me, I frequently repeated their names, and was much entertained with a beautiful echo, which returned the sound of my voice in three different directions ; had I been inclined to superstition, many circumstances would have contributed to raise its full effect upon my mind, which as it was, busily employed itself in creating images of fear. An awful silence fucceeded the last vibrations of the echo; which was only interrupted by the distant barking of the watch dog, that proceeded from the lonely hut of the shepherd'; or the shrin fhrieks and hootings of the owl and rock eagle.--In the midft of my melancholy cogitations, I fully expected that the genius of the mountain would have appeared to me in some formidable shape, and have reproached me with rashly prefuming to disturb the sacred silence of his folitary reign; or at least that some banG2

ditti, more terrible in aspect than ever Salvator Rosa could have painted, or even imagined, would have rushed upon me from behind a rock, and made me pay, perhaps with life, for my unintentional temerity. We had the good fortune, however, to arrive at the inn together, nearly at the same time, that is to say, about nine o'clock. You may easily imagine that the difficulties we had previoully encountered, heightened the enjoyments of our present situation, and we passed a very pleasant evening in discourling upon the adventures of the day. There is a cataract about a mile from Abber, worth seeing, on account of its precipitous fall; but it is totally destitute of wood or scenery. This evening we mean to cross the ferry into the Ifle of Anglesea, but I will reserve the account of this part of our journey until another opportunity, or .

till the experience of new adventures
may render a repetition acceptable.-In
the mean time believe me, my dear friend,
under every circumftance of time or place,
I shall still continue my best wishes for
your happiness, and remain

. Your's sincerely, &c.
. . :: I. H.

LETTER IV.

CAERNARVON, July 19, 1794 SINCE my last, my dear friend, I have encountered some difficulties both by land and water, and am, in consequence, come to a final determination in my own mind, that terra firma is infinitely preferable to that changeable element where Neptune holds his powerful sway. I must acknowledge the dangers of the latter are not by any means so agreeable, nor can I view them with that tranquillity which, upon most occasions, I have treated the former ; not indeed that I am bleffed with any great share of philosophy, although I am always toiling to acquire a little of that necessary ingredient to human happiness;

but

0

but alas ! the irritation which such exct-
cise has upon my nerves, is so hoftile to
the object in view, that it drives philofo-
phy to a very respectful distance. In the
uncertain voyage of life, fome fail upon
troubled, others on smooth and gentle
waters, and some again on stagnant; and
it is our duty to expect to encounter all
forts of weather : man is at the best but
a weak being, like a reed to be shaken by
every wind, and buffeted about by every
ftorm; some are better failors than others,
and look upon the angry tempest with
different degrees of fortitude ; for my part,
I must honestly confefs that I am at the
best but a bad navigator, and am often
run afhore with only a cap full of wind.
· The following anecdote which I have
accidentally met with, is so fingular, that
I cannot refrain from sending it to you:

A merchantwho lived inthe golden days

of