Opposite to the object which I had deemed to be water, and
which now appeared to be about fifty yards distant in a field which
was separated from the road by a slight hedge. Going up to the
principal house I knocked, and a woman making her appearance at the
door, I said:
"I beg pardon for troubling you, but I wish to know the name of
this place."
"Maes y Lynn - The Field of the Lake," said the woman.
"And what is the name of the lake?" said I.
"I do not know," said she; "but the place where it stands is called
Maes Llyn, as I said before."
"Is the lake deep?" said I.
"Very deep," said she.
"How deep?" said I.
"Over the tops of the houses," she replied.
"Any fish in the lake?"
"Oh yes! plenty."
"What fish?"
"Oh, there are llysowen, and the fish we call ysgetten."
"Eels and tench," said I; "anything else?"
"I do not know," said the woman; "folks say that there used to be
queer beast in the lake, water-cow used to come out at night and
eat people's clover in the fields."
"Pooh," said I, "that was merely some person's cow or horse, turned
out at night to fill its belly at other folks' expense."
"Perhaps so," said the woman; "have you any more questions to ask?"
"Only one," said I; "how far is it to Tregaron?"
"About three miles:
