The Cambrian Directory [1800]; Or, Cursory Sketches of the Welsh Territories.: With a Chart, Comprehending at One View, the Advisable Route, Best Inns, Distances, and Objects Most Worthy of Attention.Anonymous
History
The Cambrian Directory [1800]; Or, Cursory Sketches of the Welsh Territories.: With a Chart, Comprehending at One View, the Advisable Route, Best Inns, Distances, and Objects Most Worthy of Attention.
Anonymous
Wales -- Guidebooks
The board and lodging is regulated on the same excellent plan here as at
Tenby, with very little difference in respect to the expence. The town
itself is very dirty, and so irregularly built, on the declivity of a
rock, that the windows of one house not uncommonly look down on the
neighbouring chimney. We could not avoid observing the number of pigs,
which are esteemed in this part of the country far superior to any in
England, lying in every corner of the street; and these pigs, I rather
imagine, consider themselves, during the night, inmates of the peasant’s
cottage: yet these hardships, if they may be distinguished by that name,
the inhabitants of the hovel suffer without complaint, and deem
themselves perfectly happy as long as they possess a pile of turf to keep
off the inclemency of the winter’s blast, a small strip of ground, well
stocked with potatoes, some poultry, and a fat pig; though one hovel
protects them all. Though to appearance, their situation is most
miserable, yet it has no effect on their tempers and dispositions; their
hospitality, and indeed kindness, towards strangers in distress, is an
interesting trait in their character: to instance this, I am induced to
mention an anecdote, which took place at Hubberstone, not long ago. A
lady anxiously waiting the arrival of her husband, from Ireland, at the
miserable village of Hubberstone, soon interested even the meaner
inhabitants of the place in her behalf; who willing to render her
situation as comfortable as possible, seemed to vie with each other in
producing the most delicious fruits, and the choicest garlands of
flowers, to present them to the unhappy consort; and not content alone
with this, she was generally greeted in the streets, with the phrase,
“There goes poor Mrs. L—.” The lady, at last, impatient for the arrival
of her husband, determined to sail for Ireland. The faithfulness of the
little group that accompanied her to the shore, can better be imagined
than described; the last farewell, with tears of artless innocence, and
the beseeching that Providence “who governs the waves, and stills the
raging of the sea,” to grant her a prosperous voyage; all this seemed to
come so thoroughly from the bottom of their hearts, that we cannot avoid
feeling ourselves interested in their behalf.
The road from hence to
HARLECH,
is stony and uninteresting; to the left an unbounded view of the wide
ocean, and in front, the steep mountains of North Wales rose in endless
perspective. About four miles from Barmouth, we passed the two lodges at
Tal-y-bont, leading to Cors-y-gedol, the seat of Sir Thomas Mostyn. It
is practicable to go by the sands, but we were given to understand, by
Mrs. Lewis, that the turnpike was, if any thing, shorter, the scenery
more pleasing, and the guides necessary for crossing those dangerous
sands, in general, most complete villains.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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