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A pedestrian tour through Wales, 1796

About a mile from the town [Aberystwyth] we turned to the left for Towen Merioneth. A walk of nine miles more, along the beach brought us to the river Dovey, which here divides North and South Wales.

At low water the river is broad and deep: when the tide comes in, it covers a considerable space of sand, forming a fine bay. It is however navigable only within its banks, and this makes it impassable, excepting at low tide. Unluckily the tide was beginning to flow when we arrived, but seeing a boat on our side we ventured to cross the sands. We had now proceeded near a mile, when to our utter astonishment the two men in the boat, altho they saw us, pushed off, and were actually leaving us. In this perilous situation, the tide making rapid strides, and already about to hem us in, we called out for assistance, and made every possible signal of distress. The brutes however either misunderstanding our signals or callous and indifferent to our fate coolly rowed away. The sea had now reached us, and nothing remained but to escape from the irrestible foe, and pass the night, now fast approaching, on the solitary shore, when the boat suddenly turned about, and one of the men came to our aid and carried us, already knee deep, upon his back to the boat.

After a boisterous passage, in which we got well soaked with the spray, we happily arrived at Aberdovey, a poor small place, consisting of a few fishermen's huts.

Proceeding on five miles further, at first on the sands, which being deep and stoney we left and passed over fields thro lanes a longer but a pleasanter way, we came to Towen Merioneth.


"A Pedestrian Tour thro Wales in 1796 by J. B. jnr and W. W." (NLW MS 23253C)


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