1822.] Excursion through North Wales,- 497 
and before 8 o’clock were on our way 
to Dolgelley, which is more than twenty 
miles from Tan-y-Bwlch. It was our 
intention of taking three very fine 
waterfalls, the waterfalls, as they are 
called, par excellence ; on our route, 
and in about two hours we arrived at 
the first, which is called Rhaidr-y- 
Mowddach, or the Torrent of the Mow- 
thach. This noble river, here con¬ 
tracted into a small but rapid stream, 
rushes down a precipice nearly 100 
feet high, into a deep, dark, stony ba¬ 
sin beneath, and is thrice broken in its 
descent by projecting ledges of rock. 
The spot where it is situated, is sur¬ 
rounded by trees, and not visible from 
the road, although the roar of its waters 
may be heard at a great distance. The 
next fall is called Pistyll-y-cain, or 
the Spout of the (river) Cain, and is 
by far the highest cataract. The water 
here falls down a rock nearly 200 feet 
in height, whose horizontal strata run 
in almost regular steps, throughout the 
entire breadth of its surface, forming a 
complete muial front, and marring, by 
their regularity, the picturesque effect 
which would otherwise be produced. 
This cataract is not by any means so 
beautiful as the other, but (he sce¬ 
nery around is very fine. Three miles 
further on we reached the other fall, 
called Rhaidr du, or the Black Tor¬ 
rent. Here the water dashes with a 
tremendous and appalling roar down 
two rocks, each nearly 60 feet high, 
into a basin hollowed out by the action 
of the water in the solid stone below, 
through which it foams for a few yards 
and is then lost among the surrounding 
woods, till it joins the Mowthach, 
about a mile towards the west. Th is 
is indeed a magnificent cataract, and 
the rain which fell the preceding day, 
had greatly augmented the volume of 
its waters, which now u thundered 
down the steep” with resistless impe¬ 
tuosity. 
The roar of waters ! from the head-long 
height 
Velino cleaves the wave-worn precipice-; 
The fall of waters ! rapid as the light, 
The flashing mass foams shaking the 
abyss; 
The hell of waters ! where they howl 
and hiss. 
And boil in endless torture, while the 
sweat 
Of their great agony,wrung out from this 
Their Phlegethon, curls round the rocks of 
jet 
That gird the gulf around in pitiless horror 
set. 
Monthly Mag. No. 362. 
And mounts in spray the skies, and 
thence again 
Returns in an unceasing shower, which 
sound, 
With its unemptied cloud of gentle rain, 
Is an eternal April to the ground, 
Making it all one emerald. 
The scenery here is highly beautiful 
and romantic; on the side of the fall 
are black perpendicular rocks (from 
which it derives its name) enlivened 
only by the mountain ash, or a patch 
or two of pure white lichen. But this 
sterility is merely confined to their 
surface; their sides and summits are 
clothed with a rich mantle of alpine 
underwood, imbibing perpetual mois¬ 
ture and fertility from the spray of the 
torrent. 
We arrived at Dolgelley before two 
o’clock, and found rather more bustle 
in the town than when we last were 
there. The assizes, we learnt, were to 
commence the next day, and there was 
a joyful appearance of life and activity 
that imparted a cheerfulness to every 
thing about us. The Lion/was crowded, 
every room was occupied, and had we 
not directed that our apartments might 
be reserved for us, we should have 
found some difficulty in obtaining 
lodgings. We were informed that the 
assizes would be exceedingly gay, and 
well attended, and that there would be 
no mean display of beauty and elegance 
at the balls; and, what pleased us more 
than any thing else, we were given to 
understand that only one criminal was 
fbuud in the whole county deserving 
of a trial. Now that our 44 dancing 
days are over,” we can scarcely toler¬ 
ate what are termed assize-balls. In 
many manufacturing districts, where 
the population is extensive, and where 
crime consequently abounds, scarcely 
a session passes without the severe 
punishment of some unfortunate male¬ 
factor ; and can any thing then be so 
unfeelingly incongruous as to spend 
the time, fraught with so much misery 
to many, in mirth and gladness ? No¬ 
thing, surely, can display so much 
levity and heartless cruelty, as to pass 
away in gaiety and pleasure the hours 
which are spent by the unhappy con¬ 
vict in groans and anguish, in 4 weeping 
and gnashing of teeth.’ But this charge 
of unworthy selfishness is by no means 
applicable to the natives of Merioneth¬ 
shire, and we may say, of North Wales 
generally. There is scarcely ever a capi¬ 
tal crime tried there; and there have 
been but two men executed at Dolgelley 
3 R during 
