~~ 
1802.} 
in length; high wooded rocks, the fource 
of many 2 foaming cataract, form the 
barriers on either fide. “Che upper end 
gives paflage toa wide glafly {tream, dafh- 
ing down from the crags, hurrying over 
its rocks through meadows of a beautiful 
verdure, and flowing through a thoufand 
windings to empty itfelf in the broad 
fandy eftuary of Traeth Bach. 
2824. From our neat inn at Maentwrog 
we fally forth this morning to furvey the 
whole of the valley. Tan-y-bwlch hall 
ftands beautifully fituated on the flope of 
a wooded hill, and commands the whole 
lovely fcene. In its plantations we ob- 
ferve one of the fineft waterfalls we have 
feen, dafhing down the rocks and gleaming 
through the trees. Winding under the 
hall to the end’ of the valley, we gaina 
projecting {pit of land, with a wide watery 
view of the two Traeths, clofed by the 
ocean. Inthe evening proceed to Bedd- 
gelert, the mountains in the way become 
bolder and more cenical, and the views 
more romantic—a huge mafs of bare ab- 
rupt rocks overhangs the road in one part, 
and has much the appearance of a vene- 
rable pile of ruins, with a fine gothic en- 
trance in the middle. About a mile 
from Beddgelert we enter the tremendous 
pals of Pont-aber-gla{s-Jlyn, the nar- 
roweft in all North Wales. A bridge of 
a fingle arch beftrides a wide torrent- 
{tream, whofe clear waters are ftained with 
a dark tan colour imbibed from the peat 
mofles whence they take their fource. Its 
current is obftructed by rocks and large 
pieces of timber wathed down by the fury 
of its winter-ftream; beneath the bridge 
it pours thundering cowie fteep fall and 
foams along over a fucceffion of rapids 
till the jutting rocks conceal it from view. 
A road, laborioufly cut out of the fide of 
the mountain, winds along the ‘river’s 
brink, and fills up the narrow chafm be- 
tween perpendicular rocks of immenfe 
height, whofe bare uncouth maffes appear 
as if torn afunder and expofed to day by 
fome violent convulffon of es At 
Beddgelert we hear a harper and fome 
men and women finging Welfh fongs ina 
ftyle truly barbarous. 
29th, Wandering down a rude mifer- 
able-looking valley, we afcend the famous 
Dinas Emrys, a huge precipitous rock, 
with trees wildly ftarting from its clefts, 
whence old Merlin delivered his prophe- 
cies and animated his countrymen to 2 
brave refiftance of the invading Saxons. 
A ruinous ftone wall on the top marks an 
ancient camp of King Vortigern. Here 
we obferve. for the fir time, a {mall herd 
of milk-white goats ‘bounding from crag 
Montuiy Mac; No. 92. 
Fournal of a Welfe Tour. 
, eee 
to crag with wild agility. We again vifi¢ 
Pont-aber-glas Ilyn, under which we ob- 
ferve the falmon leaping. 
30th. We this day climb the fummie 
of Snowdon, an arduous and fatiguing 
afcent, but encompafled by none of the 
perils and dangers defcribed by tourifts. 
I mount my trufty poney, and am borne 
over bogs and fteep rocks toa fpot within 
about a mile of the fummit, where I am 
compelled to difmount—the fun now 
fhines out for a moment, and we fee the 
ifle of Anglefey lying ftretched beneath us, 
like a map, from the ftraits of Menai to 
the ocean wafhing its farther fhore. A 
wild fcene of clouds and mountains lies 
fpread around in rude confufion, relieved 
by bright green vallies, and woody hills, 
with here and there a few patches of cul- 
tivated land, creeping along a narrow 
ridge bounded on each fide by a precipice. 
We attain the higheft pinnacle: but here 
we find every thing wrappé@ in an impe- 
netrable veil of clouds—not a slimpfe is 
to be had of the wild profpect below. 
Several little lakes lie in the hollows of 
the mountain, but fcarce a fingle water- 
fall proceeds from it. Snowdon is lefs 
ftiony and barren, even on its Joftieft parts, 
than Cader-Idris ; a few viviparous grafles 
cling to its higheft crags, but they do not 
appear to give nourifhment to any animal. 
—Not a living thing did we’ fee, within 
many hundred feet of the top, but one 
ring oozel, and a large hawk, which flew 
{creaming over our heads—even the hardy 
mountain-fheep cannot fubfift fo high, and 
the fmall herds of goats that browze be- 
low fhun thefe alpine heights on account 
of the total want of fhrubs. The crops 
of hay in the neighbourhood of the moun- 
tain are fo light as to be turned by hand, 
and carried by the women in then arms. 
The ‘hay-ftacks are frequently inclofed 
with fione walls to protect them from the 
fury of the wind. The cottages are mi- 
ferable, the fences all of Icofe ftone: the 
people walk about with their feet and legs 
either totally bare, or covered with a black 
ftocking, which leaves the fole of the foot 
naked. Not a garden or a wheat field is 
to be feen: all is favage wildnefs and 
gloomy grandeur in the country, with 
abje&t poverty and fqualid wretchednefs 
in the inhabitants. 
31/7. Leaving Beddgelert, we proceed 
to Lianberris, twelve'miles, on roads im- 
practicable to any animal except a Welfh 
poney, but rendered interefting by every 
variety of wild and romantic feenery. 
Winding along the valley at the foot of 
Dinas Emrys, | and purfuing for fome dif- 
tance a narrow road, fkirting the precipice 
. Se and 
