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scended into a deep dale, and approaching a yawning chasm in the rock, perceived the river Felddta, like the classical Alpheus, rolling its stream through a vast subterraneous cavern, which it had entered about a quarter of a mile above. Had the water been low, we might have pursued its gloomy course through the windings of this natural excavation, for nearly one hundred yards, to an aperture on the left hand, where it quits its secret bed, and again emerges into day; but the floods preventing us, we continued our walk to the valley, in which it first shrinks from the light, and hides its head in the rock. This is a scene more solemn, though perhaps less grand, than any we had hitherto contemplated; a profound and gloomy glen, formed by the rocky banks, approaching each other so closely, as only to allow a narrow intermediate hollow, through which the river Felddta forces a troubled passage. At the extremity of this, arises a lofty precipice, shagged with shrubs and mosses, almost impervious to the sun from the surrounding woods; and at its foot appears a gaping fissure, arched and high, into which the river Felddta rushes with foaming impetuosity. The whole scene is romantic in the

extreme, and realizes, with the exception of the noxious atmosphere of Avernus, the description of the Mantuan bard:

Spelunca alta fuit, vastoque immanis hiatu, Scrupea, tuta lacu nigro nemorumque tenebris; "Quam super haud ullæ poterant impune volantes "Tendere iter pennis: talis sese halitus atris "Faucibus effundens supera ad convexa ferebat."

The chasm is called Porthogo, (the mouth of the cave) and a woman, living in its vicinity, acts as a guide to travellers, whose curiosity leads them to inspect its interior.*

This singular scene closed the wonders of the Hepste and Felddta valleys; a walk of not more than eight or nine miles, but full of grandeur, beauty, and variety,

"In this track,

"How long so e'er the wanderer roves, each step "Shall wake fresh beauties, each short point present "A diff'rent picture; new, and yet the same."

* I must again observe, that much of the sublimity of the scenes which I have described, arose from the violent rain that had fallen in the night. In fine weather the water is low, the rivers tame, and some of the cascades invisible. To see them in perfection, the traveller must wait for rain, a delay that will be amply repaid by the gratification which the scenery must produce. For this he need not wait long, as the country about Ystrad-y-Felddta is seldom two days without showers,

K

Deeply impressed with grateful sentiments towards Mr. G. who had accompanied us four or five hours, in a very inclement day, we took leave of him at Porthogo, and reached Ystrad-y-Felddta, completely drenched, about seven o'clock in the evening.*

Much of human happiness arises from contrast, a comparison of our present situation with that of others, or with what our own has formerly been. Seated by a good fire, therefore, with a bason full of boiled eggs, and a tankard of currw before us, you may suppose, we felt no small degree of gratification, after having been beaten by a pitiless shower, and blown upon by a cold south-easterly wind, for the whole afternoon without intermission. Our apartments, it is true, were rather homely, one being the chandler's shop of the village, and the other half filled with wool once dressed; but neither the powerful smell of decayed cheese, nor the less agreeable effluvium of rancid oil; the hardness of flock beds, nor the coarseness of dowlas sheets, could prevent us from enjoying a slumber sound, sweet, and

* When the water is low, the better, nearer, and pleasanter way, from Porthogo to Ystrad-y-Felddta, is by the river-side.

undisturbed, of nine hours;-the blessing resulting from moderate fatigue.

Notwithstanding the low'ring appearance of this morning, we buckled on our knapsacks at six o'clock, and beat a march towards Brecon, over a road dull and uninteresting, wild and desolate. The only objects which led us out of the direct tract were, a Druidical stone, and a Roman way. They are immediate neighbours, and occur at the distance of four miles from Ystrad-y-Felddta, on the left hand. The former is very conspicuous, and a sufficient index of itself to the traveller. It is of secondary granite, and measures eleven feet and a half in height, and nine feet and a half in breadth; its form rude, but approaching to that of a rhomb, with the angles truncated. The road lies about sixty yards from this monument of British antiquity, and is composed of irregular loose stones, now in a great measure covered with earth, the dorsum flat, when compared with the rounding of modern roads. The country people call it Sarn-Helen, or Helen's causeway, which leads me to think it may be a branch of the military way of the same name, that ran from Caernarvon, in the north of Wales, to Salisbury in Wiltshire.

The ringing of the bells, as we approached Brecon, informed us there was something more than common going forward in the town; but it was not till we reached the turnpike, that we understood this signal of rejoicing was in consequence of the Judges this morning opening their commission of oyer and terminer here. Hoping to reach the Angel inn (the headquarters of Cll and myself last year) without being noticed, we accelerated our pace, when, just as we were in view of our place of refuge, fortune (as if determined to mortify our vanity) ordered it so, that the Judges should issue forth from the very house to which we were going, with their long train of attendants, javelin-men, trumpeters, pages, &c. &c. Our sudden surprise, and consciousness of not being very respectable figures, (for we were once more wet through) gave a certain sheepishness. to our appearance, that drew some looks of curious enquiry from their lordships. The gentlemen of the long gown too mechanically put their hands to their pockets to secure their fees, and the eager gaze of the tipstaves betrayed their expectation of a job. Cll and I were for gliding down a neighbouring lane, and hiding our diminished heads, till the procession