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

86 MY LIFEcertainly was, both unjust, unwise, and cruel. Butthe surveying was interesting work, as every tricklingstream, every tree, every mass of rock or boggywaterhole, had to be marked on the map in its truerelative position, as well as the various footpaths orroucfh cart-roads that crossed the common invariousdirections.At that time the medicinal springs, though theyhad been used from the time of the Romans, wereonly visited by a few Welsh or West of Englandpeople, and there was little accommodation forvisitors, except in the small hotel where we lodged.One of our great luxuries here was the Welsh muttonfed on the neighbouring mountains, so small that ahind-quarter weighed only seven or eight pounds, butwhich, when hung a few days or a week, was mostdelicious eating.I agree with George Borrow in hispraise of this dish. In his " Wild Wales " he says," As for the leg of mutton it was truly wonderful ;nothing so good had I ever tasted in the shape of aleg of mutton. The leg of mutton of Wales beatsthe leg of mutton of any other country, and I hadnever tasted a Welsh leg of mutton before. CertainlyI shall never forget that first Welsh leg ofmutton which I tasted, rich but delicate, replete withjuices derived from the aromatic herbs of the nobleBerwyn mountain, cooked to a turn, and weighingjust four pounds." Well done, George Borrow ! Youhad a good taste in ale and mutton, and were notafraid to acknowledge it.