1799. | 
better fhaped: with regard te wood 
alfo, we obferved an advantageous 
change; we had no longer oaks of 
twenty or thirty years’ growth, but the 
moft beautiful fpecimens of the pendent 
birch that I ever beheld. Of all trees, 
none fo much as this adorns a rocky crag 
overhanging a fiream, or fleeces the 
almoft perpendicular fide of a rugged 
Mountains ‘even the* ath, which in 
fcenes like thefe generally reigns with- 
out a rival, muft yield to the pendent 
bineh. ) 2 ene, the’ feene’ is’ purely 
beautiful, where the hills are clothed 
with verdure, where the itream is tranf- 
parent and fparkling, the bright foliage 
of the afh is in perfect harmony ; bat 
in fcenes like thefe which we, were 
palling through, the afh would have 
been out of characéter. The mountains 
are barren almoft from their bafe to 
the fummit, over which the clouds were 
rolling; the river, though ‘clear, has 
a deep tinge of brown from ‘the bogs 
through which it flows in the firft part 
of its courfe;. and the general charafler 
of the fcene is rather calculated to in- 
{pire melancholy than joyous fenfations : 
fiere, ‘thevefore,. the: deeper’ ercen of 
the leaves of the birch is ftriétly appro- 
Pie yiwinle the filver: hue! of the 
trunk, efpecially when refplendent 
with a gleam of light, darting through 
the bibeen clouds, forms a ftriking and 
beautiful contraft. We reached Corwen 
to breakfaft, and proceeded to Bala, where 
we arrived by dinner. This part of 
our walk didnot offer a fingle beautiful 
object, except Bala-pool, fo that we 
were more tired with twelve miles over 
hills and bogs, than we fhould have 
been with twenty through more in- 
terefting fcenes: nor was the dulnefs of 
the profpeét relieved by meeting with 
any {carce plants, or other objeéts in- 
terefting to the naturalift; for, except 
the Sedum album, Hypericum bumifufum 
and Pinguicula vulgaris, we faw nothing 
but what every hedge in the country 
would afford. After dinner, we went 
to fee the pool, and were better pleafed 
with it than we expected: it is a curve 
of about fix miles long, and one broad; _ 
and though its banks are but tame, yet 
it exhibits many pleafing fcenes, par- 
ticularly from one point where a fine 
wooded hill is on the left, and Cader. 
Idris, with its triple f{ummit, appears in 
the fartheft diftance, feemingly rifing 
out of the extremity of the lake. The 
only plant at all rare which we found in 
this neighbourhood, was the Fumaria 
Monruty Mac, No.1, 
 Pedeftrian Tour in North Wales. 
17 
Claviculata, growing fparingly in fe- 
veral places, and, in one inftance, vege- 
tating moft juxuriantiy on the thaich of 
a cottage. Oy q 
The next morning, July 1, we fet 
out for Llanwrft, which is diftant from 
Bala 22 miles; of thefe about 19 were 
through a country even more dreary 
than that from Corwen to Bala. Boggy 
mountains, one after the other, appeared 
rifing in tedious fucceflion; and when, 
having with labour attained the fummit, 
we expected the view of a rich vale, with 
woods and cultivated fields, we were 
difappointed by a lengthened profpect of 
complete barrennefs. Not a tree, not 
a houfe was within fight; and were it 
not for a grand view on our left of the 
Snowdon mountains, half obfcured by 
clouds, the road would have appeared 
ftill more tedious than we actually found 
it. About the end, however, of the 
roth mile, the road led to the brow of a 
hill, where we were unexpectedly re- 
lieved with a view .of the vale of 
Lianwr& juft beneath us; extenfive, 
highly cultivated ; its fhaggy fides hung 
with a profi:fion of wood, and the noble 
river Conway fweeping through in 
grand and beautiful curves. This fighe. 
gave us frefh {pirits; and, quickly de- 
{cending the mountainous barrier of the 
valley, we found ourfelves at Llanwrft. 
Having refrefhed ourfelves, we pro- 
ceeded, after dinner, to explore the. 
beauties of the vale; for this purpofe, 
croflinge the river, we went to a fine © 
hanging wood, about half a mile off; at 
the foot of which is an old manfion, 
calied Gwydir, now a farm-houfe, the 
property of Sir P. Burrell. Afcending 
with fome difficulty throuzh the en- 
tangled under-wood, for the purpofe of 
obtaining a good point whence to view 
the vale, we came, quite unexpectediy, 
to the fineft fpot that I ever faw. The 
fummit of the hanging wood contains 
an area of about five or fix acres, which 
has formerly been a garden to the man- 
fion below, as the ruins ofa magnificent 
terrace and the remains of a furround- 
ing wall abundantly teftify : the terrace 
and walls are now clufered with ivy, 
and fhaded by fine old afi-trees. Near 
the centre ftands a pretty Gothic chapel, 
formerly belonging to the houfe ; and of 
the ruins of fome other edifices are 
“built a few! cottages; the refit of the 
{pace is partly covered- with afh trees 
and old fruit trees, and partly opens 
into fmall natural lawns. in which were 
beautiful groupes of cattle, fome feeding, 
eg ©. others 
