called Bala {103} Deulyn, and had been in the possession of the descendants of the Welsh Princes, ever since the time of Owen Gwynedd, as appears from authorities mentioned in Sir John Wynne’s History of the Gwydir Family, to which we have before alluded. The principal Slate Quarries (which are near these lakes) are the Cilgwyn and Havodlas; here there is a Steam Engine, to supply the place of another, which lately fell into the quarry, and was broke; they are situated in the Parish of Llandwrog, (which we soon shall have occasion to notice in our progress to Clynog) and their produce is conveyed to Carnarvon. The variation in the size of the Slates took place about 75 years ago; before that time, they were all nearly of the same dimensions, and very small; but a larger sort having been introduced, it became necessary, for the sake of distinction, to give them a new name, and being _doubled_ in size, and also in price, they were denominated _Doubles_, and one thousand of these were considered and accounted by the Workmen as equal to _two_ thousand; the first sort was therefore distinguished by the name of _Singles_.—Some time after, another sort was introduced, increasing still in size, so as to double those called _doubles_, and were therefore called _Double doubles_, and the men counted every thousand of these as four thousand: afterwards a still larger sort was found necessary, and General Warburton, the proprietor of the Penrhyn Estate, being in the country about that time, is said to have given these last, the honorable name of _Countesses_; and the former, viz. the double doubles, he denominated _Ladies_; since that time two others of still greater magnitude have been added, which are distinguished by the names of _Duchesses_ and _Queens_. The colour of these States, as well as those of Cefn Du, in the Parishes of Llanbeblig and Llanrug, though of an equally good, if not better quality, differ a little from those of Cae Braich y Cafn, or Mr. Pennant’s Quarry, the former being either of a brown cast, or red tinge, while the latter are of a dark blue. Some of the Welsh have supposed that an ancient prophecy of Merddyn ap Morvran, (or Merlinus Caledonius) received its accomplishment when these Quarries were discovered, and so many men employed, viz. That the time would come, when the rocks of Carnarvonshire would be converted into bread. It is to be regretted that the proprietors of these numerous Slate Quarries, do not unite together, and form a good Iron Rail Road, or tram-way, to Carnarvon, which though it may be attended with great expence in the execution, would eventually be productive of considerable advantage to the adventurers.—And as we are upon this subject, we cannot help lamenting another circumstance which proves a considerable diminution of the benefits arising from these sources of support and employment to the labouring Poor, viz. that so many accidents, by the sudden explosions of charges of Gunpowder, the