My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

76 MY LIFElike Wales, where, from a few elevated points, largetracts could be distinctly seen spread out below, andany difference from the old map be easily detected.I liked this kind of work very much, as I havealways been partial to a certain amount of solitude,and am especially fond of rambling over a countrynew to me.New Radnor, though formerly a town of someimportance, was then, and I believe is still, a merevillage, and a poor one, Presteign being the countytown. It is situated on the southern border of RadnorForest, a tract of bare mountains about twenty squaremiles in extent, the highest point being a little overtwo thousand feet above the sea. Over a good dealof this country I wandered for about a week, andenjoyed my work very much.Early the next year, I think about February, mybrother and I went to do some surveying at Rhaidr-Gwy (now commonly called Rhayader), a small townin Radnorshire on the Upper Wye, and only fifteenmiles from its source in the Plynlymmon range. Ayoung man from Carmarthenshire came to us here tolearn surveying, and to him I probably owe my life.One day, I think on a Sunday afternoon, we werewalking together up a rocky and boggy valley whichextended some miles to the west of the town. Aswe were strolling along, picking our way among therocks and bog, I inadvertently stepped upon one ofthose small bog eyeholes which abound in suchplaces, and are very dangerous, being often deepenough to swallow up a man, or even a horse. Oneleg went in suddenly up to the hip, and I fell down,but fortunately with my other leg stretched out uponthe surface.I was, however, in such a position that Icould not rise, and had I been alone my efforts to