were exactly reflected by the glassy surface of the water, curiously streaked with the brightest green and dark purple.

July 22.-Dolgelly, (pronounced Dolgethly) Merionethshire. The ride from Aberystwith, 35 miles, is certainly very beautiful, the latter part especially, from several rich valleys surrounded by moderate hills, which our " Cambrian Guide" calls, "tremendous mountains, shook into every possible form of horror." Cader Idris deserves alone the name of mountain, and formed a conspicuous object for a great part of yesterday. We stopped at its base to see a very pretty waterfall, and continued our route to this place through anarrow path between two steep acclivities of crumbling rocks ;-it was the beauty of desolation. This morning, having provided four ponies and a guide, for these sort of conveniences are found ready organized here, wherever wanted, we went back a few miles in order to ascend Cader Idris, which we effected in three hours hard tug, partly on horseback, and partly on foot, by a zigzag path, with all the usual dangers, and hair-breadth escapes, and found ourselves at last seated on a crumbling pinnacle of slate rock, with large detached pieces of quartz here and there. The schistus appeared porphyritic, and, as I should suppose, what the Germans call grave wache. The youngest of the company

added the initials of our names to those of many other wise tourists who have preceded us,-a lofty record of travelling fame. I was not so well employed, for I attempted a sort of circular drawing or panorama of the main object we saw, without success. It was a sort of troubled sea of mountains, with many a beautiful valley among them, each with its meandering stream, and all like a geographical map. The course of the Maw from Dolgelly to the sea, which we knew to be ten miles, was seen at one glance, as if the whole extent had been drawn on a bit of paper, every object distinct, and we should not have supposed the length exceeded one mile. The ocean occupied about one half of the horizon. As we descended, (which took two hours) the prospect became less grand, but more beautiful; and the foreground, instead of rugged fragments, was all over bright green and bright purple, with fern and with heath. The general shape of this mountain is something like a saddle, its perpendicular height 2850 feet. Our guide had rendered himself very acceptable to the ladies during this expedition, by his readiness in tendering a steady arm and hand in difficult places,-by his good humour, and civil deportment. Being a very communicative person, they found out at last that he was the jailor of Dolgelly, which being a small and poor place, where people must turn their

hand to any thing, he was also the sheriff's deputy, for the execution of the last resort of criminal justice! The whip and the halter had, therefore, been held occasionally by the same obliging hand, which they had pressed the moment before! he did not indeed explain himself very clearly on this point; and happily the want of that hand was then nearly over. In fairness I am bound to say, that there is not, at this moment, a single person under our friend's care except themselves.

July 24.-Tan-y-Bwlch, pronounced (TanyBouhl, meaning the foot of the hill.) In our way here, we stopped to see two remarkable falls of water, Doll-y-Mullin ;-very beautiful, but of which a description would give very little idea, and therefore I shall not attempt it. We had a walk of three hours for one of them. I had just finished the annexed sketch, when we met, very unexpectedly, a gentleman of our acquaintance, with a friend of his, and were conducted to his cottage, most delightfully situated, and in the best taste. This procured us a letter for Mr O., the proprietor of the admired valley of Festiniog, where we now are. The house of Mr O. is placed on the slope of the hill, on one side of the valley, covered with a fine hanging wood to the summit, through which the house, a plain building of grey stone, with a terrace before it, peeps out,

overlooking the fertile valley below, which extends several miles to the right and left, with a little river of clear water winding through it. The screen of mountains forming the other side of the valley, is too near the eye, too rough and poor for beauty. The details of great rocky mountains frittering into fragments, are often mean on a near view, although the noblest objects in nature at a proper distance. The greatest part of the land of this valley, which now rents at three guineas an acre, would not fetch 7s. twenty years ago. A great part of this rise is owing to judicious draining, on a large scale, and good turnpike-roads, where bridle-paths only existed before. Labour here, and nearly all over Wales, is from 2s. to 3s. a-day; beef and mutton 8d. or 9d. a pound; fuel very cheap, at least peat, which is to be found everywhere, even on the tops of the mountains, and seems to cost only the labour of cutting and carrying home. There is much less difference between the remote and central parts of this kingdom, as to the prices of provision and labour, than I should have expect ed. From an elevated spot we were shewn, at the extremity of the valley, some miles distance, a great embankment, undertaken by a Mr Maddock, by which about 3000 acres of land, mostly sand and peat-land, are to be reclaimed from the sea. The mountains on each side the valley fur

nish stones, which are carried forward en talus by means of a rail-way. There are 300 men at work, and the two projections nearly meet in the middle, where the tide is so violent as to carry away the stones before they reach the bottom.

July 25.-We left Tan-y-Bwlch this morning with three horses, and the next stage with two, after being obliged to take four for the preceding 210 miles. We passed by Beddgelert, Carnarvon, and Bangor Ferry ;-this last is the place for embarkation for Ireland, by Anglesey. We have stopped for the night at a country inn eight miles beyond, superlatively comfortable, and with the finest view possible. It is not a post-house; but finding the house at Bangor Ferry full, and no horses, those of Carnarvon have brought us so far, and we have sent forward for others. Posthorses do not seem under much regulation; the price, &c. appear left to the natural operation of competition; and in remote places, where posthorses are kept by one person only, the traveller is pretty much at his mercy. I have, however, experienced so little difficulty in our already extensive travels, that I have not yet taken the trouble of ascertaining whether there is any legal check to exactions; the fact is, that there is less disposition to it, a more accommodating temper, and civility of behaviour among the people, than, not only in America, but in France, as far as I