uld seem that
there were lodgings within those walls for twenty thousand men.

"By the tradition we receive from our ancestors, this was the strongest
refuge, or place of defence, that the ancient Britons had in all Snowdon;
moreover, the greatness of the work shows that it was a princely
fortification, strengthened by nature and workmanship." [287]

But in the year 1771, Governor Pownall ascended Penmaen-mawr, inspected
these remains, and published his account in the Archaeologia, vol. iii.
p. 303, with a sketch both of the mount and the walls at the summit. The
Governor is of opinion that it never was a fortification. He thinks that
the inward inclosure contained a carn (or arch-Druid's sepulchre), that
there is not room for any lodgment, that the walls are not of a kind
which can form a cover, and give at the same time the advantage of
fighting from them. In short, that the place was one of the Druids'
consecrated high places of worship. He adds, however, that "Mr. Pennant
has gone twice over it, intends to make an actual survey, and anticipates
much from that great antiquary's knowledge and accuracy."

We turn next to Mr. Pennant, and we find him giving a flat contradiction
to the Governor. "I have more than once," [288] says he, "visited this
noted rock, to view the fortifications described by the editor of Camden,
from some notes of that sensible old baronet, Sir John Wynne, of Gwidir,
and have found his account very just.

"The fronts of three, if not four walls, presented themselves very
distinctly one above the other. I measured the height of one wall, which
was at the time nine feet, the thickness seven feet and a half." (Now,
Governor Pownall also measured the walls, agrees pretty well with Pennant
as to their width, but makes them only five feet high.) "Between these
walls, in all parts, were innumerable small buildings, mostly circular.
These had been much higher, as is evident from the fall of stones which
lie scattered at their bottoms, and probably had once the form of towers,
as Sir John asserts. Their diameter is, in general, from twelve to
eighteen feet (ample room here for lodgement); the walls were in certain
places intersected with others equally strong. This stronghold of the
Britons is exactly of the same kind with those on Carn Madryn, Carn
Boduan, and Tre'r Caer."

"This was most judiciously chosen to cover the passage into Anglesey, and
the remoter part of their country; and must,