(fol. 76) In our way back we collected some beautiful specimens of sea weed and a few shells and passing by a large mansion [44a] house the former habitation of this Mr. Woode but now rented of Mr. Meyricke by a farmer we walked a mile farther to Mynnedd [44b] Cnwc having understood there was a cromlech to be seen there.
Mŷnnedd Cnwc is a promontory running two or three hundred yards into the sea and forming the northern boundary of a small bay called Port Tre Castel to the south of which on a semicircular rock about fifty yards over jutting into the bay we observed a deep trench and mound cut towards the land side and a square earth work of smaller dimensions a little beyond this doubtless was the work of invaders on their first landing. Instead of a cromlech at Mŷnnedd Cnwc we found the vestiges of a large carnedd many of the flat stones of the cist faen or chamber are still remaining but the small ones have been almost all removed to build a wall close at hand. (fol. 77a) On another fork of the peninsula about an hundred yards distant we observed the traces of another carnedd of much smaller dimensions. From the nature of their situation, the bay, the earth work &c. it is not improbable to suppose that an engagement here took place with the natives wherein some principal officers were slain and interred on the spot. A natural cavern in the rock penetrates for some distance in the peninsula but it being high tide we could not satisfy our curiosity in examining it. The country people have a strange idea of spirits haunting these carnedds and frequently see lights (Ignis fatuus) hovering round the point. They moreover report that an iron boot was dug up not long ago full of money but on further enquiry the money vanished and so did the boot too. By the description of a man who had seen it I believe it was no other than a gambado belonging to Mr. Woode or some of his descendants.
(fol. 80) Hence continuing our walk to the northward we passed through the parish of Llanfaelog and about half a mile beyond the church came to a very perfect cromlech. [46] The cap stone is rather of an oblong shape and measured sixteen feet long, six wide, and three thick. It only rested upon three supporters each about three feet high although there were four placed in the ground. Near the cromlech were lying two large stones, the one seventeen feet long and three thick. Having made two drawings on the spot we were invited by a country woman to take some refreshment at her house, and whilst she went forward to prepare for our reception we walked about half a mile further towards the river Crighill [47a] to see another cromlech. [47b] This stood on low ground quite in a swamp the cap stone like that at Maen Llhwyd has been thrown down and its supporters lie near it. Also many other stones from three to five feet long to the number of thirty lie (fol. 80a) scattered in all directions around it. Having hastily sketched this remain we followed the direction of a person who persuaded us there were some very ancient letters on a stone placed in a wall about an hundred yards distant. Above a quarter of an hour was employed to no purpose in the search. At length assisted by some men who came from a neighbouring field whose zeal in the business was augmented by the promise of a shilling we discovered the valuable antique which had been employed as a land mark and traced the letters o. w. one thousand six hundred and sixty four very legibly on the surface.
How many hundreds would have laughed at the distress of the young antiquarians on this occasion but as the more learned of that venerable society are continually exposed to similar or greater mistakes we must find shelter from the shafts of ridicule under the shade of (fol. 82) their protecting wings. At the farm house we found some white bread and cheese and butter milk placed on a clean cloth waiting our arrival and returning many thanks to our kind entertainer who was as pretty as she was obliging we took our leave and proceeded towards a barn in the neighbourhood where with the assistance of a lanthorn I traced the characters NALIS deeply cut in a stone now serving as the lintern to a small window but said to have been taken from a field near the spot. I think these characters are Roman as the style of the L cut obliquely much resembles what I have noticed on some inscriptions in the north of England made a short time before the Romans quitted the island. Returned to Aberffraw across a large warren apparently well stocked with rabbits. They are sold in these parts for fourpence apiece, fowls are also equally cheap, so that with the assistance of fish the inhabitants can fare very luxuriantly without butcher’s meat. A farmer overtook (fol. 82a) and accompanied us to Aberffraw. In the course of conversation he said it was this day seventeen years being the Carnarvon fair on which the passage boat was lost and eighty people perished in the Menai most of whom were inhabitants of the island by which sad catastrophy nearly every family had to lament the loss of some relative.
In the evening we received a visit from Mr. Rowlands curate of Aberffraw, on enquiring of him what was become of the various coins which had been dug up in these parts of the island he said that most of them had been taken to Mr. Meyricke who he was sure would be very happy in shewing them to us, but we were so apprehensive of being detained by the weather at this time of the year that we could not venture to spend the following day at Aberffraw though the civility and attention we experienced from our hostess would have been a strong inducement at a more favourable season.