Welsh Journals

September 15th, 1888. CYMRU FU. 271 mawre, Llandillo, Tallabont, Llandewy, Llanrydan, and Pendoylewyn in tlie said county; also on another contract for several farms and messuages lands and tenements in the parishes of Coychurch, Llangledd and Llanginidr Vaure in the said county, then in the occupations of Morgan Evan, Elizabeth Thomas, and others ; also lands in the counties of Pembrokeand Cardigan. These contracts onbehalf of theCommonwealth were signed byHenry Sealey, William Skynner, Sam Gookin, Arthur Samwell, and Wm. Lisle, and Geo. Billinghurst their secretary. Notices to the tenants were served and affidavits sworn by the parties who had been served acknowledging the same, to pay future rents to the several purchasers. (To be continued.) SEPTEMBER 15, 1888. NOTES. WELSH WEATHER FOLK LORE. Heavy crops mean a bad harvest. The priest may pray as often and as long as he likes, but if the wind does not get from the rain- hole (" twll y gwlaw "—S.W.), weshall get nothing but rain. When the water gets back to the wells we may expect better weather. We must get a flood in the river before we can expect better weather. The moon changes on Tuesday ; we may get better weather after that. TN.B.—Science tells us that the moon has no influence upon the weather.J There was a heavy dew this morning ; the day is likely to be fine. The sun showed itself too early ; it is iikely to rain before night. The stone floor is beginning to sweat; we are in for a bout of fair weather. When the flitch of bacon let3 down drops it is a sìgn of-----(?) T. C. U. Aberdare. TRAVELLING IN WALES IN 1820 (ante May 19, June 30, Aug. 25, 1888):—MS. diary extracts continued:— " Tuesday, Oct. 8.—Nine miles to Neath by the side of the river, with the canal between. There are copper, iron, brass, and tin-works for four or five miles up the valley, which is completely filled with smoke. The upper part of this valley is called Morristown, having been erected by Mr. Morris for his workmen, and on the summit of a high liill on the left is a building in the modern castel- lated form, which is a kind of almshouse, belong- ing to the same establishment. Ships come up the river, a mile and a half or two miles above the town of Swansea......Three or four miles further we come upon another valley, and extensive ruins of an abbey, but in a, very unintellígible condition. The only thing remaining really entire is an ancient hall, perhaps the refectory, divided and supported by four central clustered Gothic pillars. These are the ruins of Neath Abbey. It afforded a temporary refuge to the unfortunate EdwardH. after hisescape from Caerpliilly Castle. The ruins were lately inlmbited by several poor families belonging to the neighbouringcollieriesand copper mines, but they are now become too unsafe even for them. The town of Neath is about a mile from tiie Abbey. We cross the river by a handsome bridge before entering it, but not believing there was anything to see there, we only changed horses and returned over the bridge and go up the left hand side of the fair valley to the Lamband Flag, eleven miles. A Mr. Grant has a handsome house, finely situated, above Neath, surrounded by very luxuriant woods. At about six miles, saw on the right and across the river the Mehn Court waterfall, a very fine one, 60ft. high, in a richly wooded glen.....We were surprised to find the Lamb and Flag one of the best and most elegantly furnished inns in Wales, and both the landlordand landlady extremely attentive and obliging. " Wednesday, Oct. 9.—Visited the iron works before breakfìvst, and thought myself well re-paid. I cannot attempt to describe these stupendoua works farther than to say that they far exceed in extent, in chemical and mechanical power, in value of produce and number of hands employed, anythingl had before formed an idea of. The works I visited was the Cyfarthfa, belonging to Mr. Crawshay. To produce 1,700 tons of iron every month, at £8 a ton, 2,500 people are em- ployed at it, from £3 5s. to £3 10s. each a month. One engine, which was made in the works, is of 75-horse power, to work the blast furnaces, and the mechanism by which it does su is wonderfully simple. There are six of these furnaces constantly at work in smelt- ing the iron from the ore, andì believe there are two or three engines. Besides the engines there are several wheels of great power for driving the rollers by which the iron is wrought into bars and rods. It is amazing to see the workmen tossabout enormous masses of red hot iron with their great iron hooks and forceps with as much ease and as little concern as if they were playing nine-pins. The village, containing at least 17,000 inhabitants, is the entirü creation of the last 50 vears. A very fine canal and an excellent road from here to Cardiff have also been the result of these works, and there are also several others be- sides the Cyfarthfa. "Thursday, Oct. 10.-11 a.m. to Cardiff, 25 miles without change of horses. We take four to the Bridgewater Arms near Pontypridd, about half- way, and where we turn off a few hundred yards to the right to see the extraordinary bridge of that name—a single very wide arch of uncommon beauty and slightness, erected over theTaff by the skill of an untaught architect of the name of Edwards, about 1755." The description of the rest of the drive to Cardiff and of that town I will reserve for another occa- sion. Could the writer of this journal now see the changes in Merthyr Tydvil, Cardiff, and the sur*