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way back again. This ferry is two miles across, and the water was much agitated, fo that without the addition of the rain, which came down in torrents, the spray of the fea would have completely made us wet through; but, in the midst of our distress, we were agreeably interested by a fight as beautiful to us as it was novel; the furface of the water fuddenly affumed a luminous appearance, now and then relapfing into an impenetrable gloom, and then again re-lumined, it conveyed to the mind fome idea of what the poets defcribe of Phlegethon in the shades below. By the time we had reached our inn I had loft my voice, and gained a fore-throat; the following morning it was no better; but under fome hope that exercise would cure the complaint, was induced to continue our tour to Bethkelert, which we reached that afternoon;

ternoon; the whole walk being more fingularly romantick than any I had yet feen, and compelled us to make many a paufe, in order to enjoy and contemplate its beauties. About half way, we passed over Llyngwennyn bridge, and immedi ately found ourselves in a fertile valley, terminated by a wild and irregular cafcade, one branch of which contributed to turn a mill that was almoft concealed within the wood, which formed a kind of amphitheatre to this picturefque and interesting scene; a little further on a fine lake opened full upon the view; and not far from this another fmaller one. The road winds along the banks of both. Bethkelert is a fmall village, or rather hamlet, fituated at the foot of fome prodigious high mountains, which feem to encircle it on all fides, whilst the stream or torrent, that had accompanied us all

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the way from the first lake, here begins to be of more confequence, and forcing its way between these ftupendous hills, with a continued and confiderable defcent, empties itfelf into an arm of the fea, called Traweth Mawr. As this is the ufual place from which travellers make the afcent of Snowdon, we determined to do the fame, and in pursuance of this refolution fet off at eleven in the evening, though it was quite dark, and a very rainy and stormy night; however, there was a probability that it would be fine in the morning; and that hope. was fufficient to make us undergo a few inconve niences; but in attempting to find the guide's houfe, which was five miles from our inn, and fituated quite out of the road, at the foot of the mountain, we became completely bewildered in this perplexity we were directed by the glim

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mering of a light to an habitation, which, with extreme difficulty and danger, we contrived to reach. It was a small hut, and its inhabitants, if we might judge from the impenetrable filence that reigned within it, were all afleep. It was fome time before we could prevail upon them to open the door, and answer to our entreaties for a proper direction; at length an elderly man appeared, to whom we endeavoured to make known our grievances; but alas! he only fpoke his native language, and did not understand a word. that we faid: However, by frequently repeating the guide's name, " Ellis Griffith," and pointing to Snowdon, at the fame time giving him a glimpse of a shilling, we with much difficulty made him comprehend us; and putting himself at our head, he became our conductor. In about half an hour we found ourfelves

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at the door of another small cottage: our guide vociferated Welsh for some minutes, till we were admitted by a good-looking lad about 17 years of age, who was the perfon we had been fearching for: he remonstrated against our ascending that night, with many weighty reasons, to which we easily affented; but to think of returning to our inn would be madness: we therefore called a council of war, and it was agreed, that we should at all events stay where we were, until morning; when, if it should be tolerably fair, we would afcend. Thus determined, we disposed of ourselves in the following manner; I barricadoed myself in a chair, fo that I could not fall out; two more reposed themselves on the benches on each fide of the fire, and the fourth took up his " lodgings on the cold ground," with an earthen platter turned up-fide down

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