Welsh Journals

Mr. Richards's book would have enhanced value if there were more detailed references to sources; the reader interested in the more technical aspects of sailing and seamanship would probably wish for a more detailed treatment of the actions of the ships concerned. Mr. Richards's biblio- graphy of published volumes surprisingly contains no references to the publications of the Navy Records Society or the Mariner's Mirror, the journal of the Society for Nautical Research. But for the general reader, this is a tale well told, with a tang of the sea about it. Black Bart is a useful addition to a somewhat neglected sphere in Welsh history, the fate of Welshmen who went down to the sea in ships. ALED EAMES Bangor THE CAMBRIAN RAILWAYS, Volume I: 1852-1888. By Rex Christiansen and R. W. Miller. David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1967. Pp. 178. 35s. The history and development of the group of railways which eventually became the Cambrian Railways has always been a subject of interest to the railway historian. C. P. Gasquoine's monumental work, The Story of the Cambrian, set a high standard which was in no way lowered by the briefer, more recent and popular history of the system by R. W. Kidner. The present authors have maintained this high standard in their approach. With the publication of the second volume, an up-to-date definitive treat- ment of the Cambrian Railways will be available for enthusiast and railway historian alike. In many ways, this is a sad book because it recalls a system which has now faded into oblivion. When Gasquoine, and even Kidner, wrote, the main arteries of the Cambrian system were still in operation. It was possible to see a living railway at Brecon, Builth, Rhayader, Oswestry, Llanymynech, and Dolgellau. Of the system of lines which were pioneered during the period of 35 years covered by this volume, only two remain: the main line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, via Welshpool, Newtown and Machynlleth, and the Cambrian coast line from Dovey Junction to Pwllheli. This latter is, at the time of writing, being threatened by an application for complete closure from the Railways Board. Although the railway enthusiast views such a contraction of the once extensive system of railways with regret, one has only to study the details of its development to see that such a contraction was inevitable. Christiansen and Miller show the way in which the Cambrian grew from the amalgamation of smaller companies. To trace this growth is a very difficult task; it is frequently difficult to unravel the complexities of the