hind, and luckily
meeting no mischance, we presently found ourselves on level ground,
amongst a collection of small houses. On our turning a corner a church
appeared on our left hand on the slope of the hill. In the churchyard,
and close to the road, grew a large yew-tree which flung its boughs far
on every side. John Jones stopping by the tree said, that if I looked
over the wall of the yard I should see the tomb of a Lord Dungannon, who
had been a great benefactor to the village. I looked, and through the
lower branches of the yew, which hung over part of the churchyard, I saw
what appeared to be a mausoleum. Jones told me that in the church also
there was the tomb of a great person of the name of Tyrwhitt.

We passed on by various houses till we came nearly to the bottom of the
valley. Jones then pointing to a large house, at a little distance on
the right, told me that it was a good gwesty, and advised me to go and
refresh myself in it, whilst he went and carried home his work to the man
who employed him, who he said lived in a farm-house a few hundred yards
off. I asked him where we were.

"At Llyn Ceiriog," he replied.

I then asked if we were near Pont Fadog; and received for answer that
Pont Fadog was a good way down the valley, to the north-east, and that we
could not see it owing to a hill which intervened.

Jones went his way and I proceeded to the gwestfa, the door of which
stood invitingly open. I entered a large kitchen, at one end of which a
good fire was burning in a grate, in front of which was a long table, and
a high settle on either side. Everything looked very comfortable. There
was nobody in the kitchen: on my calling, however, a girl came, whom I
bade in Welsh to bring me a pint of the best ale. The girl stared, but
went away apparently to fetch it--presently came the landlady, a
good-looking middle-aged woman. I saluted her in Welsh and then asked
her if she could speak English. She replied "Tipyn bach," which
interpreted, is, a little bit. I soon, however, found that she could
speak it very passably, for two men coming in from the rear of the house
she conversed with them in English. These two individuals seated
themselves on chairs near the door, and called for beer. The girl
brought in the ale, and I sat down by the fire, poured myself out a
glass, and made myself comfortable. Presently a gig drove up to the
door, and in came a couple of dogs, one a tall black grey-hound, t