wild wales-第9部分

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〃No；〃　said　I；　〃for　if　I　take　your　scythe　in　hand　I　must　give　you　a　
shilling；　you　know；　by　mowers'　law。〃

He　gave　a　broad　grin；　and　I　proceeded　up　the　hill。　　When　he　
rejoined　his　companions　he　said　something　to　them　in　Welsh；　at　
which　they　all　laughed。　　I　reached　the　top　of　the　hill；　the　
children　still　attending　me。

The　view　over　the　vale　is　very　beautiful；　but　on　no　side；　except　in　
the　direction　of　the　west；　is　it　very　extensive；　Dinas　Bran　being　
on　all　other　sides　overtopped　by　other　hills：　　in　that　direction；　
indeed；　the　view　is　extensive　enough；　reaching　on　a　fine　day　even　
to　the　Wyddfa　or　peak　of　Snowdon；　a　distance　of　sixty　miles；　at　
least　as　some　say；　who　perhaps　ought　to　add　to　very　good　eyes；　
which　mine　are　not。　　The　day　that　I　made　my　first　ascent　of　Dinas　
Bran　was　very　clear；　but　I　do　not　think　I　saw　the　Wyddfa　then　from　
the　top　of　Dinas　Bran。　　It　is　true　I　might　see　it　without　knowing　
it；　being　utterly　unacquainted　with　it；　except　by　name；　but　I　
repeat　I　do　not　think　I　saw　it；　and　I　am　quite　sure　that　I　did　not　
see　it　from　the　top　of　Dinas　Bran　on　a　subsequent　ascent；　on　a　day　
equally　clear；　when　if　I　had　seen　the　Wyddfa　I　must　have　recognised　
it；　having　been　at　its　top。　　As　I　stood　gazing　around；　the　children　
danced　about　upon　the　grass；　and　sang　a　song。　　The　song　was　
English。　　I　descended　the　hill；　they　followed　me　to　its　foot；　and　
then　left　me。　　The　children　of　the　lower　class　of　Llangollen　are　
great　pests　to　visitors。　　The　best　way　to　get　rid　of　them　is　to　
give　them　nothing：　　I　followed　that　plan；　and　was　not　long　troubled　
with　them。

Arrived　at　the　foot　of　the　hill；　I　walked　along　the　bank　of　the　
canal　to　the　west。　　Presently　I　came　to　a　barge　lying　by　the　bank；　
the　boatman　was　in　it。　　I　entered　into　conversation　with　him。　　He　
told　me　that　the　canal　and　its　branches　extended　over　a　great　part　
of　England。　　That　the　boats　carried　slates　…　that　he　had　frequently　
gone　as　far　as　Paddington　by　the　canal　…　that　he　was　generally　
three　weeks　on　the　journey　…　that　the　boatmen　and　their　families　
lived　in　the　little　cabins　aft　…　that　the　boatmen　were　all　Welsh　…　
that　they　could　read　English；　but　little　or　no　Welsh　…　that　English　
was　a　much　more　easy　language　to　read　than　Welsh　…　that　they　passed　
by　many　towns；　among　others　Northampton；　and　that　he　liked　no　place　
so　much　as　Llangollen。　　I　proceeded　till　I　came　to　a　place　where　
some　people　were　putting　huge　slates　into　a　canal　boat。　　It　was　
near　a　bridge　which　crossed　the　Dee；　which　was　on　the　left。　　I　
stopped　and　entered　into　conversation　with　one；　who　appeared　to　be　
the　principal　man。　　He　told　me　amongst　other　things　that　he　was　a　
blacksmith　from　the　neighbourhood　of　Rhiwabon；　and　that　the　flags　
were　intended　for　the　flooring　of　his　premises。　　In　the　boat　was　an　
old　bareheaded；　bare…armed　fellow；　who　presently　joined　in　the　
conversation　in　very　broken　English。　　He　told　me　that　his　name　was　
Joseph　Hughes；　and　that　he　was　a　real　Welshman　and　was　proud　of　
being　so；　he　expressed　a　great　dislike　for　the　English；　who　he　said　
were　in　the　habit　of　making　fun　of　him　and　ridiculing　his　language；　
he　said　that　all　the　fools　that　he　had　known　were　Englishmen。　　I　
told　him　that　all　Englishmen　were　not　fools；　〃but　the　greater　part　
are；〃　said　he。　　〃Look　how　they　work；〃　said　I。　　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　
〃some　of　them　are　good　at　breaking　stones　for　the　road；　but　not　
more　than　one　in　a　hundred。〃　　〃There　seems　to　be　something　of　the　
old　Celtic　hatred　to　the　Saxon　in　this　old　fellow；〃　said　I　to　
myself；　as　I　walked　away。

I　proceeded　till　I　came　to　the　head　of　the　canal；　where　the　
navigation　first　commences。　　It　is　close　to　a　weir　over　which　the　
Dee　falls。　　Here　there　is　a　little　floodgate；　through　which　water　
rushes　from　an　oblong　pond　or　reservoir；　fed　by　water　from　a　corner　
of　the　upper　part　of　the　weir。　　On　the　left；　or　south…west　side；　is　
a　mound　of　earth　fenced　with　stones　which　is　the　commencement　of　
the　bank　of　the　canal。　　The　pond　or　reservoir　above　the　floodgate　
is　separated　from　the　weir　by　a　stone　wall　on　the　left；　or　south…
west　side。　　This　pond　has　two　floodgates；　the　one　already　
mentioned；　which　opens　into　the　canal；　and　another；　on　the　other　
side　of　the　stone　mound；　opening　to　the　lower　part　of　the　weir。　　
Whenever；　as　a　man　told　me　who　was　standing　near；　it　is　necessary　
to　lay　the　bed　of　the　canal　dry；　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　for　
the　purpose　of　making　repairs；　the　floodgate　to　the　canal　is　
closed；　and　the　one　to　the　lower　part　of　the　weir　is　opened；　and　
then　the　water　from　the　pond　flows　into　the　Dee；　whilst　a　sluice；　
near　the　first　lock；　lets　out　the　water　of　the　canal　into　the　
river。　　The　head　of　the　canal　is　situated　in　a　very　beautiful　spot。　　
To　the　left　or　south　is　a　lofty　hill　covered　with　wood。　　To　the　
right　is　a　beautiful　slope　or　lawn　on　the　top　of　which　is　a　pretty　
villa；　to　which　you　can　get　by　a　little　wooden　bridge　over　the　
floodgate　of　the　canal；　and　indeed　forming　part　of　it。　　Few　things　
are　so　beautiful　in　their　origin　as　this　canal；　which；　be　it　known；　
with　its　locks　and　its　aqueducts；　the　grandest　of　which　last　is　the　
stupendous　erection　near　Stockport；　which　by…the…bye　filled　my　mind　
when　a　boy　with　wonder；　constitutes　the　grand　work　of　England；　and　
yields　to　nothing　in　the　world　of　the　kind；　with　the　exception　of　
the　great　canal　of　China。

Retracing　my　steps　some　way　I　got　upon　the　river's　bank　and　then　
again　proceeded　in　the　direction　of　the　west。　　I　soon　came　to　a　
cottage　nearly　opposite　a　bridge；　which　led　over　the　river；　not　the　
bridge　which　I　have　already　mentioned；　but　one　much　smaller；　and　
considerably　higher　up　the　valley。　　The　cottage　had　several　dusky　
outbuildings　attached　to　it；　and　a　paling　before　it。　　Leaning　over　
the　paling　in　his　shirt…sleeves　was　a　dark…faced；　short；　thickset　
man；　who　saluted　me　in　English。　　I　returned　his　salutation；　
stopped；　and　was　soon　in　conversation　with　him。　　I　praised　the　
beauty　of　the　river　and　its　banks：　　he　said　that　both　were　
beautiful　and　delightful　in　summer；　but　not　at　all　in　winter；　for　
then　the　trees　and　bushes　on　the　banks　were　stripped　of　their　
leaves；　and　the　river　was　a　frightful　torrent。　　He　asked　me　if　I　
had　been　to　see　the　place　called　the　Robber's　Leap；　as　strangers　
generally　went　to　see　it。　　I　inquired　where　it　was。

〃Yonder；〃　said　he；　pointing　to　some　distance　down　the　river。

〃Why　is　it　called　the　Robber's　Leap？〃　said　I。

〃It　is　called　the　Robber's　Leap；　or　Llam　y　Lleidyr；〃　said　he；　
〃because　a　thief　pursued　by　justice　once　leaped　across　the　river　
there　and　escaped。　　It　was　an　awful　leap；　and　he　well　deserved　to　
escape　after　taking　it。〃　　I　told　him　that　I　should　go　and　look　at　
it　on　some　future　opportunity；　and　then　asked　if　there　were　many　
fish　in　the　river。　　He　said　there　were　plenty　of　salmon　and　trout；　
and　that　owing　to　the　river　being　tolerably　high；　a　good　many　had　
been　caught　during　the　last　few　days。　　I　asked　him　who　enjoyed　the　
right　of　fishing　in　the　river。　　He　said　that　in　these　parts　the　
fishing　belonged　to　two　or　three　proprietors；　who　either　preserved　
the　fishing　for　themselves；　as　they　best　could　by　means　of　keepers；　
or　let　it　out　to　other　people；　and　that　many　individuals　came　not　
only　from　England；　but　from　France　and　Germany　and　even　Russia　for　
the　purpose　of　fishing；　and　that　the　keepers　of　the　proprietors　
from　whom　they　purchased　permission　to　fish；　went　with　them；　to　
show　them　the　best　places；　and　to　teach　them　how　to　fish。　　He　added　
that　there　was　a　report　that　the　river　would　shortly　be　rhydd　or　
free　and　open　to　any　one。　　I　said　that　it　would　be　a　bad　thing　to　
fling　the　river　open；　as　in　that　event　the　fish　would　be　killed　at　
all　times　and　seasons；　and　eventually　all　destroyed。　　He　replied　
that　he　questioned　whether　more　fish　would　be　taken　then　than　now；　
and　that　I　must　not　imagine　that　the　fish　were　much　protected　by　
what　was　called　preserving；　that　the　people　to　whom　the　lands　in　
the　neighbourhood　belonged；　and　those　who　paid　for　fishing　did　not　
catch　a　hundredth　part　of　the　fish　which　were　caught　in　the　river：　　
that　the　proprietors　went　with　their　keepers；　and　perhaps　caught　
two　or　three　stone　of　fish；　or　that　strangers　went　with　the　
keepers；　whom　they　paid　for　teaching　them　how　to　fish；　and　perhaps　
caught　half…a…dozen　fish；　and　that　shortly　after　the　keepers　would　
return　and　catch　on　their　own　account　sixty　stone　of　fish　from　the　
very　spot　where　the　proprietors　or　strangers　had　great　difficulty　
in　catching　two　or　three　stone　or　the　half…dozen　fish；　or　the　
poachers　would　go　and　catch　a　yet　greater　quantity。　　He　added　that　
gentry　did　not　understand　how　to　catch　fish；　and　that　to　attempt　to　
preserve　was　nonsense。　　I　told　him　that　if　the　river　was　flung　open　
everybody　would　fish；　he　said　that　I　was　much　mistaken；　that　
hundreds　who　were　now　poachers；　would　then　keep　at　home；　mind　their　
proper　trades；　and　never　use　line　or　spear；　that　folks　always　
longed　to　do　what　they　were　forbidden；　and　that　Shimei　would　never　
have　crossed　the　brook　provided　he　had　not　been　told　he　should　be　
hanged　if　he　did。　　That　he　himself　had　permission　to　fish　in　the　
river　whenever　he　pleased；　but　never　availed　himself　of　it；　though　
in　his　young　time；　when　he　had　no　leave；　he　had　been　an　arrant　
poacher。

The　manners　and　way　of　speaking　of　this　old　personage　put　me　very　
much　in　mind　of　those　of　Morgan；　described　by　Smollett　in　his　
immortal　novel　of　〃Roderick　Random。〃　　I　had　more　discourse　with　
him：　　I　asked　him　in　what　line　of　business　he　was；　he　told　me　that　
he　sold　coals。　　From　his　complexion；　and　the　hue　of　his　shirt；　I　
had　already　concluded　that　he　was　in　some　grimy　trade。　　I　then　
inquired　of　what　religion　he　was；　and　received　for　answer　that　he　
was　a　Baptist。　　I　thought　that　both　himself　and　part　of　his　apparel　
would　look　all　the　better　for　a　good　immersion。　　We　talked　of　the　
war　then　raging　…　he　said　it　was　between　the　false　prophet　and　the　
Dragon。　　I　asked　him　who　the　Dragon　was　…　he　said　the　Turk。　　I　told　
him　that　the　Pope　was　far　worse　than　either　the　Turk　or　the　
Russian；　that　his　religion　was　the　vilest