Welsh Journals

the mother of the one who was not carried away came to thank my brother for what he had done. The other boy was the only son of his mother and she was a widow. He said nothing of his escapade until when going to bed he had to ask for vaseline for his scratches A grown man was carried away by the tide in that same place a few years ago and drowned. Beyond Broughton Bay are some rocks we enjoyed when the tide was far out but were warned of when the tide was coming in. We all had a look at "Three Chimneys," which I first remember as reduced to two, and also Blue Pool which was supposed to be bottom- less until an uncle dived and brought up a pebble from the bottom. In Llanmadog churchyard we were shown a grave in which were buried thirty sailors, whose small sailing ships had been battered to bits on those rocks along the north shore, one fine summer evening when there was not a breeze, not a breath of wind, it was done by what used to be called a ground swell." These huge waves come in without breaking in tremendous strength, carrying all before them. A fleet of sailing (coastal) vessels came down the estuary- a few knew what to expect and anchored near the lighthouse. Not one that went down the river survived; having no wind their sails were useless. There was a choir practice in Llanmadog Church that night, and suddenly one of the choir boys screamed and said a man was looking through the window with water streaming down his face. They ran out to see who it was, but could find nobody-mean- while men were crying for help and drowning in the estuary Years later I met the captain of a steamer, who told me he had been on board his fathers little sailing ship that same night, but his father and a few others had anchored near the lighthouse, and all who had sailed on were lost Burry Holm is an island when the tide is in, but one can walk across to it at low tide. In my mind it is always associated with a Bidding Wedding to which I was invited when twelve years old A relative of the bride would take me with her, accompanied by huge pies and other good things to eat, all packed into a dog-cart. At the last moment I sprained my ankle, and missed a lot of excitement by being kept home. Late that evening my kind friend came back very depressed. Everything and everybody had arrived at the Bidding Wedding except the bridegroom. He could not be found though men on horseback searched all Gower for him. Later I was told that he and the bride to be" had quarrelled the previous night, that he had crossed to Burry Holm where the tide would have prevented his being followed, even had anyone thought of it They never married. Then the glorious view of Worms Head, seen across the bay from Burry Holm-I always remember being held by my frock and allowed to look down the last steep cliff. Our usual picnics ended by bathing in Rhosili Bay and resting in the sand-banks until the rising tide warned us it was time to watch the rocks on our way home One day in 1912, we were very surprised to see what appeared