CAERNARVONSHIRE, a county in North Wales, is divided by the Conway from Denbighshire, from part of Merionethshire by a rivulet, from Anglesey by the Straits of Menai; and the residue is bounded by the sea.' In figure it is very irregular, a great peninsulated point running out from it to the south-west. From the extremity of this point the length is forty-five miles; the breadth varies extremely; its circumference is about 150 miles. According to a late survey, it contains 300,000 acres of land, of which, by one account, about 200,000, and, by another account, only 160,000, are in a state of cultivation.

This county is the most mountainous in Wales. Its central part is entirely occupied by Snowdon, and its subordinate mountains extend from near Conway in the north-east to the shore that bounds the Perthorian road, including the Rhifel ridges. The Snowdon Mountains are connected with another chain of hills, which approach the sea at Aberdaron. Among these are very deep passes, forming narrow valleys, through which numerous streams, issuing from various lakes, rush in some places with great violence. The highest region of the mountainous district is covered with snow during the greater part of the year; the middle region affords fuel and pasturage, though the woods which once clothed it are nearly exhausted. The bases of the mountains, and the valleys, are in general temperate and fertile. The vale of Conway is the most extensive in the county; it is a long and narrow tract, equally romantic and beautiful, through which the river of the same name runs. At first it is very narrow, but it gradually widens to the breadth of a mile. Its extent is about twenty miles, terminating at the town of Conway. It affords rich pasturage, especially near Llanwost, where it is formed into the finest meadows, corn-fields, and groves, and exhibits a striking and pleasing contrast to the bleak regions of Snowdon frowning above it.

The general escarpment of the mountains, which rise from the sea towards the centre of this county, fronts the sea; but the particular escarpment of the detached groups depends upon the course of the streams. The mountain of Snowdon is composed of various cliffs of different heights; the altitude of the highest point of the mountain is about 3600 feet from the high-water mark on Caernarvon quay. Snow lies all the year in the hollows near the top of Snowdon, the temperature here being very low, even in the middle of summer. On the morning of the 5th of July 1795, just after sunrise, Mr Aikin observed the thermometer at 34, whereas in the vale of Beddge-lest, at seven in the morning, it was at 62; at one in the afternoon it had reached only forty-eight on the top of Snowdon.

The principal rivers in Caernarvonshire are the Conway and the Seiont. The first rises from a lake on the confines of Denbigh, Merioneth, and Caernarvon. Its course is nearly in a northerly direction, along the east side of the county, for about twenty-four miles, when it empties itself into the sea at the town of the same name; it is half a mile wide at the Tash at high water, and not above fifty yards at low, the remaining space being sand-banks, which at high water are covered to the depth of twelve feet. These sands still abound in the pearl muscle, as they did in the time of the Romans; but they have been long neglected. The Conway is navigable for about twelve miles. The Seiont rises from a lake near Snowdon; its course is westward, and it runs into the Menai Strait at Caernarvon. The bar admits vessels of about 300 tons into the haven.

The sea-coast of this county presents many objects worthy of notice. Traeth Bach and Traeth Mawr are two inlets of the sea having one entrance, and each receiving a little river. The greater part of them are dry at low-water, and become quicksands. They lie between Caernarvonshire and Merionethshire, but as they seem more properly to belong to the latter county, the attempts of Mr Maddocks to embank the sands of Traeth Mawr will more properly be noticed under Merionethshire. Passing from this county into Caernarvonshire, the first sea-port is Pwllheli, on an inlet which receives three or four rivulets. It has a considerable coasting trade in small vessels. St Tudwell’s bay is sheltered by two small islands. To it succeeds the bay named Hell’s Mouth, from the [7:5:773] height and form of the shores, which cause the wind to blow continually into it, while there is also a constant indraught of the current. The promontory of Lyn extends to the west of the mass of mountains that occupy the space between the west entrance of the Menai and Traeth Mawr. At the extremity of this promontory lies the Isle of Bardsey, two miles long and one mile broad. The tides run with great rapidity between this island and the promontory. The gulf between the peninsulated hundred of Lyn and Anglesey is called the bay of Caernarvon. It is lined by the high ridge of Snowdon. The only port on this coast is Porthyn Lyn, formed by a long point of land jutting into the sea, and sheltering a cone on the west. Port Penryhn, on a small rivulet, has been recently enlarged into a haven for vessels of 300 or 400 tons; and by it are exported immense quantities of slate, from Lord Penryhn’s estate in this county, to the amount of 500 tons a-week when the demand is great. About seven miles to the west-south-west of Conway, on the road from that town to Bangor, is the stupendous precipice of Penmaen Mawr, the last of the long Caernarvon chain. It is 1400 feet perpendicular from its base, and, according to Mr Caswell, who was employed by Mr Flamstead the astronomer to measure it, 1545 feet above the beach at low water. In 1772 application was made to parliament to improve and secure the road across this precipice, which was accordingly done; and there is now a good road on a ledge of the rock, defended by a wall five feet high. The county of Caernarvon is terminated by the lofty round promontory called Llandudno, or the Great Orme’s Head, on the east of the Conway river. It is a fine sheep-walk, ending in a steep precipice over the sea, which is hollowed into various inaccessible caverns.

In consequence of the elevated surface of the greater part of the county, and its cold, piercing, and damp atmosphere, there is little corn grown in it. Near the sea, however, and in some of the vales, barley of fine quality is raised; and, in some of the higher districts, oats are cultivated. The vales yield a little meadow grass for hay, which is got in without the aid of wheel-carriages, the uneven surface of the ground not admitting their use. Sheep and black cattle, however, constitute the principal agricultural stock of the Caernarvonshire farmers. The former are pastured on the mountains, which in general are commons; and the latter on the lower grounds. A considerable quantity of cheese, made from the mixed milk of ewes and cows, is made. From the peninsulated hundred of Lyn, which is in general flat, oats, barley, cheese, and black cattle are exported; of the last about 3000 annually. The numerous herds of goats which used to frequent the rocky districts of this county are now nearly extinct. There are some profitable orchards in the vales, but in general the climate is very unfavourable to fruit trees.

Caernarvonshire is an interesting county to the mineralogist; but we can only notice very briefly the principal features of its mineralogy. The highest and interior re gions of the Snowdon Mountains are composed of granite, porphyry, whin, and other primitive aggregate rocks, inclosing considerable blocks of quartz. The western side of Snowdon itself consists of ironstone, on which are placed basaltic columns of different lengths, and about four feet in diameter. On each side of the primitive rocks there are mountainous banks of slate, the coarsest on the eastern, and the finest invariably on the western side of the central ridge. At Nantfrancon are ‘the slate quarries of Lord Penryhn, who has constructed admirable railways from them to Port Penryhn. The banks of slate, becoming finer as they descend, occupy the country between Snowdon and the Menai, usually terminating within a few hundred yards of its banks. The channel of the Shast, as well as its banks, consists of limestone; breccia, or the fragments of the Snowdon Mountains in a calcareous cement; and hard marl, inclosing shells. The general dip of the strata in the promontory of Lyn is to the south-west; on the north coast are found chlorite slate and coarse serpentine. On the former rest beds of primitive argillaceous schistus. The argillaceous schistus in some places is largely mixed with carbon, forming a kind of hard drawing slate; and in others it is penetrated by carbon and pyrites, forming alum slate. No mines have been opened in this district. A hard stone, used instead of brass for supporting the pivots of light machinery, andanother stone something resembling the French burr, have been found in this county. There are some lead mines near Gwydir; but the most important and valuable metal found in this county is copper. The richest mines of it are in the vicinity of Llanberis; it is also found in various parts of the Snowdon Mountains; and the green carbonate of copper lies between the limestone strata, in the promontory of Orme’s Head. There are also mines of calamine on the Caernarvon side of the river Conway.

Many rare vegetables, met with only on the most elevated spots, grow in this county. Some of the steepest crags of the Great Orme’s Head are inhabited by the peregrine falcon. Considerable quantities of fish, particularly herrings, are caught on the shores of this county; and lobsters and oysters are met with in great abundance. In some of the lakes are found the char, and the gwyniad, another alpine fish. Foxes are the chief wild animals.

The monéy raised for the poor in 1803 was L.9137, being at the· rate of 4s. 0∙∣d. in the pound. In the year ending the 25th of March 1815, there was paid in parochial rates the sum of L.15,776. 17s. 6d. In 1800 there were 8304 inhabited houses, and 41,521 inhabitants; 19,586 males, and 21,935 females, of whom 12,808 were employed in agriculture, and 4234 in manufactures, trade, and handicrafts. The inhabitants live in a state of the utmost simplicity, manufacturing their clothes from the wool of their own flocks, and dyeing them with lichens; while a little oatmeal added to the produce of their dairies constitutes their food. In 1811, 1821, and 1831, the results of the population returns were as follows:
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