vasion, for it seems that most
of the troops employed were criminals, released from French gaols, and
other similar undesirable characters, and since they had failed in their
primary object the French Government was none too anxious to have them
back in France again, and refused to exchange them.

The British Government was no more pleased than the French to have so
unsavoury a band of ruffians in its midst, and it had at last to force
the Frenchmen to receive their own rogues back again. This was done by
threatening that if the prisoners were not exchanged within a certain
time they would be landed with arms on the coast of Brittany and left
to do their worst.

The French preferred to have them in control and exchanges were promptly
arranged, the discomfited invaders going back, it is assumed, to the
safety of the French prisons from which they had been brought.

Careg Gwastad Bay, the scene of this landing, is but one of the many
fascinating little inlets that abound along the coast in the Fishguard
neighbourhood. Excellent fishing--for sea fish, trout, sewin, and often
salmon--abounds off the coast or in the streams. Fishguard is fortunate
in possessing a modern steam-heated hotel close to the station--the
Fishguard Bay--which is equipped with every modern luxury and comfort.

From Fishguard one can approach, too, that romantic and historic
country known as Kemaes Land, which extends away to the borders of
Cardiganshire, a country--bounded on the north by the cliffs that run
down to the waters of Cardigan Bay--full of old churches, castles, and
strange remains of earlier civilisations, standing remote upon its
mountains and moorlands.

This is a land of flowers too, for its mild winter climate enables
many plants to flourish in the open that must seek the security of
greenhouses in the bleaker parts of the south.

[Illustration: _Welsh National Costume_]

[Illustration]

HOW BALA LAKE BEGAN

There is a Welsh couplet, still well known in the neighbourhood of
beautiful Bala Lake in Merionethshire, which, translated into English,
runs:

"_Bala old the lake has had, and Bala new_
_The lake will have, and Llanfor, too._"

For there is an ages-old belief in the countryside that Bala will
continue to grow bigger until it has swallowed up the village of
Llanfor, now about a couple of miles from the water's edge.

According to the old story the site of the original town is near the
middle of the