a maritime county of Wales, occupying the extreme S.W. point of the principality. It is bounded on the N.E. by Cardiganshire, on the E. by Caermarthenshire and Caernarthen Bay, and on all other sides by the Irish Channel. The coast is very irregular in its form, and deeply indented with bays. The celebrated Milford Haven, which is in this county, penetrates with some of its minor ramifications to near its centre. The county is somewhat irregular in its general form, and is narrowest towards the northern extremity. Its greatest length from S. to N., is about 36 miles, and its greatest breadth from E. to W., is about 30 miles. It has an area of 628 square miles, or 401,691 acres, and is sixth in order of size of the Welsh counties. The Welsh name is Sir Benfro, which means the promontory or headland of the country.

The northern part of the county rests upon the Cambrian group of rocks, but the southern portion lies chiefly on the old red sandstone formation, overlaid, however, in a considerable part of its extent by the carboniferous strata. The coal, which is chiefly anthracite, is but little worked. The upper beds are scooped away by shallow workings, and the produce—which is chiefly in the form of culm—is worked up with a sufficient quantity of clay to make it adhere together, and is then rolled into balls of about 4 inches in diameter. These are dried, and form the fuel of the inhabitants; so that a household fire generally seems to consist of from six to ten red-hot cannon-balls.

The mountains in this county are of no great height; but rising as they do almost from the sea-level, they present a grander appearance than they otherwise would. The principal range is that of the Precelly Mountains, in the north, of which the highest point, Precelly Top, is 1754 feet above the sea-level. The general configuration of the surface is undulating; but, with the exception of the mountains already named, the hills are nowhere high. The general want of trees, which, except in some sheltered situations, are prevented from growing above the size of mere shrubs by the south-west winds, gives a very naked and unwelcoming appearance to the greater part of this county; but its shores are diversified by fine headlands and well-sheltered bays, which lend a great charm to its coast scenery, and have made the neighbourhood of Tenby, one of its towns, well known as one of the most delightful of watering-places.

The rivers are of very little importance. The chief of these are the Eastern and Western Cleddau, which, rising in different parts of the county, pour their waters into two of the ramifications of Milford Haven. This celebrated haven is without doubt the most remarkable feature of the county. Its ramifications would be most aptly represented by one of the sprawling monsters so common on tea-cups. From its opening to the sea to the end of some of its branches is little short of 20 miles. In many places it is from 3 to 4 miles wide. It is completely sheltered and land-locked. The water is of great depth, and the anchorage good; and it is capable of holding the whole British navy within its recesses. It has been made famous in English history by the landing of Richard II. on his return from Ireland, where he lost his crown, and of Richmond before the defeat and death of Richard III.

The climate is moist and mild, but the south-west wind blows with the force of a tempest at times over the surface, and so affects the growth of trees that any of these which have succeeded in raising their heads above the shelter beside which they have been planted gradually assume the appearance of a pole with streamers attached, owing to the branches being projected at right angles to leeward. The soil in the southern part of the county is very fertile, and yields great crops of wheat, barley, and oats; potatoes and turnips are also largely grown. In the north the soil is poor, and the farming in a very miserable state. In the Castle Martin district, which is in the extreme south of the county, and is separated from the north by Milford Haven, there is some excellent farming; and an admirable breed of black cattle, known as "Castle Martins," is maintained. There is a considerable exportation of salted butter and pork; and the breed of horses is highly and justly prized. There is but little manufacturing industry practised.

Of late years this remote district has been thoroughly opened up by the South Wales line of railway, which, with the Great Western, affords a continuous line from London to the centre of the county; there is also a branch to Milford Haven; and attempts are now being made to connect Milford Haven with Manchester by a direct line to the north. If this project should be carried out, it is expected that Milford Haven, which at present is chiefly important as possessing one of the great government dockyards erected during the last continental war, will become one of the greatest mercantile entrepôts in the British Islands.

The principal towns are Pembroke, Haverfordwest, St David's, Tenby, Fishguard, Milford, and Narberth. The county returns one member to Parliament; Haverfordwest, with Fishguard, Narberth, and St David's, returns another; and Pembroke, with Tenby, Wiston, and Milford, returns a third. Much of the political influence was in the hands of the Owens of Orielton, but it has now passed into various hands.

A remarkable social feature in this county is the separation between the Welsh and "English," so-called, inhabitants, although these latter and their progenitors have been for many generations natives of the county. This separation has extended itself to language, customs, and even names of places; and while in the south everywhere English names, and the common English affix ton, are met with, in the northern parts the names of people and places are as purely Welsh as any in the principality. This peculiarity dates from a remote period, when a colony of Flemings were settled in the county.

Throughout the whole county Druidical remains are frequently met with; and in the north, near Newport, some of the most remarkable cromlechs anywhere to be met with still exist. The Coiton Arthur, one of these, on the northern slope of Precelly, is so lofty that a man on horseback may ride under the great stone or sacrificial slab, which is of such gigantic proportions as to excite feelings of wonder and curiosity as to the means which were employed to raise it to its place.

The population by the census of 1851 was 94,140, of which number 43,675 were males, and 50,465 females. This gives 149 persons to a square mile, or 4-3 acres to a person. The number of inhabited houses in 1851 was 19,136. There were 937 houses uninhabited, and 111 in course of building, giving 30 houses to a square mile, and 4-9 persons to