MERIONETHSIRE, a county of North-Wales, on the south has the county of Cardigan, on the north those of Carnarvon and Denbigh, on the east those of Montgomery and Denbigh, and on the west the Irish sea. Its length is about 35 miles, its breadth 25, and its circumference 108; containing between 4 and 50,000 acres, 637 parishes, 3 towns, 26 rivers, and about 17000 inhabitants. The air of this county, which is more encumbered with mountains than any other in Wales, is exceeding sharp and bleak; and would be very unwholesome, if the vapours from the Irish sea were not in a great measure dispersed by the high winds to which this county is subject. The soil is very rocky and barren; except in the valleys, which yield good corn, and pasture for cattle and sheep. As the country is so mountainous, the inhabitants apply themselves chiefly to grazing, keeping vast flocks of sheep, deer, and goats, in the mountains, and living much upon butter, cheese, fowl, and fish, especially herrings. They have but little corn, and their black cattle are generally sold to the English. The chief rivers of the county are the Dyffri or Towy, the Avon, the Drwyddin, and the Dee, which last runs through the lake called Llyn Tigid or Pinnble Meer, without mixing its waters with those of the lake, as is supposed: for the salmon, with which the river abounds, are never taken out of the main stream; and the givineads, a fish peculiar to the lake, are never found in it. This lake is very large; and winds, it is pretended, will make it overflow, but land-floods never. The fish in the lakes, and the herbs on the rocks and mountains here, like those in Caernarvonshire and other hilly parts of Wales, are said to be much the same as those of the Alps. This county lies in the diocese of Bangor: it sends no member to parliament, except a knight of the shire; for it has no towns of any note.—Dr Campbell is of opinion that this county is capable of much improvement, if the inhabitants under stood their own interest and were industrious.