nce. Gold has been found near Caio in the Cothi valley, but
the yield is trifling. There are lead-mines in various places, but none
of great value. The really important industries are restricted to the
populous south-eastern district, where coal-mining, iron-founding and
the smelting of tin and copper are carried on extensively at Llanelly,
Pembrey, Tirydail, Garnant, Pontardulais, Ammanford and other centres.

_Communications._--The Great Western railway traverses the lower part of
the county, whilst a branch of the London & North-Western enters it at
its extreme north-eastern point by a tunnel under the Sugar Loaf
Mountain, and has its terminal station at Carmarthen. A branch line of
the Great Western connects Llanelly with Llandilo by way of Ammanford,
and another branch of the same railway runs northward from Carmarthen to
Newcastle-Emlyn on the Teifi, joining the Aberystwyth branch, formerly
the Manchester & Milford line, at Pencader.

_Population and Administration._--The area of the county is 587,816
acres, and the population in 1891 was 130,566 and in 1901 it was
135,325. The municipal boroughs are Carmarthen (pop. 9935), Kidwelly
(2285) and Llandovery (1809). Urban districts are Ammanford, Llanelly,
Burry Port, Llandilo and Newcastle-Emlyn. The principal towns are
Carmarthen, Llanelly (25,617), Llandilo or Llandeilo Fawr (1934),
Llangadock (1578), Llandovery, Kidwelly, Pembrey (7513) and Laugharne
(1439). The county is in the South Wales circuit, and assizes are held
at Carmarthen. The borough of Carmarthen has a commission of the peace
and separate quarter sessions. The county is divided into two
parliamentary divisions, the eastern and western, and it also includes
the united boroughs of Carmarthen and Llanelly, thus returning three
members in all to parliament. The ancient county, which contains 75
parishes and part of another, is wholly in the diocese of St David's.

_History._--Carmarthenshire originally formed part of the lands of the
Dimetae conquered by the Romans, who constructed military roads and
built on the Via Julia the important station of Maridunum upon or near
the site of the present county town. After the retirement of the Roman
forces this fortified town became known in course of time as
Caerfyrddin, anglicized into Carmarthen, which subsequently gave its
name to the county. During the 5th and 6th centuries Carmarthenshire, or
Ystrad Tywi, was the scene of the labours of many Celtic missiona