to the right, about half a mile from the Devil'sbridge. Here we found ourselves at once in fairy land. The Ryddoll, a murmuring transparent stream, meanders through a deep and narrow valley, inclosed by high mountains, the outline of which is most agreeably softened by extensive plantations of young oak trees, scattered over the faces of them. All is still and serene; the windings of the vale circumscribe the view, while the mountains, rising on every side, inspire the idea of uninterrupted solitude; of a spot entirely shut out from the commerce and bustle of the world. The scholar, indeed, without any great effort of fancy, may imagine himself transported into the happy vale of Tempe, the boast and beauty of Thessaly, with the Peneus flowing at his feet, and surrounded by the lofty summits of Ossa, Pelion, and Olympus. The quiet character of the Ryddoll suddenly alters about three miles from the Devil's-bridge, where it assumes the troubled appearance of the NorthWallian torrents. It now enters a confused congeries of slate rocks, the lamina of which are nearly perpendicular, and discharges itself down a steep of fifteen or twenty feet. The best point of view of this cataract is from the

rocks, about fifty yards below it. Here the river disappears entirely. The principal object is the fall, a sheet of silver foam; great masses of rock form the fore-ground; and a wooded mountain, nearly encircling the valley, bounds the scene. Another beautiful waterfal attracted our notice, about one mile and a half further, where we crossed the Ryddoll, by a bridge, which led us into an inclosed road. The beauties of our walk ceased here; the mountains sunk gradually into sloping hills, indicating our approach to the sea, and the river lost its romantic and picturesque appearance.

и

One mile to the eastward of Aberystwith, we passed Llanbadern-Vawr, and its old church, the mother-church of Aberystwith, remarkable for its large and curious yewtree. Here we had a view of some earthworks on the top of a hill to the south of the river, thrown up in the year 1113, by Gryffydap-Rhys, who for some time besieged the English forces in Aberystwith. A stratagem of the latter proved fatal to a great part of army, for on a disorderly attack which he made, an ambuscade judiciously placed by the English fell upon his forces, and according to

his

the historian," so unmercifully cut them off, "that scarce one man was left living."

Aberystwith is a very neat market-town, situated at the termination of the vale of Ryddoll, close upon the sea-shore. Being a bathingplace, much company resorts to it in the summer season, where they find good lodgings, and convenient bathing-machines. Formerly it was well walled, and defended by a castle; the latter built by Edward I. in 1277, of which some considerable ruins remain. In the reign of Charles the First, Aberystwith had a mint; and an indenture was granted to Thomas Bushel, for the coining of silver pieces, to be stamped with ostrich feathers on both sides. I have not seen specimens of this patentee's workmanship, but am told by Colonel J**nes, who has two pieces, one of twenty shillings, and another of ten, that the coins are very handsome. The trade of Aberystwith is inconsiderable; lime-stone and culm are imported; and some few herrings caught by the 'fishermen on the coast, more to the north, are cured and shipped here. Formerly, great quantities of fish were taken immediately off the harbour, particularly in the year 1206, when the glut was so great, as to become a

matter of record; they have left this shore, however, for many years since, and nothing is now caught but lobsters, flat fish, and a few salmon-trout, the appearance of a brace of which on the table compels me to bid you adieu.

Your's, &c.

* Powel, 224.

M

R. W.