode¬ 
rately mild in the vales, and those parts adjacent to the 
ocean, especially on the southern coast, and particularly in 
the celebrated vale of Glamorgan. From the greater degrees 
of cold prevalent in the Cambrian atmosphere, snow is more 
frequent in Wales than in England, lies much deeper, and is 
seen covering the tops of the highest mountains for many 
months in the year. It is observable, when no snow falls, 
so as to lie, in the track of country eastward of the Severn, 
the sides of the Welsh hills may be seen with a hoary 
covering for several days together. The numerous lakes, 
rivers, and streams of Wales, teem with almost every kind 
of fresh-water fish; while the sea, environing the coasts, 
affords a luxuriant addition. Of the feathered tribes, many 
species, not found in other parts of the island, are inhabitants 
of this; and some animals rarely to be met with, still fre¬ 
quent the wilds of this diversified country. The goat is here 
found in his wild state, and is far superior in size, and both 
in the length and fineness of his hair, to that of most other 
mountainous countries. The horns of a Cambrian he-goat 
are sometimes three feet two inches long, and three feet from 
tip to lip. Though this useful animal has been long 
domesticated, yet many of the inhabitants in North Wales, 
particularly in Caernarvonshire and Merionethshire, suffer 
the goats to run in a wild state, to browse the Alpine shrubs, 
and bound from crag to crag. These they are accustomed 
to kill during autumn, for the sake of their fat and skins, 
either by shooting them with bullets, or running them down 
L E S. 
with dogs, like deer. Thus goat-shooting and goat-hunting 
still remain among some of the favourite diversions of the 
people in Wales. Roe-bucks were anciently numerous, but 
of late they have been confined to the most intricate parts 
of the country, and instances of seeing any extremely rare. 
The pine martin, in Welsh called bela goed, inhabits some 
of the wooded parts of Merionethshire and Caernarvonshire. 
The beaver, or the broad tailed animal, is no longer to be 
found ; but the otter is constantly to be found in the lakes. 
Among the land and sea birds, Wales has numbers in 
common with England, and some peculiar to itself. Of the 
latter description is the golden eagle, that breeds among the 
Snowdonian mountains; and the peregrine falcon, which 
furnished the amusement of falconry to our ancestor breeds 
prolifically among the rocks in Caernarvonshire. With 
respect to plants, such is the profusion with which nature 
has displayed her powers in these Alpine regions, that to 
enumerate them would be to compose a botanical nomen¬ 
clature. 
Silver is found in Cardiganshire, though not exclusively 
in what may be called silver mines. One of the mines 
produces silver ore, lead ore, and quartz ; and from the rich 
produce of the more precious metal formerly obtained, it 
received the appellation of the Welsh Potosi. Other mines 
in the same county contain similar substances, though they 
are not equally productive in silver. Llanvair is at present 
the richest mine worked in ihe principality; comprising 
silver, lead, quartz, spar, with a small portion of copper, and 
yields about one-sixth of lead ore. About 60 to 80 ounces 
of silver are extracted from a ton of ore, and twelve hundred 
and a half weight of lead. There is a mine of copper in 
Cardiganshire, the ore of which contains one twentieth part 
of pure metal. Several trials for working this mine were 
made at different times, but none succeeded till the year 
1773, when the vein of copper was first discovered, and 
about 20 tons of ore were raised ; but though the ore in the 
year 1791 sold as high as 2 51. per ton, yet the valuable 
concern has been for several years entirely neglected. In 
Llanymynech rock, Montgomeryshire, consisting of lime¬ 
stone, are shallow pits, the remains of Roman copper works, 
and numerous pieces of copper lie loose about the surface. 
Indeed, the whole mass of the hill seems more or less im¬ 
pregnated with this metal; for wherever it is uncovered, 
evident cupreous marks are clearly visible. Lead is found 
in a variety of places throughout Wales, but particularly in 
the counties of Flint, Caernarvon, Montgomery, Caermar- 
then, and Cardigan ; indeed the latter may be considered as 
the most extensive and richest mining field in Britain. A 
mineral tract stretches from Pen yr ailt or Bryn digri, in a 
line to the western borders of the parish of Holywell in 
Flintshire, and is known under the name of the Whiteford 
rake. The ores differ in quality; the lamellated or common 
kind, usually named potter’s ore, yields from 1400 to 1600^ 
of lead, from 2000 of the ore; but the last produce is rare. 
The veins are found either in chert or limestone rocks; and 
some of the best ore has been dug at the depth of 90 yards. 
In this track several levels have been driven, and shafts sunk, 
and lead continues to be obtained in very considerable 
quantities. Between Gwyclir and Capel Cerrig, in Caernar¬ 
vonshire, within an extensive dip between lofty mountains, 
are very extensive lead works. The principal iron-works 
are Merthyr Tydvil, Aberdare, and Cyfartha in Glamorgan¬ 
shire ; and the Union, Llanelly, Beaufort works, and Hir- 
vain furnace, in Brecknockshire. It has generally been 
remarked, that wherever iron is discoverable, coal is not far 
distant; eithet underlaying it, or lying in collateral strata. 
This eligible substitute for ligneous fuel is found in every 
county of Wales, except Cardigan, Merioneth, and Caer¬ 
narvon ; and perhaps time will evince, that those are not 
destitute,of this primary article of convenience. In North 
Wales, the principal coal-works are in the vicinity of 
Caergwrle, at Bagilt, near Holywell, and Bychton and 
Mostyn in the parish of Whiteford, Flintshire; near Chirk, 
Ruabon, and Wrexham, in the county of Denbigh; at 
several 
