ing portion is Queen Eleanor's
Tower; the most curious is the Fragment Tower. Two centuries ago some
of the inhabitants, searching for slate, undermined it, when a portion
fell, leaving a perfect arch, since which period not a stone has fallen
away, and it is still as firm as ever. We wandered round and round the
castle, wondering at the massiveness of the masonry. It would have
still been perfect--for it was spared by the Parliamentary forces who
captured it--had not a Lord Conway, in Charles the Second's reign,
stripped off the timber, lead, and other materials to sell. The
vessels, however, conveying the materials to Ireland, were lost, and the
greedy baron gained nothing by the barbarous proceeding.

Pulling down the river, we returned on board, and immediately getting
under weigh, beat out of Beaumaris Bay. Having taken a look at Puffin's
Island, and rounded the lofty promontory of Great Orme's Head, with a
fair wind, we stood for the mouth of the Mersey.

By keeping very close in shore for some distance we got a view of
Llandudno, now become a fashionable watering-place, and sighted
Abergele, where the fearful railway accident happened some years ago,
when so many people were crushed or burnt to death. We also passed over
the spot where the Ocean Monarch was burnt, almost close to the land;
yet out of nearly four hundred passengers, nearly half were lost. The
ship was so near the beach that good swimmers could easily have reached
the shore. The survivors were rescued by the boats of various vessels
which came to their assistance.

It was getting dusk when we sighted the bright light on Ayr Point at the
mouth of the river Dee. As the navigation of the Mersey is difficult
during the dark, we ran up the river a short distance, and came to an
anchor off the town of Mostyn.

The Dee is a most picturesque river, from its source in Merionethshire
to Chester; but its navigation at the mouth is somewhat difficult, owing
to the large deposits of sand, which have to a great extent blocked up
the channel. Between Chester and the mouth are two nourishing towns,
Holywell and Flint. The chief wealth of Flintshire consists in its lead
mines, which are very productive; and not only is lead dug up, but
silver, of which about ten ounces is found in every ton of ore. Flint
has a castle; but it is not equal in picturesque beauty, we are told, to
those we had already seen.

Before daylight we were again under weigh, as