Letters Written During a Tour Through South Wales; in the Year 1803 and at Other Times

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1804 edition. Excerpt: ... of the river, they place it upon a level part of the rock, and with a flat piece of board, accommodated with a handle, they beat it till they suppose the dirt is sufficiently discharged, and then spread it upon the large stones lying in the river to dry. How far such a plan may be economical, I know not; but it saves fuel, an article of consequence to the poor of this district. The summer was uncommonly hot and dry, and the contributary streams to Teifi were unable to furnish their accustomed supplies, so that the bed of the river was left dry. No stream had run for some weeks, and the little water in the pools was almost used or evaporated. The inconvenience arising to the town may be better imagined than expressed: a general want of this essential article was'experienced, and dreading still worse in future, a general consternation seized the minds of the people, who began to believe that a judgment had fallen upon the place, and that their great and venerable benefactor would never be able to befriend them any more. After visiting the woods of Henllan, and that part of the vale above Llandyssil, we turned our steps towards the sea. Leaving Mr. Lloyd's of Bronwyn on our left, and passing by Capel Drinidad, we came to a spot called Castell Gwythern, where stood the palace of Vortigern, struck down by lightning as a judgment on the numerous crimes of that incestuous Prince: it is a high precipitous rock, without the least vestige of a building, and was probably no more than a British military post. They have a curious contrivance in this country for the preparation of their new corn for the mill. As there is seldom any old corn by the time of harvest, necessity obliges them to turn the new into bread before it is naturally sufficiently...