i quickened my steps, and soon came up to the two individuals. one was an elderly man, dressed in a smock frock, and with a hairy cap on his head. the other was much younger, wore a hat, and was dressed in a coarse suit of blue, nearly new, and doubtless his sunday's best. he was smoking a pipe. i greeted them in english, and sat down near them. they responded in the same language, the younger man with considerable civility and briskness, the other in a tone of voice denoting some reserve.
"may i ask the name of this lake?" said i, addressing myself to the young man, who sat between me and the elderly one.
"its name is llyn cwellyn, sir," said he, taking the pipe out of his mouth. "and a fine lake it is."
"plenty of fish in it?" i demanded.
"plenty, sir; plenty of trout and pike and char."
"is it deep?" said i.
"near the shore it is shallow, sir, but in the middle and near the other side it is[pg 132] deep, so deep that no one knows how deep it is."
"what is the name," said i, "of the great black mountain there on the other side?"
"it is called mynydd mawr, or the great mountain. yonder rock, which bulks out from it, down the lake yonder, and which you passed as you came along, is called castell cidwm, which means wolf s rock or castle."
"did a wolf ever live there?" i demanded.
"perhaps so," said the man, "for i have heard say that there were wolves of old in wales."
"and what is the name of the beautiful hill yonder, before us across the water?"
"that, sir, is called cairn drws y coed," said the man.
"the stone heap of the gate of the wood," said i.
"are you welsh, sir?" said the man.
"no," said i, "but i know something of the language of wales. i suppose you live in that house?"
"not exactly, sir; my father-in-law here lives in that house, and my wife with him. i am a miner, and spend six days in the week at my mine, but every sunday i come here, and pass the day with my wife and him."
"and what profession does he follow?" said i; "is he a fisherman?"
[pg 133]
"fisherman!" said the elderly man contemptuously, "not i. i am the snowdon ranger."
"and what is that?" said i.
the elderly man tossed his head proudly, and made no reply.
"a ranger means a guide, sir," said the younger man—"my father-in-law is generally termed the snowdon ranger because he is a tip-top guide, and he has named the house after him the snowdon ranger. he entertains gentlemen in it who put themselves under his guidance in order to ascend snowdon and to see the country."
"there is some difference in your professions," said i; "he deals in heights, you in depths; both, however, are break-necky trades."
"i run more risk from gunpowder than anything else," said the younger man. "i am a slate-miner, and am continually blasting. i have, however, had my falls. are you going far to-night, sir?"
"i am going to bethgelert," said i.
"a good six miles, sir, from here. do you come from caernarvon?"
"farther than that," said i. "i come from bangor."
"to-day, sir, and walking?"
"to-day, and walking."
[pg 134]
"you must be rather tired, sir; you came along the valley very slowly."
"i am not in the slightest degree tired," said i; "when i start from here, i shall put on my best pace, and soon get to bethgelert."
"anybody can get along over level ground," said the old man, laconically.
"not with equal swiftness," said i. "i do assure you, friend, to be able to move at a good swinging pace over level ground is something not to be sneezed at. not," said i, lifting up my voice, "that i would for a moment compare walking on the level ground to mountain ranging, pacing along the road to springing up crags like a mountain goat, or assert that even powell himself, the first of all road walkers, was entitled to so bright a wreath of fame as the snowdon ranger."
"won't you walk in, sir?" said the elderly man.
"no, i thank you," said i; "i prefer sitting out here, gazing on the lake and the noble mountains."
"i wish you would, sir," said the elderly man, "and take a glass of something; i will charge you nothing."
"thank you," said i—"i am in want of nothing, and shall presently start. do many people ascend snowdon from your house?"
"not so many as i could wish," said the[pg 135] ranger; "people in general prefer ascending snowdon from that trumpery place bethgelert; but those who do are fools—begging your honour's pardon. the place to ascend snowdon from is my house. the way from my house up snowdon is wonderful for the romantic scenery which it affords; that from bethgelert can't be named in the same day with it for scenery; moreover, from my house you may have the best guide in wales; whereas the guides of bethgelert—but i say nothing. if your honour is bound for the wyddfa, as i suppose you are, you had better start from my house to-morrow under my guidance."
"i have already been up the wyddfa from llanberis," said i, "and am now going through bethgelert to llangollen, where my family are; were i going up snowdon again, i should most certainly start from your house under your guidance, and were i not in a hurry at present, i would certainly take up my quarters here for a week, and every day make excursions with you into the recesses of eryri. i suppose you are acquainted with all the secrets of the hills?"
"trust the old ranger for that, your honour. i would show your honour the black lake in the frightful hollow, in which the fishes have monstrous heads and little bodies, the lake on[pg 136] which neither swan, duck nor any kind of wildfowl was ever seen to light. then i would show your honour the fountain of the hopping creatures, where, where——"
"were you ever at that wolf's crag, that castell y cidwm?" said i.
"can't say i ever was, your honour. you see it lies so close by, just across that lake, that——"
"you thought you could see it any day, and so never went," said i. "can't you tell me whether there are any ruins upon it?"
"i can't, your honour."
"i shouldn't wonder," said i, "if in old times it was the stronghold of some robber-chieftain; cidwm in the old welsh is frequently applied to a ferocious man. castell cidwm, i should think, rather ought to be translated the robber's castle, than the wolf's rock. if i ever come into these parts again, you and i will visit it together, and see what kind of a place it is. now farewell! it is getting late." i then departed.
"what a nice gentleman!" said the younger man, when i was a few yards distant.
"i never saw a nicer gentleman," said the old ranger.
i sped along, snowdon on my left, the lake on my right, and the tip of a mountain peak right before me in the east. after a little[pg 137] time i looked back; what a scene! the silver lake and the shadowy mountain over its southern side looking now, methought, very much like gibraltar. i lingered and lingered, gazing and gazing, and at last only by an effort tore myself away. the evening had now become delightfully cool in this land of wonders. on i sped, passing by two noisy brooks coming from snowdon to pay tribute to the lake. and now i had left the lake and the valley behind, and was ascending a hill. as i gained its summit, up rose the moon to cheer my way. in a little time, a wild stony gorge confronted me, a stream ran down the gorge with hollow roar, a bridge lay across it. i asked a figure whom i saw standing by the bridge the place's name. "rhyd du"—the black ford—i crossed the bridge. the voice of the methodist was yelling from a little chapel on my left. i went to the door and listened: "when the sinner takes hold of god, god takes hold of the sinner." the voice was frightfully hoarse. i passed on; night fell fast around me, and the mountain to the south-east, towards which i was tending, looked blackly grand. and now i came to a milestone, on which i read with difficulty: "three miles to bethgelert." the way for some time had been upward, but now it was downward. i reached a torrent, which, coming[pg 138] from the north-west, rushed under a bridge, over which i passed. the torrent attended me on my right hand the whole way to bethgelert. the descent now became very rapid. i passed a pine wood on my left, and proceeded for more than two miles at a tremendous rate. i then came to a wood—this wood was just above bethgelert—proceeding in the direction of a black mountain, i found myself amongst houses, at the bottom of a valley. i passed over a bridge, and inquiring of some people, whom i met, the way to the inn, was shown an edifice brilliantly lighted up, which i entered.
of umbrellas
wending my course to the north, i came to the white bare spot which i had seen from the moor, and which was in fact the top of a considerable elevation over which the road passed. here i turned and looked at the hills i had come across. there they stood, darkly blue, a rain cloud, like ink, hanging over their summits. o, the wild hills of wales, the land of old renown and of wonder, the land of arthur and merlin.
the road now lay nearly due west. rain came on, but it was at my back, so i expanded my umbrella, flung it over my shoulder and[pg 139] laughed. o, how a man laughs who has a good umbrella when he has the rain at his back, aye and over his head too, and at all times when it rains except when the rain is in his face, when the umbrella is not of much service. o, what a good friend to a man is an umbrella in rain time, and likewise at many other times. what need he fear if a wild bull or a ferocious dog attacks him, provided he has a good umbrella? he unfurls the umbrella in the face of the bull or dog, and the brute turns round quite scared, and runs away. or if a footpad asks him for his money, what need he care provided he has an umbrella? he threatens to dodge the ferrule into the ruffian's eye, and the fellow starts back and says, "lord, sir! i meant no harm. i never saw you before in all my life. i merely meant a little fun." moreover, who doubts that you are a respectable character provided you have an umbrella? you go into a public-house and call for a pot of beer, and the publican puts it down before you with one hand without holding out the other for the money, for he sees that you have an umbrella and consequently property. and what respectable man, when you overtake him on the way and speak to him, will refuse to hold conversation with you, provided you have an umbrella? no one. the respectable man sees you have an umbrella and concludes that[pg 140] you do not intend to rob him, and with justice, for robbers never carry umbrellas. o, a tent, a shield, a lance and a voucher for character is an umbrella. amongst the very best friends of man must be reckoned an umbrella.[2]
the way lay over dreary, moory hills: at last it began to descend and i saw a valley below me with a narrow river running through it to which wooded hills sloped down; far to the west were blue mountains. the scene was beautiful but melancholy; the rain had passed away, but a gloomy almost november sky was above, and the mists of night were coming down apace.
i crossed a bridge at the bottom of the valley and presently saw a road branching to the right. i paused, but after a little time went straight forward. gloomy woods were on each side of me and night had come down. fear came upon me that i was not in the right road, but i saw no house at which i could inquire, nor did i see a single individual for miles of whom i could ask. at last i heard the sound of hatchets in a dingle on my right, and [pg 141]catching a glimpse of a gate at the head of a path, which led down into it, i got over it. after descending some time i hallooed. the noise of the hatchets ceased. i hallooed again, and a voice cried in welsh, "what do you want?" "to know the way to bala," i replied. there was no answer, but presently i heard steps, and the figure of a man drew nigh half undistinguishable in the darkness and saluted me. i returned his salutation, and told him i wanted to know the way to bala. he told me, and i found i had been going right. i thanked him and regained the road. i sped onward and in about half an hour saw some houses, then a bridge, then a lake on my left, which i recognised as the lake of bala. i skirted the end of it, and came to a street cheerfully lighted up, and in a minute more was in the white lion inn.
supper—and a morning view
the sun was going down as i left the inn. i recrossed the streamlet by means of the pole and rail. the water was running with much less violence than in the morning, and was considerably lower. the evening was calm and beautifully cool, with a slight tendency to frost. i walked along with a bounding and[pg 142] elastic step, and never remember to have felt more happy and cheerful.
i reached the hospice at about six o'clock, a bright moon shining upon me, and found a capital supper awaiting me, which i enjoyed exceedingly.
how one enjoys one's supper at one's inn, after a good day's walk, provided one has the proud and glorious consciousness of being able to pay one's reckoning on the morrow!
the morning of the sixth was bright and glorious. as i looked from the window of the upper sitting-room of the hospice the scene which presented itself was wild and beautiful to a degree. the oak-covered tops of the volcanic crater were gilded with the brightest sunshine, whilst the eastern side remained in dark shade and the gap or narrow entrance to the north in shadow yet darker, in the midst of which shone the silver of the rheidol cataract. should i live a hundred years i shall never forget the wild fantastic beauty of that morning scene.
george borrow,—"wild wales."
footnote:
[2] as the umbrella is rather a hackneyed subject two or three things will of course be found in the above eulogium on an umbrella which have been said by other folks on that subject; the writer, however, flatters himself that in his eulogium on an umbrella two or three things will also be found which have never been said by any one else about an umbrella.
