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TO BANGOR. A delightful walk conducts us to that ancient city. A new line of road to Bangor Ferry was constructed, in 1805, by Lord Bulkeley, passing through the woods and plantations of Baron Hill, at a considerable elevation above the shores of the Menai; it continues for nearly 5 m., and forms one of the most picturesque drives in the Principality. This line has been extended to the Menai Bridge at one extremity, and connected at the other with a new entrance into Beaumaris.

While at Beaumaris, travellers frequently make excursions to Penmon, and to Priestholme. The former is situated near the entrance of the bay, near the shore, in a pretty sequestered spot, where a venerable church, and a ruin behind a cluster of trees, claim attention. A monastery was founded here by St. Seiriol, in the sixth century, in conjunction with St. Cadfan, under the auspices of Maelgwyn Gwynedd. The remains of Penmon consist of the church and refectory. The latter has been divided into three stories; the walls are six feet in thickness. The church was originally in the form of a cross, but the N. transept has been destroyed, and there are now three wings, of unequal height, attached to a tower, the largest of which is a farm-house. The choir is still in use, and all its antiquity has been smoothed over by modern alterations. The other divisons of the building have not suffered in this way. Those parts which are entire consist of good specimens of unmixed Saxon architecture. The tower rests upon four semicircular arches, three of which are much defaced and mutilated. The remaining columns are small and irregular; one is round and plain, another round and fluted, and one quadrangular, with simple bases and capitals. The faces of all the arches have zigzag mouldings. The nave has no side aisles, and is reduced to a mere shell. The windows are blocked up except two, which are round-headed, widen inward, and admit light only by a narrow slip. The remaining transept is a very small square building, its walls ornamented on all sides by ranges of small round arches, springing from plain and fluted pilasters. Adjoining is a holy well. A small temple is raised over it. A square space, inclosed by a wall, paved and seated all round, forms a vestibule.

A society, supported by subscription, has been established in this county, for providing the best boats, and other means of saving life, and for rewarding those who signalise themselves in saving their fellow-creatures. It first came into operation in 1829, and up to the present time there have been saved, on the shores of this county alone, by the boats or other means of the Institution, 148 human beings from the terrors of instant death by shipwreck. The Penmon life-boat was placed on that station in 1831, which has been instrumental in saving 42 lives; and of these, Owen Roberts had been concerned in rescuing 26. Sir Richard Bulkeley lately presented to this skilful, cool, and intrepid individual a beautiful silver medal, awarded by the "Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck," for his gallant services on many occasions in the Penmon life-boat; but more particularly in saving the crew and passenger of a sloop on her beam ends, 5 m. N. E. of Puffin Island, on which occasion the life-boat was eight hours before it reached the shore, buffeting the billows of a dreadful night in total darkness. While others are proud of their medals bestowed for destroying the lives of human beings, well may Owen Roberts be proud of this honourable reward for saving his fellowcreatures!

Priestholme, now a telegraphic station, lies 4 m. N. E. of the Beaumaris. A dangerous shoal, called the Causeway, occupies the greater part of the Sound, but there is a narrow channel through it, 8 fathoms deep, forming

the only entrance from the N., for large vessels, into Beaumaris Bay. There is another passage between the outer coast of the island and the edge of the Lavan Sands, but navigable only for very small vessels. Priestholme is about 1 m. in length and m. broad, bounded on three sides by inaccessible precipices, and on the fourth by a steep bank. It is composed entirely of limestone. The only erection upon it is an old square tower crowned with a low spire, with heaps of stones and rubbish. Human bones are scattered in various parts.

About 3 m. s. of Beaumaris, is Garth Ferry. The road is continued to Porth-aethwy; but s. of Garth Ferry the cliff is bare, and an uninterrupted view of all the magnificent scenery of the bay is presented. This is one of the finest terraces in the world. The road was cut at the expense of Lord Bulkeley. The Menai at Garth Ferry becomes suddenly contracted to m. in breadth. Crossing here, a walk of m. from the landing-place leads us to the small but attractive city of BANGOR.

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BEDDGELART is a very extensive parish of Caernarvonshire; the village is situated in a beautiful tract of meadows, at the junction of three vales, near the conflux of the Glas-llyn, or Nant-hwynant, and the Colwyn, flowing through a vale which leads to Caernarvon, called Llan-y-bor, and contains 777 inhabitants. It is situated in the centre of an extensive mountainous district. Its scenery is romantic, grand, and magnificent, richly diversified with lofty mountains of various elevation and character, luxuriant vales, expansive lakes, woods, groves, and plantations of richest verdure.

The Church was anciently spacious, and is the loftiest in Snowdonia. The east window is lancet-shaped, and consists of three narrow lights. The roof is neat; and there yet remains some fretwork. A side-chapel is supported by two pillars and Gothic arches. This church has been conventual, belonging to a priory of Augustines. They were probably of the class called Gilbertines, consisting of both men and women, living under the same roof, but divided by a wall, as a piece of ground near the church is called Dôl-yLlein (the meadow of the nun). No remnant of the priory, however, exists. The ground on the s. side of the church, seems to be the site of the buildings formerly inhabited by the monks. There are two or three arched doors on that side the edifice, through which probably the religious entered. The ancient mansion near the church may have been the residence of the prior. In this house is shown an old pewter mug, holding upwards of two quarts. Any person able to grasp it with one hand, while full of ale, and to drink it off at one draught, is entitled to the liquor gratis, and the tenant charges it to the lord of the manor as part of payment of his rent. N. E. from the village runs Nant Gwynedd. Tradition says,

that Llywelyn ap Jorwerth came to reside at Beddgelart during the hunting

season with his wife and children, and that one day, the family being absent, a wolf entered the house. On returning, his greyhound, delighted to meet his master, met him, but covered with blood. The prince, alarmed, ran into the nursery, found the cradle in which his infant had lain overturned, and the ground covered with blood. Imagining the greyhound had committed the fatal deed, in a transport of rage he immediately drew his sword and plunged it into the body of his favourite, but on turning up the cradle, he found under it the child alive, and by his side a monstrous dead wolf. This so affected the prince, that he erected a tomb over the faithful Ciliart's grave; the parish church was built on the spot, and called from this distressing circumstance Bedd-Cilihart, or the grave of Cilihart. On the borders of a principal lake in this neighbourhood, are the ruins of NantHwynen Chapel. m. on the road to CAPEL CURIG, behind the old publichouse opposite, is an interesting view, consisting of a solemn dell, rugged with rock and rude excrescences. The eye, surveying this scene, is relieved occasionally by spots of verdure, patches of heath, thinly scattered sheep, and the beautiful curvature of the mountain. In the Welsh annals this region is styled the forest of Snowdon. It is a subject of great regret to most tourists, that many of the rocks which surround Beddgelart, though once covered with oaks, are now naked. Snowdonia, though formerly a forest, contains now scarcely a tree. One proprietor, however, has raised

new plantations upon his estate.

Besides the old inn, there is the comfortable Beddgelart Hotel. It is distinguished by the emblem of the Goat, with the following appropriate motto: "Patria mea petra," my country is a rock. The guide to the mountains was Richard Edwards, a resident in the village. "The new inn,” says Pugh, "is the most fashionable, but I preferred the old one, that I might enjoy a quiet undisturbed hour, which an artist knows how to appreciate. The accommodations were good, with civil attention." A mail coach runs daily through this place and Capel-Curig. William Lloyd, the schoolmaster of this place, was long noted as an intelligent conductor to Snowdon, Moel-Hebog, Dinas-Emrys, Llanberis Pass, the lakes, waterfalls, &c.; he was also a collector of crystals, fossils, and natural curiosities. Grace Lloyd continued to sell the mineral productions of Snowdonia.

Opposite to the village of Beddgelart is Moel-Hebog, the hill of flight, which Lord Lyttelton ascended. [See FESTINIOG.] In a bog near that mountain was found, in 1784, a most curious brass shield; it was deposited with Mr. Williams of Llannidan, and its diameter was 2 ft. 2 in., the weight 4 lb. In the centre was a plain umbo projecting above 2 in.; the surface was marked with 27 smooth concentric circles in relievo; and between each a depressed space of the same breadth as the elevated parts, marked by a single row of smooth studs. The whole shield was flat and very flexible. This was probably Roman, for the Welsh despised every species of defensive armour.

Mr. Assheton Smith had about 2000 oak trees growing in a very high situation at Talmignedd, near Beddgelart, intermixed with birch.

Plants.- Ruppia maritima, in ditches between Traeth-mawr and PontAberglâslyn. Fumaria claviculata, under the walls, near a farm-house in Gwynant, at the entrance of Cwm-llan. Lathyrus palustris, moist pastures. This neighbourhood produces beautiful quartz crystals of a clear diamondlike transparency, in the form of a regular hexagonal prism.

TO THE SUMMIT OF SNOWDON, Mr. Pennant passed from Beddgelart through Nant Gwynant, by far the most beautiful of the vales among these mountains. It is about 6 m. long, affording a great variety of wood, lakes,

and meadows. That of Llanberis is the only one which may be said to rival it; but their characters are so different, that they cannot with propriety be compared. On the r., about 14 m. up the valley, is a lofty, isolated, wood-clad rock, called Dinas-Emrys, the fort of Ambrosius, or Merlin Emrys, a magician who was summoned to this place from CaerMerddin, i. e. Carmarthen, by Vortigern, king of Britain. On its summit is a level with the remains of a square fort; and on the w., facing Beddgelart, there are traces of a long wall. It stands detached from other rocks, appearing at a distance in the form of a man's hat. Adjoining to Dinas-Emrys is a stony tract called Celli-'r-Dewinion (the cells or groves of the magicians). In the next field, a number of large stones, called Beddau-'r-Dewinion (the tombs of the magicians). It was to this interesting spot that Vortigern, in the agony of his sad soul, retired, when he found himself despised by his subjects, and unable to contend longer with the treacherous Saxons, whom he had introduced into his kingdom. This insular rock afforded him a temporary residence till he removed to his final retreat in Nant-Gwrtheyrn, or Vortigern's Valley, not far from Nefyn, in the Promontory of Llyn.

In a charming situation is a pool called Llyn-y-Dinas, the pool of the fort. Near the middle of this valley, close to the south side of LlynGwynedd, within a walled yard, are the ruins of Capel-nant-gwynedd. There is a tradition, that Madog, the son of Prince Owen Gwynedd, resided in this vale for some time before he left his country for Armorica. The entrance into this valley from Beddgelart is but the breadth of a narrow rugged road, close by the river's side, in which there is nothing inviting, but passing on, the tourist advances upon enchanted ground. There he finds extensive meadows, expanding at every turn of rock, smooth as a bowling-green; beautiful lakes and meandering rivers, abounding in fish ; mountains towering one above the other in succession, while to the r. Snowdon o'ertops them all, appearing, like another Atlas, to support the "spacious firmament on high!”

Snowdon consists of four buttresses; between each is a noble cwm, in three of which are one or more lakes. The cymyz, upon the E. side fronting Capel Curig, are Cwm-Llyn-Glâs and Cwm-Llyn-Llydaw.

AN EXCURSION TO THE SUMMIT OF SNOWDON from Beddgelart was made by the ingenious and accomplished Bingley, who says, "The distance to the summit of Snowdon hence being reckoned not less than 6 m., and a lady being one of the party, it was thought best for her to ride as far as she could without danger, and for the rest to walk. In this manner, therefore, we set out, beginning our mountain journey by turning to the r. from the Caernarvon road, at the distance of about 23 m. from Beddgelart. We left the horses at a cottage about half way up, whence taking a bottle of milk to mix with some rum we had brought with us, we continued our route over a series of pointed and craggy rocks. Stopping at different times to rest, we enjoyed to the utmost the prospects which by degrees were opening around us. Caernarvon and the Isle of Anglesea, aided by the brightness of the morning, were seen to great advantage; and LlynCwellyn below us, shaded by the vast Mynydd-Mawr, with Castell Cidwm at its foot, appeared extremely beautiful. On ascending, the mountains, which from below seemed of an immense height, began now to appear beneath us; the lakes and valleys became more exposed, and the little rills and mountain streams by degrees were all visible to us, like silver lines intersecting the hollows around. We now approached a most tremendous ridge, over which we had to pass, called Clawd Coch, "the red ridge or rampart."

This narrow pass, not more than 10 or 12 feet across, and 200 or 300 yards in length, was so steep that the eye reached on each side down the whole extent of the mountain. And I am firmly persuaded that, in some parts of it, if a person held a large stone in each hand, and let them both fall at once, each would roll above a m., and thus, when they stopped, be more than m. asunder. The lady who was with us passed this ridge without the smallest signs of fear or trepidation! In the hollow on the 1. are four small pools called Llyn-Coch, “the Red Pool,” in which are some prodigious trout, upwards of 5lbs weight; Llyn-y-Nadroedd, "the Adder's Pool;" Llyn-Gwâs, "the Blue Pool;" and Llyn-Fynnon-y-Gwâs, “the Servant's Pool." Soon after we had passed Clawdd-Coch, we became immersed in light clouds, till we arrived at the summit, when a single gleam of sunshine, which lasted but for a moment, presented the majestic scenery on the w. It, however, only served to tantalise us, for a smart gust of wind obscured us again in clouds. We now sheltered ourselves from the cold under some of the projecting rocks near the top, and ate our dinners, watching with anxiety the dark shades in the clouds, in hopes that a separation might take place, and we might again be delighted with a sight of the grandeur around us. We did not wait in vain, for the clouds by degrees cleared away, and left us at full liberty to admire the numerous beauties in this vast expansive scene. The steep rock of Clogwyn-y-Garnedd, the dreadful precipices of which are, some of them above 200 yards in perpendicular height, and the whole a series of precipices, was an object which first struck my companions with terror. We now stood on a point which commanded the whole dome of the sky. The prospects below, each of which we had before considered separately as a great scene, were now only miniature parts of the immense landscape. We had around us such a numerous variety of mountains, valleys, lakes and streams, each receding behind the other, and bounded only by the far distant horizon, that the eye almost strained itself with looking upon them. These majestic prospects were soon shut from our sight by the gathering clouds, which now began to close in much heavier than they had done before, and it was in vain that we waited nearly an hour for another opening; we were, therefore, at length obliged to descend, despairing of being gratified any more with these sublime views. Other travellers have been more fortunate, seeing the high mountains in the vale of Clwyd, to the N.; Cader-Idris to the s.; St. George's Channel and Ireland to the w.; Anglesey, N. w. The Isle of Man is often visible, and to the r. the shores of the N. of England and Scotland. The proximate objects which arrest attention are the two Glyders, Moel-Siabod, and beyond, the rocky heights above Llanrwst, with the mountains of Merionethshire; to the s. E., Moel-Hebog, the lakes of Llanllyfni, Ewelling, and the summits which include the pass of BettwsGarmon on the w. We again pass Clawdd-Coch, and soon afterwards, turn to the 1. descending into the mountain vale, called Cwm-Llan. vale extends towards Snowdon, the summit of which is finely visible between intervening mountains. Trees issuing out of rocky cliffs relieve the eye from dull monotony, and a neat modern mansion, embosomed in woods, with a small lawn in front, forms a fine terminus at the upper end of the lake. The mountains here converge, but soon recede, and, by following hence the course of a stream, we are introduced to another lake, called Llyn Gwynant, which affords sport for the angler, though much injured by being netted. This little rivulet, in its descent, is frequently thrown over low rocks, forming small but sometimes elegant cascades. After a two hours'

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