Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery

lumn-Slate Quarries-The Gwy

of botanizing, in which we were attended by John Jones. There, amongst other plants, we found a curious moss which our good friend said was called in Welsh, Corn Carw, or deer's hor

e English who had come with their goods, slaying many of them, sacking the town and concluding his day's work by firing it; and it was at the castle of Ruthyn that Lord Grey dwelt, a minion of Henry the Fourth and Glendower's deadliest enemy, and who was the principal cause of the chieftain's entering into re

mall fountain with a little stone edifice, with a sharp top above it. "That is the holy well," said my guide: "Llawer iawn o

e view from the column is very beautiful, below on the south-east is the venerable abbey, slumbering in its green meadow. Beyond it runs a stream, descending from the top of a glen, at the bottom of which the old pile is situated; beyond the stream is a lofty hill. The glen on the north is bounded by a noble mountain, covered with wood. Struck with its beauty I inquired its name. "Moel Eglwysig, sir," said my guide. "The Moel of the Church," said I. "That is hardly a good name for it, for the hill is not bald (moel)." "True, sir," said John Jones. "At present its name is good for nothing, but estalom (of old) before the hill was planted with trees its name was good en

left. "There is a great deal of work going on there, sir," said he: "all the slates that you see descending the canal at Llangollen came from there." The next moment we heard a blast, and then a thundering sound: "Llais craig yn syrthiaw; the voice of the rock in falling

a fire in some grass by the side of the road. "

ink that the Gwyddelaid (Irish)

Gwydd

present infest these parts much, and do m

u mean by t

about in vans and carts, the men buying and selling horse

ve ceased to

e they have been frighten

people are t

without shoes and stockings, with coars

o they

e frequently plunder. The women tell f

mething like

e hen Gipsiaid were gen

have been frightened a

e in these parts about twenty years ago, and s

e Gwyddel

er means, with which, 'tis said, they retire at last to their

uage do th

good English, that is to the Welsh. Amongst thems

hey no

e at a farmhouse took her in, and tended her till she was well. During her sickness she took a fancy to their quiet way of life, and when she was recovered

w what beca

e she was perfectly reclaimed, had been to chapel, renounced her heathen crefydd, and formed an acquaintance with a young Met

hat her own people

tless have put their threat into execution, ha

inted with his finge

nce you have seen any

, and then a terrible

was t

lighted their fire, whilst I was on the other side of the hill. There were nearly twenty of them, men and women, and amongst the rest was a man standing naked in a tub of water with two women stroking him down with clouts. He was a large fierce-looking fellow and his body, on which the flame of the fire glittered, was nearly covered with red hair. I never saw s