CAERNARVONSHIRE

CAERNARVONSHIRE, a county in North Wales, is divided by the Conway from Denbighshire; from part of Merionethshire by a rivulet; from Anglesea by the straits of Menai: the residue is bounded by the sea. In figure it is very irregular, a great peninsulated point running out from it to the south-west. From the extremity of this point, the length is 45 miles; the breadth varies extremely; its circumference is about 150 miles. It contains, from a late survey, 300,000 acres of land, of which, by one account, about 200,000, and, by another account, only 160,000 are in a state of cultivation.

This county is the most mountainous in Wales. Its central part is entirely occupied by Snowdon, and its subordinate mountains, extending from near Conway in the north-east to the shore that bounds the Perthorian road, including the Rhifel ridges. The Snowdon mountains are connected with another chain of hills, which approach the sea at Aberdaron. Among these are very deep passes, forming narrow valleys, through which numerous streams, issuing from various lakes, rush in some places with great violence. The highest region of the mountainous district is covered with snow, during the greatest part of the year; the middle region affords fuel and pasturage, though the woods which once clothed it are nearly exhausted. The bases of the mountains and the valleys are in general temperate and fertile. The vale of Conway is the most extensive in the county; it is a long and narrow tract, equally romantic and beautiful, through which the river of the same name runs. At first it is very narrow, but it gradually widens to the breadth of a mile. Its extent is about twenty miles, terminating at the town of Conway. It affords rich pasturage, especially near Llanwst, where it is formed into the finest meadows, corn-fields, and groves,—and exhibits a striking and pleasing contrast to the bleak regions of Snowdon frowning above it.

The general escarpment of the mountains, which rise from the sea towards the centre of this county, fronts the sea. But the particular escarpment of the detached groups, depends upon the course of the

streams. The mountain of Snowdon is composed of various cliffs of different heights; the altitude of the highest point of the mountain is about 3600 feet from the high-water mark on Caernarvon quay. Snow lies all the year in the hollows near the top of Snowdon, the temperature here being very low, even in the middle of summer. On the morning of the 5th of July 1795, just after sunrise, Mr Aikin observed the thermometer at 34, whereas in the vale of Beddglest, at seven in the morning, it was at 62; at one in the afternoon it had reached only 48 on the top of Snowdon.

The principal rivers in Caernarvonshire are the Rivers Conway and the Seiont. The first rises from a lake on the confines of Denbigh, Merioneth, and Caernarvon. Its course is nearly in a northerly direction, along the east side of the county, for about twenty-four miles, when it empties itself into the sea, at the town of the same name; it is half a mile wide at the Tash at high-water; and not above fifty yards at low, the remaining space being sand-banks, which, at high-water, are covered twelve feet. These sands still abound in the pearl-muscle, as they did in the time of the Romans, but they have been long neglected. The Conway is navigable for about twelve miles. The Seiont rises from a lake near Snowdon; its course is westward, and it discharges itself into the Menai Straits at Caernarvon. The bar admits vessels of about 300 tons into the haven.

The sea coast of this county presents many objects worthy of notice. Traeth Bach, and Traeth Mawr, are two inlets of the sea having one entrance, and each receiving a little river; the greatest part of them are dry at low-water, and become quicksands. They lie between Caernarvonshire and Merionethshire, but as they seem more properly to belong to the latter county, the attempts of Mr Maddocks to embank the sands of Traeth Mawr, will more properly be noticed under Merionethshire. Passing from this county into Caernarvonshire, the first seaport is Pwllheli, on an inlet which receives three or four rivulets. It has a considerable coasting trade in small vessels. St Tudwell's bay is sheltered by two small islands. To it succeeds the bay named Hell's Mouth, from the height and form of the shores, which cause the wind to blow continually into it, while there is also a constant in-draught of the current. The promontory of Lyn extends to the west of the mass of mountains, that occupy the space between the west entrance of the Menai, and Traeth Mawr. At the extremity of this promontory lies the Isle of Bardsey, two miles long, and one mile broad; the tides run with great rapidity between this island and the promontory. The gulf between the peninsulated hundred of Lyn and Anglesea is called the bay of Caernarvon. It is lined by the high ridge of Snowdon. The only port on this coast is Porthyn Lyn, formed by a long point of land jutting into the sea, and sheltering a cove on the west. Port Penryhn, on a small rivulet, has been recently enlarged into a haven for vessels of 300 or 400 tons; from it are exported immense quantities of slate, from Lord Penryhn's estate in this county, to the amount of 500 tons a-week when the demand is great. About seven miles to the

west-south-west of Conway, on the road from that town to Bangor, is the stupendous precipice of Penmaen Mawr, the last of the long Caernarvon chain. It is 1400 feet perpendicular from its base, and, according to Mr Caswell, who was employed by Mr Flamstead the astronomer to measure it, 1545 feet above the beach at low-water. In 1772, application was made to Parliament to improve and secure the road across this precipice, which was accordingly done; and there is now a good road, on a ledge of the rock, defended by a wall five feet high. The county of Caernarvon is terminated by the lofty round promontory, called Llandudno, or the Great Orme's Head, on the east of the Conway river. It is a fine sheepwalk, ending in a steep precipice over the sea, which is hollowed into various inaccessible caverns.

In consequence of the elevated surface of the greatest part of the county, and its cold, piercing, and damp atmosphere, there is little corn grown in it. Near the sea, however, and in some of the vales, barley of fine quality is grown; and in some of the higher districts, oats are cultivated. The vales yield a little meadow grass for hay, which is got in without the aid of wheel-carriages, the uneven surface of the ground not admitting their use. Sheep and black cattle, however, constitute the principal agricultural stock of the Caernarvonshire farmers. The former are pastured on the mountains, which, in general, are commons; and the latter on the lower grounds. A considerable quantity of cheese, made from the mixed milk of ewes and cows, is made. From the peninsulated hundred of Lyn, which is in general flat, oats, barley, cheese, and black-cattle, are exported; of the last, about 3000 annually. The numerous herds of goats, which used to frequent the rocky districts of this county, are now nearly extinct. There are some profitable orchards in the vales, but in general the climate is very unfavourable to fruit-trees.

Caernarvonshire is an interesting county to the Mineralogist; but we can only very briefly notice the principal features of its mineralogy. The highest and interior regions of the Snowdon mountains are composed of granite, porphyry, whin, and other primitive aggregate rocks, enclosing considerable blocks of quartz. The western side of Snowdon itself consists of ironstone, on which are placed basaltic columns, of different lengths, and about four feet in diameter. On each side of the primitive rocks, there are mountainous banks of slate, the coarsest on the eastern, and the finest invariably on the western side of the central ridge. At Nant-fracon are the slate quarries of Lord Penrynn, who has constructed admirable railways from them to Port Penrynn. The banks of slate, growing finer as they descend, occupy the country between Snowdon and the Menai, usually terminating within a few hundred yards of its banks. The channel of the Shast, as well as its banks, consists of limestone; breccia, or the fragments of the Snowdon mountains, in a calcareous cement, and hard marl, enclosing shells. The general dip of the strata, in the promontory of Lyn, is to the south-west; on the north coast is chlorite slate and coarse serpentine.

On the former rest beds of primitive argillaceous schistus. The argillaceous schistus in some places is largely mixed with carbon, forming a kind of hard drawing slate; and in others it is penetrated by carbon and pyrites, forming alum slate. No mines have been opened in this district. A hard stone, used instead of brass, for supporting the pivots of light machinery, and another stone, something resembling the French burr, have been found in this county. There are some lead mines near Gwydir; but the most important and valuable metal found in this county is copper. The richest mines of it are in the vicinity of Llanberis; it is also found in various parts of the Snowdon mountains; and the green carbonate of copper lies between the limestone strata, in the promontory of Orme's Head. There are mines of calamine on the Caernarvon side of the river Conway.

Many rare vegetables, met with only on the most elevated spots, grow in this county. Some of the steepest crags of the Great Orme's Head are inhabited by the peregrine falcon. Considerable quantities of fish, particularly herrings, are caught on the shores of this county; and lobsters and oysters are found in great abundance. In some of the lakes are found the char, and the gwyniad, another alpine fish. Foxes are the chief wild animals.

The money raised for the poor in 1803 was L. 9137, being at the rate of 4s. 0½d. in the pound. In the year ending the 25th of March 1815, there was paid in parochial rates the sum of L. 15,776, 17s. 6d. In 1800, there were 8304 inhabited houses, and 41,521 inhabitants; 19,586 males, and 21,935 females, of whom 12,808 were employed in agriculture, and 4234 in manufactures, trade, and handicrafts. The inhabitants live in a state of the utmost simplicity, manufacturing their clothes from the wool of their own flocks, and dyeing them with lichens: a little oatmeal added to the produce of their dairies constitutes their food. In 1811, the results of the population returns were as follows:

See Davie's Agriculture of North Wales.—Aikin's Tour.—Bingley's Tour.—Pennant's Tour, Vol. II. (c.)