We engaged the Miner, as our Conductor over the mountain, who entertained
us much with displaying, in strong colours, the tricks and impositions of
his brother guides, and more particularly of the methodistical Landlord
of our Inn, who is generally employed on these occasions. His pride too
is not a little elevated, by having conducted _The Great Doctor_ to its
highest summit; this seemingly ridiculous phrase for some time puzzled
us; but we have since found out, that our guide was talking of no less a
man, than the present respectable and learned Dean of Christchurch, who
ascended this mountain last year. Though our guide {105} was pompous,
and rather too partial to the marvellous, yet I strenuously recommend him
to all tourists.
At half past twelve, we started from our Inn, determined to see the sun
rise from its highest summit. The night was now very dark, and we could
just discover, that the top of Snowdon was entirely enveloped in a thick,
impenetrable mist: this unpropitious omen staggered our resolutions; and
we for some time hesitated respecting our farther progress; but our guide
assuring us, that his _comfortable_ cottage was not far distant, we again
plucked up resolution; and quitting the highway about two miles on the
Caernarvon road, we turned to the right, through a boggy unpleasant land,
and in danger of losing our shoes every step we took. This soon brought
us to the _comfortable cot_, the filth and dirtiness of which can better
be imagined than described; a worm-eaten bed, two small stools, and a
table fixed to the wall, composed the whole of his furniture,—two
fighting cocks were perched on a beam, which Thomas seemed to pride
himself in the possession of; the smoke of the fire ascended through a
small hole in the roof of this _comfortable mansion_, the door of which
did not appear proof against the “churlish chiding of the winter blast.”
Such, indeed, was the situation of this Cambrian mountaineer; and though,
in our own opinion, misery, poverty, and dirt personified, seemed to be
the real inhabitants of this cottage, yet there was something
prepossessing in his character; for frequently, with the greatest
vehemence imaginable, and in the true stile of an anchorite, he declared,
that “though he boasted not riches, yet he boasted of independence; and
though he possessed not wealth, yet he possessed the home of happiness,
an honest breast.”
The morning appearing to wear a more favourable aspect, we again sallied
forth; the bogs, however, still rendered it extremely unpleasant. But
this inconvenience was only temporary: we soon came to a part of the
mountain, entirely composed of loose stones, and fragments of rock,
which, by affording a very treacherous footing, you are liable to
perpetual falls. The mountain now became much steeper, the path less
rocky, and our mountaineer, the higher we proceeded, more induced to
exhibit feats of his agility, by occasionally running down a short
precipice, and then, by a loud shout or vociferation, shewing us the
obedience of the sheep, who instantaneously flocked round him, at the
sound of his voice: it is singular, the caution implanted in this animal,
by instinct, for the mutual protection of each other; from the liberty
they enjoy, they seldom congregate in one flock, but are generally
discovered grazing in parties from six to a dozen, one of which is
regularly appointed centinel, to watch the motions of their inveterate
enemies (foxes and birds of prey), which infest this mountain. A wider
expanse of the hemisphere disclosed itself, and every object below us
gradually diminished, as we ascended. The freshness of the mountain
_whetted_ our appetites; and our conductor, with very little persuasion,
soon influenced us to open our little basket of provisions. The sun, the
“rich-hair’d youth of morn,” was just peeping from its bed; and having
refreshed ourselves, with eager impatience we again climbed the rugged
precipice, for we had still a considerable height to ascend. We now
descended several steep declivities, by a narrow path, not more than
three yards wide, with a dreadful perpendicular on each side, the sight
of which almost turned us giddy. As we were passing this hazardous path,
a thick mist enveloped us, and an impenetrable abyss appeared on both
sides; the effect, indeed, can scarcely be conceived; our footing to us,
puisne mountaineers, seemed very insecure; and a total destruction would
have been the consequence of one false step. The air grew intensely
cold, and by our guide’s recommendation, we a second time produced our
pistol of rum, diluted with milk; but this cordial must be used with
caution, as a very small quantity of strong liquor affects the head,
owing to the rarification of the air. On our reaching the summit, all
our difficulties were forgotten, and our imaginary complaints overborne
with exclamations of wonder, surprise, and admiration. The light thin
misty cloud, which had for some time enveloped us, as if by enchantment,
suddenly dispersed; the whole ocean appeared illuminated by a fiery
substance, and all the subject hills below us, for they resembled
_mole-hills_, were gradually tinged by the rich glow of the sun; whose
orb, becoming at length distinctly visible, displayed the whole island of
Anglesea so distinctly, that we descried, as in map, its flat and
uncultivated plains, bounded by the rich and inexhaustible Paris
Mountains, in the vicinity of Holyhead. The point on which we were
standing, did not exceed a square of five yards, and we sickened almost
at the sight of the steep precipices which environed us; round it is a
small parapet, formed by the customary tribute of all strangers, who
visit this summit, and to which we likewise contributed, by placing a
large stone on its top: this parapet, indeed, sheltered us from the
chilly cold, and protected us from the piercing wind, which this height
must naturally be exposed to.
We remained in this situation for a considerable time, and endeavoured,
without success, to enumerate the several lakes, forest, woods, and
counties, which were exposed to us in one view; but, lost and confounded
with the innumerable objects worthy of admiration, and regardless of the
chilling cold, we took a distinct survey of the Isle of Man, together
with a faint prospect of the highlands in Ireland, which appeared just
visibly skirting the distant horizon; but another object soon engrossed
all our attention;
“The wide, the unbounded prospects lay before us;
But shadows, clouds, and darkness rest upon it:”
For we unexpectedly observed long billows of vapour tossing about, half
way down the mountain, totally excluding the country below, and
occasionally dispersing, and partially revealing, its features, while
above, the azure expanse of the heavens remained un-obscured by the
thinnest mist. This, however, was of no long continuance: a thick cloud
presently wet us through; and the point on which we were standing could
alone be distinguished. As there appeared little or no chance of the
clouds dispersing, we soon commenced our descent.—Respecting this Alpine
excursion, suffice it to say, that though our expectations were raised
exceedingly high, it infinitely surpassed all conception, and baffled all
description; for no colour of language can paint the grandeur of the
rising sun, observed from this eminence, or describe the lakes, woods,
and forests, which are extended before you; for description, though it
enumerates their names, yet it cannot draw the elegance of outline,
cannot give the effect of precipices, or delineate the minute features,
which reward the actual observer, at every new choice of his position,
and by changing their colour and form in his gradual ascent, till at last
every object dwindles into atoms: in short, this interesting excursion,
which comprehends every thing that is awful, grand, and sublime,
producing the most pleasing sensations, has left traces in the memory,
which the imagination will ever hold dear.
Various have been the conjectures on the definition of this mountain;
some authors affirm, that the Welch name of Snowdon signifies the
_Eagle’s Rocks_, deducing it from the number of those birds that formerly
haunted these rocks; but the most simple conjecture seems to be, that
this name alludes to the frequency of the snow on the highest peaks.
This mountainous tract was formerly celebrated for its fertility and
woods; and Leland affirms, that all Crigereri was forest. It now yields
no corn; and its produce consists in cattle and black sheep, with large
flocks of goats. “Its height (says Pennant) has been variously reported.
Mr. Caswell, who was employed by Mr. Adams, in a survey of Wales, 1682,
measured it by instruments, made by the direction of Mr. Flamstead, and
asserts it to have been one thousand two hundred and forty. Mr. Lluyd
says, its perpendicular height is about one thousand three hundred yards
above the sea level; but later experiments have ascertained it at one
thousand one hundred and eighty-nine yards, reckoning from the quay at
Caernarvon, to the highest peak.” The ascent is computed three miles;
the extremity, or summit, three quarters of a mile perpendicular. By the
inhabitants of the country it is called Moel-y-Wydva, _i.e._ _The
Conspicuous Hill_; and sometimes Krag Ey reri; and in the old English
maps it is always spelt _Snawdon_. The lakes in this tract amount to a
considerable number, and abound with trout, eels, gwyniadd, and some of
them well-stored with char. The most noted peaks of this mountain are
distinguished by the names Moel-y-Wydva, y-Glyder, Karmedh Dhavidh, and
Karmedh Llewelyn.—These hills are, in a manner, heaped on one another,
near the summit; and we only climbed one rock, to see three or four more;
between each is a _cwm_, or valley, generally with a lake. We made
particular enquiries concerning y-Glyder-Bach, and found that the
description of it is by no means exaggerated. Several columnar stones,
of enormous size, formed into the most fantastical shapes, and lying in
several directions, with many of their tops crowned with stones, placed
horizontally on them. One we observed rocked with the slightest touch.
In the fissures of the rock, _cubic pyritæ_, are not uncommonly found;
the _saxifraga nivalis_, and the species called by Linnæus _æthereal_, in
great abundance.
The first two miles of our descent, we by no means found difficult, but
wishing to take a minute survey of the picturesque pass of Llanberris, we
changed the route generally prescribed to strangers, and descended a
rugged and almost perpendicular path, in opposition to the proposals of
our guide, who strenuously endeavoured to dissuade us from the attempt,
alleging the difficulty of the steep, and relating a melancholy story of
a gentleman, who many years back had broken his leg. This had no effect.
We determined to proceed; and the vale of Llanberris amply rewarded us
for the trouble. It is bounded by the steep precipices of Snowdon, and
two large lakes, communicating by a river. It was formerly a large
forest, but the woods are now entirely cut down. We here dismissed our
Cambrian mountaineer, and easily found our way to Dolbadern (pronounced
_Dolbathern_) Castle, situated between the two lakes, and now reduced to
one circular tower, thirty feet in diameter, with the foundations of the
exterior buildings completely in ruins; in this, Owen Gough, brother to
Llewellin, last prince, was confined in prison. From hence a rugged
horse-path brought us to the Caernarvon turnpike-road, about six miles
distant; the high towers of the castle, the very crown and paragon of the
landscape, at last pointed out the situation of