Very few sheep are kept on the low land ; but on the mountains they are numerous. They are, in general, the native breed, very inferior both for wool and carcase. Cattle are kept in all parts of the county; in the low lands, and in the vales of the mountainous district, principally for butter and cheese ; in the other parts they are bred for the English drovers. Of the 464,640 acres which this county contains, it is cal-' culated that 100,000 are in-tillsge ; 145,000 in pas ture, and the rest waste land.
• Cardiganshire formerly was famous for its mines of leaf', but at present they are not very productive ; the principal are two, in the vicinity of Cwmystwith. Near Tal-y-bont are some that used to be very pro ductive, but now are almost exhausted ; the matrix of the ore•is carbonate of lime. There are also veins of copper, but they are not wrought. The want of coal, of which there is none in the whole county, the rugged nature of the country, and the badness of the roads, are probably the chief causes why the mines are not worked. Near Aberystwith are large slate quarries; the slates lie in alternate strata with shale, and are in compact masses, of a coarse tex ture; the inclination of the strata varies very much, following the general irregularity of shale. The slate that is found near the sea coast, not being mixed with shale, ies in perpendicular strata. There are some very extensive tracts of peat, especially on the coast beyond Aberystwyth, bordering on the river Dovy; and from Strata Florida, near the Tivy, to Llyn y Maes, or the lake of the flood ; the latter tract is one continued marshy bog, abounding in Turbaries, as far as Tregaron : according to tradition, a town once stood in this marsh. As connected with the natural history of this county, it may be remark ed that Mr Aikin observed near the banks of the Rydiol, a moor-buzzard, and the horse-ant, the 'arc species of ants that are natives of Britain. •
angel-fish is found in the bay of Cardigan.
There are few manufactures in this county ; at Llechwydol, near Cardigan, are iron and tin works. , Black cattle, pigs, butter, barley, oats, flannels, Welsh.webs, slates, bark, iron, tin, slates and ale, are ex ported from Aberystwyth, and Cardigan. There is a great fair for cattle and sheep at Rhos, near the source-of the Tivy.
Cardiganshire is celebrated in the literary history of Wales, for having given birth to David ap Gwylins, who flourished between 1330 and 1370. From the poems of this author, the modern literary dialect of Wales has been chiefly formed, and this dialect is spoken with greater purity in this county than in any other part of the principality.
In Cardiganshire, a custom prevails resembling the penny-weddings among the peasantry of Scot. land. Before marriage a bidder goes from house to house, inviting the inhabitants to come to the Wedding, and to bring money and cheese and but. ter. The marriage always takes place on the Sa and the guests assemble on the Friday with their presents. All these are set denim on paper, that, if demanded, they may be repaid, but this sel dom happens. The furnishing of the woman is also brought home on this day. On Saturday, ten or twenty of the man's friends who are best mounted, go to demand the bride, who is placed on a hone behind her father, and rides off as fast as she caa. She is soon, however, overtaken. Presents are con. tinned to be received on the Saturday and Sunday; on Monday they are sold, frequently making, with the money presented, the sum of L. 50 or L.60.
In 1803, the poor's rates amounted to L.10,167. In 1815, there was collected from 92 mien L:15,409, 8s. 6d.
(c.)