The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-24
YEARLY 900 YEARS OLD.
AN OLD TOWN FOUNDED BY THE
BLACK PRINC5.

ofT1angwenadle Parish, Surrounded
rv hedges of Great Antiquity
Life in the Place.
rrAyGwANADLE, WALES. Sept. 3d.
"Uithout flying or swimming you
could net have reached a more
crtof the way place than Llang-
-raradle" said an old man at whose
cottage we had glass of milk few days
oro Unless, indeed, your map be on
nretty large scale. you will hardly find
-on the name of this little
v;nace where it ought to be
=, the northwestern coast of Wales,
,ortb Of Wales. PwlIheli, the railraad
ts~rinus, from which we rode fourteen
miles by siege to Llsngwanadle, is better
tnou. for PWllheli with its beautiful beach
asnirss to be a watering place, and not
tow tourists visit it during the season. The
broad esplanade and brand new lodging
bouses contrast strangely with the old town,
which was Incorporated by the Black
Prince in honor of one Of his followers at
PolCtlers.
The well-paved though nurrow streets If
Pyllheli. and It's substantial houses, at once
removed any false ideas We had had about
the WEIGH. Our first glance about showed
rs that we were in the midst OF a thrifty
and energetic people. Comparatively few
visitors cross the Lieyn peninsula 10 Lang
wanadle, delightful though the drive is
along broad, well-kept roads. Llangwanadle
ian little seaport parish on PenIish Bay, an
arm of the Irish sea. 1t takes its name from
saint Gwanadie. who lived in the tenth
century.
The church which be founded is still
standing, and though the exterior has been
undermined, the original pillars remain In
side; one OF them bears an inscription in
latin. stating thst this church was founded
in the year 1000. The church, with its high
sto fence, is built SO low in a hollow that
it was difficult to get good photograph of
1t. vet its exterior is typical of the Welsh
parish church.
At Llangwanadle. as in every Welsh
pari h, not far from the church stands the
chapel, big, bare-looking structure set on
hill For the Welsh are vigorous dis
senters, and although they are compelled
to pag titbes to the established church,
the larger number of people in each parish
attend the chapel. A walk OF less than
mile from the parish church brings one TO
the sea, where there Is broad beach. The
closely cropped fields slope TO the cliffs
above the beach, and their ourvinG mar
gins have the S, mmetry and regularity OF
outline Of the ramparts of a fort. Less
than q mile in the opposite direction from
gorse and heather. From any of the hills
Llsngwanadle and the country near it pre-
sents checkerboard appearance, with its
small, ,quare fields of varying shades OF
green, marked Off clearly by the darker
green hedges. These hedges are undpubt-
eddy OF great antiquity, first built. perhaps.
many hu dred years ago. They vary in
hight from four 70 seven feet, aud are
often broad enough on the top for two OF
three pc )ple to walk abreast. The founda-
ton OF these hedges is composed of large
stones, carefully placed together after the
ina ner OF the New Eng gland stone walls
Then there at sides and top IS a thick
turf, overgrown with various wild shrubs,
b ackbeTrv bushes, thiStles, gorse, heather
and great variety of wild flowers The
effect OF all this vegetation is, of course
very pleasing, and one feels not a little
sorrow to note in some places Tat the utill-
tartan farmer has mown down the bushes
and flowers from the hedges, thus leaving
only the thick turf Shorn of their BRAN
bles these hedges are undoubtedly rendered
easier to climb. Yet at no tine is IL very
difficult TO pass over them from
one field to another, for almost every hedge
has at one corner a set of stepping stones
Were it not for this their hight and
their steep sides would make them almost
imi assable. The W eiSh farm houses are
decidedly picturesque. The majority are
built of a kind of clay, although a great
many are Of stone. The former are either
whiteWashed, or are tinted with a cOlored
wash, PINK or violet, or pale brown, as the
case may lie. These houses usually are
we.roofed, and although seldom more than
one-story high, always have several win
dows on the side facing the road. Occasion
ly, Of course, one sees a rude cabin
of rough Appearance, with matched oof,
ana few wincows, but cottages such as
these are the exception. Sometimes, too.
ore comes upon a house much more pre-
tenuous, modern, ald of two stories. Thess
more pretentious houses are generally OF
brick, with mastic on the outside, and in
spite Of the fact that they are evidently
more costly, are much less attractive than
The humber cottages. Although this
Welsh country is notably lacking ia timber,
there are always a few small trees and
ebruos around the houses, and the front is
often well covered with vines Rose
bushe3 aud fuchsias laden with blossoms
climb almost to the roofs, and occa4
s!onally a pear or an apple tree has
trained against the side of the house
10 hang over tae door. Within.
the cottages are much alike; they
nave stone floors, whiewashed walls, with
heavy beams overhead. Their furniture is
simQle consist g generally of a large set
Gle, Oh or two tables and chairs, and last
drawers, DOORS and shelves However num-
oie the cottage, the china ranged on the
shelves OF the dresser is always abundant
and sttra tive looking; full sets of blue
willow ware are evidently the Welsh house,
wlfes chief pride.
The barns and outhouses are seldom large
as the hay for the cattle is never stored in
slue, but is left all winter in huge ricks,
IRON which the days allowance is sliced as
needed. Both Wei. b mon and women have
iald aside their former picturesque dress.
Inc wooden'soled shoes, studded with brass
hals. are the only relics of
Tue old peasant costume. Ger
i,alnly old Helen Lloyd in her pointed
neever hat is much more attractive than
she younger Welsh women with whom we
tad an animated conversation on the sub
lect OF ducks. One Of the peculiarities of
NE ata-labgwanadle was the daily uncer-
talnty as to what we should have for dinner.
1reat Hooks OF sheep browsed on the hills
e4ere we're ducks, pigs and chickens in
eVery oarnyard, but no one wanted to sell
" tne TRANSIENT visitor. All the farmers
20. regular customers at distance whom
suey feared to disappoint. And So we
-uuld 60 from house to house, trying to
HlaAe 1t plain that We must have ducks
something Of the kind None of the
v,,rpuIhtry people spoke English. and few
nIaefstood 1t, and when with much diff
Nv We had made onr meaning plain, it
Satways trying co be met with definite
,rs. After much persuasion the farmer S
fnrs agreed to sell US pair of ducks, but