The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-09-04
The Story Of Wales
aud Its Pr Ople /
John Jones, from Wales


I need not tell my Cambrian friends
where Wales is situated. Huwoften,
during their sojouru on this
side OF the Atlantic have they
not taken those vivid mental jour
neys-and found themselves In
thought right. at home! Yes, there,
in the old %ingle-corner, beside tue
round table on the hearth, where the
peet-tire lazily smolders itself to
death In a shroud Of ashen dust.
Columbus is given the credit for
discovering America. Spain was a
great power then. Nevertheless we
know the story OF Madoc, that prince
Of i~llustrious fame, who, fitted ,up,in
the twelfth century at his cost,
a small squadron Of thirteen wooden
vessels, and sailed away from Bard
sey--a merry crew of eighty. souls
whittier bound? No n knew. But
it came to pass after many days that
they were within sight of land where
they cast anchor. They were kindly
received by the inhabitants who
We're the Indians of southern Mexico.
Madoc eturned to his native land,
but some of the crew settled out
there. and to this day, some of the
Celtic words introduced By them IRE
in use among the Indians.
A glance at the map of the British
Isles will at once show that Wales is
the smallest and most mountainous
country of Great Britain. Indeed it
ssems to be composed mlinly OF
mountains, high or low, and It is also
the ''oldestn bit Of country in the
British Isles. Long before 'Engfand
arose from out the azure main a
little cluster OF islands rose in the
midst of the ocean where Welsh
mountains now are: and as ii proof of
this, sea shells may be found near the
summit of Snowdon-the hoary King
of the Cambrian heights. The
mountains of Wales are the muscles
of it's anatomy as a nation; its history
is distinct from that of Cornwall and
the North of England, though the
same conditions of Language and
geography exist. How is tits: Be
cause It's mountain rise between a
sea and a plain, and there are
breaks in the ridges where the
Severn and the Dee reach the
sea. Not only do the mountains cx-
plain why Wales has a history, but
they say quite plainly what il is. In
dependence and division are the
prime factors. Wales is not IN clcva-
ted plain, but a land of ridges and
peaks-a confusion OF mountaius ana
glens, and those breaks or asses, In
bygone days, created a b]uFricr be-
tween prince and prince, anti Is was
not always easy to keep htrah and
South Wales united.
SaoWdot Or the Hill of Sna% h the
highest mountain. ssEryri, II Is
called IN Welsh, is tile aboG Ut the
Muse. hWhocyer sleeps aai4ht there
viii awaken a pGet or a 10 Imam,
say the bards. Tradition is that a
celebrated giant-ki4ler is buried near
the top, who put SO many iants to
death that lie was able 10 make a
coat Of their boards.
Cader- ldFis the seat 81 chair
OF Arthursanotter gnt who
retired Co these lonely mountains to
study astronomy. His bed, pile Of
stones some hundred feet long is
still shown together with Tie Jake
OF three ggains.a Here son pebbly
grit got into his shoe and lur1 him.
He shook them out near tie lake,
while Shaping there to ts4e-.4 drink
The grains grew ntoprodigio4s rocks
which may still be seen.
Plinlimmon, with its five peaks OF
cloud-piercing hills is THE source Of
the Severn Wye and RheiGol. The
Kerry hills form the boundary be-
tween North and South Wales. The
Black mountains are between the
valleys Of the Usk and Wye. They
are SO called from the dalii appear
ance of the heath and lisn which
grow over them, ard they are dis
tlnguished for their mineral wealth.
The geography Of Wales Ii prophet.