Amlwch is a long straggling place and may contain from four to five
thousand inhabitants though before the working of the Parys mines there
were not an hundred tenements in the parish. Besides two or three good
houses a church has been lately erected by the copper company on a neat
substantial plan and a quay formed near the smelting houses where ships
of two or three hundred tons burthen may take in their lading. These we
passed in our way to Llanelian church this morning which we had been
directed to examine as one of the most curious structures in the island.
This church differs from most others in North Wales in having a kind of
spire rising from a square tower. I cannot say that this edition is very
elegant it being coated all the way up with small slate. The body of the
church is ornamented with battlements, pinnacles, and (fol. 101_a_)
buttresses in the style of our parish churches built about the time of
Henry the seventh. Having procured the key we found the interior still
retaining its catholic collection of saints and apostles, and the seats,
chancel, and communion-table, were decorated with a profusion of carving
in oak. On the latter on a kind of scroll we read non nobis Domine non
nobis sed nomine tuo. Beneath the arches which supported the roof of the
building were six grotesque little figures, playing on the bagpipe,
pibcorn, and other instruments, their appearance is rendered still more
ridiculous by their being painted in black coats, yellow waistcoats, and
white wigs. In a small chapel attached to the south east end of the
church (which is said to have been the original edifice founded by Saint
Elian) there is a kind of semicircular chest or cabinet made of oak into
which whoever can enter and turn himself round is sure in the opinion of
the vulgar to live out the year but if he fails it will (fol. 102) prove
fatal to him. People from all parts come at stated periods to try their
destiny in this absurd way. There is also an old chest well secured by
bolts bars and nails in another part of the church having a small slit in
the lid through which the country people are said to drop a piece of
money uttering their maledictions against their enemies the black
gentleman is thus feed to work evil against the offender, this
uncharitable and unchristian custom if true seems almost too bad even for
monkish times much worse to be continued now. Having viewed these relics
of superstition we ascended by a circular tower to the roof [of] the
church which is very nicely leaded. On enquiring afterwards of a Welsh
clergyman why Llanelian was so much better taken care of than other
parish churches I found that some lands had been appropriated by one of
the Welsh princes centuries ago by way of expiation for his sins to keep
it in constant repair, this accounts for its having a steeple, being
leaded, &c. &c.
[Picture: No. 46. Llanelian Church]
After sketching the building we returned (fol. 102_a_) to Amlwch, on our
way thither obtained a very clear view of the Isle of Man lying only
sixteen leagues to the north of this coast. Could we have insured a
week’s fine weather we should not have hesitated an instant including
that island in our circuit as I have long wished to satisfy myself
respecting some ancient inscriptions at Pielstown. I understand there is
almost daily communication through the herring boats which come here to
dispose of their cargoes. Having taken a slight repast at Amlwch we
proceeded to the Parys mountain which of late years has enriched not only
many individuals but the nation at large. It lies about a mile south of
the town and though denominated a mountain, in Carnarvonshire at least
would be deemed a very inconsiderable hillock. The approach to it is
dreary in the extreme for the sulphurious steams issuing from the copper
kilns have destroyed every germ of vegetation in the neighbourhood. When
we had gained (fol. 103) the higher ground the uninteresting and gloomy
prospect we had hitherto observed was at once converted into the most
lively and active scene. Hundreds of men, women, and children, appeared
busily occupied in the different branches of this vast concern and the
bustle of the metropolis prevailed amidst the dreary recesses of the
Druids. The produce of the mountain belongs to two different companies
one called the Parys Mine shared between Lord Uxbridge, Mr. Hughes, and
Mr. Williams. The other, the Mona mine I believe is Lord Uxbridge’s
alone.
Our servant having delivered a message from the people of the inn to one
of the overseers of the Parys mine, he accompanied us over the works. A
stranger not acquainted with mining concerns cannot do better than take
his first lesson at this place. There being no necessity of descending
into subterrianean abodes to grope out for information by candle light,
incommoded by damp, dirt, and foul vapours, for all is here worked open
to the day and by taking his station in one (fol. 103_a_) point he can
command a view of the whole proceedings from the beginning to the end and
receive every satisfactory explanation almost without moving from the
spot. We first were conducted to some wooden stages erected on the edge
of the bason if I may so employ that term to an immense excavation of an
oval form about two hundred yards long, half so much in width and eighty
in depth which has been hollowed out in the course of twenty years, these
wooden stages are each supplied with a windlass for the purpose of
drawing up the ore from the bottom. On looking down from hence to the
chasm beneath, we saw the rock rich with ore of a light gold colour which
the miners were busily employed in boring, blasting, breaking with sledge
hammers, wheeling the fragments to appointed places beneath the stages
filling the baskets which were hauled up as before mentioned by the
windlass. There might be from twelve to fourteen stages erected for this
purpose in different (fol. 104) parts of the mine.
As soon as the commodity is landed it is delivered to a number of women
and children to be broken into smaller pieces. The good ore is then
separated from that of an inferior sort and carried to kilns to be baked.
The sulphur forms in what is called flour brimstone by the chymists on
the top of the oven. This is afterwards collected, melted in large
cauldrons and formed into round moulds for sale.
We understood that the better kind of ore was sent to Neath and other
places, and the inferior to the smelting houses at Amlwch. In walking
round the premises we crossed a small stream running into some square
reservoirs, this water was so impregnated with copper that merely the
dipping a key in for two or three seconds rendered it entirely the colour
of that metal. The square reservoirs above mentioned was stored with all
the old iron that could be collected which are turned monthly the coperas
on them sinking in a kind (fol. 104_a_) of red slime to the bottom.
At stated times the pits are emptied and the produce when hardened
becomes equally valuable to the richest ore in the mines. We may be sure
that every drop of this precious stream is turned to the best account
possible indeed so productive is it that they compute it to be worth
above three halfpence a quart. On entering the compting house one of the
clerks sitting there obligingly gratified us with the sight of a number
of drawers full of the most beautiful specimens of minerals I ever saw
and moreover requested us to take our choice of what we most admired. We
were constrained to be very moderate on account of the weight of the
article but if we could have procured a ready carriage I fancy we should
have been rather more greedy in our selection. At it was we took nearly
five pounds’ weight of the following minerals and mixtures (fol. 105):
First. Mundig containing sulphur and iron.