these are favourable, a little before eight a broad stream sets towards
the station, and fills the sunny platform with a vivacious crowd.
Masters, who organise the several expeditions, use the interval to count
heads and sort their parties. The benevolent Cambrian railway supplies
spare carriages and return tickets at single fares. Presently the train
is sighted sliding down the winding incline from Langfihangel; it picks
us all up--near two hundred souls, it may be--moves out into the open
plain, still glittering with the morning dew, and reaching Glandovey,
drops half its passengers at the junction to explore the northward coast,
while it carries the rest to Machynlleth and Cemmes Road. Here and there
it sows little companies of explorers at some mountain's foot or river's
mouth. One band assails Cader Idris from the rich vale of Dolgelley, and
meets on the summit another which has scaled it from Tal-y-llyn. Each
party is convinced that their ascent was the more creditable in point of
speed, and that they enjoyed the more magnificent views. One, however,
claims an advantage which can be more easily gauged; they have haled a
hamper of luncheon with them to the peak, with infinite pains. During
the descent this hamper (but that was after luncheon) slipped from its
carrier's hand, and plunged beyond recovery down the Fox' Walk.
Meanwhile, others are befogged on the broad top of Aran Mowddy, but will
be anxious to explain this evening, that if the view from the summit was
lost in mist, that was more than made amends for by "the enchanting
glimpses caught through the cloudrifts in the descent." The day wears
on, and signs of fatigue appear. Some are wondering what Miss Roberts of
the famous "Lion" at Dolgelley has got for their dinner. Small boys
begin to declare that they could go on at this pace for any time you
like; this is nothing to what they did last year in the Highlands;
something like mountains _there_, you know! The sun is far in the west
when the knot of adventurous reconnoitrers who have gone farthest afield
mount the train at Portmadoc. Nearer home they thrust heads out of