e. The street was
crowded with rough, savage-looking men. "Is this the way to Merthyr
Tydvil?" said I to one.

"Yes!" bawled the fellow at the utmost stretch of his voice.

"Thank you!" said I, taking off my hat and passing on.

Forward I went, up hill and down dale. Night now set in. I passed a
grove of trees and presently came to a collection of small houses at the
bottom of a little hollow. Hearing a step near me I stopped and said in
Welsh: "How far to Merthyr Tydvil?"

"Dim Cumrag, sir!" said a voice, seemingly that of a man.

"Good night!" said I, and without staying to put the question in English,
I pushed on up an ascent, and was presently amongst trees. Heard for a
long time the hooting of an owl or rather the frantic hollo. Appeared to
pass by where the bird had its station. Toiled up an acclivity and when
on the top stood still and looked around me. There was a glow on all
sides in the heaven, except in the north-east quarter. Striding on I saw
a cottage on my left hand, and standing at the door the figure of a
woman. "How far to Merthyr?" said I in Welsh.

"Tair milltir--three miles, sir."

Turning round a corner at the top of a hill I saw blazes here and there,
and what appeared to be a glowing mountain in the south-east. I went
towards it down a descent which continued for a long, long way; so great
was the light cast by the blazes and that wonderful glowing object, that
I could distinctly see the little stones upon the road. After walking
about half-an-hour, always going downwards, I saw a house on my left hand
and heard a noise of water opposite to it. It was a pistyll. I went to
it, drank greedily, and then hurried on. More and more blazes, and the
glowing object looking more terrible than ever. It was now above me at
some distance to the left, and I could see that it was an immense
quantity of heated matter like lava, occupying the upper and middle parts
of a hill, and descending here and there almost to the bottom in a zigzag
and tortuous manner. Between me and the hill of the burning object lay a
deep ravine. After a time I came to a house, against the door of which a
man was leaning. "What is all that burning stuff above, my friend?"

"Dross from the iron forges, sir!"

I now perceived a valley below me full of lights, and descending reached
houses and a tramway. I had blazes now all around me. I went through a
filthy slough, over a bridge, and up a street, from which