OF THE TWO MOUNTAINS FROM WHICH THE NOBLE RIVERS WHICH DIVIDE WALES
SPRING
WALES is divided and distinguished by noble rivers, which derive their
source from two ranges of mountains, the Ellennith, in South Wales, which
the English call Moruge, as being the heads of moors, or bogs; and Eryri,
in North Wales, which they call Snowdon, or mountains of snow; the latter
of which are said to be of so great an extent, that if all the herds in
Wales were collected together, they would supply them with pasture for a
considerable time. Upon them are two lakes, one of which has a floating
island; and the other contains fish having only one eye, as we have
related in our Itinerary.
We must also here remark, that at two places in Scotland, one on the
eastern, and the other on the western ocean, the sea-fish called mulvelli
(mullets) have only the right eye.
The noble river Severn takes its rise from the Ellennith mountains, and
flowing by the castles of Shrewsbury and Bridgenorth, through the city of
Worcester, and that of Gloucester, celebrated for its iron manufactories,
falls into the sea a few miles from the latter place, and gives its name
to the Severn Sea. This river was for many years the boundary between
Cambria and Loegria, or Wales and England; it was called in British
Hafren, from the daughter of Locrinus, who was drowned in it by her
step-mother; the aspirate being changed, according to the Latin idiom,
into S, as is usual in words derived from the Greek, it was termed
Sarina, as hal becomes _sal_; hemi, _semi_; hepta, _septem_.
The river Wye rises in the same mountains of Ellennith, and flows by the
castles of Hay and Clifford, through the city of Hereford, by the castles
of Wilton and Goodrich, through the forest of Dean, abounding with iron
and deer, and proceeds to Strigul castle, below which it empties itself
into the sea, and forms in modern times the boundary between England and
Wales. The Usk does not derive its origin from these mountains, but from
those of Cantref Bachan; it flows by the castle of Brecheinoc, or
Aberhodni, that is, the fall of the river Hodni into the Usk (for Aber,
in the British language, signifies every place where two rivers unite
their streams); by the castles of Abergevenni and Usk, through the
ancient city of Legions, and discharges itself into the Severn Sea, not
far from Newport.
The river Remni flows towards the sea from the mountains of Brecheinoc,
having passed the castle and bridge of Remni. From the same range of
mountains springs the Taf, which pursues its course to the episcopal see
of Landaf (to which it gives its name), and falls into the sea below the
castle of Caerdyf. The river Avon rushes impetuously from the mountains
of Glamorgan, between the celebrated Cistercian monasteries of Margan and
Neth; and the river Neth, descending from the mountains of Brecheinoc,
unites itself with the sea, at no great distance from the castle of Neth;
each of these rivers forming a long tract of dangerous quicksands. From
the same mountains of Brecheinoc the river Tawe flows down to Abertawe,
called in English Swainsey. The Lochor joins the sea near the castle of
the same name; and the Wendraeth has its confluence near Cydweli. The
Tywy, another noble river, rises in the Ellennith mountains, and
separating the Cantref Mawr from the Cantref Bachan, passes by the castle
of Llanymddyfri, and the royal palace and castle of Dinevor, strongly
situated in the deep recesses of its woods, by the noble castle of
Caermarddin, where Merlin was found, and from whom the city received its
name, and runs into the sea near the castle of Lhanstephan. The river
Taf rises in the Presseleu mountains, not far from the monastery of
Whitland, and passing by the castle of St. Clare, falls into the sea near
Abercorran and Talacharn. From the same mountains flow the rivers
Cleddeu, encompassing the province of Daugleddeu, and giving it their
name one passes by the castle of Lahaden, and the other by Haverford, to
the sea; and in the British language they bear the name of Daugleddeu, or
two swords.
The noble river Teivi springs from the Ellennith mountains, in the upper
part of the Cantref Mawr and Caerdigan, not far from the pastures and
excellent monastery of Stratflur, forming a boundary between Demetia and
Caerdigan down to the Irish channel; this is the only river in Wales that
produces beavers, an account of which is given in our Itinerary; and also
exceeds every other river in the abundance and delicacy of its salmon.
But as this book may fall into the hands of many persons who will not
meet with the other, I have thought it right here to insert many curious
and particular qualities relating to the nature of these animals, how
they convey their materials from the woods to the river, with what skill
they employ these materials in constructing places of safety in the
middle of the stream, how artfully they defend themselves against the
attack of the hunters on the eastern and how on the western side; the
singularity of their tails, which partake more of the nature of fish than
flesh. For further particulars see the Itinerary. {162a}
From the same mountains issues the Ystuyth, and flowing through the upper
parts of Penwedic, in Cardiganshire, falls into the sea near the castle
of Aberystuyth. From the snowy mountains of Eryri flows the noble river
Devi, {162b} dividing for a great distance North and South Wales; and
from the same mountains also the large river Maw, {162c} forming by its
course the greater and smaller tract of sands called the Traeth Mawr and
the Traeth Bachan. The Dissennith also, and the Arthro, flow through
Merionethshire and the land of Conan. The Conwy, springing from the
northern side of the Eryri mountains, unites its waters with the sea
under the noble castle of Deganwy. The Cloyd rises from another side of
the same mountain, and passes by the castle of Ruthlan to the sea. The
Doverdwy, called by the English Dee, draws its source from the lake of
Penmelesmere, and runs through Chester, leaving the wood of Coleshulle,
Basinwerk, and a rich vein of silver in its neighbourhood, far to the
right, and by the influx of the sea forming a very dangerous quicksand;
thus the Dee makes the northern, and the river Wye the southern boundary
of Wales.