h scores of parties to
Pont-aber-glas-llyn. Well, now, what should you think there could be to
write down consarning a great cobble stone? or consarning a bit of a
shaw, or a puddle of water? Yet there's not one of the young quality
but, as soon as ever they get sight of the Llyn, bless your eyes!
they'll stand, and they'll lift up their hands, and they'll raise the
whites of their eyes, and skrike out to one another--that it's awful to
be near 'em."

"The d---l! you don't say so?"

"Aye, and then down they all sits: and out comes their books: and the
young gentlemen holds their bits of umbrellas for the ladies; and away
all their fingers are running like a dozen of harpers playing _Morfa
Rhuddlam_. And many's the time I've seen 'em stand, whilst a man would
walk a mile and a half, staring up at widow Davis's cottage that one
can hardly see for the ivy, and writing consarning it--that one would
think it was as old and as big as Harlich or Walladmor. Gad I'll make
bold some summer to ask 'em what they see about it: for, as widow Davis
said to me, 'I wonder what _they_ find on the outside; for I never
could find any thing in the inside.'"

"And what do they do with their writings when they've penned 'em?"

"God knows: I'm sure it's past my power to think. For it's clear to me,
Owen, that a writ consarning a spring will never quench a man's thirst.
And as to these limners that go about making a likeness of the sea, why
they'll never get a herring out of it."

By this time the boat was running up a narrow creek, which soon
contracted into the mouth of a little mountain brook. Here the boat
took the ground, and all on board began to jump ashore--except Bertram,
who was lost in contemplation of the long vista of mountains through
which the brook appeared to descend. From this abstraction he was at
length awakened by the voice of the old fisherman, who was mooring the
skiff, and drily asked him if he purposed to go out to sea again in
chace of Captain le Harnois. At this summons he started up, and was
surprised to observe that his companions were already dispersed, and
going off through various avenues amongst the mountains. The boat was
quite empty; and his own portmanteau even had been carried out, and was
lying on a stone.

"And now, my good friend," said Bertram, "answer me one question--What
is the name of the nearest town? For you must know that I am quite a
stranger in these parts: in what direction does it lie?