CAERNARVONSHIRE, & county in North Wales, is divided by the Conway from Denbigh shire; from part of Merionethshire a rivulet; from Anglesea by the straits of Mesas the re sidue is bounded by the tea, In figure it is very irregular, a great peniasulated point running eat from it to the sees -west. Prom the extremity of this point, the length is 45 miles; the breadth varies extremely ; its oirounsfersom is about 150 miles. It contains, front a late swevey, 800,000 acres of land, of which, by one account, about 200,000, and, by another ammo% only 1:60,000 are in a state of cultivation.
This county is the meet mountainous in Wales. Its central part is entirely occupied by Snowdon, and its subordinate mountaia% extending from near Conway in the north-east to the shore that bound, the Perthorian road, inclading the Rhifel ridges. The Snowden mountains am connected with another chain of hills, which approach the sea at Abode, ron. Among these are very deep passes, forming narrow valleys, through which numerous streams, is suing from various lakes, rush in some places with great violence. The highest region of the moun tainous district is covered with snow, during__ the greatest part of the year; the middle region offends fuel and pasturage, though the woods which once clothed it are nearly exhausted. The baser of the mountains and the valleys are in general temperate and fertile. The vale of Conway as the most exten is the county ; it is a long and narrow tract, equally romantic and beantifW, through which the river of the sane 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 Llenwost, where it is formed into the finest meadows, eern-fields; and grove*,...-and• exhi. bits a striking and pleasing contrast to the bleak re gions of Snowdon fivwning above it.
The general- escarpment of the mountains; which ris' e-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 tu various cliffs of different heights ; the alti fthe highest point of the mountain is about 8600 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 6th of July 1795, just after sunrise, Mr Atkin ob served the thermometer at 34, whereas in the vale of Beddgelest, at seven in the morning, it was at 6e; at one in the afternoon it had reached only 48 an the top of Snowdon. .
The principal rivers in Caernarvonshire are the Conway and the Selena. The first rises from a lathe on the confines of Denbigh, Mcrioneth, and Caer narvon. Its comae is nearly in a northerly direc tion, along the east side of the county, for about twenty-four miles, when it empties itself into the ma, at the town of the same name ; it is half a mile wide at the Tash at high-water; and not above fifty Ards at low, the renaming space being sand-banks, which, at high-water, are covered twelve feet.
These sands still abunixl 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 Selma rises from a lake near &aeries ; its course is westward, and it diseharg: been' into the Menai Straits at Caernarvon.
boa admits vessels of about 300 tens fate the haves.
The sea coast of this county presents many oh jaws worthy of notice. TruthBach, and Traeth Mawr, are two inlets of the sea having one entrance, and each receiving a little river; the greatest = them am dry MI low-water, and become quic They lie between Caernervonehhe and Merioneth.. shire, but as they seem more properly to belong to the latter county, the attempts of Mr Maddock* to embank the sands of Treeth Mawr, will more pre perly be noticed under Merionethshire. Passing from this county into Caernarvonshire, the first sea port is Pwllheli, on an inlet which receives three or tour rivulets. It bus a considerable coasting trade in small vessels. St Tudwell'e bay I. sheltered by two small islands. To it succeeds the bay named Hell's Mouth, from the height and fone of the shores, which cause the wind to blow continually into it, while there is also a constant in-draught of the current. The promontory of Lyn extends to the west of the magi of mountains, that occupy the space between the • west entrance of the Mem, and Traeth Maw,. Al the extremity of this promonto ry lies the Isle of Bardsey, two !tiles long, and one mile bread ; the tides run with great rapidity be tween this island and the promontory. The. gulf between the peninsulated hundred of Lye and Anglesea is- called the bay of Caernarvon. It is lined by the high ridge of Snowdon. The only port on this coast is Porthyn Lyn, thrmed•by a- long point of land jutting into the sea, and• sheltering cone on the west. .Pat Penryhn, on a•small rivulet, has-been recently into a haven for vessels of 800 or 400 tens ; from it are exported immense qaantlties of slate, from Lord Penryhn's estate in this county, to the amount of soe 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 Pen man Mawr, the last of the long Caernarvon chain. It is 1400 feet perpendicular from its base, and, ac cording to Mr Caswell, who was employed by Mr Flamstead the astronomer to measure it, 1545 feet above the beach at low-water. In 1772, applica tion was made to Parliament to improve and secure the road across this precipice, which was according ly 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'3 Head, on the east of the Conway river. It is a fine sheepwalk, ending in a steep precipice over the sea. which is hollowed into various inaccessible caverns.