Hence we just looked into the assay house but could not see the process
the man having concluded work we also viewed the kilns and the coppers
where the sulphur is melted. Having taken a very competent survey and
complimented our obliging and intelligent conductor for his trouble in
the best manner we were able, we took a long walk for nearly five miles
to the west of Parys mountain towards Llanfechell where we heard there
was (fol. 105_a_) a prodigious large stone with writing under it to be
seen. Our conductor who was a young man of Amlwch speaking pretty good
English entertained us the whole way by a variety of ghost stories and
preternatural events the common talk of the neighbourhood. The stone we
were going to see was so big that it would sink the largest ship that
came to Amlwch. That it stood in a valley by itself resting on a flat
stone whereon a good many characters were engraved but nobody was able to
make them out but should some learned person have that good fortune the
stone would immediately move off of itself and there would be a pot of
gold to reward him for his schollarship. That a countryman living hard
by had seen the treasure three following nights in his dreams and had
spent some time in digging for it but all to no purpose for it was not
intended for him. On telling our guide he should equally (fol. 107)
share whatever we discovered it quickened our march astonishingly and I
really believe we were not above an hour in reaching the stone
notwithstanding the many impediments which crossed our way. On which we
passed an upright stone about seven feet high in the middle of a field
resembling some of those we before noticed as boundaries. Here exclaimed
Sancho a man also found a considerable treasure, although amused by his
simplicity it in some measure weakened the interest we had taken in the
object of our walk and we felt the less disappointed at finding we had
taken our ramble in vain when we arrived at the spot. For a candle being
procured at the treasure dreamer’s cottage we discovered that what they
took for letters were nothing but a few natural crevices in the rock and
that the stone itself though of some magnitude possessed no more claim to
notice than any other detached fragment lying by the road side. (fol.
107_a_) However disappointed we concealed our chagrin and even suffered
our conductor to take us half a mile out of the way to see an immense
stone which he said was called Praes Maen on account of a brass pot being
placed near it and that when the sun shone whoever could trace the shadow
at a particular time of the day would discover a great treasure in a
brass vessel. It was moonlight when we arrived at this stone which
certainly is more worthy of notice than the one we had quitted. It is
standing upright in the midst of a field and measures thirteen feet high
and fourteen and fifteen in circumference allowing four or five feet
under ground, it must have been a very heavy body and cost some trouble
to have erected it in its present position. Approaching nearer to Amlwch
we observed our quondam loquacious compation become very silent, and just
as we had passed an old wall about half a mile (fol. 108) from the town
he told us with evident marks of trepidation that there was a ghost
sitting there every night, on asking him if he had ever seen it he said
no but that many of his friends had, it was in the shape of a woman and
once had attempted to pull a farmer’s wife off her horse but was
prevented by the arrival of a second person when it vanished. That on
Christmas Eve the inhabitants of Amlwch used to come to the spot in order
to see how many lights would pass by and as many did so many persons as
travelled that road would die within the twelvemonth.
[Picture: No. 48. Ffedoged-y-Gowres]
I just mention these ridiculous stories to show that superstition still
reigns here and this superstition has perhaps been the guardian to many
of the druidical remains we noticed in the island. It was past six when
we returned to the inn where we were welcomed by a most excellent repast.