part decide in all public and domeftic controverfies; if any crimes are committed, if any flaughter is made, whether they are difputes concerning hereditary right, or the boundaries of their poffeffions, the Druids always decide upon them; they also determine rewards and punishments."

This is a general account given by Julius Cæfar of the Druids of Gaul. He flightly mentions those of Britain; only taking occafion to observe, that the manners and ceremonies of these people are almost every where the fame. Their powers of divination were also in great reputation, but the mode of making their obfervations was truly horrid and barbarous. Their ceremonies, according to Tacitus, were performed " in groves, facred to the most cruel fuperftitions; for they offered up their facrifices upon altars ftained

ftained with the blood of their captives; and it was ufual for them to augur according as the blood of the human victim followed the facred knife that had inflicted the wound."

Anglesea (though it is called the granary. of Wales) appeared to us as one continued picture of defolation; and for twenty miles of our road through it, we could not discover more than five or fix corn fields, and the grafs land fo miferably poor, that it ftarved rather than fed its hungry inhabitants. We undoubtedly did not fee the country to the best advantage, because the exceffive heat of the fummer had parched up the ground, and occafioned a general appearance of dearth.

"Amlwch is a small fea port, from

whence the copper (that is found in the Paris and Mona mines, which are not

more

more than a mile from the town), is fhipped to London, Liverpool, &c. The Mona mine produces the finest ore; they alfo make quantities of copper from old iron for a particular account of the whole process, see the Scotch Encyclopedia, Pennant's Hiftory of Wales, &c.)

Thefe mines have an appearance uncommonly grand and ftriking-a vaft yawning chafm, difplaying full to the view of the aftonished stranger its fulphurous contents; hundreds of workmen employed in a variety of different occupations; fome boring fhafts, others felecting the ore, which is flung up to the top, or, if I may ufe fuch an expreffion, ufhered into the world in little baskets. In fome places the chifel and the pickaxe find room for employment; in others the men are fedulously engaged in blowI

ing

ing up large pieces of the rock by means of gunpowder, the report of which reverberating from fide to fide, in this immenfe cavity, occafions fuch a tremendous explosion, that all nature feems to tremble to its center. Upon the whole these mines bear an apt refemblance to the infernal regions, and, like the peftilence from the pit of Acheron, the fulphur which issues from them, spreads defolation around, fo that not the flightest veftiges of verdure are to be traced in the neighbouring fields.

We dined yesterday at Gwyndn, on the great road to Holyhead, which is called by the natives Caer Guby, on account of St. Kybi, a holy man, who lived there A. D. 308; but none of us expreffing any inclination to fee that place, we -left it on the right, and steered our course nearly

nearly South, through the center of the island. Gwyndn fignifies, from its name, a place of hofpitality at the expence of the lord; and, in truth, it answers, in some refpects, to its title even now; nor must I forget to pay my tribute of thanks to the hoftefs, a fine old lady, who payed us the utmost attention, and appeared particularly folicitous about us; fhe gave us her bleffing at our departure, with a thousand admonitions not to lofe ourfelves. We left this hofpitable inn with regret, and arrived" poft multa pericula," at Hoel Don Ferry, a fingle house, where we were obliged to fleep, or, fpeaking more accurately, to lie down, for to fleep was totally impoffible. It was a miferable hut; but we contrived to procure two beds, though the good woman was for putting us all into one. We croffed the ferry yesterday morning, after a fleepless night,