i 80,3. ] 
as we defcended to the eftuary of the 
Dovey, which prefented a beautiful, fcene 
_of the village of Talgarth. te 
Machynleth, with romanti¢ environs, is 
yet a beggarly town, where the colour and 
form of the houfes increafe the melancholy 
appearance. The roftic architecture dil- 
dains the ufe of chimnies, which are, in 
general, {upplied by the door-way the 
interior may be eafily guefled. 
To Dalgeliy we were led through a 
rich woodland tract, with frequent water- 
falls (if the dry feafon had not prevented 
them) ‘till we came to the-afcent of Cader 
Idris... This mountain-pafs, is, without 
exaggeration, grand and interefting. 
The lake of Tallylyn fpreads at one 
extremity, and at the Pool of the Three 
Grains; the whole {cope is fublime. 
We now defcended rapidly to Dolgelly, 
where we found a fnug inn, anda harper 
ready sto receive us. » I willingly pay my 
tribute-of praife to thefe agreeable mufi- 
cians, and was-delighted by what I could 
perfuade myfelf to be the genuine melody 
of the ancient bards; but, as another bad 
confequence of their increafed intercourle 
with: England, my ears were perpetually 
affailed by Irifh jigs and country dances, 
which no one can appropriate to Wales. 
** Demptus pérvim mentis gratiffimus error.” 
Dolgelly Green is much celebrated by 
‘the .artifts, The fineft view of Cader 
Idris is found at about a mile upon the 
‘Tany Bwlch road in a fertile valley. We’ 
were here incircled by the mountains, and 
being ‘greatly favoured by the weather, 
faw thefe profpeéts very happily. For 
that time the point of Cader Idris was 
clear. We fhould have praifed the com- 
fort and cheapnefs of the inn had we not 
been forced to take four horfes upona 
road almoft without hills, and thofe not 
comparatiwly fleep. The firt part of 
the road is pleafant and fhady. At Dol- 
y-mullenllen is the very tafty cottage of 
Mr. Madocks. ‘There is a romantic path 
among the rocks to the cafcade, which, 
though the fall does not exceed fifty feet, 
is preferable to that of the Mynach, at 
the Devil’s bridge, of three hundred. 
On the whole, I think this the moft en- 
chanting fpot in Wales. As we aicended 
we (till appeared to be in the centre of a 
plain, clofely furrounded with mountains : 
thofe in the diftance were certainly very 
blue and magnificent, but the common 
eye will feel a monotony, when they con- 
tinue for fucha fpace to form the. only 
\ feature. | 
., Tonjours Perdrix!!¢ 
Obfervations on Modern Tours in Wales, Se. 
S43 
At dinner time we reached Tan-y. ‘ 
bwich inn, in the Vale of Feftiniog, and 
experienced the ufual pre-occupation, and 
the fame extortion of four horfes.. This 
occafioned us a detention, but in the Vale 
of Feftiniog, after what has been faid of 
it by Lord Lyttleton, no one muft com- 
plain. His praife, however, "has nos 
thing pecutiar to this fingularly pretty 
place, for with the friend of one’s heart, 
the woman one loves, and a’ ftudy of 
bocks, the moft difagreeable would be- 
come pleafant. This valley is luxuriant, 
narrow, and lying between two parallel 
ranges’ of mountains, the. outlines and 
grouping of which are extremely pictu- 
re{que. Mr.Oakley’s houfe hasa romantic 
fituation; about half way up the accli- 
vity; commanding éither extremity of the 
valley. None but a fplenetic traveller 
will deny the praife fo generally given 
to this favoured {pot, 
We had read of the ** dark tower of: 
Maentyrog,’” but found it in reality to 
bea little whitewafhed pinnacle, with a 
bell in it; but till favoured by the wea- 
ther, we ftrolled to feveral points of view, 
and were much gratified. I am con- 
vinced that there is but one mode of 
travelling with comfort in Wales, which 
isin an open carriage, with two horfes at 
length, with a man on the foremoft. If 
you confign yourfelf to a poft chaife, the 
rapacity of the innkeepers is immediately 
excited, common charges are doubled, 
and a fcheime is laid, under a plea of the _ 
pre-engagement of the only chaife they 
keep, to prevent your leaving any place 
without a due fleecing. But of all evils 
the greateft furely is, to follow clofe at 
the hecls of a party of fafhionable pic- 
ture(quemongers. Such a party ufually 
confiits of a clafe carriage, two or three 
curricles, as many abigails and infolent 
gentlemen's gentlemen on horfeback, 
avant couriers, &c. 
Upon a true principle of vanity and felf- 
iflineis every inn which occurs in fucceflion 
on the tour, is apprifed of their important 
arrival, fo that as you drive up to the door, 
hungry and perhaps fick of mountains, in 
a fog, and bad reads, you are faluted with 
the blank phyz of the landlord, bawling 
out his negative catalogue of —-No room, 
no beds, no chaife! Or, if you infift upon” 
admitance, you are fain to take up with 
the kitchen, its company and its fare, and 
fit up all night in the fame place ; for no 
prudent perfon wonld: fleep twice in a 
Welth farm-houfe. Dusing the late rage 
of making a tour in Wales, it has not un- 
frequenly happened, that two parties ” 
the 
te 
