Ten Days' Tour Through the Isle of Anglesea December, 1802

We left Capel Cerig early this morning on horseback with the design of examining the Celtic remains in the Isle of Anglesea the Harper of the inn accompanying us in the capacity of interpreter.  After a ride of fifteen miles along the vale of Nantffrancon by Lord Penrhyn’s quarries we came to Moel-don ferry about eleven o’clock when returning our horses by a boy (fol. 22a) (previously sent forward for the purpose from Capel Cerig) we proceeded as pedestrians.  Our passage across the Menai savoured somewhat of quixottism for the ferry boat being on the other side waiting for passengers we were unable to brook the delay so taking possession of a fisherman’s skiff lying on the beach we rowed to the Island pursuing nearly the same track as the Romans seventeen hundred years ago under the command of Paulinus Suetonius which event is so particularly described by Tacitus. On our landing we immediately made the necessary enquiries at a public house for the route we were to pursue and found the places we had noted down lay so wide asunder it would be impossible to comprehend them in the course of the day.  We accordingly determined on making that our sleeping place and after a slight meal (fol. 24) took the road across the fields to Llanidan.  In our way passed an ancient mansion called Plâs Goch apparently built in the time of Elizabeth.  A little way beyond the house is a natural barrier of rock rising abruptly above the level ground and extending almost the whole way to Porthamel the distance of half a mile.  Near this place in a meadow the Romans are supposed to have formed their ranks immediately on landing and the field to this day retains the name of Pant y scraffie, or the place of the passage boats.  At low tides the channel is not above three or four feet deep so that it might easily have been crossed by the cavalry in the manner described by the Historian and the natural barrier before mentioned being so contiguous, it is not at all improbable that it was the first post occupied by the Romans under Paulinus Suetonius on their invasion of the island 1740 years ago.  “Igitur Monam insulam, incolis validam et receptaculum perfugarum adgredi parat, navesque fabricatur plano alveo adversus breve litus (flat bottomed boats to pass over the shallows) et incertum—sic pedes—(the infantry thus passed over) equites vado secuti aut altiores inter undas adnantes equis tramisere.”