Project Gutenberg's The South of France--East Half, by Charles Bertram Black This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The South of France--East Half Author: Charles Bertram Black Release Date: March 9, 2008 [EBook #24787] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SOUTH OF FRANCE--EAST HALF *** Produced by Louise Hope, Carlo Traverso and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at http://gallica.bnf.fr) [Transcriber’s Note: The printed book had two kinds of headnote: keyword and mileage. “Keyword” headers, noting the places and subjects mentioned on the page, have been placed before the most appropriate paragraph. Each itinerary gives the “miles from” {starting point} and “miles to” {ending point}, with the numbers printed in the left and right corners of each paragraph. For this e-text the numbers are shown in {braces} before the beginning of each paragraph; the place names are given at the beginning of the itinerary, and repeated as needed. Paragraphs describing side excursions do not have mileage information. The hotel rating symbols are explained at several random points in the text, though not in the introductory section: Those with the figure ¹ are first-class houses, with ² second-class. The asterisk signifies that they are especially good of their class. Errors and inconsistencies are listed at the end of the text.] [Map: Index and Railway Map of France] SOUTH OF FRANCE EAST HALF GUIDES BY C. B. BLACK. SPAS of CHELTENHAM and BATH, with Maps and Plan of BATH. 1s. TOURIST’S CAR GUIDE in the pleasant Islands of JERSEY, GUERNSEY, ALDERNEY and SARK. Illustrated with 6 Maps and Plan of the Town of SAINT HELIER. Second edition. 1s. CORSICA, with large Map of the Island. 1s. BELGIUM, including ROTTERDAM, FLUSHING, MIDDELBURG, SCHIEDAM and LUXEMBOURG. Illustrated by 10 Plans and 5 Maps. 2s. 6d. NORTH FRANCE, LORRAINE AND ALSACE, including the MINERAL WATERS OF CONTREXÉVILLE, VITTEL, MARTIGNY, PLOMBIÈRES, LUXEUIL, AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, etc. Illustrated with 5 Maps and 7 Plans. Third Edition. 2s. 6d. TOURAINE, NORMANDY and BRITTANY. Illustrated with 14 Maps and 15 Plans. Eighth edition. 5s. The above two contain the NORTH HALF of France; or France from the Loire to the North Sea and from the Bay of Biscay to the Rhine. THE RIVIERA, or the coast of the Mediterranean from MARSEILLES to LEGHORN, including LUCCA, PISA and FLORENCE. Illustrated with 8 Maps and 6 Plans. Second edition. 2s. 6d. FRANCE--SOUTH-EAST HALF--including the whole of the VALLEY OF THE RHÔNE in France, with the adjacent Departments; the VALLEY OF THE UPPER LOIRE, with the adjacent Departments; the RIVIERA; the PASSES between France and Italy; and the Italian towns of TURIN, PIACENZA, MODENA, BOLOGNA, FLORENCE, LEGHORN and PISA. Illustrated with numerous Maps and Plans. Fourth edition. 5s. From “Scotsman,” June 2, 1884. “_C. B. Black’s Guide-books have a character of their own; and that character is a good one. Their author has made himself personally acquainted with the localities with which he deals in a manner in which only a man of leisure, a lover of travel, and an intelligent observer of Continental life could afford to do. He does not ‘get up’ the places as a mere hack guide-book writer is often, by the necessity of the case, compelled to do. Hence he is able to correct common mistakes, and to supply information on minute points of much interest apt to be overlooked by the hurried observer._” The SOUTH OF FRANCE EAST HALF Including the Valleys of THE RHÔNE, DRÔME AND DURANCE The BATHS of VICHY, ROYAT, AIX, MONT-DORE AND BOURBOULE The Whole of the RIVIERA FROM CETTE TO LEGHORN With the Inland Towns of TURIN, BOLOGNA, PARMA, FLORENCE AND PISA and THE PASSES BETWEEN FRANCE AND ITALY Illustrated with Maps and Plans FOURTH EDITION C. B. BLACK EDINBURGH: ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK 1885 _Printed by R. & R. CLARK, Edinburgh_. PREFACE. This Guide-book consists of _Routes_ which follow the course of the main Railways. To adapt these Routes as far as possible to the requirements of every one the Branch Lines are also pointed out, together with the stations from which the Coaches run, in connection with the trains, to towns distant from the railway. The description of the places on these branch lines is printed either in a closer or in a smaller letter than that of the towns on the main lines. Each Route has the _Map_ indicated on which it is to be found. By aid of these maps the traveller can easily discover his exact situation, and either form new routes for himself, or follow those given. The _Arrangement_ of the Routes is such that they may be taken either from the commencement to the end, or from the end to the commencement. The Route from Paris to Marseilles, for example, does equally well for Marseilles to Paris. The _Distance_ of towns from the place of starting to the terminus is expressed by the figures which accompany them on each side of the margin; while the distance of any two towns on the same route from each other is found by subtracting their marginal figures on either side from each other. In the _Description_ of towns the places of interest have been taken in the order of their position, so that, if a cab be engaged, all that is necessary is to mention to the driver their names in succession. Cabs on such occasions should be hired by the hour. To guard against omission, the traveller should underline the names of the places to be visited before commencing the round. In France the Churches are open all the day. In Italy they close at 12; but most of them reopen at 2 P.M. All the Picture-Galleries are open on Sundays, and very many also on Thursdays. When not open to the public, admission is generally granted on payment of a franc. In “Table of Contents” the Routes are classified and explained. For the Time-tables recommended, and for the mode of procedure on the Continental Railways, see “Preliminary Information.” Before commencing our description of the Winter Resorts on the Mediterranean, with the best routes towards them, let it be clearly understood that not even in the very mildest of these stations is it safe for the invalid to venture out either in the early morning or after sunset without being well protected with warm clothing; and that, even with this precaution, the risk run of counteracting the beneficial influences of a sojourn in these regions is so great as to render it prudent to determine from the first to spend those hours always within doors. On the other hand, it is most conducive to health, during the sunny hours of the day, to remain as much as possible in the open air, walking and driving along the many beautiful terraces and roads with which these places abound; and if the day be well employed in such exercise, it will be no great hardship to rest at home in the evening. Nor is it necessary to remain in the same town during the entire season; indeed a change of scene is generally most beneficial, for which the railway as well as the steamers affords every facility. “I would strongly advise every person who goes abroad for the recovery of his health, whatever may be his disease or to what climate soever he may go, to consider the change as placing him merely in a more favourable situation for the removal of his disease; in fact, to bear constantly in mind that the beneficial influence of travelling, of sailing, and of climate requires to be aided by such dietetic regimen and general mode of living, and by such remedial measures as would have been requisite in his case had he remained in his own country. All the circumstances requiring attention from the invalid at home should be equally attended to abroad. If in some things greater latitude may be permitted, others will demand even a more rigid attention. It is, in truth, only by a due regard to all these circumstances that the powers of the constitution can be enabled to throw off, or even materially mitigate, in the best climate, a disease of long standing. “It may appear strange that I should think it requisite to insist so strongly on the necessity of attention to these directions; but I have witnessed the injurious effects of a neglect of them too often not to deem such remarks called for in this place. It was, indeed, matter of surprise to me, during my residence abroad, to observe the manner in which many invalids seemed to lose sight of the object for which they left their own country--the recovery of their health. This appeared to arise chiefly from too much being expected from climate. “The more common and more injurious deviations from that system of living which an invalid ought to adopt, consist in errors of diet, exposure to cold, over-fatigue, and excitement in what is called ‘sight-seeing,’ frequenting crowded and over-heated rooms, and keeping late hours. Many cases fell under my observation in which climate promised the greatest advantage, but where its beneficial influence was counteracted by the operation of these causes.” --_Sir James Clark on the Sanative Influence of Climate._ SEE MAP PAGE 27, AND MAP ON FLY-LEAF. Many after leaving the Riviera are the better of making a short stay at some of the baths, such as Vichy (p. 359), Vals (p. 93), Mont-Dore (p. 378), Bourboule (p. 383), Aix-les-Bains (p. 283), Bourbon-l’Archambault (p. 357), or Bourbon-Lancy (p. 358). If at the eastern end of the Riviera, the nearest way to them is by rail from Savona (pp. 209 and 183), or from Genoa (pp. 212 and 279) to Turin (p. 292). From Turin a short branch line extends to Torre-Pèllice (p. 305), situated in one of the most beautiful of the Waldensian valleys. If the journey from Turin to Aix-les-Bains, 128 miles, be too long, a halt may be made for the night at Modane (p. 290); where, however, on account of the elevation, 3445 ft., the air is generally rather sharp and bracing. From the western end of the Riviera the best way north and to the baths is by the valley of the Rhône (map, p. 27), in which there are many places of great interest, such as Arles (p. 68), Avignon (p. 58), Orange (p. 51), and Lyons (p. 29). From Lyons take the western branch by Montbrison (p. 349) for Vichy, Mont-Dore, and Bourboule. For Aix-les-Bains take the eastern by Ambérieux (p. 281) and Culoz (p. 282). From Avignon, Carpentras (p. 54), Pont-St. Esprit (p. 98), Montélimart (p. 48), La Voulte (p. 82), Crest (p. 46) and Grenoble (p. 324), interesting and picturesque excursions are made. From Carpentras Mont Ventoux (p. 56) is visited. From La Voulte, Ardechè (p. 45) is entered. From Crest diligences run to the towns and villages between it and Aspres (pp. 47 and 345). From Grenoble the roads and railways diverge which lead to the lofty peaks of the western Alps and to the mountain passes between France and Italy. None should go abroad without a passport. Even where several are travelling together in one party, each should have his own passport. They are easily procured and easily carried, and may be of great use. The best hotels in the places frequented by the Americans and English cost per day from 12 to 22 frs., and the pensions from 9 to 15 frs., including wine (often sour) in both. The general charge in the hotels of the other towns throughout France is from 8 to 9 frs. per day. Meat breakfast, 2 to 3 frs.; dinner, 3 to 4 frs.; service, ½ fr.; “café au lait,” with bread and butter, 1½ fr. The omnibus between the hotel and the station costs each from 6 to 10 sous. The driver in most cases loads and unloads the luggage himself at the station, when he expects a small gratuity from 2 to 10 sous, according to the quantity of bags and trunks. The omnibuses of the Riviera hotels cost from 1½ to 2 frs. each, and although the conductor does not unload the luggage he expects a gratuity. Neither jewellery nor money should be carried in portmanteaus. When a stay of merely a day or two is intended, the bulky and heavy luggage should be left in depôt at the station. Some companies charge 1, others 2 sous for each article (colis) per day. See “Railways” in “Preliminary Information.” C. B. B. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION. THE LANDING-PLACES ON THE FRENCH SIDE OF THE CHANNEL. The six principal ports on the French side of the English Channel connected by railroad with Paris are:-- Dieppe--distant from Paris 125 miles; passing Clères Junction, 100 m.; Rouen, 85 m.; Gaillon, 58 m.; Mantes Junction, 36 m.; and Poissy, 17 m. from Paris. Arrives at the station of the Chemins de Fer de l’Ouest, Saint Lazare. Time, 4½ hours. Fares--1st class, 25 frs.; 2d cl. 19 frs.; 3d cl. 14 frs. London to Paris _via_ Newhaven and Dieppe (240 miles):--tidal; daily, except Sunday, from Victoria Station and London Bridge Station. Fare--1st class, 31s.; 2d cl. 23s.; 3d cl. 16s. 6d. Sea journey, 60 miles; time, 8 hours. Time for entire journey, 16 hours. For tickets, etc., in Paris apply to Chemin de Fer de l’Ouest, Gare St. Lazare, Rue St. Lazare 110, ancien 124. Bureau spécial, agent, M. Marcillet, Rue de la Paix, 7. A. Collin et Cie., 20 Boulevard Saint Denis. From Dieppe another line goes to Paris by Arques, Neufchâtel, Serqueux, Forges-les-Eaux, Gournay, Gisors, and Pontoise. Distance, 105 miles. Time by ordinary trains, 5 hours 10 minutes. Fares--1st class, 21 frs.; 2d, 15½ frs.; 3d, 11¼ frs. Arrives at the St. Lazare station of the Chemins de Fer de l’Ouest. From Tréport a railway extends to Paris by Eu, Gamaches, Aumale, Abancourt, Beauvais, and Creil. Distance, 119¼ miles. Time, 8 hours 40 minutes. Fares, 1st class, 24 frs.; 2d, 18 frs.; 3d, 13 frs. Arrives at the station of the Chemin de Fer du Nord. There are few through trains by this line. BOULOGNE--distant 158 miles from Paris; passing Montreuil, 134 m.; Abbeville, 109 m.; Amiens, 82 m.; Clermont, 41 m.; and Creil, 32 m. from Paris. Arrives at the station of the Chemin de Fer du Nord, No. 18 Place Roubaix. Time by express, 4½ hours. Fares--1st class, 31 frs. 25 c.; 2d cl. 23 frs. 45 c.; 3d cl. 17 frs. 20 c. London to Paris, _via_, Folkestone and Boulogne (255 miles):--tidal route; from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or London Bridge. Express trains daily to Folkestone, and from Boulogne, first and second class. Sea journey, 27 miles; time of crossing, 1 hour 40 minutes. Fares from London to Paris by Boulogne--1st class, 56s.; 2d cl. 42s. Time for the entire journey, 10 hours. For tickets, etc., in Paris apply to the railway station of the Chemin de Fer du Nord. CALAIS--185 miles from Paris; by Boulogne, 158 m.; Montreuil, 134 m.; Abbeville, 109 m.; Amiens, 82 m.; Clermont, 41 m.; and Creil, 32 m. from Paris. Arrives at the station of the Chemin de Fer du Nord, No. 18 Place Roubaix. Time by express, 5½ hours. Fares--1st class, 36 frs. 55 c.; 2d cl. 27 frs. 40 c. London to Paris, _via_ Dover and Calais (mail route, distance 283 miles);--departing from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or London Bridge. Sea journey, 21 miles; time about 80 minutes. First and second class, express. Fares--60s.; 2d cl. 45s. Total time, London to Paris, 10 hours. Luggage is registered throughout from London, and examined in Paris. Only 60 lbs. free. For tickets, etc., in Paris apply at the railway station of the Chemins de Fer du Nord. CALAIS--204 miles from Paris; by Saint Omer, 177 m.; Hazebrouck, 165 m.; Arras, 119 m.; Amiens, 82 m.; Clermont, 41 m.; and Creil, 32 m. Arrives at the station, No. 18 Place Roubaix. Time, 7 hours 40 minutes. Fares--1st class, 36 frs. 55 c.; 2d cl. 27 frs. 40 c.; 3d cl. 20 frs. 10 c. DUNKERQUE--190 miles from Paris; by Bergues, 185 miles; Hazebrouck, 165 m., where it joins the line from Calais; Arras, 119 m.; Amiens, 81 m.; Clermont, 41 m.; and Creil, 32 m. Arrives at the station, No. 18 Place Roubaix. Time, 10½ hours. Fares--1st class, 37 frs. 55 c.; 2d cl. 28 frs. 15 c. England and Channel, _via_ Thames and Dunkirk (screw):--tidal; three times a week from Fenning’s Wharf. Also from Leith, in 48 to 54 hours. LE HAVRE--142 miles from Paris; by Harfleur, 138 m.; Beuzeville Junction, 126 miles; Bolbec-Nointot, 123 m.; Yvetot, 111 m.; Rouen, 87 m.; Gaillon, 58 m.; Mantes Junction, 36 m.; and Poissy, 17 m. from Paris. Arrives, as from Dieppe and Cherbourg, at the station of the Chemin de Fer de l’Ouest, No. 124 Rue St. Lazare. Fares--1st class, 28 frs. 10 c.; 2d cl. 21 frs. 5 c.; 3d cl. 15 frs. 45 c. Time by express, 4 hours 50 minutes, and nearly 3 hours longer by the ordinary trains. London and Channel, _via_ Southampton and Le Havre:--Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9 P.M. from Waterloo Station, leaving Southampton 11.45 P.M. Sea journey, 80 m.; time, 8 hours. CHERBOURG--231 miles from Paris; by Lison, 184 m.; Bayeux, 167 m.; Caen, 149 m.; Mezidon Junction, 134 m.; Lisieux, 119 m.; Serquigny Junction, 93 m.; Evreux, 67 m.; Mantes Junction, 36 m.; and Poissy, 17 m. from Paris. Time by express, 8½ hours; slow trains, nearly 13 hours. FRENCH, BELGIAN, AND GERMAN RAILWAYS. On these railways the rate of travelling is slower than in England, but the time is more accurately kept. To each passenger is allowed 30 kilogrammes, or 66 lbs. weight of luggage free. _Railway Time-Tables._ Time-tables or Indicateurs. For France the most useful and only official time-tables are those published by Chaix and Cie., and sold at all the railway stations. Of these excellent publications there are various kinds. The most complete and most expensive is the “Livret-Chaix Continental,” which, besides the time-tables of the French railways, gives those also of the whole Continent, and is furnished with a complete index; size 18mo, with about 800 pages. The “Livret-Chaix Continental” is sold at the station bookstalls. Price 2 frs. Next in importance is the “Indicateur des Chemins de Fer,” sold at every station; size 128 small folio pages, price 60 c. It contains the time-tables of the French railways alone, and an index and railway map. The great French lines of the “Chemins de Fer de l’Ouest,” of the “Chemins de Fer d’Orleans,” of the “Chemins de Fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée,” of the “Chemins de Fer du Nord,” and of the “Chemins de Fer de l’Est,” have each time-tables of their own, sold at all their stations. Price 40 c. Size 18me. With good index. For Belgium, the best time-tables are in the “Guide Officiel sur tous les Chemins de Fer de Belgique.” Sold at the Belgian railway stations. Size 18me. Price 30 c. It contains a good railway map of Belgium. For Italy, use “L’Indicatore Ufficiale delle Strade Ferrate d’Italia.” Containing excellent maps illustrating their circular tours. Price 1 fr. In Spain use the “Indicador de los Ferro-Carriles,” sold at the stations. The distances are, as in the French tables, in kilometres, of which 8 make 5 miles. _Lleg._ or _Llegada_ means “arrival”; _Salida_, “departure.” In England consult the “Continental Time-tables of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway,” sold at the Victoria Station, Pimlico, price 2d.; or those of the London and South-Eastern, 1d. _In the Railway Station._ Before going to the station, it is a good plan to turn up in the index of the “Livret-Chaix Continental” the place required, to ascertain the fare and the time of starting, which stations are supplied with refreshment rooms (marked B), and the time the train halts at each on its way. On arriving at the station join the single file (queue) of people before the small window (guichet), where the tickets (billets) are sold. Your turn having arrived, and having procured your ticket, proceed to the luggage department, where deposit your baggage and deliver your ticket to be stamped. The luggage tickets are called also “bulletins.” After your articles have been weighed, your ticket, along with a luggage receipt, is handed you from the “guichet” of the luggage office, where, if your baggage is not overweight, you pay 10 c. or 2 sous. Before pocketing the luggage ticket, just run your eye down the column headed “Nombre de Colis,” and see that the exact number of your articles has been given. The French have a strange way of making the figures 3, 5, and 7. Whatever is overweight is paid for at this office; but remember, when two or more are travelling together, to present the tickets of the whole party at the luggage department, otherwise the luggage will be treated as belonging to one person, and thus it will probably be overweight. Another advantage of having the entire number of the party on the “Billet de Bagage” is that, in case of one or other losing their carriage tickets, this will prove the accident to the stationmaster (chef-de-Gare) and satisfy him. If, after having purchased a ticket, the train is missed, that ticket, to be available for the next train, must be presented again to the ticket office, to be re-stamped (être visé). The traveller, on arriving at his destination, will frequently find it more convenient not to take his luggage away with him; in which case, having seen it brought from the train to the station, he should tell the porter that he wishes it left there. He retains, however, his luggage ticket, which he only presents when he desires his luggage again. _On the Railway._ In the carriage cast the eye over the line as given in our railway map, and note the junctions; for at many of these--such as Amiens, Rouen, Culoz, Macon, etc. etc.--the passengers are frequently discharged from the carriages and sent into the waiting-rooms to await other trains. On such occasions great attention must be paid to the names the porter calls out when he opens the door of the waiting-room, otherwise the wrong train may be taken. To avoid this, observe on our railway map what are the principal towns along the line in the direction required to go; so that when, for example, he calls out, “Voyageurs du Côté de Lyon!” and we be going to Marseilles from Macon, we may, with confidence, enter the train, because, by reference to the map, we see we must pass Lyon to reach Marseilles. The little railway map will be found very useful, and ought always to be kept in readiness for reference. _Buffet_ means “refreshment-room”; and _Salle d’Attente_, “waiting-room.” There are separate first, second, and third class carriages for ladies. Express trains have third class carriages for long distances. _Railway Omnibuses._ At the stations of the largest and wealthiest towns three kinds of omnibuses await the arrival of passengers. They may be distinguished by the names of the General Omnibus, the Hotel Omnibus, and the Private Omnibus. The general omnibus takes passengers to all parts of the town for a fixed sum, rarely above half a franc; so that, should the omnibus be full, it is some time till the last passenger gets put down at his destination. The hotel omnibus takes passengers only to the hotel or hotels whose name or names it bears. CONTENTS. RAILWAYS, ROADS, and BYE-WAYS in the SOUTH-EAST of FRANCE, and the MOUNTAIN PASSES between FRANCE and ITALY. For the whole of the south-east of France use the time-tables of the “Chemins de Fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée.” Sold at all their stations, price 8 sous. In Italy use the “Indicatore Ufficiale,” 1 fr. or 1 lira, which gives, besides the time-tables of the railway trains, those also of the steam-trams, which traverse the country in all directions. In England consult the time-tables of the London and South Eastern Railway, 1d.; or the Continental time-tables of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, 3d. PAGE +PARIS to MENTON+ by Fontainebleau, Joigny, Dijon, Macon, Lyons, Valence, Avignon, Arles, Rognac, Marseilles, Toulon, Hyères, Cannes, Nice and Monaco (see map on fly-leaf) 1 For practical purposes it is more convenient to divide this long journey into two parts--Paris to Marseilles (p. 1), and Marseilles to Menton (p. 122). +PARIS to MARSEILLES+ 1 The train, after leaving the station, passes some of the most interesting towns and villages in the neighbourhood of Paris, of which the most important is Fontainebleau. Dijon and Macon are good resting-places. Lyons is the largest city on the line. Avignon and Arles should, if possible, be visited. Among the branch lines which ramify from this great central railway are +La Roche to Les Laumes+ by Auxerre, Cravant, Sermizelles, Avallon and Semur. At Sermizelles a coach awaits passengers for Vezelay, containing a grand and vast church 14 From Auxerre a coach runs to Chablis (p. 14), with its famous wines, passing through Pontigny (p. 16), where Thomas à Becket resided. Verrey (p. 19) is a good station to alight at, to visit the source of the Seine. From +Dijon+ (p. 20) southwards to Chagny (p. 24) are the famous Burgundy vineyards. +Chagny to Nevers+ by Autun, Montchanin and Creusot. Autun (p. 24) is one of the most ancient cities in France. At Creusot (p. 25) are very large ironworks. +Macon to Paray-le-Monial+ by Cluny. At Paray-le-Monial (p. 27) a nun called Alacoque is said to have had several interviews with J. C. +Lyons+ (p. 29), though a splendid city, ought to be avoided by invalids in winter. Lyons is an important railway junction. 78 miles E. by Amberieux and Culoz is Aix-les-Bains (p. 283). 76 miles S.E. by Rives, Voiron and Voreppe is Grenoble (p. 324). Voiron is the station for the Grande Chartreuse (p. 323). From the station of St. Paul, 113 miles W. by Montbrison (p. 349), is Clermont-Ferrand (p. 369). 89½ miles S.W. by St. Etienne (p. 346) is Le Puy (p. 86). The rail from Lyons along the E. side of the Rhône leads to Avignon (p. 58) and Arles (p. 68); and on the W. side to Nîmes (p. 101). See map, p. 27. VALENCE TO GRENOBLE, 62 miles N.E. 44 VALENCE TO ARDÈCHE 45 CREST TO MONTELIMART 46 +Crest to Dieulefit+ by Saou and Bourdeaux 46 Saou is an ancient village curiously situated. Bourdeaux is separated from Dieulefit by a high mountain. +Crest to Aspres+, 57 miles E. by Die. This route traverses the whole of the valley of the river Drôme (map, p. 27) 47 MONTELIMART TO GRIGNAN, where Madame Sévigné died 49 +La Croisière to Nyons+, 29½ miles E. (p. 50). The climate of Nyons is mild and well suited for those who leave the Riviera early. From Nyons another coach goes on to Serres, 41 miles E. (p. 51) on the railway between Marseilles and Grenoble (map, p. 27). +Sorgues to Carpentras+, 10½ m. east 54 Carpentras makes excellent headquarters for visiting a great variety of places in the neighbourhood, among others Mont Ventoux (p. 56) and Vaison (p. 53). +Avignon to Nîmes+ by the famous Roman aqueduct called the Pont-du-Gard 64 AVIGNON TO THE FONTAINE OF VAUCLUSE, where Petrarch lived for some time 64 AVIGNON TO MANOSQUE by Apt (map, p. 27) 66 AVIGNON TO MIRAMAS by Cavaillon 66 TARASCON TO ST. REMY AND LES BAUX 67 ARLES TO FONTVIEILLE by Mont-Majour. Arles has magnificent Roman remains 71 ARLES TO PORT ST. LOUIS at the mouth of the Rhône 72 ARLES TO PORT-BOUC, across the Camargue, by the canal steamboat 76 and 72 ARLES TO AIGUES-MORTES by St. Gilles and Lunel 72 LUNEL TO MONTPELLIER 73 +Rognac to the aqueduct of Roquefavour+, which brings water to Marseilles from the Durance 77 +Rognac to the baths of Aix-en-Provence.+ Aix has communication by rail and by coach with very many of the neighbouring towns 78 +LYONS to NÎMES by the west side of the Rhône+ (map, p. 27) 81 PEYRAUD by rail to Annonay, and thence by coach to St. Etienne 81 +La Voulte to Le Cheilard+, the chief diligence centre in the department of Ardèche (map, p. 46) 83 The road to the source of the Loire (map, p. 85) 83 LACHAMP-RAPHAÉL TO LE BÉAGE (map, p. 85) 84 LE BÉAGE TO LE PUY by Le Monastier (map, p. 46) 85 LE PUY TO LANGOGNE by Pradelles (map, p. 46) 88 LE PUY TO LANGEAC by St. Georges (map, p. 46) 89 DARSAC TO CHAISE-DIEU (map, p. 46) 89 CHAISE-DIEU TO THIERS by Arlanc and Ambert (map, p. 27) 90 LANGEAC TO MONISTROL AND TO SAUGUES. Coach from Monistrol station to Le Puy (map, p. 46) 91 LE POUZIN TO PRIVAS (map, p. 27) 92 +Teil to Alais+, 62 miles S.W. (map, p. 27) 93 This is the branch line to take for the baths of Vals and the interesting volcanic mountains in the neighbourhood. PRADES TO LANGOGNE by Mayres and Pradelles (map, p. 27) 94 PRADES TO MONTPEZAT. From Montpezat the source of the Loire (p. 84) is visited 95 MONTPEZAT TO LE PUY 96 RUOMS TO VALLON and the fine natural bridge called the Pont d’Arc (map, p. 27), approached also from Pont-St. Esprit (p. 98) 96 PONT D’AVIGNON, station on W. bank of the Rhône, for Avignon 99 REMOULINS TO THE PONT-DU-GARD 99 NÎMES TO MILLAU by Vigan (map, p. 27) 105 THE RIVIERA. +The Riviera.+ Hotels, productions, climate 107 +Marseilles.+ Hotels, trams, sights, excursions 111 +MARSEILLES to MENTON.+ The French Riviera 122 Marseilles to Toulon, passing several pretty little towns, of which the most important is La Seyne (p. 123). From Toulon omnibuses and diligences run to the neighbouring villages and to the more distant towns in the interior. The most start from the Place d’Italie (pp. 124 and 129). Toulon to Dardenne from the “Place” to the W. of the Place Puget (p. 128), to Hyères from the Place Puget (pp. 124, 133), Cap Brun and Ste. Marguerite from the Place d’Italie (p. 128), to Le Pradet from the Place d’Italie (p. 128). Toulon to Meounes and Brignoles by Belgentier, by diligence. As far as Meounes the road traverses a picturesque country (p. 129), to Collobrières by La Crau and Pierrefeu (p. 130). Steamer to La Seyne (pp. 124, 127), to St. Mandrier (p. 127), to the Iles d’Hyères or d’Or (pp. 124, 131). +The Iles d’Or.+ Porquerolles, Port-Cros, Ile du Levant 131 +Toulon to Hyères+ 132 +Hyères.+ Hotels, cabs, drives, stage-coaches, excursions, productions, climate 133 Hyères to Les Salins, La Plage and the peninsula of Giens (p. 140); to Carqueyranne by Pomponiana (p. 141); to Bormes and Lavandou (p. 142); by coach to St. Tropez (p. 134); whence steamer to St. Raphael (p. 147); or coach to Le Luc (p. 144). +La Pauline.+ Diligence and train to Hyères 142 +Carnoules.+ Carnoules to Gardanne by rail, passing Brignoles and Ste. Maximin 142 +Le Luc.+ Le Luc to St. Tropez by coach, across the Maure mountains 144 +Les Arcs to Draguignan+ by rail. From Draguignan diligences start to Aups, Barjols, Fayence, Lorgues and Salernes, and correspond at these towns with other diligences 145 +Cannes+ to Auribeau, (p. 156), to Cannet, (p. 154), to Cap d’Antibes (p. 154), to Castelaras (p. 156), to Croisette (p. 154), to Croix des Gardes (p. 155), to Estérel (p. 155), to Grasse (p. 160), to the Iles de Lerins (p. 156), to Mougins (p. 156), to Napoule and Theoule (p. 155), to Pégomas (p. 156), to St. Cassien (p. 155), to Vallauris by the Golfe de Jouan and Californie (p. 152). +Grasse+ to Cagnes by Le Bar, the Pont-du-Loup and Vence (p. 163), to Digne by St. Vallier and Castellane (p. 165), Digne to Riez, Gréoulx, Volx and Manosque (p. 166). +Nice to St. Martin Lantosque+ by coach, and thence to Cuneo by the Col di Finestra 180 +Nice to Puget-Theniers+ and Saint Sauveur by coach. From St. Sauveur an excellent road by the side of the Tinée ascends to St. Etienne; whence bridle-road E. to Vinadio (map, p. 165). 182 +Nice to Cuneo+ by the tunnel of the Col di Tenda 182 +Savona to Turin+ by Carru, Bra, Cavallermaggiore and Moncalieri, 90¾ miles N. 183 +Beaulieu to Port St. Jean+ and the Lighthouse--a pleasant walk 185 +Monte Carlo to Nice+ by the coast-road 189 +Monaco to La Turbie+ and the Tête de Chien 191 +MENTON to GENOA+--the western part of the Italian Riviera, called also the Riviera di Ponente 200 BORDIGHERA, up the valley of the Nervia, TO PIGNA 201 SAN REMO TO MONTE BIGNONE 205 +GENOA to PISA and LEGHORN+--the eastern Italian Riviera, or the Riviera di Levante 219 +Avenza to Carrara+ by rail--a very easy and interesting excursion 222 PISA TO FLORENCE by Pontedera and Empoli (map, p. 199) 227 PISA TO FLORENCE by Lucca, Pistoja and Prato 227 LUCCA TO THE BATHS OF LUCCA 230 FLORENCE TO VALLOMBROSA 277 GENOA TO TURIN by Alessandria--a very interesting railway journey 279 END OF THE RIVIERA. +PARIS to TURIN+ 281 +PARIS to MODANE+ 281 AIX-LES-BAINS TO GENEVA by Annecy 286 +Modane to Turin+ 291 BUSSOLENO TO SUSA 291 +Turin to Torre-Pellice+ by Pinerolo 305 TORRE-PELLICE TO MONT-DAUPHIN by the Col de la Croix 306 PEROSA TO MONT-DAUPHIN by the Col d’Abriés 307 PEROSA TO CESANNE by the Col de Sestrières 307 SALUZZO TO MONT DAUPHIN by the Col de la Traversette 308 CUNEO TO BARCELONNETTE (_see_ BARCELONNETTE TO CUNEO) 341 +TURIN to FLORENCE+ by Piacenza, Parma, Modena and Bologna 309 ST. PIERRE D’ALBIGNY TO COURMAYEUR by the Little Saint Bernard 320 +PARIS to MODANE+ by Lyons, Voiron and Grenoble. This is the route to take to visit the Grande Chartreuse and the picturesque valleys about the formidable group of the Ecrin mountains 322 GRENOBLE TO SASSENAGE 327 +Grenoble to Briançon+ by Bourg d’Oisans and the Col de Lautaret. A grand mountain road 328 BOURG D’OISANS TO LA BERARDE, at the base of the Ecrin group, by Vosc and St. Christophe 329 BRIANÇON TO MT. PELVOUX by La Bessée and the Val Louise 333, 345 BRIANÇON TO OULX by Mt. Genèvre and Cesanne 333 +Grenoble to Corps+ by La Mure (map, p. 27). From Corps another diligence proceeds to Gap (p. 340). From Corps the pilgrimage is made to N. D. de la Salette 333 GONCELIN TO ALLEVARD-LES-BAINS 336 +MARSEILLES to GRENOBLE+ by Gardanne, Aix, St. Auban, Sisteron, Serres, Veynes, Aspres, Clelles and Claix (map, p. 27) 338 ST. AUBAN TO DIGNE 339 DIGNE TO BARCELONNETTE by La Javie and Seyne (map, p. 304) 339 DIGNE TO BARCELONNETTE by Draix, Colmars and Allos 339 +VEYNES to MONT DAUPHIN-GUILLESTRE+ station, 51 miles N.E. by rail. Both of these towns are at the French end of several of the important passes between France and Italy 340 GAP TO BARCELONNETTE 341 BARCELONNETTE TO CUNEO (map, p. 27) 341 GAP TO GRENOBLE by Corps (map, p. 304) 342 MONT-DAUPHIN TO SALUZZO (map, p. 304) 344 PARIS TO LYONS by Saint Etienne (map, p. 27) 346 PARIS TO LYONS by Tarare (map, p. 27) 348 LYONS TO CLERMONT-FERRAND by Montbrison (map, p. 27) 349 PARIS TO MARSEILLES by Clermont-Ferrand and Nîmes (see map on fly-leaf) 351 MOULINS TO THE BATHS OF BOURBON-L’ARCHAMBAULT by Souvigny and Saint Menoux (map, p. 1) 356 MOULINS TO THE BATHS OF BOURBON-LANCY by Dompierre and Gilly. Beyond Gilly is Paray-le-Monial (p. 27, map p. 1) 357 ST. GERMAIN-DES-FOSSÉS TO VICHY 359 CLERMONT-FERRAND TO BRIVE by Laqueuille 376 LAQUEUILLE TO THE BATHS OF MONT-DORE AND BOURBOULE 377 MONT-DORE TO ISSOIRE by the Baths of St. Nectaire 385 A diligence runs between St. Nectaire and the Coude railway station. MAPS AND PLANS. PAGE +Ardèche+, general map of, including the northern part of the department of Drôme and the southern of the Haute-Loire 46 This map contains a large part of the valleys of the Rhône and the Allier, the towns of Le Puy, Vals, Beage, Langogne, Cheilard, Tournon, Valence, La Voulte, etc., the source of the Loire and Mount Mezenc. +Arles+, a town of great interest 68 +Avignon+, Plan of 59 +Bologna+, Plan of 316 +Cannes+, Environs of 155 Showing the drives around Cannes and Antibes. +Cannes+, Plan of 149 +Corniche Road+ 185 Showing the course of the upper Corniche Road from Nice to Menton, as well as that of the lower and perhaps more beautiful road between Nice and Monte-Carlo, extending along the coast, nearly parallel to the railway. This map contains also the +Environs+ of Nice, Monaco, and Menton. +Dijon+, Plan of 20 +Estérel Mountains+, or +Frejus and St. Raphael to Cannes+ 146 +Florence+, Plan of 234 The most beautiful walk or drive is by the Porta Romana up to the Piazza Michelangiolo. +Galleria degli Uffizi+ 237 The Florence Picture Gallery. Contained in two vast edifices on both sides of the Arno; united by long corridors, which from the Uffizi straggle down to the river, cross the bridge, and reach the Pitti Palace by the upper story of the houses bordering the Via Guicciardini. +Genoa+, Plan of 214 +Hyères+, Environs of 129 As the excursions from Hyères and Toulon are nearly the same, the environs of both towns are given on the same map. +Italian Riviera+, or the Riviera from Ventimiglia to Leghorn 199 Called also the Riviera di Ponente and the Riviera di Levante. The French Riviera is given on the map of the “Rhône and Savoy,” and parts on a larger scale on the maps of the “Corniche Road” “Marseilles to Cannes,” and the “Durance to the Var and San Remo.” +Leghorn+, Plan of 226 +Lyons+, General plan of 30 +Lyons+, Partial plan of 33 +Marseilles+, Plan of 113 +Marseilles to Cannes+ 123 This map shows the position of the towns and villages on the coast and in the interior, the roads between them and the Marseilles canal; which, from the Durance, enters the sea at Cape Croisette. At the southern side are given the “Iles d’Or,” called also the “Islands of Hyères,” of which the largest is Porquerolles. +Mont Cenis railway+, Plan of 291 This plan shows the railway from St. Pierre-d’Albigny to Turin by Modane and Susa. Rail from St. Pierre to Albertville; whence coach-road to Courmayeur by Moutiers, Bourg-St. Maurice, Seez and the Little St. Bernard. Coach road from Albertville to Annecy on Lake Annecy. +Mont-Dore+ and +Bourboule+, Map of environs 378 +Nice+, Plan of 171 +Nîmes+, interesting Roman ruins 101 +Paris to Vichy, Macon+, Bourg and Geneva, situated towards the S. and S.E. Carlsruhe, Baden, Strasburg, Freiburg, Basel, Schaffhausen, Lucerne and Interlaken to the E., and Epernay, Verdun and Metz to the N. 1 +Pisa+, Plan of 224 The object of this plan is to enable tourists to find their way unaided to the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Campo Santo or Cemetery. The frescoes on the walls of the Cemetery require the cultivated talent of an artist to appreciate. Those who have to remain over the night should take one of the hotels close to the station. +Railway Map+ _Fly-leaf_ This map shows all the railway routes in France and their correspondence with the railways in Belgium, Prussia, Baden, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. Also the railways on both sides of the Rhine and of the Rhône. +Rhône and Savoy+ 107 This map gives the entire course of the Rhône in France, with the railways on both sides from Lyons to Avignon. The Railroads and Passes between France and Savoy. The French Riviera. +Savona to Rapallo+ 211 Illustrating the position of the pleasant winter stations of Arenzano, Pegli, Sestri-Ponente, Nervi, Santa-Margherita-Ligure and Rapallo. +The Durance to the Var and San Remo+ 163 This map shows principally the position of the towns in the interior, approached by diligence from Grasse (near Cannes), Draguignan, and Nice. From Nice start the diligences which run between France and Italy. +The French and Italian Waldensian valleys+, with the mountain-passes between them 304 +The high volcanic peaks+ in the department of Ardèche; among which are Mezenc and the Gerbier-de-Joncs, with the source of the Loire 84 +The Italian Riviera+ or north-west Italy, including the railways between Turin, Savona, Genoa and Florence 200 +The Mouths of the Rhône+ 66 Showing the position of the canals and of the great lakes in this neighbourhood. The principal towns are Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Avignon, Aigues-Mortes and Montpellier. The Marseilles canal from the Durance commences opposite Pertuis directly N. from Marseilles (see pp. 77, 115, and 338). A little farther down the Durance is the commencement of the Craponne canal (p. 66). +The plains between the Ardèche, Rhône and Durance+, in which are situated Aubenas, Alais, Montélimart, Pont-St. Esprit, Orange, Carpentras, Vaison and other places of interest 56 +Thermometer+, on the Centigrade and Fahrenheit scale 107 +Toulon+, Environs of 129 This map will be found very useful in the excursions by the small steamers sailing from the port. +Troyes+, Plan of 12 +Turin+, Plan of 293 +Vichy+, Plan of 359 CARTE DU JOUR. The following List contains the explanation of the technical terms of some of the most useful dishes mentioned in the “Cartes du Jour” of the restaurants. Fancy names cannot be translated. [Transcriber’s Note: The following section is given exactly as printed. Some items may require added salt.] SOUPS. _Consommé_, beef-tea. _Bouillon_, broth. _Potage_, soup. _Julienne_, vegetable soups. _Purée_, pease-soup. _Purée_, when qualifying a noun, means “mashed,” as-- _Purée de pommes_, mashed potatoes. „ „ _marron_, mashed chestnuts. BEEF. _Bœuf au naturel_, or simply “nature,” plain boiled beef. _Naturel_ in cookery means “plain.” _Bœuf à la mode_, beef stewed with carrots. Nearly the same as the next. _Bœuf à la jardinière_, beef with vegetables. _Aloyau_, a sirloin of beef. _Aloyau a la jardinière_, sirloin with vegetables. _Aloyau sauté_, sirloin in slices. _Sauté_ in cookery means “sliced.” _Rosbif aux pommes_, roast beef with potatoes. In these lists the words _de terre_ are rarely affixed to _pommes_. _Bifteck au naturel_, plain beefsteak. „ _aux pommes_, with potatoes. „ _aux pommes sautées_, with sliced potatoes. „ _aux haricots_, with kidney beans. „ _bien cuit_, well done. „ _saignant_, under done. _Palais de Bœuf au gratin_, broiled ox palate. _Au gratin_ in cookery means “baked” or “broiled”; when applied to potatoes it means “browned.” MUTTON. _Côtelettes de mouton au naturel_, plain mutton chops. „ „ „ _panées_, mutton chops fried with crumbs. „ „ „ _aux pointes d’asperge_, mutton chops with asparagus tops. „ „ „ _à la purée de pommes_, mutton chops with mashed potatoes. _Gigot roti_, a roast leg of mutton. _Pieds de mouton_, sheep’s trotters. _Gigot d’agneau_, a leg of lamb. _Blanquette d’agneau_, hashed stewed lamb. _Rognons à la brochette_, broiled kidneys. „ _sautés_, sliced kidneys. _Etuvé_, stewed. VEAL. _Côtelette de veau_, veal cutlet. _Tête de veau en vinaigrette_, calf’s head with oil and vinegar. _Oreille de veau en marinade_, pickled calf’s ear. _Ris de veau_, sweetbread. _Foie de veau_, calf’s liver. _Blanquette de veau_, hashed stewed veal. _Fricandeau au jus_, Scotch collops with gravy. _Jus_, gravy. VEGETABLES. _Pommes de terre_, potatoes. _Legumes et fruits primeurs_, early vegetables and fruits. _Asperges à la sauce_, asparagus with sauce. _Chou_, cabbage. _Champignons_, mushrooms. _Epinards_, spinage. _Fêves de marais_, garden beans. _Haricots verts_, green kidney beans. _Oseille_, sorrel. _Petits pois_, green peas. _Jardinière_ means “dressed with vegetables.” POULTRY AND GAME. _Poularde_, fowl. _Poulet_, chicken. _Chapon_, capon. _Cuisse de poulet_, leg of a chicken. _Des œufs à la coque_, boiled eggs. _Dindonneau_, young turkey. _Canard_, duck. _Perdreau_, partridge. _Mauviettes_, field-larks. _Alouettes_, larks. _Grives_, thrushes. _Becasse_, woodcock. _Becassine_, snipe. _Chevreuil_, venison. _Caille_, quail. FISH. _Anguille_, eel. _Eperlans_, smelts; or, as the Scotch call them, sperlings. _Homard_, lobster. _Huitres_, oysters. _Merlans_, whitings. _Morue_, cod. _Raie_, skate. _Saumon_, salmon. _Sole_, sole. _Turbot_, turbot. _Frit_, fried. _Grillé_, done on the gridiron. DESSERT. _Compote_, applied to fruits, means “stewed.” „ _de pommes_, stewed apples. „ _de pruneaux_, stewed prunes. _Beignets de pommes_, apple fritters. „ „ „ _soufflés_, puffed apple fritters. _Mendiants_, raisins, nuts and almonds. DRINK. _Vin de Bordeaux_, claret. A bottle of soda-water is called a _siphon_. The cheap wines ought always to be drunk with it, or with common water. At even the cheap restaurants palatable wine may be had by paying a little extra. _Frappé_, applied to liquids, means “iced.” _Caraffe frappé_, iced water. _Vin frappé_, iced wine. The litre of beer is called a _canette_, and the half-litre a _choppe_. The fifth part of a litre of wine is called a _carafon_, a word often used in the cheap restaurants. [Map: Paris to Vichy, Macon, Bourg, Geneva &c.] THE DIRECT ROAD TO THE RIVIERA. +Paris to Lyons, Marseilles, Hyères, Cannes, Nice, Monaco and Menton, 692 miles.+ +PART I.--PARIS TO MARSEILLES.+ BY SENS, DIJON, LYONS, AND AVIGNON, 537 miles. Best resting-places, Sens, Dijon, Macon, Lyons, and Avignon. For “London to Marseilles,” see under that head in the “Continental Time-tables of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway.” Through tickets sold at their London office. miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES { }{537} +PARIS.+ Start from the station of the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Lyon, No. 20 Boulevard Mazas, where purchase one of the Time-tables, 8 sous or 40 cents, the only absolutely trustworthy tables respecting the prices, distances, and movements of the trains. Good restaurant at station. Opposite the station is the H. de l’Univers, and a little farther off the H. Jules César. _Maps._--For the general route, consult map on fly-leaf; for the details as far as Macon, map page 1; and for the remainder of the journey, map page 26. The fare, third class, from London to Paris by Dieppe, by the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, is 17s. From Paris to Marseilles, by the Paris and Lyons Railway, it is £2:7s., time 23 hours; starting from the station of the Chemin de Fer de Lyon at 6.30 A.M., and arriving next day at 5.33 A.M. From Marseilles a train starts at 6.35 A.M. for Toulon, where it arrives at 9 A.M. From Toulon a train starts for Hyères at 9.32 A.M., and arrives at 10.13 A.M. The third-class carriages between Paris and Marseilles are provided with separate compartments for ladies, and with warming-pans. For those going to Hyères, the nearest of the winter-stations, it is better, if possible, not to break the journey, but to take a through ticket from Paris to Hyères (£2:12s.), as every break adds considerably to the expense; moreover, the train passes the most suitable resting-places at a most inconvenient hour in the night. By the first class the whole journey from Paris to Hyères can be done in 18¼ hours for £4:13:6. The train, after leaving the station, skirts the S.W. corner of the Bois de Vincennes at Charenton and St. Maurice, both upon the Marne, which here joins the Seine. +Charenton+, 4 m. from Paris, pop. 9000, has a large lunatic asylum founded in 1644. Boarders pay £60 the year. +St. Maurice+, pop. 4300, has in the Château d’Alfort a veterinary college with an hospital for animals, which takes horses for 2s. per day. It contains a library, museum, and laboratory; and possesses a nursery for the cultivation of grasses. Immediately beyond Fort Charenton are the +Maisons-Alfort+, pop. 8000, on the Seine. Diana of Poitiers and Robespierre resided here some time. [Headnote: VILLENEUVE ST. GEORGE.] 9½ m. S. from Paris is the pretty town of Villeneuve St. George, pop. 1500, on the Seine, where it unites with the Yères, a deep river flowing through a verdant valley. 3¼ m. farther is +Montgeron+ on the Yères, pop. 1300, with the castle which belonged to Sillery, chancellor of Henri IV. On the other side of the river is the village of +Crosne+; where on the 1st November 1636 was born, in the house No. 3 Rue Simon, Nicolas Boileau Despréaux, died 13th March 1711. He was a great critic, and the first to introduce French versification to rule. Through Pope and his contemporaries he had also a strong influence on English literature. [Headnote: MELUN.] 13¾ m. from Paris is +Brunoy+, pop. 1550, an ancient town, which was inhabited by the earliest kings of France. Louis XVIII. created the Duke of Wellington Marquis of Brunoy. The train now traverses the Yères viaduct, 1235 ft. long, on 28 arches 104½ ft. high. 28 m. S. from Paris is the prettily situated town of MELUN, pop. 12,000. _Inns:_ Grand Monarque; Commerce; both near each other, and near St. Aspais. Between them is the omnibus office. Église Protestante. Melun, the Melodunum of Julius Cæsar, occupies both banks of the Seine, and the island in the centre, as well as both sides of the Almont, which here enters the Seine. One long, nearly straight road, under the names of the Avenue de Thiers, Rue St. Ambroise, Rue St. Etienne, Rue St. Aspais, and the Rue du Palais de Justice, extends from the railway station to the northmost limit of the town. In the part of Melun on the left or south bank are large cavalry barracks. On the island is the church of Notre Dame, 11th cent., restored; with a neat 2 storied tower over each transept, 10th cent. The large building behind the church is the principal prison. Very near the church, in the Rue Notre Dame, is the Eglise Protestante, a small chapel. Off the main street, in the part of the town on the right or north bank, is St. Aspais, an elegant church of the 14th cent. surrounded by crocketed gabled chapels. By the side of the main entrance rises a buttressed square tower, terminating in a high peaked roof prolonged into a short spire. In the interior are some delicately sculptured canopy work and 8 windows with valuable old glass. A few yards off the main street is the Hotel de Ville with a round attached turret in each corner; and in the centre of the court a marble statue to Jacques Amyot, born in 1514, “Un des Grandes Reformateurs de la langue française au 16me siècle.” Behind are the public gardens containing some capitals of ancient columns. Near it is the Place St. Jean, with a handsome fountain. North-west from St. Aspais are the Prefecture and the belfry St. Barthélemy, restored in 1858. The Palais de Justice, the theatre, the Gendarmerie, and another of the prisons, are all together at the north end of the town. The gardens of Melun produce excellent pears--some are very large. Hardly 4 m. N.E. from Melun is the Chateau of Vaux-Praslin, containing paintings by Lebrun and Mignard. From Melun the line continues by the side of the Seine till Bois-le-Roi, where it enters the forest of Fontainebleau. [Headnote: FONTAINEBLEAU.] {37}{500} +FONTAINEBLEAU+ pop. 9200, about 2 miles from the Seine, and one from the station; but omnibuses await passengers for the hotels. Fare, 30 c. For the Cour du Cheval Blanc of the Chateau, 50 c. The most expensive hotels front the Chateau. The Londres; Europe; France et Angleterre; Ville de Lyon; Aigle Noir; Lion d’Or. At the end of the main street, No. 9 Rue Grande, is the Cadran Bleu. In the Rue de la Chancellerie, near the Cour des Offices or east end of the Chateau, is the H. de la Chancellerie. In the Rue de France, the H. de la Sirène. The last 4 hotels are the most moderate in their charges. Situated among the large hotels facing the Cour du Cheval Blanc is the Pension Launoy; 1st storey, 13 frs., 2d, 11 frs. per day. For those who come for one day, the best plan is to enter at the station any of the Chateau omnibuses. Alight at the end of the Rue Grande, where there is a square with a garden surrounded with good shops--a bookseller’s with maps, plans, and photographs--souvenirs made from wood of the forest; a good confectioner’s shop and some restaurants, where refreshments can be had either before or after visiting the chateau. Those afraid of losing the train, should, however, rather take their refreshments at some of the restaurants opposite the station. From the end of the Rue Grande, the Cour du Cheval Blanc is about 5 minutes’ walk. Temple Protestant, in which an English service is also held. _Coach Tariff._--The principal cab-stand is at the end of the Rue Grande at the square. Before starting procure a plan, 1½ fr., of the forest in the shop opposite. A four-wheeled carriage for 5 persons, with 2 horses, 20 frs. for the day, with a gratuity to the coachman. For 4 persons, with 1 horse, 10 frs. for the day. Carriages may also be engaged by the hour at the following prices:-- A four-wheeled carriage for 5 persons, with 2 horses, 4 frs. for the first hour, and 3 frs. for each succeeding hour. A four-wheeled carriage for 4 persons, with 1 horse, for the first hour 3 frs., and each succeeding hour 2 frs. 25 c. A two-wheeled carriage for 4 persons, with 1 horse, 2 frs. an hour. Donkeys and mules may be hired at 3 frs. a day. +Fontainebleau+ deserves a visit, not only to see the Chateau, but to enjoy the delightful air and walks in the gardens and woods, which cover an area of 18,740 acres, intersected by 12,000 m. of roads and footpaths. The palace consists of square towers linked together by congeries of low brick buildings, enclosing spacious courts, each bearing some suggestive name. The roofing is said to occupy 14 acres. The palace is open from 11 to 4. The men who show it attend in one of the rooms on the left side of the “Cour des Adieux,” or “du Cheval Blanc,” which court forms the _main entrance_. A small fee is expected; but as the Palace belongs to the State, it is not obligatory. To see the “appartements reservés” an especial order is requisite, procured by letter addressed to “M. Le Commandant des Chateaux.” The “appartements reservés” comprehend sometimes a greater, and sometimes a smaller number of rooms, according to the requirements of the household, but never any of the splendid halls. The order observed in showing the Palace is constantly changed, yet the itinerary we give will be found in the main correct. It is sometimes reversed. The Chateau of Fontainebleau, as it now stands, was founded by Francis I., who commenced by demolishing the whole of the former edifice, excepting the pavilion of St. Louis, which still exists. Henri IV., who spent £100,000 upon it, doubled the area of the buildings and gardens, and added, among other portions, the gallery of Diana and the gallery des Cerfs. Napoleon I. expended £250,000 upon it, and Louis XVIII. and Louis Philippe contributed also large sums. [Headnote: ENTRANCE.] The +principal entrance+ is at the west end by the Cour du CHEVAL BLANC, the largest of all the courts, measuring 498 ft. by 368. It is also called the Cour des Adieux, because here Napoleon I., forsaken by nearly all his generals, took leave, on the 20th of April 1814, of the ever-faithful soldiers of his Old Guard, from whom he tore himself away amidst sobs and tears, and threw himself into his carriage. On the 19th of March 1815 he was back again in this palace from the island of Elba, wandering with almost infantine joy through the splendid apartments which had witnessed his glory and his wretchedness. As very little time is given to inspect the different articles, the following abridged list should be read before entering. [Headnote: CHAPELLE DE LA TRINITÉ.] The visitor enters by the door under the Horseshoe staircase, which has 46 steps on each side. To the right, the longer of the 2 iron bars in the wall represents the height of Francis I. The first place entered is the +Chapelle de la Trinité+, built by Francis I. in 1529, and largely decorated by Henri IV. in consequence of the Spanish ambassador having remarked that “the palace would be more beautiful if the Almighty were as well housed as his majesty.” Louis XI. was married in this chapel. The divorce between Napoleon and Josephine was pronounced in it; and here, in 1810, Napoleon III. was baptized. The paintings are by Fréminet, made during the reigns of Henri IV. and Marie de Médicis and Louis XIII. The high altar was finished in the reign of Louis XIII. by Bordogni. The reredos is by Jean Dubois. The statues on each side of the altar, representing Charlemagne and St. Louis, are by G. Pilon. The magnificent angels, which support the escutcheons of France and Navarre, are by Jean Goujon. The 4 bronze angels are by G. Pilon. [Headnote: APARTMENTS OF NAPOLEON.] Ascend staircase to the APARTMENTS OF NAPOLEON. The first room is the Antichambre des +Huissiers+ (ushers), painting by Brenet, 1785. Cabinet des +Secretaires+, paintings by Vanloo, Doyen, and Hallé. Pass now through a small passage, painted with flowers by Spraendonck, to the most charming +Salle des Bains+. The walls are of plate glass, on which are painted, in graceful forms and lovely colours, cupids, birds, and flowers. The bath-room opens into the +Abdication Room+, containing the famous mahogany table, about a yard in diameter, on which Napoleon signed his abdication, 5th April 1814. Walls hung with rich embroidered satin from Lyons. +Cabinet de Travail+ (study) of the Emperor. Beautiful writing desk by Jakob. Painting on ceiling represents law and justice. +Bedroom of Napoleon+ I. and III. Bed restored under Louis Philippe, and hung with silk velvet from Lyons. Round the wall grisaille paintings of cupids, admirable imitations of relief, by Sauvage. Clock, present from Pio VII. to Napoleon. +Salon de Famille+ or Salle du Conseil; dates from François I. and +Henri IV.+, and made by Louis XV. his study. In centre of room mahogany table, 6 yards in circumference, one piece. The 20 red and blue symbolical paintings round wall are by the two Vanloos. On ceiling arms of France on gold ground. Furniture covered with Beauvais tapestry of time of Louis XV. Clock of Louis XIV. Throne-room. Built by Charles IX., ornamented by Louis XIII. and XIV., to which Napoleon I. added the throne. In this room the marshals of France used to take their oath of allegiance. The ceiling magnificently gilt and painted, and chimney-piece in same style. Over it portrait of Louis XIII. The lustre of rock crystal is valued at £2000. [Headnote: APARTMENTS OF MARIE ANTOINETTE.] APARTMENTS OF MARIE ANTOINETTE and of the Empress Eugenie. Aurora on ceiling by Barthélemy. Arabesques of the panels on green ground. On console tables by Coindrel, 2 ivory vases presented to Napoleon I by the Emp. of Austria. This room was fitted up for Marie Antoinette by Louis XVI., who forged, but did not finish, the window bolts (espagnolettes). +The Bedroom.+ Occupied successively by Marie de Medicis, Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, Marie-Amélie, wife of Louis Philippe, and the Empress Eugenie. The gorgeous drapery and curtains of the bed were presented to Marie Antoinette by the city of Lyons on the occasion of her marriage. Wall hung with the richest satin, hand embroidered. Two wardrobes by Riésener. Clock of Louis XVI. +Salon de Musique.+ Ceiling, Minerva and the Muses by Barthélemy, 1786. Over door the Muses painted in grisaille by Sauvage. Porcelain table by Georget, 1806. Petit Salon, from which a door opens into the GALERIE DE DIANE or Bibliothèque, built in 1600. The ceiling, divided into compartments, is painted by Pujol and Blondel, representing mythological scenes. In front of one of the windows are suspended the sword and coat of mail worn by Monaldeschi, when he was assassinated on the 15th of October 1657 by order of Christina of Sweden, second daughter of Gustavus Adolphus. The atrocious deed took place in the room immediately below, in the Galerie des Cerfs. The unfortunate man, in parrying the first thrust, had 3 of his fingers cut off. He then fell on his knees before his confessor Father Le Bel, sent him by Christina, and, while praying God for pardon of his sins, one of the murderers thrust his sword into his face; while the other first cut off the crown of his skull, and then pierced his throat, which made him fall to the ground, where he lay breathing for quarter of an hour. Throughout all this terrible scene the kind priest kept bawling aloud with all his might consolation to the dying man. That same evening he was buried, near the holy water basin, in the church of Avon, 1 m. E. from the chateau, at the extremity of the park. Monaldeschi was Queen Christina’s chamberlain, and is supposed to have betrayed some of her secrets. The Marquis begged most piteously Father Le Bel to implore the Queen to spare his life; but when the confessor went to her and beseeched her, in the name of Our Blessed Lord, to have mercy on the unhappy man, she replied with petulance, “that she could not, and that many had been condemned to the wheel who did not deserve it so much as this coward.” At the extremity of the gallery of Diana is the Salon de Diane, with indifferent modern paintings by Blondel, representing the story of the goddess Diana. [Headnote: SALONS DE FRANCOIS I. AND LOUIS XIII. SALLES ST. LOUIS AND DES GARDES.] We now enter the Escalier de la Reine, ornamented with hunting scenes by C. Parocel, 1688-1782; Oudry, 1686-1755; and F. Desportes, 1661-1743. The door to the left opens into the Galerie des Chasses, not shown (see page 8). The other leads into LES GRANDS APPARTEMENTS. The Antechamber. Ceiling of pinewood in gilt compartments. Walls hung with ancient Gobelins tapestry. Salon des +Tapisseries+ hung with beautiful tapestry, representing the loves of Psyche. Sevres porcelain vase worth £600, gift to the Empress Eugenie. +Salon de François I.+ Napoleon I. and Charles X. used it as their dining-room. Louis Philippe restored the ceiling. The Flemish tapestry represents royal hunting scenes. In the centre of chimney-piece fresco by Primaticcio, Mars and Venus. The ebony cabinets are of the 15 and 16 cents. Furniture covered with very remarkable Beauvais tapestry. +Salon de Louis XIII.+ The small Venetian looking-glass, one of the earliest manufactured, and the first that came to France, indicates the place where the bed of Marie de Médicis stood when Louis XIII. was born. The paintings on the ceiling and on the walls represent the story of Theagenes and Charicles, which had been translated from the Greek by Jacques Amyot, and dedicated to Francis I. Beautiful marble chimney-piece. Salle de +Saint Louis+. Over chimney-piece equestrian statue in relief of Henri IV. by Jacquet. Salon des Aides-de-Camp. Portraits in Gobelins tapestry of Henri IV. and Louis XV., 1773-1777. Salle des +Gardes+, principally by Charles IX., but restored by Louis Philippe. In the medallions above the five real and mock doors are portraits of Francis I., with the allegorical figures of Might and the Fine Arts; Henri II., with figures of Diana and Liberality; Antoine Bourbon (father of +Henri IV.+), with figures of Hope and Abundance; Henri IV., with figures of Peace and Glory; and Louis XIII., with figures of Religion and Justice. Beautiful chimney-piece by Jacquet, 1590, 17 ft. high and 13 wide. In centre bust of Henri IV., and at each side statues of Might and Peace by Francarville. A very pretty little room, with floor of inlaid wood, corresponding in design with the ceiling, leads to the ESCALIER DU ROI. The top part of this staircase, built by Louis XV., was originally the Chambre de la Duchesse d’Etampes. The frescoes, representing scenes in the life of Alexander, are chiefly by Niccolo dell’ Abate, indifferently restored in 1836 by Abel Pujol. GALERIE DE HENRI II., or Salle des Fêtes. The most magnificent hall in the palace, shining with gold, 90 ft. long by 30 wide, lighted on one side by 5 windows looking into the Cour Ovale, and on the other by the same number looking to the gardens. It was built by François I., and decorated by Henri II. for his favourite Diane de Poitiers. The walls are covered with frescoes between gilt coupled columns by Primaticcio, Rosso, and Abate, restored in 1864 by Alaux. The ceiling, of walnut, is divided into 27 compartments, elaborately ornamented with scrolls, mouldings, and friezes, all richly gilt, and enclosing the ciphers of Henri II. and of Diana. The chimney-piece, of rare marbles, covered with fleurs-de-lis, is by Rondelet. At the end of this gallery is one of the entrances into the chapel of St. Saturnin, generally closed (see page 8). We return now to the Escalier du Roi, where we enter the GALERIE DE FRANÇOIS I., parallel to the apartments of Napoleon, 210 ft. long by 20 wide. It was built by Francis to serve as a communication between the Courts of the Cheval Blanc and of St. Louis. Ceiling in variously shaped gilt panels, producing a curious effect. The frescoes, representing mythological scenes, are chiefly by Rosso, but a few are by Primaticcio, restored by Condere. Bust of François I. From the vestibule of the Horseshoe staircase we enter the APPARTEMENTS DES REINES MERES et du Pape Pie VII. They were inhabited by Catherine de Médicis and Anne of Austria (mother of Louis XIV.), whose portraits hang opposite each other in the bedroom; and also by Pope Pius VII., more, however, as a prisoner than a guest of Napoleon I. The magnificent bedstead was put up by Napoleon III. for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, when they were expected to have visited Fontainebleau. The tapestry is of the finest quality from the Gobelins manufactory, and the paintings are by Coypel, Mignard, and other French masters. +Antechamber.+ Portrait of Diana de Poitiers as the goddess of the chase, one of Primaticcio’s best works. Cabinet (Bahut) of time of Louis XIII. Walls hung with embossed leather. Furniture covered with Cordova leather. +Salles des Officers.+ Hung with Gobelins tapestry, representing the story of Esther. +Salon.+ Walls hung with beautiful coloured Gobelins. Furniture covered with Beauvais tapestry. Elegant ceiling, divided into compartments bearing the initials of Anne of Austria and of Louis XIII. +The Old Bedroom+ (see above). Modern furniture in style of Louis XIII. Table in mosaic given by Pio IX., bearing his signature. Very beautiful ceiling by Cotelle de Meaux. +Study+ of Pio VII.--portrait of him by David. Dressing-room--wardrobe of inlaid wood by Riésener, one of the finest in France. Bust of Louis XV. by Lemoyne, 1751. +New Bedroom+--bedstead of time of Louis XIV., enlarged in reign of Louis Philippe. +Salon de Reception+--Gobelins tapestry--furniture of time of Louis XV. Bust of Napoleon by Canova. +Waiting-room+ or Salle d’Attente. Gobelins dating from the time of Louis XV. Beautiful clock of Louis XVI. +Antechamber.+ 4 pictures by Breughel, of which one is on wood. Vestibule of the Galerie des Fresques. GALERIE DES FRESQUES or Des Assiettes. All the pictures in this gallery were painted in fresco in the reign of Henri IV. by Ambroise Dubois on the gallery of Diana, whence they were removed in 1805, and some of them put on canvas. In addition Louis Philippe placed on the walls 128 plates, with views of the royal residences in France, and incidents connected with Fontainebleau. We now enter the gallery leading to the SALLE DE SPECTACLE or theatre, built by Napoleon III., and seated for 400. Visitors now leave the palace by the staircase of Charles VIII., adorned with a statue of him in stucco. [Headnote: CHAPELLE DE ST. SATURNIN.] LES APPARTEMENTS RESERVES. +Chapelle Basse de St. Saturnin+, built by Louis VII. after his return from Palestine, and consecrated by Thomas à Becket in 1169. The painted glass of the windows was manufactured at Sevres from designs by the Princess Marie, 1836, daughter of Louis Philippe; and the altar is the same at which Pope Pius VII. performed mass during his stay at Fontainebleau from 1812 to 1814. The lower chapel was reconstructed in 1545 by Francis I., upon which he built the +Upper Chapel+. It was ornamented with charming frescoes, in the reign of +Henri IV.+, about the year 1608. Napoleon III. commenced the restoration. Adjoining the lower chapel a corridor leads to the Ancienne Salle à Manger de Louis Philippe, or the Galerie des Colonnes, of the same dimensions as the Galerie de Henri II. immediately over it. To the right is the old spiral staircase of Francis I. Galerie des Cerfs, built by Henri IV., under the +Galerie de Diane+, ornamented with views of the royal residences, indifferently executed. It was here Monaldeschi was murdered (see p. 6). Appartements des Chasses, consisting of two rooms, hung round with pictures representing dogs, game, and hunting scenes. The best by J. B. Oudry. Appartements de Madame de Maintenon, consisting of an antechamber, saloon, boudoir, and toilet-room. They are of no interest further than that it was in one of them, it is said, that Louis XIV. signed the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which led to such cruelties. The embroidery on the furniture and screen is by the noble pupils of St. Cyr. Adjoining is the Galerie de Henri II. (see p. 7). The Musée Chinois, consisting of a valuable and interesting collection of articles from China, cannot be seen without especial permission. THE COURTS. From the Cour du Cheval Blanc an arched way, near the Horseshoe staircase, leads through to the +Cour de la Fontaine+. In the side facing the lake is the Galerie de François I. Having passed through the porch in the N.E. corner of the Cour de la Fontaine, we have before us the gardens and forests of Fontainebleau, and immediately to the left the +Porte Dorée+, one of the gates that opens into the +Cour Ovale+. It is generally closed. On the soffit and sides are frescoes on a gold ground by Primaticcio, restored in 1835 by Picot. The subjects are mythological. Charles V. entered by this gateway in 1539. And by this portal the Duchesse d’Etampes fled from Fontainebleau, driven from it by the haughty and jealous Diana. Eastward to the left we pass the apsidal portion of St. Saturnin, supported by narrow buttresses, faced with pillars and pilasters. Both here and on the Porte Dorée is the device of Francis I., a salamander. The principal entrance to the Cour Ovale faces the Cour des Offices. At the east end of the palace, fronting the Place d’Armes, connected with the Rue Grande by the Rue de la Chancellerie, is the Cour de Henri IV. or Des Offices, 285 ft. long by 255 wide, occupied by the artillery college, formerly at Metz. The course lasts 2 years. The gateway is grand, but heavy; the buildings contain nothing particular. [Headnote: DRIVES IN THE FOREST.] Excursions into the forest. Those wishing to walk should provide themselves with a pocket compass and a copy of the plan of the Forêt de Fontainebleau, 1½ fr. In the forest the posts painted red indicate the way back to the town; the black posts lead in the other direction. The coachmen are acquainted with all the roads. The artistic part of the forest comprises only 3719 acres. The following are the three principal drives, each requiring 6 hours:-- 1. Croix du Grand Veneur par la Tillaie--Point de vue du camp de Chailly par la Table du Grand Maitre et le carrefour de Belle Vue--Barbison par le Bas Bréau--Gorges d’Apremont et Franchard. 2. Vallée du Nid de l’Aigle--Mont Ussy--Caverne d’Augas--Vue sur le champ de Courses et Mont Chauvet--Gorges et Rochers de la Solle--Rocher St. Germain--Bocages des Ecouettes--Fort l’Empereur--Calvaire--Roche Eponge et Point de vue de Nemorosa. 3. Rocher Bouligny--Rocher des Demoiselles--Gorge aux Loups et Mare aux Fées--Long Rocher et Arcades de la Vanne par la Croix du Gd. Maitre. The most picturesque parts of the first drive, or perhaps in the whole forest, are the ravines of Apremont, about 3 m. N.W. from Fontainebleau; and Franchard, about 2½ m. W. The second contains the best places for obtaining good general views of the forest, such as from the Croix du Calvaire, near the railway station, but especially from the Fort de l’Empereur, about 2½ m. N. The Gorge aux Loups in the 3d drive, 3½ m. S., leads to a very picturesque part called the Long Rocher. If only one drive can be taken, take the first, 3¼ m. by rail from Fontainebleau. After Fontainebleau is Thomery. _Inn_: Popardin, where the famous grape, the Chasselas de Fontainebleau, is grown extensively on walls and trellis-work. [Headnote: MORET. JEAN SANS PEUR.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {42}{495} +MORET+, pop. 2000. _Inn_: Écu de France. An ancient town on the Loing, with remains of fortifications, 15th cent., and the two old city gates Paris and Bourgogne. The church, containing some curious woodwork, is principally of the 12th cent. The portal and organ are of the 15th. 7½ m. farther S.E. is Moutereau junction, where the Chemins de Fer of the Paris and Lyons system unite with those of the Eastern system. Montereau-faut-Yonne, pop. 7000; station about a mile from the town. _Inn_: Grand Monarque, where the omnibus stops, near the post office. Those who may require to wait for a train at this junction, should, if time permit, drive up in the omnibus to the town and visit the parish church, with its handsome columns gracefully ramifying into the groining of the roof of the aisles. Suspended to the right of the high altar is the sword of Jean Sans Peur. Beyond this church a fine stone bridge, or rather two continuous bridges, cross the Seine and the Yonne, which here unite. On the tongue of land between them is an equestrian statue of Napoleon I.; and on the bridge over the Yonne a marble slab indicates the spot where Jean Sans Peur was murdered in 1419. On the steep hill overlooking the town is the handsome modern castle of Surville. Montereau has important potteries. [Headnote: SENS.] {71}{466} +SENS+ on the Yonne, pop. 12,400. _Inns_: Paris; Écu. The best street, the Rue Royale, extends from north to south. At the north end is the promenade, and going southwards up the street, we have first the statue of the chemist Thénard, and then the cathedral. At the end of the street is the arch erected in honour of the Duchess of Angoulême, when she visited this city in 1828. Behind are spacious boulevards, which, together with the promenade, form agreeable walks. [Headnote: THOMAS À BECKET.] The +Cathedral of St. Etienne+ was commenced in 972, but nearly rebuilt two centuries afterwards. The façade, though not without beauty, is heavy and massive. The south tower, 240 feet high, has a belfry attached to it. In the interior, coupled columns, alternating with massive piers, run down each side of the nave, supporting pointed arches, over which runs a triforium of round arches on clustered colonnettes. Against the 5th pier left is a reredos, with sculptured canopies. In the chapel immediately behind the high altar is a beautiful relief in marble, representing the death of St. Savinien, first bishop of Sens, who suffered martyrdom in 240. In the adjoining chapel is the mausoleum of the Dauphin, brother of Louis XVI., by G. Coustou, and statues of Archbishop Duperron and his nephew. In the next or 3d chapel, Becket used to officiate. The picture on the wall by Bouchet, 1846, represents his assassination. He stayed, 1166, in the abbey of St. Columba, 1 m. from the cathedral. It is now occupied by the Sœurs de l’Enfance de Jesus. The transepts are lighted by superb glass; but the best window is the second to the right on entering from the façade, painted in 1530 by Jean Cousin. In a glass case in the treasury are the mitre, albe, chasuble, stole, and maniple worn by Thomas à Becket; discovered in 1523 in an old house adjoining the cathedral; yet there does not exist sufficient evidence to prove that they are genuine. In the same case is an ivory crucifix by Girardon. In the case behind are enamels from Limoges, 15th century, and two small paintings on marble by A. del Sarto. Next them is valuable old tapestry. Near two shrines is a deed signed by St. Vincent de Paul. In one of the shrines is a bone of the arm of Simeon. Adjoining the cathedral is the hall, called the Officialité, restored by Violet le Duc. The convent of St. Colombes is about 1 m. from the church, and to the left of the high road. The only portion of the present buildings that existed in Becket’s time is the piece parallel to the Abbey Church. When in France, he lived chiefly in the Cistercian Abbey of Pontigny, 7 m. S. from St. Florentin, page 16, and 13 m. N.E. from Auxerre, page 14. +Becket+ was assassinated at the foot of the altar of St. Benedict in Canterbury cathedral in 1170, and canonised two years afterwards. Down to the Reformation pilgrimages were made to his shrine by devotees from every corner of Christendom. Every 50th year a jubilee was celebrated in his honour. [Headnote: TROYES.] 41 m. E. from Sens by the Chemin de Fer de l’Etat is TROYES, pop. 39,000. _Hotels_: At the station, the Grand Mulet. In the principal street, the Rue Notre Dame, the hotels Saint Laurent, Commerce. In the Rue Hôtel de Ville, the Hôtel des Couriers. [Headnote: CATHEDRAL. HENRY V.] Troyes, the former capital of Champagne, is situate on the Seine, canalised in the 12th century by Theobald IV. These canals move the machinery of numerous manufactories of hosiery, paper, and linen, which produce an annual average value of about two million pounds sterling. Troyes is famous for the number and beauty of its churches, of which the most important is the +Cathedral of St. Pierre et St. Paul+, situated at the eastern side of the town, the railway station being on the western or opposite side. This edifice, among the most beautiful in France, was commenced in 1208, but as it was not finished till the end of the 16th century, represents the different styles of these intermediate epochs. The fine western façade belongs to the 16th century, while the portal of the N. transept belongs to the 13th. Three hundred and seventy-eight steps lead to the top of the tower rising above the western façade. The building is 352 feet long, and the transept 154 feet. Two spacious aisles run up each side of the nave, separated by clustered columns supporting pointed arches, the front row being surmounted by a narrow mullioned triforium and a lofty clerestory, both lighted by beautifully-painted glass windows. The height of the roof of the nave is 92 feet, and of the cupola 192. The glass of the windows of the choir, of the roses in the transepts, and over the western entrance behind the organ, is of the 13th cent. The marble statues of Jesus and Mary in the first chapel, N. side of choir, are of the 16th cent., and the altar piece, with reliefs in wood, of the 17th cent. Before the high altar in this church Henry V. of England was affianced to the Princess Catherine, daughter of Charles VI. of France, on the 20th May 1420. Next day the famous treaty was signed, which secured the crown of France to Henry by the exclusion of the dauphin Charles, whenever the poor mad Charles VI. should cease to live. Behind the high altar in the Lady chapel is a Madonna by Simard, and the window containing the oldest glass in the church. A stair to the right of the high altar leads to the treasury, of no great interest. It contains croziers of the 13th century, reliquaries of St. Loup and St. Bernard, with enamels of the 12th century, a tooth of St. Peter in a small gold box, etc. In the reliquary of St. Bernard is a bit of the skull of an Irish primate, St. Malachie, who lived between the 11th and 12th centuries. A few yards to the N. of the cathedral is the building containing the _Library_, open from 10 to 3, with 125,000 volumes and 3600 MSS., in a large hall, with windows composed of curiously-painted panelled panes. Among the illuminated books are a Bible of St. Bernard and St. Paul’s Epistles, 12th century. In the same building are the +Museum+, or picture gallery, with paintings by Watteau, Coypel, Mignard, etc.; [Headnote: SALLE SIMARD.] and the _Salle Simard_, containing a valuable collection of the +Models made by Simard+ for his statues and works in relief. Also some statuary by Girardon, and other French sculptors. The museum is open to the public on Sundays and feast-days from 1 to 4. On other occasions a small fee is expected. A short distance eastward from the cathedral is the Hospice, and a little beyond St. Nizier, with painted panel panes in the window of the sacristy. The glass in the windows of the church is of the 16th century. Westward, in Rue Urbain IV., is a gem of Gothic architecture, the church of +St. Urbain+, built by that Pope towards the end of the 13th century. The high altar occupies the place where his father used to sit in the exercise of his calling, which was that of a cobbler. A short way N. is +St. Remi+, 14th century, with a bronze crucifix over the altar by Girardon. Directly W. from St. Urbain, by the Rue de l’Hotel de Ville, is the _Hotel de Ville_, built according to the plans of Mansard, commenced in 1624, and finished in 1670. Beyond is +St. Jean+, 14th century. The high altar was sculptured by Girardon, while the painting of the Baptism of our Lord, forming the reredos of the altar, is by Mignard. Behind, in the chapel “O Sacrum Convivium,” are some good relief sculptures. From St. Jean, pass up northwards by the Rue de Montabert. At the N. corner of the first division is the Post Office; and at the end of the next division is +La Madeleine+, commenced in the 12th century, and remarkable for its magnificent jubé, or rood-loft, constructed by Jean de Gualde in 1508. The beautiful windows behind the altar belong to the same period. The nearly flat roof might have been called an achievement in Gothic architecture, if the vaulting did not show signs of weakness. West from St. Jean is +St. Nicolas+, 16th century, near the Hôtel Mulet. To the right of the entrance a broad staircase leads up to a Calvary containing a colossal statue of Christ. In the chapel below is a statue of our Saviour by Gentil, representing him as rising from the dead. [Map: Troyes] Near St. Nicolas is St. Pantaleon, 16th century. To the right on entering is a Calvary by Gentil. On the panels of the pulpit are beautiful reliefs in bronze by Simard. Behind the pulpit is the chapel of St. Crispin, the patron of shoemakers, containing curious groups. The glass of the windows is rich, while the numerous statues on consoles give the church the appearance of a statue gallery. South from the church St. Pantaleon by the Rue de Croncels, and its continuation the Faubourg de Croncels, is the small chapel of St. Gilles. In this neighbourhood, 1½ mile northwards from the barracks of the Oratoire, by a road through gardens and fields, are the village and church of St. André, of which the principal feature is the west portal, constructed at the expense of the inhabitants in 1549, and ornamented by Gentil. Those who prefer to drive through the town should follow the order we have adopted. A cab for four costs 3 frs. per hour; and for two, 2 frs. However, before entering request to see the tariff. [Headnote: TROY WEIGHT.] The weight known by the name of the Troy weight was brought from Cairo during the time of the crusades, and first adopted in this city. Troyes was the headquarters of Napoleon I. during his struggles in 1814. [Headnote: VILLENEUVE-SUR-YONNE.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {79}{458} +VILLENEUVE-SUR-YONNE+, pop. 5100. _Hotel_: Dauphin. In the old castle here of Pulteau the man “au masque de Fer” spent some days while on his way to the Bastile (p. 158). Villeneuve is joined to its suburb, Saint Laurent, by a bridge 700ft. long. 5 m. beyond, or 84 m. from Paris, is St. Julien du Sault, pop. 1500. _Hotel_: Des Bons Enfants. A poor town, nearly a mile from the station, but possessing a fine church, of which the greater part of the choir, as well as the S. and N. porches, belong to the 13th cent., and the remainder of the edifice to the 14th-16th cents. Overlooking the town, and distinctly seen from the station, is a ruined chapel belonging to the 13th cent. {91}{446} +JOIGNY+, pop. 7000. A good resting-place. _Hotels_: The Poste, between the station and the bridge; the *Bourgogne, on the quay on the right bank of the Yonne, which is the principal promenade. The most important part of the town occupies the hill rising from the promenade, in which are situated St. André, the most prominent of all; St. Jean, 16th cent.; and St. Thibault, 15th cent. {96}{441} +LA ROCHE+, on the Canal de Bourgogne, at the confluence of the Armançon and the Yonne. Large refreshment-rooms. Junction with branch line to Les Laumes, 79½ m. southwards, passing by Auxerre, Cravant, Sermizelles, Vezelay, Avallon, and Semur. (See map on p. 1.) [Headnote: AUXERRE.] LA ROCHE TO AUXERRE, VEZELAY, AND LES LAUMES. 12½ m. S. from La Roche is Auxerre, pop. 16,500, on the Yonne and the hill rising from the river; Hôtel Laspard. Seen from the station, the most prominent object is the Cathedral, to the right is St. Germain, to the left St. Pierre, and, above St. Pierre, the Tour Guillarde or Clock Tower, at the market-place. The Cathedral, +St. Etienne+, was rebuilt in the 13th cent., over a crypt of the 11th. The tower over the western entrance is 230 feet high. The north and south portals are crowded with statues. The entire length of the church is 332 feet, and of the transepts 128 feet. 110 feet intervene between the floor and the vaulted roof of the nave and choir, and the pillars are 79 feet high. The great western window, and the end windows of the N. and S. transepts, contain superb glass set in light flamboyant tracery. Adjoining is the Préfecture, formerly the Episcopal Palace, built in the 13th cent. Near the Cathedral is the hospital and the church of St. Germain, with a curious crypt of the 9th cent., but restored in the 17th. Apply to the concierge at the gate beside the now isolated tower, 173 feet high, built in the 11th cent. St. Pierre, begun in the 16th and finished in the 17th cent., is in Italian-Gothic. Near the Hôtel de l’Épé is the church of St. Eusebe, founded in the 12th cent. The most remarkable parts of the church are the tower, the capitals of the fascicled columns, and the glass of the windows around the chapel of the Virgin behind the high altar. In the principal walk is a statue of Maréchal Davoust. Coach from Auxerre to Pontigny and Chablis. (For Pontigny, see page 16.) 13 miles east from Auxerre is Chablis, pop. 3000, Hôtel Lion d’Or, on the Serein. The vineyards, occupying 30,000 acres, produce the well-known white wine, of which the best growths are those of Val Mur, Vauxdésir, Grenouille, Blanchot, and Mont de Milieu. When the quality of the vintage is good, the wines are dry, diuretic, and of a flinty flavour. Cravant, pop. 1000, _Inn_: Hôtel de l’Espérance, on the Yonne, nearly a mile from the station, owing its importance to its position at the junction of the branch to Clamecy, 22 miles S., with the line to Les Laumes, 56 miles S.E. Cravant is 85 miles from Nevers by Clamecy, and 116 miles from Paris by La Roche. (See map, page 1.) [Headnote: SERMIZELLES.] 37¼ miles from La Roche, 14¼ miles from Cravant, and 42½ miles from Les Laumes is Sermizelles, the station for Vezelay (6¼ miles distant), for which a coach awaits passengers. Fare, 1½ fr. At the station there is a comfortable little inn, the Hôtel de la Gare, where a private vehicle can be had (20 frs.) for visiting Vezelay, Pont Pierre-Perthuis (for the view), 2 miles distant, and St. Pêre; then back to Sermizelles Station. See also p. 354. [Headnote: VEZELAY. BECKET.] +Vezelay+, pop. 1300. _Inn:_ Hôtel de la Poste. An ancient and decayed town on the top of a hill, possessing one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in France, the Church of the Madeleine; restored by Violet le Duc. The narthex belongs to the 12th cent., the nave and aisles to the 11th, and the choir and transept to the 12th and 13th. The length of the building is 404, and the height of the roof 70 feet. The exterior is unadorned, and supported by plain receding flying buttresses. The doors and tympanum of the western entrance are enclosed by a wide expanding circular arch with four sculptured ribs. Above rises a large window with boldly sculptured mullions. Within the doorway is a spacious narthex, of which the triforium is filled with antiquities connected with the monastery which adjoined the church. To appreciate the noble proportions, simplicity, and harmony of this vast edifice it is necessary to have the door between this narthex and the nave opened. The nave and aisles are lighted by forty small round-headed windows, and their roofs rest on forty semicircular arches springing from massive piers, with attached columns ornamented with the peculiar capitals of their period. A triforium runs round the transept and choir. Eleven circular columns, of one stone each, support the arches which enclose the sanctuary. From the S. side of the choir a door opens into what was formerly the “salle capitulaire,” built in the 12th cent. The cloister is a modern addition by Violet le Duc, who also constructed the altar in the beautiful crypt below the choir. Near the abbey church is St. Martin’s, 12th cent., and St. Etienne, now used as a storehouse. The Port St. Croix (15th cent.), as well as parts of the fortifications, still remain. Thomas à Becket celebrated mass in the Madeleine on the 15th May 1166; when also, with the awful forms provided by the Roman ritual, he pronounced sentence of excommunication against John of Oxford and others, and would have included Henri II. himself, had he not been informed that the King at that time was seriously ill. At Vezelay, in 1190, the crusaders under Richard Cœur-de-Lion joined those under Philippe-Auguste to set out on the third crusade. Vezelay is the birthplace of Theodore Beza (June 24, 1519), one of the pillars of the Reformed Church. In his arms Calvin expired. 1¼ m. from Vezelay is St. Pêre, pop. 2000, with a beautiful church of the 14th cent., but the elegant steeple is of the 13th. 5 m. from St. Pêre is the Château Baroche, which belonged to Marshal Vauban. [Headnote: SEMUR.] 9½ m. E. from Sermizelles by rail is +Avallon+, pop. 6000, on the Cousin. _Hotels:_ Chapeau Rouge; Poste. The parish church of St. Lazare, 12th cent., is a beautiful but somewhat peculiar specimen of Burgundian architecture. Coach awaits passengers at the station for Saulieu, 17 miles distant, pop. 4000. Hôtel de la Poste. An interesting town with a church, St. Andoche, 12th cent. The vineyards of Avallon produce good wine. The best keeps well in bottle from fifteen to twenty years. 10 miles S.W. from Avallon is the Forêt de Morvan, whence Paris receives firewood, sent down the Yonne and Seine in rafts. After Avallon comes Rouvray, with vineyards producing good wine, and then, 20 miles from Avallon and 12½ from Les Laumes, is Semur, pop. 4150. _Hotels:_ Côte d’Or; Commerce. Picturesquely situated on the Armançon, about a mile from the station. The parish church of Notre Dame was founded in 1065 by Robert I., Duke of Burgundy, rebuilt in the 13th cent., and repaired in 1450. The entrance is provided with a sculptured porch. The windows of the N. aisle contain fine old glass; the subjects are portrayed with great expression and quaintness. In this part is a beautifully wrought tabernacle of one stone 16½ feet high. At each transept is a small cloister. There are some pleasant walks around and about the town. The dungeon tower and part of the ramparts still remain. 12½ miles N.E. this branch line joins the main line at Les Laumes, 160 miles from Paris. (See page 19, and map page 1.) [Headnote: SAINT FLORENTIN.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {107½}{429½} +SAINT FLORENTIN+, pop. 3000. _Inns:_ At station, H. de la Gare. In town, H. Porte Dilo. Pilgrims to Pontigny alight here, whence a coach starts in the afternoon for Chablis and Ligny, passing within a mile of Pontigny. There is a small inn at the part where the Pontigny road separates from the Chablis road. Saint Florentin is on an eminence more than a mile from the station. The parish church, 12th to 15th cents., is small, but interesting. The windows contain 15th and 16th cent. glass, repaired with modern pieces. The sanctuary is surrounded by a screen composed of slender colonnettes standing diagonally, and is shut off from the nave by a beautiful rood-loft. Behind the high altar, which is elaborately sculptured, is a relief, 1548, sadly mutilated, representing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At Pontigny there is a small but comfortable inn, the Hôtel St. Éloi, but pilgrims to the shrine of St. Edmund are generally lodged in the abbey buildings. From Pontigny a coach runs every other day to Auxerre, 13 m. S.W., stopping at a café near the station. The greater part of the church of Pontigny was built in 1150. It is a plain vast edifice with narthex and round turret at main entrance. The interior, which is grand and imposing, is 355 ft. from W. to E., 72 ft. wide, and 72 high, and is upheld by 30 arches springing from lofty massive piers. There are 11 chapels in the choir, but none in the nave. A row of small round-headed windows extends round the church below the arches, and another, exactly similar, above them. In a shrine, 18th cent., behind the high altar are the bones of St. Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died in 1243 at a village in the neighbourhood. The original shrine, a plain wooden coffin, is upstairs in the cloister. The view of the interior of the building is spoilt by an ugly screen, rendered necessary to shut off the sanctuary from the rest of the church to make it more comfortable for the villagers, whose parish church it has now become. The abbey buildings, of which parts still remain in good condition, were inhabited by Becket. In the treasury is the black strip of a stole he used to wear, sewed on to another stole. Also relics of St. Edmund, and curious deeds connected with him and others, who had retired to this, then an austere Cistercian monastery. The walls of the cloister are hung with engravings representing scenes in the life of St. Edmund. Becket arrived at this abbey on the 29th of November 1164, and remained till Easter 1166. From Pontigny he went to Vezelay, and from Vezelay to Sens. [Headnote: TONNERRE.] {123}{414} +TONNERRE+, pop. 6000, on the Armançon. _Inns:_ Lion d’Or; Courriers-- both near each other. The street St. Pierre, to the left of the Lion d’Or, leads past the church of Notre Dame (now condemned) up to the cemetery, and to the church of St. Pierre, situated on a terrace right above the town. At the foot of this hill is a beautiful spring of water, enclosed in a circular basin about 40 feet in diameter, called the Fosse Dionne; but it is in a dirty part of the town, and used by the washerwomen. A straight street to the right of the Lion d’Or leads down to the hospital, built in 1834, the original part of which, built by Marguerite de Bourgogne in 1293, is now the church of the hospital. Her remains repose under a beautiful mausoleum in front of the high altar (died September 4, 1308). To the left is the mausoleum of the Marquis de Louvois (died 1691). The arrondissement of Tonnerre produces some excellent wine. [Headnote: TANLAY.] {127½}{409½} +TANLAY+, pop. 1000, on the Armançon. A small village with a handsome castle in an extensive park. The oldest part was built by Guillaume de Montmorenci, in 1520, but by far the largest portion by a brother of Admiral Coligny, in 1559. The vast façade is flanked by two wings. The principal court is 79 feet by 36. In a room in the second story of the Tour de la Ligue the leaders of the Protestant party used to meet under the presidency of Admiral Coligny. A fresco on the ceiling represents, under the disguise of the gods of Olympus, the persons who took the most prominent part in the political and religious events of that period. Catherine de Médicis is portrayed as Juno, Charles IX. as Pluto, and the Condé as Mars. Round the room are a series of curiously-constructed recesses, communicating with each other in the walls. The largest of the splendid chimney-pieces is 12½ feet high by 7 wide. Beyond the grounds are the ruins of the abbey of de Quincy, and the well of St. Gaultier, both of the 13th cent. At this station is a coach for Cruzy-le-Chatel, pop. 1000, time 1 hour 45 minutes, among forests, and famous for truffles. [Headnote: ANCY-LE-FRANC.] {136}{401} +ANCY-LE-FRANC+, pop. 2000. The fine castle here was commenced in 1545, and built according to the plans of Primaticcio. {142}{395} +NUITS-SOUS-RAVIERES+, pop. 700. Important junction with the Paris and Bâle line, by Troyes (see page 11), by a branch extending 72 miles north-east to Bricon, passing Châtillon, 22 miles north-east from Nuits. In the environs of Nuits-sur-Armençon are the ruins of the castle of Rochefort, 17th and 18th cents. [Headnote: MONTBARD.] {151}{386} +MONTBARD+, pop. 3000, on the Canal de Bourgogne. _Inn:_ Hôtel de la Poste. Buffon, the celebrated naturalist, was born in this small village on the 7th of September 1707. His château, a plain large house, is entered from the extremity of the main street farthest from the station. The grounds are extensive, and laid out in terraces. On the western front of the terrace is the small square house, with three windows and one door, into which he retired at five in the morning to pursue his studies. In another building he kept his manuscripts. In the grounds of the château, on the walk below the dungeon tower of the castle of the Dukes of Bourgogne, is the small column erected to his memory by his son, who fell a victim to the tyranny of Robespierre, only fifteen days before the downfall of that monster. Situated on a terrace at the entrance of the grounds is the parish church, containing the tomb of Buffon. A black stone slab over the door bears the following inscription:-- BUFFON A été inhumé dans le Caveau de cette chapelle Le 20 Avril 1788. There is also a bronze statue of him here. 3½ miles from Montbard is the abbey of Fontenay, founded in 1118; now a paper mill. {160}{377} +LES LAUMES.+ _Inn:_ H. Duvernet. Overlooking the station is Mount Auxois, 1370 ft. above the sea. Near the top, and about 1½ mile from the station, is the ancient Alesia (Alise-Sainte-Reine, pop. 900. _Inn:_ H. du Cheval Blanc), where Cæsar, B.C. 50, defeated the Gauls under Vercingetorix, whose statue by Millet, pedestal by V. le Duc, stands just above the hospital. The church of St. Thibault (14th cent.) has some curious sculpture. It is visited by pilgrims on the 7th of September. Four miles from Les Laumes is the Château Bussy Rabutin, in a beautiful park of 84 acres, built by Renaudin, one of the benefactors of the abbey of Fontenay, about the year 1150. It contains a valuable collection of portraits of historical personages by eminent artists. (See page 14.) {165}{372} +DARCEY+, pop. 850, 2 miles from its station, at the foot of steep mountains 1315 ft. high. _Inn:_ Hôtel Guyot. Near the village are curious caves, and a subterranean lake, the source of the Douix. Omnibus at station for +Flavigny+, 1½ mile distant, pop. 1300, on a hill 1390 ft. above the Lozerain. Remains of fine old walls. Church 13th cent., with rood-loft 16th cent. Houses of 13th, 14th, and 15th cents. Convent of the Ursulines, with splendid view. [Headnote: SOURCE OF THE SEINE.] {171¼}{365¾} +VERREY+, pop. 900. _Inns:_ Hôtel de la Gare; Bourbogne. Station for the +Source of the Seine+, 6¼ miles S. by the path over the hill through the woods, but 9¼ by the carriage-road, which follows the railway till the village of Villotte, pop. 800, where it ascends the hill towards Bligny-le-Sec, pop. 700, 5 miles from Verrey, and after passing the farmhouse Bonne Rencontre joins the Dijon road. Then turn to the left and follow the Dijon road to a few yards beyond the 33 kilomètre (Côte d’Or) stone, where take the narrow road to the left, which passes first the farmhouse Vergerois and then descends to the source of the Seine (1545 feet above the sea), under an artistic grotto in the midst of a little garden enclosed by a railing. The keeper lives in the house beyond. The tiny infant stream issues forth under the protection of a recumbent statue of the river divinity. Coach there and back 10 frs., or guide 5 frs. It is not necessary to return to Verrey. Those who please can go back by the Dijon road to St. Seine, on the Cressonne, 5 miles south, pop. 1000. _Inns:_ Mack; Soleil d’Or. With a 14th cent, church. A diligence runs between it and Dijon. The railway station for St. Seine is Blaizy-Bas, 7½ m. distant. {179}{358} +BLAIZY-BAS+, situated at the commencement of the tunnel which pierces through the basin of the Seine to that of the Rhône. It is 13,440 feet long, and 1330 feet above the sea. {190}{347} +VELARS+, pop. 1400. After the preceding station of Malain, and before reaching the next station, Plombières-sur-Ouche, there is some bold railway engineering. The viaduct of the Combe-Bouchard is on two tiers of arches and is 492 feet long, while that of Neuvon is 774 feet long. From Velars commences the branch to Nevers by Autun, 74½ miles from Nevers. (For Autun, see page 24.) [Map: DIJON The principal street is the Rue Guillaume. To the left is the Castle built by Louis XI., now the Gendarmerie. Beyond, at No. 1, are the Place and Statue of St. Bernard. No. 2 is the Préfecture. That large building at the foot of the Rue Condé, Nos. 4 and 5, is the ancient Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, containing the Hôtel de Ville, the Museums, and the Post Office. No. 3 is the Church of Notre Dame; No. 6 St. Michel; and No. 7 the Theatre. Opposite the Palace, at No. 9, is the Palais de Justice. The church near the station (No. 8) is St. Bénigne, easily recognised by its lofty needle spire. Close to it is St. Jean, the church of Bossuet.] [Headnote: DIJON.] {196}{341} +DIJON+, pop. 48,000. Good refreshment-rooms at the station. _Hotels:_ La Cloche, in the Rue Guillaume; and the Jura, near the station. Near the Cloche is the Galêre. Just outside the arch, the Bourgogne and the Nord. In the Rue Bossuet, the Genève. Dijon is famous for mustard, gingerbread, and the liqueur Cassis. Cabs, 1 fr. 75 c. the first hour, and 1 fr. 50 c. every succeeding hour. Coaches daily to Ancey, Fleury-sur-Ouche, La Cude, Cissey, and St. Seine. The St. Seine dil. starts daily from the inn, Hôtel du Commerce, 82 Rue Godrans, and takes about 3½ hours. From St. Seine an excellent road leads to the source of the Seine, 5 m. distant. (See page 19.) [Headnote: SALLE DES GARDES. MUSEUMS.] The most interesting buildings in Dijon are near the palace, which was inhabited by Jean Sans Peur, Philippe le Bon, and Charles le Temeraire; but of that ancient building there remain only the Tour de Brancion, the Salle des Gardes, the kitchens and vaulted rooms on the ground-floor, and the Tour de la Terrasse, 152 feet high, ascended by 323 steps, and commanding a bird’s-eye view of the whole town. The rest is modern, and is occupied by the Hôtel de Ville, the Post Office, the École des Beaux Arts, the Museums, and the Protestant church. The museum is on the right side of the great court, and is open to the public on Sundays. Other days a fee of 1 fr. is expected. In the +Salle des Gardes+ are the magnificent mausoleums of Philippe le Hardi, 1342-1404, and of his son Jean Sans Peur, 1371-1419, with his consort Margaret of Bavaria. Of the two, the first is the more elaborate. It is in pure black and white marble, set round with a delicate frieze, and adorned with forty statuettes representing his most famous contemporaries. Among the articles which belonged to them in this room are three beautifully-carved folding altar-screens for private chapel service; and, under a glass case, the ducal crown, the cup of St. Bernard, and the crozier of St. Robert, first abbot of the Cistercian order, died 1098. The chimney-piece in this hall is 30 feet high and 20 wide. Two statues of mail-clad knights stand on it, apparently a yard high each, but in reality 6 feet 2 inches. The picture-gallery contains a few choice paintings, and some good statuary. No. 402, St. Jerome, is considered one of the best. Down stairs is the Musée Archéologique, and the kitchen, nearly 50 feet square, and provided with 6 chimneys. Fronting the Palais is the Place d’Armes, with its shops and houses arranged in a kind of horse-shoe curve. Behind the palace runs the Rue des Forges. Nos. 34 and 36 is the Maison Richard, formerly the residence of the British Embassy to the Court of Burgundy. At the top of the spiral staircase is the “Homme au panier,” a statue 4 feet 6 inches in height, on a pedestal at the topmost step, representing a manciple or serving-man bearing a basket on his right shoulder, out of which spring, like so many stems of wheat, nearly a score of vaulting ribs for the roof that closes in the staircase. No. 38, the Maison Milsand has a fine Renaissance façade, also some sculpture in the court. On No. 52 and 54 of this same street is exhibited a reproduction of that kind of double arch seen in the Hotel de Ville. [Headnote: NOTRE DAME.] Close to the Rue des Forges is +Notre Dame+, consecrated in 1331, a very beautiful and interesting specimen of Burgundian architecture. At the east end is the house Vogue, in the Renaissance style, and farther east, in the Rue Chaudronnière, the Maison des Cariatides. A short distance from the front of the Hotel de Ville is the Palais de Justice, formerly the palace of the Parliament of Burgundy. The ceiling of the Cour d’Assises is of massive carved chestnut, 17th cent. The crucifixion in the same room is by Belle. At the end of the Salle des Pas Perdus is the pretty little chapel which belonged to the parliament house. Near the theatre is St. Etienne, founded in the 10th cent., and partly rebuilt in the 18th, but now the corn-market. At the end of this same street, R. Vaillan, is St. Michel, rebuilt in the 16th cent., with a few curious frescoes. Standing at the Arc de Triomphe, looking down the Rue Guillaume, we have, towards the left, the chateau built by Louis XI. in 1478, or rather what remains of it, converted into the Gendarmerie; and a little to the N.E. by a wide Boulevard, the Place and statue of St. Bernard, who was born (1091) at Fontaine Lez-Dijon, in the chateau beside the curious little church, 2 miles N.W. by the road of that name. [Headnote: ST. BENIGNE. ST. JEAN. BOSSUET.] Towards the right is St. Benigne, easily recognised by its slightly twisted needle spire, built in 1742, 300 feet high, and a little inclined by the tempest of 1805. The crypt and the porch belong to the 11th cent., the remainder to the 13th. In the south aisle is the slab tomb of Ladislaus Czartoryski (1388), and adjoining the beautiful mausoleum of Joannes Berbisey. In the N. aisle, in the baptistery chapel, are deposited the remains of Jean sans Peur. Near St. Benigne is St. Philibert, 12th cent., with a narthex and a beautiful crocketed spire. It is now used as an artillery store. From this the narrow street, Rue des Novices, leads to St. Jean, founded, as the tablet in the church states, in the 2d cent., rebuilt in 1458, and restored in 1866. The vault of the roof is bold, the tracery of the windows nearly rectilinear, and the mural paintings not without merit. Bossuet was baptised in this church, and born in No. 10 of this “Place,” 27th September 1627. Among the writings of this eloquent and illustrious prelate the finest is the funeral oration on the death of Henrietta Anne, the daughter of our Charles I., and wife of the Duke of Orleans. Southwards is St. Anne, 1690. [Headnote: ASILE DES ALIÉNÉS.] At the Octroi gate, beside the railway, is the entrance into the +Asile des Aliénés+, formerly the Chartreuse, founded by Philippe le Hardi in 1379. Fee, 1 fr. On the portal (14th cent.) of the chapel are the kneeling effigies of Philippe and his spouse Marguerite, accompanied by Sts. Antoine and Catherine, whose figures are portrayed in the beautiful glass (15th cent.) of the chancel windows. The visitor is next taken to the well called Le Puits de Moise, 22½ feet in diameter, consisting of a hexagonal pedestal, having on each side a statue of one of the prophets, by Claux Sluter in the 14th cent., the sculptor of the ducal monuments in the Palais des Etats. The statue of Moses is the least successful, and that of Zachariah the most expressive. The house contains on an average 500 patients. Dijon is not a town for sightseers, but an admirable town for resting during a long journey. The Cloche and Jura are comfortable houses, and although La Galêre is less so, its charges are more moderate, while its fare is better. There are a number of pleasant walks. Just beyond the arch is the Promenade du Chateau d’eau, and at the foot of the railway station the Botanic Gardens. Towards the extremity of the gardens is a black poplar 490 years old. The southern continuation of the Place de St. Etienne leads by the Rue Chabot Charny, the Place St. Pierre, and the Cours du Pari (1465 yards long), to the public park. From Dijon the rail runs southwards parallel to the slopes of the famous wine producing hills of the Côte d’Or, extending from N.E. to S.W., and attaining an elevation of 324 feet. Behind them rises another range, reaching the height of 1315 feet, and sheltering the lower range from the cold winds. Between Dijon and Meursault grow the first-class Burgundy wines; while south from Meursault follow the Macon wines. First-class Burgundy is at its best after having been ten years in bottle. The inferior classes can hardly stand three years. [Headnote: GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN.] {203}{334} +GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN+, 1¼ mile from station, pop. 2000. Famous for their first-class growths, of which the best are the red and white Chambertin. Bèze, St. Jacques, Mazy, and Vèroilles, in the commune of Gevrey, produce also first-class Burgundies. {206¼}{330¾} +VOUGEOT+, on the Vouge, pop. 500, ¾-mile from station. _Inn:_ Groffier. Here there are above 125 acres of vineyards producing first-class Burgundies. Among the most distinguished are the Romanée St. Vivant, Romanée Conti, Richebourg, and La Tache. {209½}{327½} +NUITS+, pop. 4000. _Inn:_ Trois Maures. Omnibus awaits passengers. The best vineyard here is the St. George, which produces a wine of an exquisite flavour and a delicate and delicious bouquet. The church, St. Symphorien, belongs to the 13th cent., and St. Denis to the 14th. 8 miles from Nuits is the abbey of Citeaux, now used as a house of detention for youthful criminals, who are trained here to be agricultural labourers. This abbey, founded by Robert de Molesme in 1098, had at one time 3600 dependent convents of the Cistercian order, and from it went forth four of its abbots, to assume the keys of St. Peter. The greater part of the buildings was rebuilt in 1798. [Headnote: BEAUNE.] {219}{318} +BEAUNE+, pop. 12,000. _Hotels:_ Chevreuil; France. On the stream Buzoise. This town is the headquarters of the merchants who deal in Burgundy wines, as Bordeaux is that of the claret merchants. Around it are the first-class vineyards of Beaune Pommard, Volnay, and Romanée. Of these the Volnay vineyards, extending over 532 acres, produce the most valuable wine, under the names of Bouche d’Or and Caillerets, and the Pommard under that of Commarine. The town is of poor appearance. The principal church, Notre Dame, founded in the 12th cent., contains semicircular and equilateral-triangled arches and cusped and Corinthian capitals. In the Place Monge, off the street de l’Ile, is a bronze statue to Gaspard Monge, the inventor of descriptive geometry, born at Beaune in 1746. To him France is indebted for the establishment of the Polytechnic School. Contiguous to the Chevreuil Inn is the hospital, built in the 15th cent.--a curious and interesting building. The Salle de Conseil upstairs is hung with Aubusson tapestry, and contains also a painting of the Last Judgment by Roger van der Weyden. Near Beaune is Savigny, with a château built in 1672; in the neighbourhood are the Fontaine Froide, the ruins of the abbey of St. Marguerite, and the Roche Percée. [Headnote: MEURSAULT.] {223½}{313½} +MEURSAULT+, pop. 3000, 1½ m. from the station. Omnibus awaits passengers for the Inn. The most distinguished wines produced here are the Goutte d’Or, a golden-coloured wine, and the Perrières, a dry white wine of a slightly sulphureous taste. In the neighbourhood is Puligny, where the delicious sparkling white wine called Montrachet is grown. {228}{309} +CHAGNY+, pop. 4200. _Inn:_ Commerce. Junction with line to Nevers 102 m. W., passing Nolay 5 m. W., Autun 26 m. W., Montchanin 18 m. W., and Le Creusot 22 m. W. (see page 25, and map page 1). From Chagny southwards commence the Macon wines, of which the vineyards around Chagny produce a first-class quality. Nolay, pop. 5000. _Inns:_ Cheval Blanc, La St. Marie. The vineyards in this neighbourhood produce a good white Macon. A few miles distant is the Vallon de Vaux-Chignon, below cliffs 200 ft. high. In a deep fissure is the source of the Cusane. 3¼ m. E. are the ruins of the castle Rochepot, 15th cent. In the church of the village is a remarkable echo. 8 m. beyond is Epinac, pop. 5000, with coal mines. [Headnote: AUTUN.] 26 m. W. from Chagny is +Autun+, pop. 13,000. _Hotels:_ Poste; Cloche. This modernised little town, the ancient Bibracte, claims with Trèves the honour of having been built before the Roman invasion. Cæsar spent a winter in this city with two Roman legions; and at a later period, when the Emperor Augustus went to Gaul, he made Bibracte his headquarters, and erected so many magnificent public buildings that the name of the town was changed to Augustodonum, modernised into Autun. Napoleon III., in his “History of Cæsar,” considers, however, that the site of Bibracte was on the summit of Mount Beauvray, 14 miles westwards, where coins of Gaul, mosaic pavements, fragments of pottery, and an enormous number of amphoræ, have been discovered. The walls of Autun were 10,000 feet in circumference and 8 feet thick, and were garnished with 40 towers, and pierced with four large gates, of which two--the Porte d’Arroux, 55 feet high, and the Porte St. André, lately restored--still remain. The Porte d’Arroux and the temple of Janus (a plain square tower) are behind the railway station. But the Porte St. André, adjoining an ancient church, is on the town side of the line at the Faubourg St. Jean. The +Cathedral+, which commands the entire city, was completed in 1178. The architecture of the modern portions is Gothic, but the more ancient is Romanesque. The two towers have been restored and adorned with Gothic spires. The interior contains several windows of painted glass. The entrance is by a handsome open portico with sculptured arches and columns. From the Porte St. Blaise (straight up from the cathedral) a cross road leads to the Pierre Couchard (Coarre), a pyramidal monument of great antiquity. In the College is the Public Library, with 12,000 volumes; and the Picture Gallery, containing paintings by Horace Vernet. In 1789 Talleyrand, afterwards Prince Talleyrand, was Bishop of Antun. [Headnote: MONTCHANIN.] 73 m. E. from Moulins, 86 m. E. from Nevers, 18 m. W. from Chagny, is +Montchanin+, pop. 2500. _Inn:_ H. des Minis; its omnibus awaits passengers. The town, nearly a mile from the station, consists chiefly of the houses of the workmen employed in the surrounding coalpits, foundries, and large artistic brick and tile works. Outside the town is the Étang Berthaud, the reservoir of the Canal du Centre, which connects the Saône with the Loire, between Chalon and Digoin. [Headnote: LE CREUSOT.] 78¼ m. E. from Nevers, 7¾ m. W. from Montchanin, and 26 m. W. from Chagny, is +Le Creusot+, pop. 25,000, of whom 6300 are employed in the ironworks. _Hotels:_ Commerce; Rodrigue, near each other in the principal street, the Rue d’Autun. Their coaches await passengers. Le Creusot is on the southern slope of one of the wooded hills which enclose this valley, 1¼ mile long and ½ mile wide, occupied by the coal-pits, forges, and foundries of Schneider et Cie, bought by them from the former owners, Manby, Wilson, and Co. Detached straggling suburbs occupy the other slopes of the hills. In all the general feature is the same, rather untidy streets and houses, with parks, shops, and cafes to suit. The streets are full of children, but few priests, policemen, and beggars. In the principal square, near the two hotels, is a statue by H. Chapu of Eugene Schneider, erected in 1878 by the workmen and inhabitants. The view of the works from the road is imposing, and, although they contain a forest of chimneys and all manner of powerful machinery, there is no noise. West from Le Creusot, and 65¼ m. E. from Nevers, is +Etang+, with an ancient castle. 51½ m. E. from Nevers is Luzy, pop. 3000, on the Alène. _Inn:_ H. Delaigue, close to station. Coach 12 m. to St. Honoré-Les-Bains, with alkaline sulphureous springs, 90° Fahr. 33 m. E. from Nevers is Cercy-la-Tour, on the Aron, 53 m. south from Clamecy by the rail, skirting the Canal Nivernais. _Inn:_ H. de la Croix, close to station. 23½ m. E. from Nevers is Decize, pop. 4800. _Inns:_ Paris; Commerce. Omnibus awaits passengers. Situated on an island in the Loire, at its junction with the Aron and the Canal Nivernais, which commences here and flows into the Yonne at Auxerre. The parish church has a choir of the 11th, nave of the 16th, and crypt of the 10th cent., containing the tomb of St. Aré. Foundries, glass bottle works, and coal-mines. Coach from Decize to La Machine 80 minutes. [Headnote: CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {235}{302} +CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE+, pop. 21,000. _Hotels:_ at the station, Hôtel Bourgogne; in the town, Chevreuil; Commerce; Trois Faissans. Steamer to Macon and Lyons. Chalon is a quiet town situated on an extensive plain on the Saône, at the mouth of the Canal du Centre, both lined with good quays. The chief structures are--St. Vincent, a Gothic edifice of the latter part of the 13th cent., occupying the site of a church founded in 532; St. Peter, 1713, with two lofty steeples; and the hospitals of St. Laurent and St. Louis. Chalon has two stations--one in the town, and another at St. Come, where the express trains halt. 2 miles from Chalon is St. Marcel, where Abélard died 1142. The church still remains, but the monastery has disappeared. A few miles west by coach is Givry, pop. 3200, with first-class vineyards. Rail to {243}{294} +VARENNES.+ South from this station the train passes before the abbey of St. Ambreuil. {254}{283} +TOURNUS+, on the Saône, pop. 6200. _Inn:_ Hôtel Sauvage, not clean. An untidy town on the Saône, with remains of Roman fortifications. In the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville is a marble statue of Greuze, erected by the citizens in 1868. Jean Baptiste Greuze, some of whose works are among the finest paintings of the French school in the Louvre, was born here on August 21, 1725. The parish church, St. Philibert, is an interesting Gothic monument, of which the earliest portions belong to the 9th and the latest to the 16th cent. The interior is ornamented with mosaics. The Hôtel Dieu was founded in 1674, the Hospice de la Charité in 1718, and the Hôtel de Ville more recently. The vineyards of Tournus produce good wines. [Map: The Rhone & Savoy with the passes from France into Italy.] [Headnote: MACON.] {274}{263} +MACON+, pop. 20,000. At station, large refreshment-rooms. Junction with line to Bourg, 41 m. E. _Hotels._--Near the station, H. Étrangers. In town the Europe, on the Quai du Nord, near the landing-place from the steamers, which sail daily up and down the Saône, between Chalons, Macon, and Lyons. In the centre of the town are the hotels Champs Elysées and Sauvage. Macon is the great depôt of the Macon wines, an inferior Burgundy. The finest part of the town extends along the quays which line the right side of the Saône, crossed by a stone bridge of 12 arches, uniting Macon with its suburb Saint Laurent on the left side of the river. The oldest edifice is the +Cathedral+ of St. Vincent, built in the 12th cent. The arches are stilted, the columns Romanesque, and the porch arcaded. Next to it is the Préfecture, formerly the Episcopal palace. In this neighbourhood, at No. 21 Rue des Ursulines, is the house where Lamartine was born. On a black marble slab over the door are the words:--Ici est né Alphonse-Marie-Louis De Lamartine, le 21 Octobre 1790. In the Rue Dombey is an old timber house, and towards the station, the beautiful church of St. Pierre, built in 1865, in the Romanesque style, and decorated with frescoes. Opposite is the Hôtel de Ville. From Macon a branch line extends 48 miles westward to Paray-le-Monial, passing Cluny, 15 miles from Macon. From Macon a line extends to Geneva 74 m. E., by Bourg 13½ m. E., Nantua and Bellegards 39¾ m. E. (See Black’s _France_, North Half, and map page 1.) [Headnote: CLUNY.] +Cluny+, pop. 5000. In the valley of the Grosne. _Hotels:_ Bourgogne; Pavilions--both near each other. This is the place where Guillaume-le-Pieux founded in the 10th cent, the famous abbey of Cluny. The abbey buildings are now used as a school. Of the abbey church an insignificant portion alone remains, and of it the most interesting part is the spire. In the Chapelle des Bourbons (15th cent.) are enormous corbels under the empty niches. About 300 yards distant is the Maison Abbatiale, 15th cent., with flattened elliptical-headed windows and ogee arches over the doors. At the entrance is a collection of columns, capitals, etc., from the first church founded in the 10th cent. Upstairs there is a small museum; entrance, ½-franc each. [Headnote: PARAY-LE-MONIAL.] 41½ m. E. from Moulins and 33 m. from Montchanin is Paray-le-Monial, pop. 3700, on the Bourbince. _Inns:_ The Poste, the best; across the bridge, the Lion d’Or; at the head of the principal street, near the Palais de Justice, the Trois Pigeons and the Commerce; opposite the Chapelle de la Visitation, the Inn H. des Pelerins. The Palais de Justice, with the clock tower, occupies the remains of an edifice built in the 16th cent., to which date belongs also the house close to it, occupied by the Mairie and the Post Office. A little way down the Bourbince is the formerly abbey, now the parish church, founded in the llth cent., but nearly rebuilt in the 12th cent. Over the façade rise two elegant square towers with pyramidal roofs, llth cent.; while from the centre of the transepts rises an octagonal tower in 2 stages, surmounted by a tapering 8-sided slated spire. From the apse radiate chapels adorned with dental friezes and short attached columns. From this church, the narrow street, the Rue de la Visitation, leads up to the nunnery of the Visitation, an order instituted in 1620, and established in Paray on the 4th September 1626 by 8 nuns from the monastery of Bellecour at Lyons. In 1633 they commenced to build their chapel, which was repaired in 1823, and restored and beautified in 1854. To this chapel the order attach great importance, as it was in this building that Marguerite-Marie Alacoque had most of her interviews with J. C. In the interior the walls and roof are painted light brown, with frescoes and marguerites or daisies, but so hung with banners and votive offerings, chiefly hearts, that little of them is seen. The first picture, right hand, represents J. C. and 3 angels before Marguerite. The 2d, J. C., with flowing yellow hair and dressed in white, stoops to touch with his heart (which is very red and outside his garment) the head of the kneeling Marguerite, who holds her hands up near to her neck. The 3d is a full-length portrait of her. To the left of entrance the pictures are--1st, a Vision; 2d, Mary, sitting on a cloud, has put the child Jesus into the arms of Marguerite; 3d, life-size statues of J. C. and Marguerite. The picture over the high altar represents the interview in this place, when J. C. is said to have declared to Margaret: “I have chosen and sanctified this chapel, that my eyes and my heart may remain here for ever.” On the 2d July 1688 Mary, in great pomp and majesty, accompanied by numerous angels, appeared to Marguerite, and told her that the orders of the “Visitation” and of “Jesus” (the Jesuits) were to have the special charge of the worship of the sacred heart. For this worship there is a regular litany, containing 31 invocations to the heart of J. C. In many of the Romanist churches is a picture representing one of the above incidents. The bones of Marguerite, covered with flesh-like wax, and attired in the habit of the order, recline on a silver embroidered cloth in a coffin-like shrine of richly-gilt, tiny glazed arches set with rock-crystal. The face and hands are uncovered. The body is 5 ft. long. On her feast day the shrine is placed beside the Communion rail; at other times it is kept within the very beautiful altar-table, made of one piece of pure white marble. Marguerite-Marie Alacoque was born 22d July 1647, in the village of Versovres, near Autun, entered the convent of the Visitation in Paray on the 25th May 1671, and took the vows on the 6th November 1672. On the day when J. C. told her she had been chosen by him to propagate the worship of his heart, she was seized with a pain in her own heart, which continued throughout her life. She met at first with great opposition in her endeavours to institute the worship of the heart, and her sister nuns treated her as a visionary till 1675, when the R. P. de la Colombière, superior of the Jesuit establishment at Paray, became her convert. In her last illness she said: “I shall die in peace, because the heart of my Saviour commences to be known.” She died in October 1690, and was canonised by Pio IX. on the 14th October 1864. Since the institution of N. D. de Lourdes and de la Salette the number of pilgrims has decreased. In Paray there are 3 nunneries and a vast building belonging to the Jesuits. From Macon the railway continues its course by the side of the Saône, whose banks become now more picturesque. From Macon use map on page 26. [Headnote: ROMANECHE.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {283}{254} +ROMANECHE+, pop. 3000. _Inn:_ Commerce. Produces a delicate light wine, with a pleasant flavour and bouquet, called Moulin-a-Vent, which should be drunk in the second year from the vintage. [Headnote: BELLEVILLE.] {288½}{248½} +BELLEVILLE+, pop. 4000. The first part of the town is St. Jean, and the next Belleville, 1¼ m. from the station, with a comfortable little inn, the H. Jambon. Omnibus at station. The church, 12th cent., has small round-headed and pointed windows, with some good glass, especially in those of the square towers at the end of the transept, and the small circular window over the west portal. This is the headquarters of the Beaujolais wines. From Belleville a branch line extends 10 m. W. to Beaujeu, pop. 4000, on the Ardière. Church, 13th cent., and some curious houses. (Map, page 26.) {297}{240} +VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAÔNE+, pop. 12,600, on the river Morgan, near the Saône. _Hotels:_ Provence; Europe. Containing important linen manufactories, and vineyards producing a good white wine. The parish church, N. D. des Marais, was commenced in the 14th cent. 5½ m. S. is Trévoux station, 1½ m. from the town, pop. 3000, on the E. bank of the Saône. _Inns:_ Terrasse; France. The Jesuits compiled and printed in this town the _Journal de Trévoux_ in 1701, and the _Dictionnaire de Trévoux_ in 1704. {306}{231} +ST. GERMAIN AU-MONT-D’OR+, junction with line from Paris to Lyons, by Roanne and Tarare. [Headnote: LYONS.] {318}{219} +LYONS+, pop. 343,000. The Perrache railway station is 218 m. from Paris, 219 m. from Marseilles, 78 m. from Aix-les-Bains, 36½ m. from Bourg, 104 m. from Geneva, 36 m. from St. Etienne, 56 m. from Roanne, 100 from Vichy, and 214 m. from Turin. _Hotels (first-class)._--H. de l’Europe, admirably situated, with one side to the Saône and the Tilsit bridge, and the other to the Place Bellecour, the terminus of some of the best trams. In the Rue de la République are the H. Collet and the H. de Lyon. H. Bellecour in the Place Bellecour. H. des Beaux Arts in the R. de l’Hôtel de Ville, also well situated. In the Place Perrache, below the station, are the hotels Univers, Angleterre, Bordeaux et du Parc. _Less expensive Hotels._--The H. du Globe; and the Havre et du Luxemburg--both near the Place Bellecour. Near the Place des Terreaux in the R. Platière, the H. de Paris et du Nord. Near the Bourse, the H. des Négociants, a large house frequented chiefly by commercial men. Near the Négociants, at No. 47 Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville, the H. Bayard. Hôtel des Étrangers, Place de la République. Hôtel de Toulouse et de Strasbourg, 8 frs., in the Place Perrache, opposite the station. Hôtel National, opposite the theatre. On the Quai do la Charité, near the General Hospital, the H. Bourne. A great many diligences start from this neighbourhood. Hôtel de France et des 4 Nations, 9 Rue St. Catherine, close to the Place des Terreaux, one of the cheapest. Among the best cafés are the Café Anglais, opposite the Bourse; Casati, No. 8; Café Neuf, No. 7; and Maderni, No. 19 R. de la République; Café du Rhône, Place Bellecour. They have English newspapers. In Lyons the term Comptoir is applied to bars where wines, cordials, and brandies are sold. _Post Office._--Head Post Office in the Place de la Charité, at the south end of the Place Bellecour. Branch Post Offices in the arcade of the Place des Terreaux and 39 Cours Morand. _Telegraph._--Head office, No. 53 Place de la République. Branch offices--Perrache station, St. Paul station, and No. 38 Cours Morand. [Headnote: RAILWAY STATIONS. CAB FARES.] _Railway Stations._--The great and central station is the +Gare de Perrache+, in the centre of the tongue of land between the Rhône and the Saône. From it passengers can reach any place, excepting those on the railway to Bourg. The +Bourg or Satonay+ railway station is at the top of the Rue Terme, a street commencing near the N.E. corner of the Place des Terreaux. From the Rue Terme the train is pulled up the hill by a rope in the same way as at Fourvière. The gradient is 16 per 100, and the distance 547 yards. At the top station, in the Boulevard de la Croix Rousse, passengers for Bourg enter the ordinary railway carriages. The rope railway runs every 5 minutes, fare 1d., and forms a convenient way of escaping from the damp foggy atmosphere of Lyons. The Dombes or +St. Paul’s+ railway station is for Montbrison, 40 m. S.W. The Vaise and Brotteaux stations are auxiliaries of the Perrache station. The Brotteaux station, situated on the confines of the Parc de la Tête d’Or, is the terminus of the best of the trams. CAB FARES +-------------------------+-----------------------+----------------+ | | DE 7 H. DU MATIN | DE MINUIT | | | a Minuit. | a 7 H. du Mat. | | KIND OF CAB. +-------+-------+-------+-------+--------+ | | La |La 1re.| Les H.| La | | | |course.|heure. | suiv. |course.|l’heure.| +-------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+--------+ |A 2 places (coupés) | 1 25 | 1 50 | 1 25 | 1 65 | 2 50 | |A 4 places (berlines) | 1 50 | 2 | 1 50 | 2 | 3 | |Voitures découvertes | | | | | | | à 2 places| 1 75 | 2 | 1 75 | 2 15 | 3 | | à 4 places| 2 | 2 50 | 2 | 2 50 | 3 50 | +-------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+--------+ The “coupés” are cabs with a seat for two. The “berlines” are cabs with 2 seats for four. Each portmanteau 25 c. At the railway stations the omnibuses from the hotels await passengers. [Map: Lyons] [Headnote: TRAMWAYS. THEATRES. STEAMERS.] _Tramways._--The fares are moderate, and most of the cars comfortable. The best to take to see the principal parts of the town is the large roomy car running between the Perrache railway station and the Brotteaux railway station, passing through the P. Perrache, P. Henri IV., Rue Bourbon, P. Bellecour, R. and P. de la République between the Hôtel de Ville and the Grand Theatre, across the bridge Morand, and up the Cour Morand to the terminus at the Brotteaux railway station. At the Brotteaux terminus the road by the side of the fort “des Charpennes” leads in 5 minutes into the Parc de la Tête d’Or (see page 40), which having visited, return either by the same car, starting every 10 minutes, or by the other, whose terminus is in the Quai de la Charité. The outside of the cars, taken also by ladies, costs 3 sous; inside, 4. The two most important places to visit on the return journey are the Palais des Arts (page 35), and the silk museum in the Bourse (page 38). Tram between the Place de la Charité and Oullins every 15 minutes; fare outside, 3 sous. To visit the meeting-place of the two rivers, come out at the bridge before crossing the Saône. Oullins, 3¼ m. from Lyons, pop. 4000, is approached also by rail from Lyons. _Theatres._--The +Grand Théâtre+, between the Hôtel de Ville and the Rhône. Boxes and front stalls, 6 frs. The +Théâtre des Célestins+, between the Rue St. Dominique and the Saône. Boxes, 6 frs.; stalls, 4 frs. +Théâtre Bellecour+, No. 85 Rue de la République, quite a new theatre, with all the modern comforts and appliances, and seated for 3000. The prices vary according to the subject. For an opera the stalls cost 7 frs. each; for a play, 4 frs. There are also the Théâtre des Variétés, Cours de Morand; Théâtre du Gymnase, 30 Quai St. Antoine; and the Théâtre de l’Elysée, 3 Place de la Victoire. _Steamers on the Saône_ (Les Guèpes).--Sail between the Quai St. Antoine (to the north of the Bourse) and Collonges, calling at the Ile Barbe. In summer 5 departures daily. Les Mouches, or penny boats, sail from the quay near the Place Perrache, by the side of the Pont du Midi, to the Pont du Port Mouton on the Quai de Vaise, calling on the way at numerous stations. From the Pont du Port another set of penny boats ascend to St. Rambert, calling likewise at numerous stations on the way. Opposite St. Rambert is Cuire, and between them in the centre of the river is the Ile Barbe. The large steamers Parisiens sail in summer between the Quai St. Claire on the +Rhône and Aix-les-Bains+ on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Fare, 9 frs. Another line sails between Lyons and Avignon, calling at the principal towns on the way, but chiefly for the landing and shipping of cargo. [Headnote: SIGHTS.] _Sights._--Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière (see below). Drive in tram car, outside if possible, between the Place Perrache and the Brotteaux railway station, page 31. The Parc de la Tête d’Or, page 40. The galleries in the Palais des Arts, page 35. The museum of silk manufacture, page 38. Lyons is a strongly-fortified city, intersected by two of the largest rivers in France, the Rhône and the Saône, which form as they approach each other the isthmus, 545 ft. above the sea, on which the finest part of the city is built. This portion is traversed by three great streets, the Rue de la République, the R. de l’Hôtel de Ville, and the R. Centrale, and contains the three most important and beautiful squares, the Places Perrache, Bellecour, and Des Terreaux. The Place Perrache, in front of the station, was planted with trees in 1851. In the centre was a bronze statue of Napoleon I. by Nieuwerkerke, which was taken down in 1870 and afterwards destroyed by order of the municipality. In its place is a fountain. The Place Bellecour (Bella-Curia), 339 yards long and 328 yards wide, is also planted with trees. In the centre is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. by Lemot, which occupies the place of a former one by Desjardins, destroyed in 1793. Trams to all the important parts of the city run through these two squares. The Place des Terreaux, flooded with human blood in 1794, during the reign of terror, has on the south side the Palais des Arts, on the east the Hôtel de Ville, and on the west a block of buildings pierced by an arcade decorated by P. Delorme and Maupin (see page 37). The Rhône is crossed by 9 bridges, and the Saône by 13. The extent of substantial and spacious quays on both sides of these rivers measures 24 miles. For sailing on the Rhône the best steamers are the Bateaux Parisiens, starting from the quay in front of the Place Tholozan behind the Hôtel de Ville, and plying between Lyons and Avignon. For short sails on the Saône the Bateaux Mouches are very convenient, page 31. [Map: Lyons] [Headnote: NOTRE-DAME-DE-FOURVIÈRE. ROPE RAILWAY.] The most prominent building in Lyons is the church of +Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière+, standing on the site of the forum erected by Trajan, the Forum Vetus or Foro Vetere; whence the term Fourvière is supposed to be derived. It ought to be visited as early as possible, even should there be no time for anything else, on account of the excellent bird’s-eye view of the city obtained from it and its terraces. At the west end of the bridge of +Tilsitt+ across the Saône, at the upper side of the “Place,” is the rope railway, which ascends through tunnels the hill of Fourvière, the length of the Place des Minimes about ¾ of the way up the hill. Fare, 5 sous. From the station walk up, right hand, by the broad road, l’Antiquaille. At the highest part of this road is a large ugly edifice, the Hôpital de l’Antiquaille, especially devoted to the treatment of insanity and of cutaneous diseases. It has accommodation for 600 patients, and occupies the site of the Roman palace in which Claudius and Caligula were born. From in front of this hospital commences a narrow steep road called the Montée de Fourvière, lined nearly all the way with little shops stocked with wares for the pilgrims and devotees, such as images, crucifixes, amulets, chaplets, medals, photographs, and books. At the top are restaurants and hotels. [Headnote: OBSERVATOIRE GAY. ST. PAUL.] On the summit, 1206 feet above the sea and 410 feet above the Saône, is the chapel of the “miraculous” image of Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière, from which rises a domed tower crowned with a gilt image of Mary 6½ ft. high. This tower is ascended by 200 steps, fee 25 c., and commands a superb view of the city and environs. Lyons and its two great rivers are immediately below, while in the distance, if the weather be clear, Mont Blanc is distinctly seen. As for the sacred image itself, in the church below, it is about the size of a big doll, and the child rather less. The number of worshippers having become so great, the adjoining church, which is more elegant and much more commodious, was constructed in 1884. It stands on the very brow of the hill, and is the most prominent object in Lyons. In shape it is rectangular, with at the eastern termination an octagonal tower 115 ft. high, which forms the chancel. At each of the four corners is a similar tower, and in each of the two sides are three large windows separated by buttresses like square towers. Round the top of the building as well as of the towers extends a balustrade of stiff sculpture resembling acanthus leaves. The large buildings in the neighbourhood are convents. A little eastward is the “Observatoire Gay,” from which a steep path, the Montée des Carmes Déchaussées, 536 yards long, descends to the city, reaching it by the side of the station of the Chemin de Fer des Dombes (page 30). Near this station is the church of St. Paul, all modern excepting the beautiful N. portal, the handsome octagonal lantern resting on pendentive arches, a few of the windows, and part of the walls which belonged to the original church of the 11th cent. The old walls which remain in all the early churches of Lyons are characterised by the enormous size of the stones of which they are composed. Beyond is the bridge of St. Vincent. [Headnote: ST. IRÉNÉE.] The Terminus of the rope railway from the Pont Tilsit is at No. 42 Rue Trion, higher and to the N.W. of Fourvière and within a very short distance of the church of +St. Irénée+, on the summit of a hill in the suburb of St. Just. On the terrace at the east end of St. Irénée are a Via Crucis and Calvary, commanding a superb view of the plain watered by the Rhône and the Saône. By the N. side of the church is the entrance into the crypt. The first flight consists of 25 steps; and the second, which terminates in the crypt, of eight. On the first arch across the first flight an inscription states: “Cette crypte fut construite par St. Patient evéque de Lyon au V siècle sur l’emplacement du lieu ou St. Pothin et St. Irénée, envoyés a Lyon par Polycarpe disciple de l’apôtre St. Jean, reunissaient les premiers chretiens. De nombreux martyrs y furent ensevelis.” On the second arch another inscription states that in 1562 the Calvinists having injured the crypt and thrown the bones of animals among those of the saints, Grolier, Prior of St. Irénée, restored the building, separated the bones, and placed those of the saints in that small vault to the right, at the foot of the first flight. In the centre of the crypt is a now covered up well, the original resting-place of the martyrs, down which their bodies were thrown till it overflowed with blood, in the reign of Septimius Severus, A.D. 202. To visit the calvary and crypt apply to the concierge, 50 c. The church of St. Irénée has nothing particular. To the west, in the parish of Ste. Foy, are the remains of the Roman aqueduct which brought water to the city from Mont Pilat. It was 52 miles long, and capable of supplying 11,000,000 gallons per day. At present the water-supply of Lyons is obtained from the Rhône. [Headnote: CATHEDRAL OF ST. JEAN.] Opposite the commencement of the rope railway, and close to the Tilsit bridge, is the +Cathedral+ of Saint Jean, founded in the 8th cent., repaired by Archbishop Leydrade, friend of Charlemagne, and reconstructed almost entirely three centuries later. The chancel dates from the end of the 12th cent., the lower part of the façade from the 13th, and the upper from the 14th cent. The exterior is chastely decorated, but the four towers are too low. The interior, 259 ft. from W. to E. and 108 ft. high, contains some brilliant 13th, 14th, and 15th cent. glass. The wheel window at the west end resembles a fully-blown flower. The clerestory windows are majestic and graceful. First, right hand, is the chapel built by the Cardinal de Bourbon and his brother Pierre, son-in-law of Louis XI. The two windows bearing their portraits, and the curious wheel window at the end, are admirable. The soffits of the arches and the vault of the roof are richly decorated. In the N. transept is the now useless clock made by Nicholas Lippeus of Basel in 1508. The founder of the See of Lyons was St. Pothinus, an Asiatic Greek, who preached in this city A.D. 177, and sealed his doctrines with his blood. Adjoining the S. aisle is the Manécanterie, 11th cent., formerly the bishop’s place, now the music school for the choristers. A little farther down the river is the church of St. George (rebuilt) occupied in the 13th cent. by the +Knight Templars+. Above the cathedral is the Palais de Justice, planned by Baltard, the architect of the large market, the Halles Centrales of Paris. In front is a colonnade of 24 Corinthian columns. The hall is spacious and elegant, but the court rooms around it are too small. The bridge higher up--the Pont de Nemours--leads directly to the church of +Saint Nizier+, with the façade towards the bridge and the chancel towards the Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville. The handsome portal surmounted by twin spires is by Philibert Delorme, a native of Lyons, and dates from the 16th cent. The rest of the building belongs to the 15th cent. In the interior a broad triforium with heavily-canopied window-openings surrounds the church. The vaulting shafts expand in a curious way over the roof. In the chapel of the south transept is a statue of Mary by Coysvox. At the foot of the pier in this transept a trap-door opens into the crypt, 10th cent. At the south side of the Palais des Arts is St. Pierre, a modern edifice, with a beautiful portal of the 11th cent., all that remains of the original church. [Headnote: PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS.] On the south side of the Place des Terreaux is the +Palais des Beaux-Arts+, built in 1667, formerly a convent of the Dames Bénédictines de Saint-Pierre. It contains the picture galleries and the museums. Open to the public on Sundays, Thursdays, and feast-days, from 11 to 4, and to strangers daily. [Headnote: MUSÉE LAPIDAIRE.] Admirably arranged under a wide corridor round the great court are the ancient marbles or +Musée Lapidaire+, one of the best in Europe. The sepulchral inscriptions form a most interesting series of epitaphs, in many instances most tender and affecting. Indeed, reading these records of the love of kindred among the ancient heathen, from the Augustan age upwards, one would incline to believe that the Romans of that day were already “feeling after” Christianity. In the left corner of the court on entering is the stair which leads up to the Archæological Museum and the Picture Gallery, both on the first floor. Up on the second floor is the collection of paintings by the “peintres lyonnais.” [Headnote: MUSÉE ARCHÉOLOGIQUE.] The Musée Archéologique is well arranged and carefully labelled. The only object we would indicate, as it is apt to be overlooked, is the bronze table, A.D. 48, in the second room left hand, with inscribed portions of the harangue of Claudius before he became emperor, imploring the senate to grant to Lyons, his native city, the title of a Roman colony. The letters are beautifully cut and easily legible. This table was discovered in 1528 on the heights of Saint Sébastien. Germanicus, and the Emperors Claudius, Marcus Aurelius, and Caracalla, were also born in Lyons. The father of St. Ambrose was for some time prefect of Lyons. In the same room is a decree of the Egyptian pontiffs in hieroglyphics. There is a good collection of seals, coins, enamels, armour, carved work, and bronzes, as well as some necklaces, bracelets, rings, and coins, part of a treasure buried during the Roman period on the Fourvière heights, and discovered in 1811. The numismatic collection, 30,000 pieces, includes a series of the coins struck at Lyons from 43 B.C. to 1857. Adjoining and on the same floor is the Picture Gallery, contained in six small rooms, of which the first three contain the Flemish and Dutch schools, the next two the Italian and Spanish schools, and the sixth the French school. They are all carefully labelled. Among the pictures which represent the Flemish school are works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Teniers, Van Dyck, Holbein, Stein, Dietrich, Breughel, Wouvermans, and Ruysdael. The Italian and Spanish schools are represented by Canaletto, Sasso Ferrati, Guercino, Zucharo, Murillo, Ribera, Zurbaran, etc. On the floor of the fourth room is a remarkably perfect mosaic pavement, 5½ yards by 3, representing chariot races in the Circus. It was discovered near the church of Ainay. [Headnote: GALERIE CHENAVARD.] In the S.E. corner a handsome staircase leads up to the Galerie Chenavard on the first floor, containing large cartoons drawn by him illustrative of the scenes which accompanied the introduction of Christianity into France. They were intended for the Pantheon of Paris, but, the age of reason supervening, they were not sent. On the floors are three beautiful mosaic pavements found at Lyons. In the room above are the best pictures--J. F. Barbieri, 1590-1661; Bol, Breughel, P. Caliari, 1530-1588; A. Carracci, 1557-1602; L. Carracci, 1555-1619; P. Champaigne, Crayer, Greuze, 1721-1805; E. L. David, 1748-1825; Desportes, 1661-1742; Cuyp, Van Dyck, Heem, 1604-1674; Jordaens, Jouvenet, 1644-1717; Largillière, M. Mierveld, Murillo, 1618-1682; J. Palma, 1544-1628; Pietro Perugino, 1446-1524; an Ascension of Christ, considered the gem of the collection. This picture, originally in the church of San Pietro at Perugia, was presented by Pope Pio VII. “in attestato del suo affetto é della grata sua rimembranza per la citta di Lione.” The lower part of the picture is by far the best, the figures in the air are too massive, and the posture of J. C. is stiff. J. Ribera, 1584-1656; H. Rigaud, 1552-1745; Robusti, 1512-1594; Rubens, Ruysdael, A. del Sarto, 1488-1530; Sasso Ferrati, 1605-1685; Schorreel, 1495-1565; Sueur, 1617-1656; Sneyders, Teniers, Terburg, Zampieri, and Zurbaran. The Palais des Arts contains also the Natural History Museum, the +Mineralogical Collection+, in which are represented the characteristic rocks and fossils of every department of France, and the copper ores from the mine of Chessy, near Arbrèsle; and a library containing 40,000 engravings and drawings, and 650 volumes treating principally on the arts and sciences. There are likewise 6 municipal libraries, open every evening from 7 to 10, and the Bibliothèque de la Ville. [Headnote: PLACE TERREAUX. HÔTEL DE VILLE.] On the north side of the Place des Terreaux is the Hôtel de Ville, built in 1665 by Maupin, at the cost of £320,000. The facade, flanked by domed square pavilions, is 160 ft. wide, while the building itself is 1150 ft. long. The back part, fronting the theatre, is the Préfecture. From the centre rises the clock-tower, 157 ft. high. On the façade over the entrance is an equestrian statue of Henri IV. in bold relief. Within the vestibule, to the right and left, are colossal bronze groups, by the brothers Coustou, representing the Rhône and the Saône. They stood originally under the statue of Louis XIV. in the Place Bellecour. In 1642 Cinq Mars and De Thou were executed, by order of Richelieu, in the Place des Terreaux. In 1794 the revolutionary tribunal, sitting in the Hôtel de Ville, guillotined so many people in this square that it became so flooded with blood as to render it necessary to send the executioners to Brotteaux, near the present railway station, to finish this wholesale slaughter of Frenchmen by Frenchmen. [Headnote: CONDITION DES SOIES.] Behind the Hôtel de Ville, up the Rue de St. Polycarpe, house No. 7, is the establishment of the +Condition des Soies+, where the bales of silk brought to Lyons are sent to be dried. They are placed on an iron grating, and subjected for twenty-four hours to a temperature of from 64° to 72° Fahr., and are weighed both before and after this operation. The same is done to the wool. The sample drying room is in the first story, left hand. Any one may visit it. A little higher up are St. Polycarpe built in 1760, and St. Bruno built in 1688. At the opposite end of the bridge of St. Clair is the English church. [Headnote: BOURSE. LIBRARY.] In the Rue de la République is the +Bourse+, a profusely ornamented edifice inaugurated in 1860. At the south end is St. Bonaventure, built in the 14th cent., and recently restored. At the north end is the Lycée with the public library, containing the great terrestrial globe made at Lyons in 1701, indicating the great African lakes, the rediscovery of which has been one of the events of the present century. There are 160,000 volumes and 2500 manuscripts,--about 600 of the printed works being incunabula, and 25 of the MSS. belonging to the Carlovingian period. [Headnote: SILK MUSEUM.] In the second story of the Bourse is the museum of the +Art and Manufacture+ of silk. Open to the public on Sundays and Thursdays between 11 and 4. The great hall contains, in high glass cases, specimens of silk, satin, velvet, crape, and lace, arranged according to centuries from the 13th and 14th to the 19th. The 19th, which is by far the richest and most beautiful, is in two cases, representing the first and the latter half of the century. This collection is choice and highly artistic, displaying miniature portraits, superb embroidery, and lovely designs in charming colours, woven in the loom. At the entrance to the hall is a portrait (about 13 in. by 10) of Jacquard, in a sitting posture, woven in white and black silk, like those at St. Etienne. Also the Will of Louis XVI. In the next room are looms and models of looms from the time of Louis XI. The models are so perfect that each contains part of a web woven in it. Among them is the model of the famous loom made by Jacquard in 1804, by which a single workman was enabled to produce elaborate fabrics as easily as the plainest web, and by merely changing the “cartoons” to make the most different textures on the same loom. Near the loom is the first sewing machine. The inventor was B. Thimonier of Lyons in 1829, from which those now in use are improved copies. The cases round the inmost room are devoted to the natural history of silk--displaying every variety of the silk butterfly, Bombyx mori, as well as of the allied species; cocoons of every kind and in every condition; eggs and caterpillars at every stage of their existence; and hanks of raw silk from every part of the world where it is produced. Adjoining is a room with drawings, many by the great masters. Formerly Lyons manufactured only high-class silks, but the demand for these having been for some years on the decrease, the manufacturers, to hold their place in the market against especially their Créfeld rivals, have had to turn their attention to cheaper stuffs. This in some measure is owing to the rapid and violent changes of fashion, which makes a silk dress good only for a few months, whereas formerly, with an occasional alteration, it was worn for years. In the street behind the east side of the Bourse are the large covered markets; where many of the fishes of the Rhone may be seen alive in tanks, and good Mont d’Or cheese be bought. It makes capital railway travelling provision. (See page 42.) [Headnote: CITY HOSPITAL AND WORKHOUSE.] Farther down the street, with the principal facade to the Rhône, and the other, containing the entrance, to the Rue de l’Hôpital, is the +Hôtel Dieu+, or general hospital, with 1500 beds, founded in the 6th cent. by Childebert and Ultrogotha his queen. The present building is principally the work of Soufflet, the architect of the Pantheon in Paris. Of the beds, about 1300 are free, the remainder pay from 1¼ fr. to 12 frs. per day. The rooms are lofty and well ventilated. The principal female wards are arranged in the form of a cross, with an altar in the centre under the small dome, in such a position that all the patients can see it from their beds. From the large dome extends the principal ward of the men, containing 100 beds, and a smaller one on the other side. The sick are tended by nuns. The hospital has a house on the heights of the Croix-Rousse, near the terminus of the rope railway, and another at Oullins for incurables. In the first court left of the large court, Dr. Young buried Mrs. Temple, the Narcissa of his _Night Thoughts_, who died in 1730 at Montpellier, but was there refused burial. At that time what is now a built-up court was a cemetery. Fifty years ago it was a garden, now it is covered with buildings. All trace of the grave has disappeared. Near the entrance to the hospital is the church, 18th cent., richly decorated. In a chapel, left, is the enormous gilt shrine, in 5 stages, of Sainte Valentine. Farther down the Rhône is the Hospice de la Charité, founded in 1531, on the occasion of a great famine. It receives the poor of both sexes who have reached 70; sick children under 15, and young women about to be mothers. The church was built in 1617. [Headnote: ST. MARTIN D’AINAY.] North from the hospice or workhouse, near the bridge of Ainay across the Saône, is the church of +St. Martin d’Ainay+, which, with the monastery, was founded by St. Badulph during the reign of Constantine, on the site of a temple erected by the sixty nations of Gaul in honour of Cæsar Augustus. The first church having been destroyed by the Saracens, in the 8th cent., it was rebuilt in 1070, and consecrated in 1106 by Pope Pascal II. Since then it has been frequently repaired and altered. The style belongs to what is called modern Greek, introduced into France under Charlemagne. The cupola of the chancel rests on circular pendentive arches springing from four granite columns which stood formerly in the temple of Augustus. They were originally 2, but were cut into 4. The fresco paintings in the apsidal chapels are by H. Flandrin, a native of +Lyons+. To the right is the sacristy or chapel of Saint Blandina, in which a short stair leads down to the crypt and the dungeons, one on each side, where Pothinus, first bishop of Lyons, and Blandina, a converted slave, were kept before being tortured and put to death in A.D. 177, during the persecution under Marcus Antoninus, the implacable enemy of Christianity. The crypt, about 12 ft. square, was, as well as the dungeons, about 10 feet deeper, but on account of the overflowing of the river the floors were filled up to their present level. [Headnote: PARC DE LA TÊTE-D’OR.] The Parc de la Tête-d’Or, or park of Lyons, is situated at the N.E. extremity of the city, between the Brotteaux railway station and the left bank of the Rhône. It measures 282 acres, and contains, besides an abundant supply of varied walks, a large and excellent botanic garden with hothouses, a lake with islands inhabited by aquatic birds, and a dairy farm, whose produce is sent every morning into town for sale. Adjoining the park are the rifle-butts and the racecourse. In the Boulevard du Nord is the Guimet Museum, containing a collection of objects from the extreme east, to facilitate the study of the history, religions, and customs of the inhabitants of that part of the world. The institution publishes essays and translations. By the western side of the Brotteaux railway station are the large barracks of the Part-Dieu and the Fort des Brotteaux. Lyons employs 70,000 looms and 140,000 weavers in the manufacture of silk; and here, as at St. Etienne, the work is principally performed on the domestic system in the dwellings of the master weavers, each of whom has usually from two to six or eight looms, which, with their fittings, are generally his own property. Himself and as many of his family as can work are employed on these looms, aided frequently by one or more _compagnons_, or journeymen, who inhabit chiefly the suburb of La Croix Rousse, to the north of the town, and that of Fourvières, on the Saône. The silk merchants supply the silk and patterns to the owners of looms, who are entrusted with the task of producing the web in a finished state. The mean annual value of the silk goods manufactured is estimated at £15,000,000. [Headnote: THE DYEING OF SILK--ORIGIN OF LYONS.] The dyeing of the silk is also an important branch of manufacture. Many experiments had been made to bring this art to perfection, and in particular to discover a dye of perfect black that would retain its colour. This a common dyer of Lyons at last invented, for which he received a pension, besides being made a member of the Legion of Honour. Prior to this the black dye which was used changed in a few days to a brown, and came off the stuff when it was hard pressed by the hand. Another improvement which was made consisted in procuring a silk of a permanent white colour. The eggs of the worm which produced this silk were brought from China, not, however, with the desired success. The worm was afterwards purchased from a merchant of Alais, and distributed in the southern departments of the country, where now a large number of persons are engaged in silkworm hatcheries. The produce of white silk is now very considerable and of great importance in the manufacture of gauzes, crapes, and tulles. Extensive chemical works, breweries, foundries, potteries, engineering works, printing establishments, and hat factories represent the secondary industries of Lyons. A large trade is carried on in chestnuts brought from the neighbouring departments, and known as _marrons de Lyon_. The earliest Gallic occupants of the territory at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône were the Segusians. In 590 B.C. some Greek refugees from the banks of the Hérault, having obtained permission of the natives to establish themselves on the Croix Rousse, called their new town by the Gallic name Lugdunum; and in 43 B.C. Munatius Plancus brought a Roman colony to Fourvières from Vienne. This settlement soon acquired importance, and was made by Agrippa the starting-point of four great roads. Augustus, besides building aqueducts, temples, and a theatre, gave it a senate and made it the seat of an annual assembly of deputies from the sixty cities of Gallia Comata. Under the emperors the colony of Forum Vetus and the municipium of Lugdunum were united, receiving the _jus senatus_. The town, burnt by Nero in 59 A.D., was rebuilt by him in a much finer style, and adorned by Trajan, Adrian, and Antoninus. [Headnote: MONT-D’OR. CHEESE.] Among the most interesting, and at the same time easiest excursions from Lyons is to Mont Ceindre, 4 m. from Lyons. Take the omnibus starting from the Rue de la Platière to the village of St. Cyr-au-Mont-d’Or, 3¼ m., time 1½ hr., by a road always ascending. Fare, ½ fr. The omnibus office at St. Cyr, the inn, and the café, are on a wide terrace commanding an extensive view. The village, pop. 2000, is poor and dirty, and built on the side of the hill. To ascend Mont Ceindre walk from the omnibus office up to the new church, whence ascend by the telegraph posts, and then turn to the right. The ascent and descent can be done easily in 80 minutes, in time to go back to Lyons by the returning coach. On the top of Mont Ceindre are some houses, an old hermitage, and a chapel surmounted with a statue of Mary. The view is grand, embracing the valleys of the Rhône and the Saône, the towns of Bugey and Beaujolais, the mountains of the Forez, the Dauphiné, and the Alps. Mont Ceindre, 1532 ft. above the sea; Mont Verdun, 2020 ft.; and Mont Houx, 2008 ft., form together +Mont-d’Or+, a group of mountains covered with vineyards and meadows. The wine is thin, but the cheese is one of the best and most celebrated in France. They are soft, round, and flat, about 5 inches in diameter and half an inch thick, like round pancakes. They are made from a mixture of cow and goat’s milk, and are said to derive their peculiar flavour from the vine leaves on which the goats feed during a considerable portion of the year. The cheeses of Mont Dore (likewise famous) are thicker and smaller in diameter, and sold in small boxes. The coach, on its way from Lyons to St. Cyr, passes by Roche-Cardon, a favourite retreat of J. J. Rousseau. Another easy excursion is to the Ile Barbe. Take any of the mouches (penny boats) going up the Saône to Vaise station. Here change into the penny boat going to St. Rambert, a rather dirty little town on the right bank, 1½ m. above Vaise. Opposite, and connected by a bridge, is the town of Cuire. In the centre of the river is the Ile Barbe, across which the bridge passes. On the island there are a few uninviting country-houses, and the tower of a chapel (private property) of the 12th cent. The sail is the best part of the excursion, not the island. For Lyons to Nîmes, by rail 172 m. south by the west bank of the Rhône, see p. 81; Paris to Lyons by Roanne and St. Etienne, p. 346; Paris to Lyons by Tarare, p. 348; Lyons to Clermont-Ferrand by St. Etienne, Montbrison, and Thiers, see p. 349, and map p. 27. [Headnote: VIENNE.] {338}{199} +VIENNE+, pop. 27,000. _Hotels:_ Nord; Poste; Jacquet. In this, the capital of the first kingdom of Burgundy, there exist remains of important edifices, which indicate that the citizens inhabiting it in the days of Cicero were no strangers to the luxury and wealth preceding the Augustan age. The most interesting of these is the +Maison Carrée+, an oblong temple of the Corinthian order, dedicated to Augustus and his wife Livia, 55 ft. high, 88 long, and 80 broad, situated a little way north from the cathedral by the Rue St. Clementine. On a terrace fronting the chain bridge is +St. Maurice+, a beautiful Gothic cathedral commenced in the 12th cent., 315 ft. long, and the roof of the nave 88 ft. high. It contains some fine glass, and near the altar the skilfully-sculptured mausoleum of Cardinal Montmorin, who died in 1723. At the main entrance are two ancient sarcophagi. At the other end of the chain bridge is the Tour St. Colombe, built by Philippe Valois. Up the Rhône, on the east side, at the top of the Quai Pajot, near a stair leading down to the river, stood the Tour de Mauconseil, where Pontius Pilate, who had been banished to Vienne by Tiberius, ended his life (it is said) by throwing himself into the Rhône. About ¼ m. down the Rhône from the railway station, by the Marseilles road, is the Pyramide de l’Aiguille, called also the tomb of Pilate. It is 52 feet high, and rises from four arches resting on a square basement. Columns with cushioned capitals ornament the four corners, which cannot date earlier than the 4th cent. Vienne is a busy commercial town, with important woollen manufactories. 3¼ m. S. by rail is Vaugris, pop. 250. On the other side of the Rhône is Ampuis (p. 81). 6 m. farther S. by rail is Le Péage-de-Roussillon. Roussillon, pop. 1500, is a straggling village among vineyards, less than a mile E. from the station. From the Château de Roussillon Charles IX. issued, in 1564, the decree that in future the year was to commence with the first of January. [Headnote: ST. RAMBERT-D’ALBON.] {356½}{180½} +ST. RAMBERT-D’ALBON+, junction with line to Grenoble 57½ m. E., by Rives 35 m., and Voiron 42 m. E. Junction by bridge with Peyraud, 3¾ m. W., on the opposite side of the Rhône, whence rail to Annonay (see page 81, and map pages 26 and 46). 5 m. S. by rail from St. Rambert is St. Vallier, pop. 4000. _Inn:_ Merle. On the junction of the Galaure with the Rhône. In the town is the restored castle of Anne de Poitiers, and up the valley of the Galaure are the pass of the Roche Taillée, the ruins of a château of the Dauphins, and the chapel of N. D. de Vals (see map, page 46). [Headnote: TAIN.] {368}{169} +TAIN+, pop. 3000. _Inns:_ H. Europe; Midi. A pleasant town on the Rhône, immediately opposite Tournon (page 82), and at the foot of the hill, whose vineyards produce the Hermitage wines. The red variety has a fine perfume, and is gratefully stomachic. The white is a luxurious wine, and will keep for a century, but the produce is small. Omnibus at station for Romans, 13 m. on the rail between Valence and Voiron (see map page 46), pop. 13,000. _Inns:_ Europe; Midi. Situated at the confluence of the Isère with the Savasse, crossed by a bridge of 4 arches which unites it with Bourg-du-Péage, pop. 5000. [Headnote: VALENCE.] {384}{153} +VALENCE+, pop. 24,000. _Hotels:_ Louvre; Croix d’Or; France. The first the most expensive. Commodious Temple Protestant. Good Protestant schools. Suspension bridge across the Rhône. Omnibus to St. Péray, 2½ m. west. Coaches daily to Ardèche. Valence is a pleasant town on an eminence rising from the Rhône, surrounded by broad boulevards on the site of the old fortifications. The most handsome is the Place Championnet, on the site of the citadel, commenced by François. It commands an excellent view of the river and of the hills beyond. In the distance, to the right, on an arid rock, is the castle of Crussol. In this Place is the statue “au General Championnet, sorti des rangs du peuple. Hommage public de sa ville natale.” Died at Antibes 1800. To the left of the statue is the cathedral +St. Apollinaire+, built in 1095, and restored in 1604 and 1730. The west portal and tower were rebuilt in 1880. The other parts of the exterior have a venerable appearance. The buttresses are shallow, and do not reach the eaves. A delicate dentil cornice runs round the building, bending over the round-headed windows and across the buttresses. Within, the church by restoration looks as if it were modern. Tall piers, with attached Corinthian columns and vaulting shafts, run up to the commencement of the arches of the aisles and of the vault of the roof, all of stone. From the semicircular chancel radiate 4 semicircular chapels, one being occupied by the organ. At the right or S. side of the altar is the bust by Canova of Pope Pius VI., who died at Valence in 1799. His remains were removed to Rome. Outside, opposite the N. transept, is Le Pendentif, a sepulchral chapel (22 ft. square and 25 ft. high) of the Mistral family, built in 1548. On each side is a large round arch, over which rises a remarkably flat dome. Close to the “Place des Clercs” is the Maison des Têtes, built in 1531, covered with mutilated statues and medallions under canopy work. The medallions, bosses, and groining in the passage leading into the court are in a much better state of preservation. The windows in the court are square-headed, but most have lost their transoms. Among the other buildings are a Temple Protestant, 18th cent., and a picture gallery. [Headnote: VERNOUX.] Rail to Grenoble, 62 m. N.E., and to Chambery, 40 m. farther. Omnibus daily to St. Péray (p. 82). Coach by St. Péray to Vernoux, 18 m. W. Vernoux, 1920 ft. above the sea, pop. 3100. _Inns:_ Nord; Verd. Temple Protestant. One of the nicest towns in Ardèche, situated in the midst of carefully-cultivated mountains and valleys. A large proportion of the inhabitants are Protestants. [Headnote: COACHES FROM VALENCE.] Valence is one of the most convenient places for entering the Ardèche. Diligences from Valence to St. Laurent-du-Pape, St. Fortunat, Les Ollières, St. Sauveur, St. Pierreville, and Le Cheilard (see page 83). The diligences from Valence, Soyons, Charmes, Beauchastel, and La Voulte to St. Pierreville and Le Cheilard meet at St. Laurent-du-Pape; whence the passengers are conveyed in two diligences the length of St. Sauveur, by St. Fortunat and Ollières. At Ollières, H. du Pont, they meet and correspond with the diligence from Privas. From St. Sauveur one diligence runs westward by the Glaire to St. Pierreville and Marcols, the other northwards to Le Cheilard. Valence is 5 hrs. from St. Sauveur. Beauchastel and La Voulte, 4 hrs. St. Sauveur to Pierreville, 2½ hrs.; and to Le Cheilard, 3½ hrs. (see also pages 93 and 94). Coach from Valence to La Mastre, 21¼ m. W., passing by Champis, pop. 3380, at the foot of a mountain, which during a part of the day intercepts the rays of the sun. ARDÈCHE. (See Map, page 46). Ardèche should not be visited till June, and not later than September. In the villages and hamlets in the pastoral districts most of the best houses are inns or auberges, where a bed can be had, and abundance of fare, in the shape of fried potatoes, butter, milk, eggs, coffee, bread often of rye, and hard salt pork sausages. The national dish is potatoes sliced very thin and fried with butter. They make also a pleasant soup of herbs mixed with potatoes. The numerous inns are required for the accommodation of guests during the fairs, of which each hamlet has at least 2, while the larger villages and towns have from 4 to 8, besides market-days. One of the prettiest sights in Ardèche is to see the people flocking from every direction along the winding mountain roads to the village where the fair is being held--many on foot driving small parcels of pigs, sheep, goats, or cattle, or carrying baskets full of eggs, cheese, and butter, and often an old hen; others with carts loaded with potatoes; others travelling comfortably in their char-à-bancs; and others on horseback, the women as well as the men being astride. Many of the inns, and even of the owners, are at first sight forbidding, but after a little kindly conversation the aspect of things improves rapidly. In the higher regions the agricultural products are potatoes and hay. In the next zone are wheat, chestnut, walnut, apple, pear, and cherry trees, cultivated on terraces supported by low stone walls of rough unhewn stones. Vineyards are in the lowest zone, on the sunny side of the mountains. The cattle are of a goodly size, mostly cream-coloured and light brown, with large bones and white horns generally tipped with black. At the fairs, besides every kind of country produce, girls and grown-up women offer their hair for sale. The best do not yield above 8s., and many only 2s. 6d. or 3s. When the bargain is made a woman shears it off in the same way as sheep are shorn, leaving only a little in front. It is all over in two minutes, twisted into a hank, and thrust into a sack. Instead of receiving money, they usually take the value in cloth and ribbons. The standard occupation of the females during their long winters is lace-making. Among the remarkable sights in Ardèche are the volcanic rocks, Mont Mezenc and the Gerbier-de-Joncs, above the source of the Loire. The most central station of the diligences is Le Cheilard (see page 83). After Valence the railway traverses some of the most picturesque parts of the valley of the Rhône. At Mornas, 44½ m. S. from Valence and 23½ m. N. from Avignon, begins the region of the olives. [Headnote: LIVRON.] {395}{142} +LIVRON+, pop. 4500, on the Drôme, at some distance from the station. Restaurants at station. Inns in the town. On the other side of the Rhône, connected by railway bridge, is La Voulte, 1¼ m. W. (see p. 82). A highway, partly by rail and partly by diligence, extends from Livron, 68 m. east, to Aspres on the line between Grenoble and Marseilles. As far as the Pass de Cabres the road ascends the picturesque and well-cultivated valley of the Drôme, where there is a large Protestant population, nearly every village having its Temple Protestant (see maps, pages 26, 46, and 56). [Headnote: CREST.] 11 miles E. from Livron by rail is Crest, pop. 6000. _Hotels:_ Bonsans-Reboul, the best; opposite the France; and on the promenade, by the side of the river and the bridge, the inn Pont de la Drôme. The omnibuses of the two hotels await passengers. Crest is situated partly on the Drôme and partly on the steep sides of a high hill. At the foot, in the market-place, are the parish church and the Bibliothèque. Straight up from the bridge by the R. des Cordeliers, and a flight of 116 steps, is the entrance to the poor church of N. D. de la Garde, attached to the “Asile” for young children. A little higher up are the hospital and church. Above the “Asile” is the entrance to the enclosure, on which stands a huge structure, partly Roman and partly the remains of a castle which was added to it in the 13th cent. The highest side is 170 ft. above the ground, and the other three 148 ft., ascended by 260 steps. Although so high, the view is limited by the high side, into which visitors are not admitted. The concierge lives below in the town, near the hotel. The best way up the hill is by the first narrow street, left from the hotel, the Rue de la Carrière, which continue to a stone lettered “limite de l’Octroi,” whence ascend by the path, right, to the Calvary, where there is a splendid view of the valley of the Drôme. [Map: Ardeche: Its Vineyards and Extinct Volcanoes] [Headnote: SAOU.] Coaches daily from Crest to Montelimart, 22½ m. S.W. (see Index); also to Beaufort, 12 m. N.E., on the Geroanne. From the copious source of the Geroanne are occasionally thrown up blind trout. 3 miles from Beaufort is the picturesque gorge of Ombléze. Coach also to Bourdeaux, 16 m. S., passing Saou, 9 m. S. from Crest (see map, p. 56). Saou, pronounced Sou, pop. 1200, is a poor dirty village on the Vebre. _Inn:_ H. Lattard. Mixed up with and built into the surrounding squalid houses are the remains of the abbey church and buildings of Saint Tiers, founded in the 9th cent. The best parts are the wall and square tower near the Mairie. The remains of the church are within the court of a stable. Near it is the little parish church, 12th and 13th cents. Saou is visited principally on account of the beauty of the narrow valley of the Vebre, between two ranges of wooded mountains, from 4000 to 5000 ft. above the sea, with sand and limestone strata piled up into vertical cliffs and twisted into strange fantastic forms. It is 8 m. long, and from a few yards to 2 m. wide. At the commencement or west end, and on the right or N. side of the stream, is the Roche Colombe, 4595 feet above the sea, and opposite, on the other side, is the Roc, an isolated cliff like the shaft of a column. Mt. Colombe has also a columnar cliff, and at the base a house called the Donjon de Lastic, 14th cent., and a little farther down a square house, with two round turrets, called the Château d’Eurre. The best parts of the valley are this entrance and the east end, or its termination, where the Roche Courbe or Veillou rises to the height of 5324 ft. above the sea, and on which is the source of the Vebre. At the foot of Mt. Pomeyrol, about a mile from the entrance, the valley becomes so narrow that there is scarcely sufficient room for the stream to pass through. 2¼ m. farther up is the villa of Tibur, and, a little beyond, the terminus of the valley. [Headnote: BOURDEAUX. DIEULEFIT.] Coach from Saou to Bourdeaux, 7 m. S. Bourdeaux, pop. 1800. _Inns:_ Blanc; Petit; Temple Protestant. On both sides of the Roubion, 8 m. N. from Dieulefit. On the left side of the river is the old town, composed of squalid houses and execrably paved steep lanes, creeping up the hill, crowned with the ruins of a large castle founded in the 8th cent. Agriculture and the rearing of silkworms are the chief industries. Although Bourdeaux is hardly 8 m. from Dieulefit the courrier requires 2 hours to perform the journey, as a high mountain ridge, the Dieu-Grace, intervenes between the two places. Dieulefit, pop. 5000. _Inns:_ H. du Levant; Temple Protestant. On the Jabron at the foot of Mont de Dieu-Grace, 17½ m. E. from Montelimart, between which two towns several coaches run daily. In the town are silk, cotton, and cloth mills, and in the suburbs potteries where a coarse kitchen ware is made. The principal towns passed on the road to Montelimart are Poët-Lavat, 3⅛ m.; La Begude, 7½ m.; under Châteauneuf-de-Mazenc and Montboucher, situated on eminences at a considerable distance from the road (see map, page 56). [Headnote: DIE.] CREST TO ASPRES (Maps, pp. 46 and 56). _Crest to Aspres, 57 miles east by Die._--The road as far as the Pass de Cabres follows the course of the Drôme. The first town passed is Saillans, 9½ m. E. from Crest, pop. 1800. _Inns:_ Lambert; Latour. In a ravine of the Drôme, 6½ m. farther, is Pontaix, similarly situated. 23 m. E. from Crest, and 34 m. W. from Aspres, is Die, pop. 4000, the principal town in the valley of the Drôme, which here receives the Mérosse. _Inns:_ St. Dominique; Alpes--the coach stops between them; Église Protestante. The Clairette de Die is a thin white wine, drank during its first year; in the second it is apt to deteriorate. Coach to Châtillon, 12 m. S.E. Die, on the Drôme, is in a small plain surrounded by mountains, of which the most remarkable is Mont Glandaz, 6648 ft. above the sea, flanked by great buttress cliffs. On the top is an undulating plateau, covered with _small_ stones and grass; 5 hrs. required for the ascent. At the foot of the mountain is the rustic but not uncomfortable establishment of Sallières-les-Bains; pension per day, with baths, 9 frs. The treatment is called “Sudations résineuses.” The bath resembles a large oven, in which, after having been heated with resinous fir-wood, the patients sit as in a Turkish bath. Open from 15th June to 15th September. The landlord is likewise proprietor of a large part of Mt. Glandaz, whence he receives his supplies of fir-wood. On the top of a hill on the other side of the Drôme is a similar establishment, called the Martouret, pension 12 frs. The way to it strikes off the main road opposite the eminence, on which is the chapel of Notre Dame, commanding a very good view of the valley. At the entrance into Die from Crest, at one of the old gateways, a road strikes off to the left, which makes the tour of the ruins of the castle, amidst vines and mulberry trees. At the other end of the town, near the viaduct, is a much better gateway or Roman triumphal arch, fronting the “Place” St. Marcel. The parish church has been rebuilt, excepting the narthex. [Headnote: LUC. ASPRES.] From Die the road to Aspres is continued by another diligence, which changes horses at +LUC+ en Diois, pop. 940. _Inn:_ Du Levant; Église Protestante, 10½ m. S. from Die, or 23½ N.W. from Aspres. A poor town, among vineyards and walnut trees, on the Drôme, at the foot of high mountains. Nearly a mile up the river the narrow gorge becomes almost closed by huge fantastic masses of conglomerate which have fallen from the adjoining cliffs. 9½ m. farther up the valley is the village of Beaurières (_Inn_, where the coach changes horses). The ascent is now commenced by a beautiful and excellent road, of the Col de Cabres, 15 m. S. from Luc, and 4923 ft. high. On the pass, 2 m. from Beaurières, is La Baume, with the cave of Baumette, and a waterfall 195 ft. high. 4½ miles from Baume, and 3 from Aspres, is St. Pierre d’Argenson, with a sparkling acidulous chalybeate spring, grateful to the palate and invigorating to the system, and forming a refreshing mixture with the wine of Aspres, which is thin, and is at its best when 2 years old. Aspres, pop. 800, is situated on the railway, 126½ m. N. from Marseilles, and 77½ m. S. from Grenoble. The coach sets down passengers either at the station or at the inn H. Ferdinand. The church has been rebuilt, excepting the portal, which has on the tympanum a curious representation of the Trinity. [Headnote: MONTÉLIMART.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {412}{125} +MONTÉLIMART+, pop. 12,000, situated at the confluence of the Roubion and Jabron with the Rhône. _Hotels:_ near the station, the France; in the town the Poste; the Princes. The office of the coaches for Le Teil, on the W. side of the Rhône; for Grignan, p. 49; Dieulefit, p. 47; Bourdeaux, p. 47; and Nyons, p. 50; is near the hotels Poste and Princes. Up the Grande Rue is the principal church. On the opposite side of it is the Place d’Armes, with the Post Office, the Palais de Justice, and the Hôtel de Ville. At the top of the first flight of steps in the Hôtel de Ville is a marble slab 1 yard long and 2 ft. wide, bearing in Latin a charter of the town engraved in 1198. At the end of the street, the Rue Porte-Neuve, off the “Place,” is the Temple Protestant. Montelimart is famous for white almond-cake, “Nougat,” of which the best is in the shops in the Grande Rue. On an eminence on the side of the town farthest from the station are the ancient citadel and the tour de Narbonne, 11th cent. Montelimart, originally a city of the Seglauni, became a Roman settlement under the name of Montilium, which was changed afterwards into Monteil-d’Adhemar by a powerful family, who came into possession of it in the days of Charlemagne. To the same family belonged also Rochemaure, on the opposite side of the Rhône (see page 92, and map page 56). Omnibuses to the sparkling chalybeate spring of Bondonneau, 2½ m. S.E. Two coaches daily to Grignan, 15 m. S.E. from Montelimart; one by Alan and Reauville, the other goes round by Donzère, 4½ m. longer. (See map, page 56.) According to Mr. Murray (p. 109) in the village of Alan, half-way between Montelimart and Grignan, “there existed down to 1802 the first white mulberry tree planted in France. It was brought from Naples by Guy Pope de St. Auban, seigneur of Alan, one of the soldiers who accompanied Charles VIII. on his Italian campaign, in 1494.” The mulberry tree occupies a much wider zone in the south of France than the olive (see map, page 56). [Headnote: GRIGNAN. MARQUISE DE SÉVIGNÉ.] +Grignan+, pop. 1900; _Inn:_ Sévigné, is built on the slopes of a hill on the top of which, 100 ft. above the “Place,” are the gardens and ugly half-ruined and half-inhabited castle where Mme. Sévigné died. The former Salle du Roi has been converted into a picture-gallery, containing upwards of 300 paintings, among which the most interesting are--the portraits of Madame and her daughter, by Mignard. About half-way up the hill is the church, commenced in the 12th cent. In front of the altar a white marble slab, 2½ ft. long by 1½ wide, bears the following inscription:-- “Cy Git Marie de Rabutin Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné. Décédé le 18 Avril 1696.” Above the well, in the “Place,” is a bronze statue of her with corkscrew curls. About ½ m. from the town is what was one of her favourite walks to an overhanging ledge of sandstone called the Grotte de Roche-Courbière. To visit it, descend from the inn, then take the first byeroad right, by a row of poplars to a short stair. A coach runs from Grignan to Nyons, 20½ m. S.E. by Valréas and Taulignan. +Valréas+ (pronounce the “s”), 8¼ m. from Nyons and 22 from Orange, pop. 950; _Inn:_ H. du Nord, is partly surrounded with its old walls, garnished with square towers and pierced by narrow gateways. Taulignan, 17 m. N.W. from Nyons by Valréas and 11¼ m. by Rousset, _Inn:_ H. du Commerce, pop. 1200, is also partly surrounded with its old walls. {420}{117} +DONZERE.+ H. du Commerce. Romanesque church with handsome spire. Four and a half miles south is +Pierrelatte+ station, and the terminus of the unfinished railway to Nyons, 15 miles from Grignan. Coach from Pierrelatte to St. Paul-Trois-Châteaux, fare 6 sous, time 45 minutes. This, the Roman Augusta-Tricastinorum, contains an interesting cathedral of the 12th cent., restored. Many Roman relics have been found in the neighbourhood. [Headnote: LA CROISIERE.] {432}{105} +LA CROISIERE.+ Two small inns at station. Omnibus awaits passengers for Pont Saint-Esprit, H. de l’Europe, 3½ m. W. on the other side of the Rhône by an avenue of poplars. Fare, 40 c. The bridge is 2756 ft. long, has 20 arches, was commenced in 1265 and finished in 1309. Till 1865 it had 21 arches, when the two at the W. end were demolished and converted into one large iron arch for the convenience of the steamboat to pass through. (For Pont Saint-Esprit, see page 98). Diligence at La Croisiere station for Nyons, 29½ m. E. by the valleys of the Lez and the Aigues, and the town of Bollène, pop. 6000. _Inn:_ Croix Blanche, on the Lez, 4½ m. E. Manufactures of fire-bricks and clay-tubing. 7½ m. E., Suze-le-Rousse, pop. 2200. Coach here to Mansis. 12 m. E., Tulette, pop. 1300; _Inn:_ Vigne. Horses changed here. 15¾ m. E., St. Maurice, pop. 1000; _Inn:_ Lion d’Or. Near the village of Vinsobres a cross-road leads to the highway between Nyons and Vaison. At Nyons the coach stops in the “Place” in front of the H. du Louvre; whence the diligences start for Grignan and Montelimart (see map, page 56). [Headnote: NYONS.] +NYONS+, on the Aigues, pop. 4000. _Hotels:_ Louvre, in the Place; Voyageurs, in a corner. Temple Protestant next the hospital. Nyons, surrounded by high mountains, is famous for its mild springs, and therefore eminently fitted for those returning from the Riviera. The orange and palm do not grow here, but abundance of mulberry, almond, fig, peach, and pear trees. In the oak forests are remarkably fine truffles. Silk mills and the preserving of fruit and truffles supply the principal industries. The old town, called Les Forts, is built on an eminence partly surrounded with its old walls garnished with square towers, 14th cent. The vieux château, or centre tower, has been converted by the curate into a chapel surmounted with an image of the “immaculately conceived.” The part of the town below is called Les Halles, whose dirty streets are bordered with thick heavy arches. The rest of the town, extending to the Aigues, is called the Bourg. The bridge, built in 1341, is of one arch and considerably higher in the centre than at the ends. [Headnote: THE PONTIAS BREEZE.] Behind the old town is the ridge called the Col-du-Divès, on which is the cavern, or rather hole, whence it is reported (most absurdly) that the night-breeze called the Pontias issues. In winter this wind is very cold, and blows from 5 P.M. to 9 A.M. In summer it is pleasant, and blows from 9 P.M. to 7 A.M. The peculiarity is, that the degree of force is constant, and never breaks out into gusts. To go to the cave, commence from the foot of the tower of the church and ascend by the Rue Pousterle, having on the left the old town-walls. Beyond the last tower a path strikes off to the right, which take, and ascend to a small chapel on the top of the ridge, passing at about half-way a pavilion. Or, if preferred, continue the road from the tower to the part of the ridge where there is a gap; whence take the path at the back of the ridge leading to the chapel. Those who have ascended by this latter way retrace their steps from the chapel by the same path for 116 yards; while those who have come by the other go 116 yards beyond the chapel. Then about 30 yards to the left of the path will be observed the thin ledge of a rock overlying a small cavity, which is the entrance to the Pontias hole, of great depth, but otherwise of insignificant dimension. Among the neighbouring calcareous strata are several crevices. The view of the valley of the Aigues from this hill is very beautiful. The ascent takes 35 minutes. NYONS TO SERRES. +Nyons to Serres+ (see map, p. 56), 41 miles east by the valleys of the Aigues and Blème, bounded on both sides by high mountains. Time, 7 to 8 hours. Fare, 7½ frs. Most of the towns passed are at a considerable height above the road, and sometimes on account of the steepness of the banks cannot be seen from it. The first village passed is Les Piles, situated on the road 3¾ m. from Nyons, and 3½ m. from the gorge “Des 30 Pas,” one of the excursions from Nyons. A little farther E. is Curnier, on a hill on the S. side of the river, here crossed by a bridge. Then follows Sahune, also on a hill on the S. side of the river. The gorge now becomes very narrow and the mountains precipitous, and, having passed under Villeperdrix, the road crosses to the S. side of the river and arrives at the station for St. May, where there is an inn, H. Marius. St. May itself is high up on the opposite side of the river. The cemetery is on the point of a lofty precipitous rock. After St. May the diligence crosses the river to the village of Rémusat, 17 m. E. from Nyons on the Oule, at its junction with the Aigues. The diligence now returns to the S. side of the river, which it crosses for the last time at Verclause, 22 m. from Nyons, and then proceeds to Rosans, 3½ m. farther or 15½ m. from Serres. From Rosans commences the ascent of the low Col of Ribeyret, whence the road descends to Serres by the N. side of the Blème, passing the villages of Epine and Montclus. Serres, pop. 1200. _Inns:_ Voyageurs; Alpes. On the railway, 112½ m. N. from Marseilles and 77½ S. from Grenoble (see p. 340). [Headnote: ORANGE.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {444}{93} +ORANGE+, pop. 10,300. _Inn:_ H. de la Poste et des Princes. This, the Arausio of the Romans, is situated on the slowly-running Meine. Close to the hotel is the Triumphal Arch supposed to have been erected in honour of Tiberius for his victory over Sacrovir and Floras, A.D. 21. It stands E. and W., is of a yellowish sandstone, 75 ft. high, 64 wide, 27½ deep, and consists of 3 arches, of which the centre one has a span of 17 ft. and each of the other two a span of 10 ft. The soffits are ornamented with six-sided sculptured panels. By the side of each arch is a grooved Corinthian column. Over the small arches are sculptured trophies in the shape of shields, boars, bulls, rostra, ropes, masts, dolphins, arrows, etc. Over the main arch, on each side, is a group representing a combat. At the other end of the town are the cathedral and the Roman theatre at the foot of the hill, crowned with an image of Mary. The +Cathedral+ of Notre Dame, 12th cent., is small, and resembles in style the churches of the S.W. of France, of which the cathedral of Perpignan is the great type. No transepts nor triforia. Lofty chapels between the buttresses, and over the arches diminutive clerestory windows. A plain and ugly square tower, in this case, at the east end. Adjoining is the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, with a statue to “Raimbaud II., Comte d’Orange, vainqueur à Antioche et à Jérusalem en MXCIX.” In the promenade of the town, the Cours St. Martin, is a statue to the Comte de Gasparin, a writer on agriculture, and a native of Orange; where also he died in 1862. At the foot of the hill, overlooking the town, are the grand and imposing ruins of one of the most perfect Roman theatres. It is built in a semicircular form, has a façade 118 ft. high and 384 ft. wide. The wall is 13 ft. thick, composed of huge blocks of stone. The semicircular wall consists of five stages, and included accommodation for 6500 spectators. The building has recently been repaired and cleared of a quantity of rubbish. [Headnote: PRINCE OF ORANGE AND ORANGEMEN.] In the 11th cent. Orange became an independent countship, probably under Raimbaud I., whose successor, Raimbaud II., has just been noticed. On the death of Philibert of Châlons, last of the third line of princes, the inheritance fell to his sister’s son Count René (Renatus) of Nassau-Dillenburg, who remaining childless chose as his successor his cousin William I., stadtholder of the United Netherlands. The title “Prince of Orange” was consequently borne by the stadtholders Maurice, Frederick-Henry, William I., William II., and William III. After the Revolution in Ireland of 1688, the English-Protestant party were designated Orangemen, from the title of their leader, William III., Prince of Orange. Louis XIV. seized the principality of Orange in 1672, but lost it by the peace of Ryswick. On the death of William III. there were two claimants--John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz, designated by William’s will, and Frederick I, King of Prussia, who claimed to be nearer of kin, and to have been appointed by the will of Frederick-Henry. Thereupon Louis XIV. declared the principality a forfeited fief of the French crown, and assigned it to the Prince of Conti. The Parliament of Paris decided that this last prince should have the _dominium utile_; and its finding was confirmed by the treaty of Utrecht (1713), which, however, left the title and coat of arms to the King of Prussia, who is still styled Prince of Orange (Prinz von Oranien). John William Friso, however, also took the title, and his successors the stadtholders and kings of the Netherlands have all been designated princes of Orange-Nassau. Vast numbers of silkworms are reared at Orange. Coach daily to Valréas 22 m. E., p. 49, and to Vaison 17½ m. N.E. (Map p. 56.) [Headnote: VAISON. ST. QUENIN.] +Vaison+, pop. 3400. _Inn:_ H. du Commerce. 5 m. N. from Malaucene, 17½ m. N. from Carpentras, 11¼ m. S. from Nyons, 13½ m. W. from Le Buis, and 4 m. S. from Villedieu. Old or high Vaison is on the left side of the Ouvèze, and new Vaison on the right. Both are connected by a Roman bridge of one arch of 48 ft. span, having at the left side a more elongated curve than at the right. The old town, with its squalid streets and poor houses, covers the sides of a hill crowned with the ruins of a castle built by Raymond VI., Count of Toulouse, in 1195. It is a plain rectangular edifice, 20 yards square, with a small square tower at one of the angles. A little below is the parish church with round and early pointed arches and square tower at S.E. end. The view from the terrace is beautiful. The most ancient and most interesting buildings are in new Vaison, and very near each other. Take the Villedieu road to just without the town, where a byeway on the right leaves the main road at an acute angle. Continue this byeway to two arches, which indicate the site of the Roman theatre. The chapel seen to the N.W. is St. Quenin, while a little beyond is the cathedral. The amphitheatre, or “les arènes” as they call it, is built on the same plan, and in a similar position, as the theatre of Orange, but far less perfect. Besides the two arches, there exist still five tiers, but all the stone seats are gone, excepting those on the lowest stage. Now it has become a vineyard and an orchard. Beyond, by a narrow road, is St. Quenin, of which the east end is Roman, and may date from the 4th cent., but the rest belongs to the 10th. The east end, or apsidal termination, is in the form of an equilateral triangle, with an attached fluted Corinthian column at the apex, and also at each of the angles of the base. One of the pillars has figures on the capital. The neat little round-headed window on each side of the triangle is evidently a later addition. Bishop Quenin died in 578. Of the +Cathedral+ the best part is also the outside. Under the eaves of the roof of the nave run a dentil moulding, and a frieze of medallions connected by an undulating line of foliage. The walls are pierced by small round-headed windows resting on spiral colonnettes. The frieze of the aisles is plainer. In the interior, early pointed arches of great span, rising from four massive piers of clustered pilasters on each side of the nave, support a narrow-vaulted roof, also pointed. This part of the church dates from the 12th or 13th cent.; but the chancel, with its two Roman pillars, and arcade of blank arches on colonnettes, is much earlier. Over the little chapel, at the N.E. side, rises an elegant square tower. Next the tower is a very beautiful cloister, 11th cent., bearing some resemblance to the cloister of St. Michel in Brittany. It is 22 yards square, surrounded by an arcade of 13 arches on colonnettes in couples 3½ ft. high. At the corners is either a massive stone pier, or the stone hewn into 5 colonnettes. All the Roman antiquities Vaison has retained for itself are under this corridor. The most perfect piece of sculpture is a skull. On the top of the hill opposite the castle stands an image of the “Immaculée” on the capital and part of the shaft of a Roman column. (Map p. 56.) [Headnote: SORGUES.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {455}{82} +SORGUES+, pop. 4000, on the Sorgues, which rises at Vaucluse. Junction with line to Carpentras, 10½ m. eastwards. +Carpentras+, pop. 10,500, on an eminence surrounded by avenues, rising from the Auzon. _Hotels:_ Universe; Orient, both good, and in the large “Place” opposite, the Hôtel-Dieu, built in 1760 by Bishop Malachie. In the Hôtel-Dieu are a portrait by Rigaud of the Abbot Rancé, and a handsome staircase. In the centre of the Place is a bronze statue of the benevolent Malachie d’Inguimbert. From this “Place,” up the narrow street, the first public building is the church of St. Siffrein, dating from 1405. The square tower, with octangular cupola, attached to the north side of the chancel, was part of a former church constructed in the time of Charlemagne. The stair (89 steps) up to the roof, whence there is a pleasing view, commences at the south side of the chancel, outside. Among the pictures in the interior of the church, the best is a “Salutation” by the Flemish painter Andreas Schoonjans. Behind the pulpit is a picture by Mignard representing Mary giving some of her milk to St. Bernard. At the commencement of the chancel, near the cupola, is the chapel in which the reliquaries are kept. Among them are the skull and bones of St Siffrein, and the nail that pierced the right hand of J. C. on the Cross. In the chancel is a “Coronation” of Mary painted on wood, 15th cent., and behind the altar another “Coronation” by P. Veronese. In the foreground are Saints Laurence and Siffrein. Adjoining is the Palais de Justice, 1640, with frescoes and a crucifix in the “salle des assises.” Within the court, right hand, is a Triumphal arch, erected by Diocletian between 284 and 305, 30 ft. high (but originally higher), 25½ ft. wide, 14½ ft deep, and 10 ft. span. On the N. side, between two attached fluted columns, is, in bold relief, a Latin cross with the arms at obtuse angles. On each side stands a prisoner, with his hands behind him, chained loosely to the cross. From the cross are suspended swords, horns, and pouches. On the south side is a similar cross, but not in such a good state of preservation. The main beam resembles more the stem of a tree. From the top hangs the dress of a warrior. [Headnote: CARPENTRAS. MUSEUM.] The continuation of the street from the church leads to the Porte d’Orange, surmounted by a square tower 120 ft. high, of which only three sides exist. It was built by Innocent VI., who also surrounded the town with the ramparts, which now form beautiful Boulevards. From the boulevard in front of the gate are seen to the left the canal aqueduct, to the right the town water aqueduct, and in the distance, between the two, beyond a smaller ridge, Mont Ventoux, extending from N.W. to S.E., with a slight bend. The aqueduct which brings water to Carpentras crosses the valley of the Auzon by 48 massive arches. The canal, which by irrigation fertilises the surrounding country, extends from the Durance to the Ouvèze, a distance of 43 miles, and cost £90,000. In the principal Boulevard, nearly opposite the manufactory of preserved fruits of Eysseric, is the building containing the library and museum. The library contains a valuable collection of manuscripts, explained in a printed 4to volume, several rare incunables, and above 4000 vols., for which there is not sufficient accommodation. In the “Musée” are a few good pictures, and Roman statuettes in bronze and marble, all from Vaison, excepting a small Apollo found at Carpentras. The gem of the antiquities is an Egyptian-Aramaic limestone slab, 4th or 3d cent. B.C., 19¼ in. long by 13½ wide and 1 thick, divided into three compartments by narrow borders. In the principal compartment stands a young woman with uplifted hands before Osiris, who is seated in front of a table on which are sacrifices. Behind Osiris stands Isis. Below, in the second compartment, is the embalmed body of the deceased, attended by the jackal-headed Anubis and the hawk-headed Horus. Below the body are the four customary funeral vases. Below this, in the third compartment, is an Aramaic inscription in four lines, of which the last two are injured. The first French opera was written in Carpentras by the Abbot Mailly in 1646. [Headnote: TRUFFLES.] Truffles or tuberous mushrooms are black, dark gray, violet-coloured, or white. The last variety, principally found in the N. of Italy, has the smell of garlic. About Carpentras, and in the department of Vaucluse, they are black, and are found from 4 inches to 1 foot below the ground, at the extremities of the fibrous roots, both of the common and of the evergreen oak. The season for gathering them is from November to the end of March, after which those which remain become soft and decompose. They are at their best in January, when the rind is black, hard, and rough, and the inside mottled black and white. In size and shape the best resemble small round potatoes, of which the largest may weigh ½ lb., although few are of that size. They are sought by means of dogs and swine, both of a peculiar breed; the sow being the more dexterous of the two, and continues efficient for its duty for upwards of 21 years. It scoops out the earth with its powerful snout in a masterly manner faster than any dog can do. When just about to seize the truffle, the attendant thrusts a stick between its jaws, picks up the truffle himself, and throws to the sow instead two acorns. Without this reward each time, the sow would not continue the search. Till the truffles are ripe, they have no odour. [Headnote: ORTOLANS.] The +ortolans+, which breed about the hills and woods of Carpentras, migrate in autumn. While on the wing they are allured down to nets laid for them by ortolans singing in cages. Those caught are put into dark rooms, where they are fattened. In about a month’s time they become so plump as hardly to be able to fly, when they are killed and sold, excepting a few kept for alluring the others next year. The singing time of these is transferred from spring to August, by pulling out the large feathers of the tail and wings in April, and keeping them in a dark apartment till August. Carpentras is also famous for its preserved fruits and “berlingots,” a sweetmeat made of the syrup of a mixture of fruits, not unlike barley sugar, but cut into pieces 1 in. square. The best maker is Eysseric. Carpentras is a good halting-place for delicate people returning from the Riviera--the hotels are comfortable and the prices moderate--excellent public library, pleasant walks, and in the vicinity of many interesting places connected by roomy diligences. Coach daily from Carpentras to Nyons 28½ m. N., by Vacqueyras 6½ m., and Vaison 17½ m. Also to Nyons 26 m., by Malaucene 10 m. N.E., and Vaison 15 m. by this way. Coach to Buis-les-Baronnies 23 m. N.E., passing through Malaucene. Coach from Buis to Nyons 19 m. N.W. by Mollans. Courrier from Vaison to Buisson 7½ m. N. on the Aigues. Coach to Sault 28½ m. E. Omnibus several times daily to St. Didier 4½ m. S.E. Coach daily to L’Ile 10½ m. S., convenient for visiting the fountain of Vaucluse. Coach on market-days from Carpentras to Apt 28½ m. S.E., by Venasque 7¼ m. S.E. (For these places see Index, and maps pages 56 and 66.) [Headnote: BEDOIN. MONT VENTOUX.] Coach daily to +Bedoin+ 8¾ m. N.E., 900 ft. above the sea, pop. 1300. _Inn:_ Hôtel de Mont Ventoux. Station to ascend Mont Ventoux, 6274 ft., by a good road from the south end of the ridge. The base is about 2 m. from the village and the top 10 m. by the easy southern slope. Time to ascend, from 5 to 6 hours. Mule, 10 frs. No guide necessary. Before commencing the ascent, go to the top of the hill by the side of the church and take a general survey of the land. The road extending to the right, under those mulberry trees, is the one to take. A little distance along it, at a well with a cistern, a narrow road strikes off to the left and ascends the mountain by a steeper and shorter way. The mountain offers a splendid field for botanists. To see the sun rise from the top, travellers generally start at 11 P.M., and await the appearance of the glorious luminary in the chapel of Ste. Croix, on the summit. Mont Ventoux is the culminating point of the Lure range, an offshoot from the Alps. Among the minerals it has quartz in every form and colour, in nodules and in strata. Also beautiful jasper and fossils such as ammonites and belemnites. The kaoline clay, “terre de Bedouin,” is found in the plain between Bedoin and Crillon, a village 2¾ m. N.E. At different parts in this neighbourhood are strata of sandstone with fossils, overlying beds of sand. These strata crop up at different parts of the department. [Map: The Plains between the Ardeche, the Rhone and the Durance] [Headnote: RESIN BATHS. MALAUCENE.] Four and a half m. S. by omnibus from Carpentras is the village of +St. Didier+, with a good hydropathic establishment in an old château. Rooms from 1½ fr. to 3 frs. Servants’ rooms, 1 fr. Meat, breakfast and dinner, both with wine, 5 frs. Coffee in the mornings, ½ fr. Meat, breakfast and dinner, for children and servants, 3 frs. Service, ½ fr. First consultation, 10 frs. Every other consultation in the study gratis; but in the guests’ room 1 fr. each time. The baths are in the style of the Turkish baths, with the addition that the heated air is impregnated with resin or is turpentinised (_térébenthiné_). It has a beneficial effect on the lungs and muscular rheumatism. St. Didier is 2¾ m. W. from Venasque and 2 m. from Le Beaucet (map p. 56). Two coaches daily from Carpentras to Buis-les-Baronnies, 23 m. N.E., by Malaucene 10 m. N.E. The road from Carpentras, in crossing the N.W. extremity of the Ventoux chain, passes by the village of Le Barroux on a hill crowned with the ruins of a castle, 15th cent. At the foot of Mont Ventoux, 5 m. S. from Vaison and 13 m. S.W. from Buis, is +Malaucene+, 1000 ft. above the sea, pop. 3000. _Inn:_ Hôtel de Cours, in a picturesque neighbourhood, of which there is a good view from the calvary on an eminence in the town. At about ½ m. from the inn is the spring Groseau, gushing forth from the base of a lofty calcareous cliff, crowned with the ruins of the chapel of Groseaux, 11th cent. The stream that issues from the spring is soon strong enough to set in motion the machinery of paper, silk, and flour mills. Any one may visit the silk mills. In 1345 Petrarch ascended Mont Ventoux from Malaucene. The ascent from this place is more difficult, but more picturesque than from Bedoin and requires 2 hours more. On the side of the mountain are the springs--Angel, 3826 ft.; Puits de Mont-Serein, 4774 ft.; and Font Filiole, 5866 ft. The road from Malaucene to Buis follows the picturesque valley of the Ouvèze. The most important village passed on the way is Mollans, with, in the neighbourhood, a great cave, beyond which is a deep lake. Shortly before arriving at Le Buis are seen, on an eminence, the bronze statue of Bishop Trophime, and beyond, the cliff of St. Julien. No public vehicle goes farther than Le Buis, although the road is good the length of the railway between Marseilles and Grenoble, passing St. Euphemie 7 m. E., St. Auban 10 m. E., Montguers 11¼ m. E., Lacombe 13¼ m. E., and Laborel 27 m. E., after which the road descends to the railway by the valley of the Céans. [Headnote: LE BUIS.] +LE BUIS+, pop. 2000; _Inns:_ Luxembourg; Commerce; is situated in a hollow on the Ouvèze surrounded by mountains covered with olive, mulberry, fig, peach, and cherry trees. Schistose and shingle strata cover some parts; at others there are calcareous rocks in every form, either in gigantic cliffs or in countless strata of various thickness and at different angles. To go to the statue of St. Trophime and to the top of St. Julien, having crossed the bridge, ascend by the winding road to the valley, right hand, which continue to the next bridge. For the statue cross the bridge and go directly to the right: for the cliffs, ascend by the back of St. Julien by the path on the left, just before reaching the bridge. [Map: SKETCH PLAN OF AVIGNON. +1.+ Palace of the Popes: the small building opposite is the Consistoire de Musique; by the side of the palace is the church of Notre-Dame Des Doms, and by the side of the church, on the top of the hill, the beautiful promenade des Doms; whence a stair leads down to the Rhone, near 23, the old bridge Bénézet. Below the promenade is, +2+, formerly an archbishop’s palace, now a seminary. Below the Pope’s Palace is +B+, the Place de l’Hotel de Ville, with the H. de Ville and theatre. The street +C C+, extending southward to the principal station, is called the R. de la Republique or Rue Petrarque, its original name. Just behind, +3+, the Hotel de Ville is the church of St. Agricol, and a little farther S.W. is the Rue Calade, with, at +4+, the Musée Calvet, and at +5+, across the Rue de la Republique, the Musée Requien, a museum of natural history. Farther east is, +6+, St. Joseph’s College, with all that remains of the Church of the Cordeliers, where Laura was buried. That large building at the east corner of the town, +7+, is the Hotel-Dieu or hospital; the gate, +O+, beside it, is the Porte St. Lazare; while +8+ indicates the road to the cemetery. A short way E. from the Place de l’Hotel de Ville is, +9+, the church of St. Pierre. No. 10, not far from the station, is the Penitentiary, formerly the Convent of the Celestins, founded by Clement VII. in 1879; entrance from the Place du Corps-Saint. No. 13, Convent du St. Sacrement. 14. Chapel Bénézet on bridge. 15. St. Symphorien. 16. Sacré-Cœur. 17. Prison. 18. Mont-de-Piété. 19. Court-house. 20. Lyceum. 21. Prefecture. 22. Suspension Bridge. 23. Bénézet Bridge. A, Place du Palais. B, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. C, Rue de la République. D, Rue Calade. F, Place du Corps Saint. G, Rue des Lices. H, Place Pie. J, Vieux Septier. K, Rue du Saule. L, Rue Carréterie. M, Porte du Rhône. N, Porte de la Ligne. O, Porte St. Lazarus. Q, Porte L’Imbert. R, Porte St. Michael. S, Porte St. Roche. T, Porte de l’Oulle.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {461}{76} +AVIGNON+, pop. 39,000, surrounded with strong embrasured walls, garnished with 39 towers, and pierced with 9 gates, is situated on the Rhône, 2 m. above its junction with the Durance, and 20 m. N.E. from +Nîmes+ by the railway passing the Pont d’Avignon and Remoulins. _Hotels:_ *Europe, near the Pont; *Luxembourg; Louvre; St. Yves, in the centre of the town, near the Place Pie, the great market-place. Temple Protestant in the R. Dorée, near the Préfecture. Cabstands at station and in the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, 2 frs. per hour. From the station, a beautiful avenue, the Cours de la République, leads up to the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, with statue “au brave Crillon,” the friend of Henri IV., “Louis des Balbes-Berton duc de Crillon et Lieutenant-colonel de l’infanterie française,” died at Avignon in 1615. To the right is the road leading up to the *Palace of the Popes, the church of *N. D. des Domes, and the promenade, *“au Rochers des Doms;” which, with the ramparts, compose the principal sights of Avignon. The concierge of the palace lives just within the entrance. Fee for party, 1 fr. Opposite gate is the Conservatoire de Musique, built in 1610 for a mint. The churches are closed between 12 and 2. The Musées are open to the public on Sundays between 12 and 4. [Headnote: AVIGNON PALACE.] The present +Palace+, commenced by Benedict XII. in 1336, and finished by Gregory XI. in 1370, is an ugly huge structure, consisting of plain walls 100 ft. high and 14 thick, strengthened by long ungainly buttresses. Above the entrance, composed of a low archway, are the arms of Clement VI.; and higher up, on two oriel turrets, the balcony from which the Popes blessed the people. Within the gate is the Cour d’Honneur, a vast quadrangular space between flat walls, pierced by from 3 to 4 stories of windows, not on the same level nor of the same size. From the court ascend the Escalier d’Honneur, a groined staircase, of which the steps were formerly of marble, to the Salle Consistoriale d’Hiver, with an elegantly-groined roof. Before this hall was divided into two, it was 52 ft. high, 65½ wide, and 170 long. From it we enter the Salle d’Armes, with mural paintings by Simone Memmi of Sienna. Ascending higher the grand staircase, we pass on the left the small window for the Spies, and then go along a narrow lobby tunnelled in the wall, to a succession of large bare halls, the Galerie de Conclave, the Salle des Gardes, the Salle de Reception, and then enter the Tour St. Jean, containing the Chapelle du Saint-Office, or the chapel of the +Inquisition+, with mural paintings. In the story immediately below is the chapel of the Popes. From the Tour St. Jean, after passing through a large hall, we enter an octagonal room, gradually narrowing towards the centre, till it forms a chimney-tower, called the Tour Strapade. Some say this was the torture room; but it is evidently more suited for a kitchen, which in all probability it was. Adjoining is the Glacière, into whose underground cellars, now built up, the democrats of 1791 flung the bodies of 60 men and women they had murdered. From this we enter again the Place d’Honneur by the Tour Trouillas, in which Rienzi was imprisoned five years, bound to a chain fixed to the roof of his cell. During the time of the Popes, from 1305 to 1234, and till 1793, the half of Avignon was occupied by ecclesiastical edifices, which tolled daily 300 bells, and had among them a daily succession of religious processions. [Headnote: ROCHER DES DOMS. CATHEDRAL.] From the palace the road leads up to the highest part of the town, the +Rocher des Doms+; commanding a magnificent view, and laid out as a public garden, with in the centre a statue of Jean Althen, who introduced, in 1766, the culture of the “garance,” the _Rubia tinctoria_, now superseded, for the dyeing of red. From this terrace a stair leads down to the Rhône near the Bridge Bénézet (see page 63). In the middle of the river is the Ile de Barthelasse, and on the other side are the Tour de Philippe le Bel, the town of Villeneuve, and above it the Fort St. André. On the promenade is the Cathedral +Notre-Dame-des-Doms+, 194 feet above the Rhône, approached by a stair called the Pater, because originally it had as many steps as there are words in the Lord’s Prayer. This church has undergone many changes, and belongs to various periods. The portal and lower part of the tower are of the 10th cent., and are due to Fulcherius. The nave is two centuries later. The apse was added in 1671. The most remarkable part of the structure is the cupola, terminating in an octagonal lantern, and supported on pendentive arches. It bears traces of frescoes painted in 1672. In the sanctuary is the marble throne used by the Popes, in the sacristy the Gothic mausoleum of Jean XXII., and in one of the side chapels the tomb of Benoit XII. In the third chapel (right hand) is a Madonna in white marble, by Pradier. The sacristan is generally in the small room next the main entrance. Fee, ½ fr. for showing the church and the tomb. Now return to the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. At the foot or south end a tram-car leaves every ¼ to the Pont d’Avignon station on the other side of the Rhône, 2 sous; and another to St. Lazare at the eastern end of the town near the cemetery, 2 sous. An omnibus starts every hour from the corner of the theatre for Villeneuve, where it stops at the east end of the church. Fare both ways, 4 sous. [Headnote: ST. AGRICOL. MUSÉE CALVET.] In the “Place” the principal edifice is the +Hôtel de Ville+, built in 1862, on the site of the Palais Colonna, 14th cent, of which all that remains is the handsome belfry called Jacquemard and his wife, from the two figures which strike the hours. Next the Hôtel de Ville is the theatre, built in 1847. Behind is the church of +St. Agricol+, 1340, the patron saint of Avignon. To the right on entering is the tomb of the painter Pierre Mignard, d. 4th April 1725, aged 86, and third chapel on same side is a virgin and child in wood by Coysevox. To the left of the entrance is an ancient and elegant marble baptismal font. At the foot of the short street St. Agricol, in the Rue Calade, is the Oratoire, built in 1730. At No. 65 of the Rue Calade is the +Musée Calvet+, containing a valuable collection of art treasures open to the public on Sundays from 12 to 4, and a library and reading-room open every day except Sunday. Against the wall of the inner court is the tomb of the donor of this museum, Claud François Calvet, d. 25th July 1810, in his 82d year. On the right is the monument erected by Sir Charles Kelsall in 1823 to Laura de Sade, dead of smallpox in 1348, and buried in the church of the Cordeliers (see p. 62). On the other side is the tomb of the military strategist Folard, a native of Avignon. In the outer court, and in the rooms and passages on the ground-floor, are Roman altars, monuments, milestones, torses, amphoræ, and 170 Latin inscriptions, found in the neighbourhood, but chiefly from Orange and Vaison (p. 53). Among the sculptures in relief, one represents a Roman chariot drawn by two horses with their hoofs shod. There are 27 Greek inscriptions, 3d or 4th cent., from Venice. The statuary and sculpture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance have been gathered principally from the suppressed churches and convents. The most noticeable are: the mausoleums of Pope Urbain V., of Cardinals Lagrange and Brancas, and of Marshal Palice. Within railings are: Cassandra by Pradier, a faun by Brian, and a bather by Esparcieux, all in the finest white marble. Upstairs is a valuable collection of Roman glass and bronzes, and 20,000 coins and medals, including a complete set of the seals and medals of the Popes during their residence at Avignon, and the seal used by the Inquisition while here. There are nearly 500 pictures, and a collection of drawings, including the original sketches of Horace Vernet. Most of the pictures have the artists’ names affixed. Those in the great hall are by Albano, Bassano, Berghem, Bloemen, Bourdon, Canaletto, A. Carracci, Caravaggio, Châlons, Coypel, Credi, David, *Eckout (crucifixion), Sasso Ferrati, F. Floris, Gericault, Girodet, Gros, Holbein, Lomi, Meel, P. and N. Mignard, J. and P. Parrocel, Poussin, Euysdael, Salvator Rosa, Teuiers jun., Veronese, Vigée-Lebrun, and Zurbaran. In the small room are the paintings by Claude-Joseph, Horace and Carle Vernet, with a few by Paul Huet. The marble busts of Horace and Carle are by Thorwaldsen. In the centre of an inner room, containing the medals and engravings, is the famous ivory crucifixion, 27 inches long, of one piece, excepting the arms, a chef-d’œuvre of the sculptor Guillermin in 1659. It is said that Canova stood in ecstasy over this delicate achievement in art. Continuing down the R. Calade to the other side of the R. Petrarque or de la République, we have on the right the Museum of Natural History in the church St. Martial, 15th cent. [Headnote: REQUIEN.] The greater part of the specimens were bequeathed by M. Requien, d. 1851, and of them the most interesting are those connected with the neighbourhood, such as the flamingo and beaver of the Rhône, and the fossils from Aix. In the eastern continuation of the R. Calade, at No. 62 R. des Lices, is the Collége +Saint Joseph+, containing within its grounds all that remains (the belfry and piece of the north aisle) of the church of the Cordeliers; in which Laura was buried. The aisle has been repaired, and is now used as a chapel. Visitors are freely admitted. It is to the left of the entrance. Of the tomb there are no vestiges, having been destroyed along with the church by an infuriated mob in 1791. On the E. side of the R. Petrarque, by the narrow R. Prévot, is the church of +St. Dedier+, 1355, containing, in first chapel right from entrance, a relief in marble representing Christ bearing his cross, executed by Francesco in 1481 at the request of King René. Opposite, over second arch, 36 ft. above the floor, is a stone pulpit with a sculptured pendant. The grave of St. Bénézet is under a plain slab in the middle of the nave, in front of the high altar. Near St. Dedier is the Hôtel Crillon, 17th cent.; and to the east of the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville is the church of St. Pierre (9 in plan), 1520, with an elaborately-sculptured door and pulpit. The pictures about the high altar are by N. Mignard, J. and P. Parrocel, and Simon de Châlons. From the S.E. corner of the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, the R. des Marchands and its continuation the Rues Saunerie and Carréterie, lead to the Porte St. Lazare, with, to the right, the town +hospital+ (7 in plan), having a frontage of 192 yards, built in the last century on the site of the hospital of St. Martha, founded in 1354. Here, outside the town-walls to the right, then by a broad road to the left, is the Cemetery. The Protestant division is on the right side of the entrance. [Headnote: J. S. MILL.] In a corner at the end of a short avenue of pine trees is the white marble monument to John Stuart Mill, b. 20th May 1806, d. 7th May 1873. In the same grave is interred Harriet Mill, his beloved wife, who died at Avignon in the Hôtel de l’Europe, Nov. 3, 1858. A touching epitaph, recounting her virtues, occupies the whole surface of the top slab. From the Porte St. Lazare, a walk may be taken between the ramparts and the Rhône down to the bridge built in 1184, partly in the style of the Pont-du-Gard, by the shepherd, saint, and architect, +Bénézet+, who before had constructed one over the Durance at Maupas. This bridge, which stood 100 years, was 2952 ft. long and 13 wide, on 19 arches, of which four still remain. On the second arch is the chapel of St. Nicolas, in which the relics of St. Bénézet were kept till removed to the church of St. Dedier. [Headnote: VILLENEUVE-LES-AVIGNON.] +Avignon to Villeneuve.+ Every ¼, a tram crosses the bridge for the Pont d’Avignon station, while every hour an omnibus crosses for +Villeneuve-les-Avignon+, pop. 3100, 2½ m. from the “Place,” or 1¼ m. from the Pont station. Near the parish church, 14th cent., is the Hospital, containing, in the chapel to the left, the mausoleum of Innocent VI., under a lofty elaborately-sculptured canopy, rising in pinnacles to the roof. Upstairs is the picture gallery, in two rooms. The most remarkable picture belongs to the 15th or 16th cent., painted on wood, and represents two subjects, Purgatory and the Judgment Day, apparently by two different artists. Although stiff, the design is admirable, and all the heads, even the smallest, are carefully executed. But the gem is the most charming and bewitching portrait by Mignard of Mme. de Ganges attired as a nun. She was born at Avignon in 1636, and when only 13 married the Marquis de Castellane, with whom she frequented the court of Louis XIV., where she was called La Belle Provençale. After her husband’s death she married the Marquis de Ganges, with whom she returned to Avignon, where her sorrows commenced, caused by the conduct of her two brothers-in-law, the Abbot and the Chevalier de Ganges, whose unlawful passion she steadfastly resisted. At last the exasperated abbot having made her drink poison, she threw herself out of the window, and while lying on the ground in the agony of death, the chevalier pierced her seven times with his sword. These two monsters were condemned by the parliament to be broken alive on the wheel. The other pictures in the collection by Mignard are: Jesus before the Doctors, an Annunciation, and a St. Bruno. Fee, 1 fr., given to the hospital. In the parish church, built in the 14th cent, by Cardinal Arnaud de Via, there is nothing extraordinary. Near it are the ruins of the Chartreuse-du-Val-de-Bénédiction, and on an eminence Fort André, now inhabited as a walled village. The omnibus for Avignon starts every hour at the hour, from the apsidal end of the parish church of Villeneuve. Avignon is very much exposed to different winds, especially the Mistral, yet perhaps they are necessary, for, according to the adage, “Avenio ventosa, cum vento fastidiosa, sine vento venenosa,” the odours from the drains in some of the streets being very offensive. Till July 26, 1793, Avignon belonged to the Papal See, when it was forcibly taken possession of by the Republican army under General Cartaux, who owed his victory to the skill of his captain of artillery, the young commandant Napoleon, who afterwards remained nearly a month in this town for the establishment of his health, in No. 65 Rue Calade, opposite the Musée Calvet, where he wrote “Le Souper de Beaucaire.” [Headnote: AVIGNON TO NÎMES. L’ISLE.] +Avignon to Nîmes.+ Avignon is 1½ hour or 15½ miles N.E. from Nîmes by rail, starting from the Pont-d’Avignon station on the west side of the Rhône. Those wishing to visit the Pont-du-Gard on the way should take their tickets for the Pont-du-Gard station, changing carriages at Remoulins. If with luggage, it is better to take the tickets only to Remoulins; where, without loss of time on arriving, take other tickets to the Pont-du-Gard, leaving the luggage behind. Time will generally be saved by returning from the Pont to Remoulins on foot, about 3 m. by the road, but 5 m. by the rail. See Map, p. 56. For Nîmes see p. 101, and for the Pont-du-Gard see p. 104. Consult the “Indicateur des Chemins de Fer du Lyon” before starting. [Headnote: L’ISLE. FONTAINE DE VAUCLUSE.] +Avignon to Vaucluse by L’Isle.+ From Avignon the Fontaine de Vaucluse is 18 m. eastward, by the village of Isle, on the line to Cavaillon. L’Isle, pop. 7000, a village on the Sorgues, with decorated church rebuilt in the 17th cent. Handsome reredos over high altar and several good paintings. The Tour d’Argent dates from the 11th cent. At the station the omnibuses of the Isle hotels, Petrarque et Laure and St. Martin, await passengers and take them to Vaucluse and back for 4 frs. each. From the village of Vaucluse, pop. 600, take for the fountain the road on the right bank of stream, but for the house and garden of Petrarch take the left side, crossing the bridge. On the left side, against a cliff near the cloth mill, is a small house on the site of Petrarch’s, of which it is a copy. Before it, is still a piece of what was Petrarch’s garden. On the other side of the Sorgue is a cigar-paper mill. There is a little hotel at Vaucluse, the Hôtel Petrarch et Laure. Under a stupendous cliff 1148 feet high is the source of the river Sorgue, the placid +Fontaine de Vaucluse+, about 30 yards in diameter-- “a mirror of blue-black water, so pure, so still, that where it laps the pebbles you can scarcely say where air begins and water ends.” During floods, however, the cavern being no longer able to contain the increased volume, the water rushes over in a cascade into the bed below. The poet’s modest house stood at the foot of the rock crowned by the ruins of the castle in which lived his friend Cardinal Philippe de Cabasole. Petrarch himself gives the following description of the site:-- “On one side my garden is bounded by a deep river; on another by a rugged mountain, a barrier against the noon-day heats, and which never refuses, not even at mid-day, to lend me its friendly shade; but the sweet air reaches me through all obstacles. In the distance a surly wall makes me inaccessible to both man and beast. Figs, grapes, walnuts, almonds--these are my delights. My table is also graced with the fish that abound in my river; and it is one of my greatest pleasures to watch the fishermen draw their nets, and to draw them myself. All about me is changed. I once used to dress myself with care; now you would believe me a labourer or a shepherd. My house resembles that of Fabius or Cato. I have but a valet and a dog. The house of my servant adjoins my own. I call him when I want him, and when I have no more need of him he returns home.” [Headnote: PETRARCH.] On the 6th of April 1327 Francesco Petrarca saw in a church of Avignon Laura the daughter of Audibert de Noves, for whom he conceived a romantic but hopeless attachment. Incessantly haunted with the beautiful vision of the fair Laura, he visited in succession the south of France, Paris, and the Netherlands, and after an exile of eight months returned to bury himself in the solitude of Vaucluse. Vehicles are also hired at Avignon. Fare to Vaucluse and back, 12 to 18 frs.; time, 8 hours. Also for the Pont du Gard, same price. 20½ m. from Avignon by rail is Cavaillon (p. 66), whence a branch line extends 20 m. E. to Apt, another line 27 m. S.E. to Pertuis on the Marseilles and Grenoble line, and another 22½ m. S. to +Miramas+ (p. 76), between Arles and Marseilles. (See map, p. 66.) [Headnote: APT.] AVIGNON TO MANOSQUE BY APT. 40½ m. E. by rail from Avignon, by Cavaillon, is +Apt+, pop. 7000, on the torrent Calavon, in a sheltered hollow surrounded by mountains and calcareous cliffs. _Hotels:_ The *Louvre; des Alpes. The principal industries are agriculture, pottery, and the making of preserved fruits. Fruit to be glazed with sugar, as well as that on which the sugar is to be crystallised, is allowed to soak from 2 to 8 months in a strong solution of white sugar, in uncovered “terrines,” like small basins. Fruits with thick rinds, such as oranges, are pricked before being immersed. The best pottery (Bernard Croix) is near the station, to the left on descending the hill. The clay, gray and reddish, is in thick beds close to the establishment, and resembles that of Vallauris, near Cannes, in its power of resisting fire, and is therefore principally used for the manufacture of kitchen pottery. M. Croix has added artistic pottery and dinner and tea services, of which the prices are extremely low. Opposite is the establishment of L. A. Esbérard, who confines himself almost exclusively to kitchen pottery. The parish church of St. Anne dates from the 11th cent. To the left on entering is the chapel of St. Anne, under a low octagonal domed tower. Below the altar is a crypt, 10th cent., said to contain the bones of the mother of Mary. Round about the town are pleasant walks, of which many are shaded with Oriental plane trees. Coach daily to Manosque (_Hotel:_ Eymon), 26 m. E., passing Céreste, 5¼ m. E., and Reillanne, on the top of a hill, 5 m. farther. Manosque is on the rail between Marseilles and Grenoble. (See maps, pages 26 and 66.) +Cavaillon to Miramas+, 22½ m. S. (see map, p. 66), across a fertile plain, with vineyards and groves of olive, almond, and apricot trees. +Cavaillon+ (pop. 8000). _Inns:_ Parrocel; Teston. Omnibus at station. Cavaillon is a pleasant town, intersected by avenues, and situated on the Durance at the base of great limestone cliffs. It possesses an ancient triumphal arch and a cathedral dating from the 12th and 13th cents., with a cloister of the 12th. Excellent melons are grown in the neighbourhood. 4¼ m. S. from Cavaillon is +Orgon+ (pop. 3000. _Inns:_ Paris; Poste), on the Durance. 11 m. farther S. is +Salon+ (pop. 7100. _Inns:_ Poste; Croix de Malte), on the canal Craponne. This town, dealing largely in first-class olive oil, has still remnants of its old ramparts: a church, St. Michel, of the 13th cent., another, St. Laurent, of the 14th, and a castle of the same date. In the town is a fountain to the memory of Adam de Craponne, the engineer of the canal. (For Miramas, see p. 75.) [Map: The Mouths of the Rhone] [Headnote: TARASCON. MARTHA’S TOMB.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {474}{63} +TARASCON+, pop. 11,000. _Hotels:_ At the foot of the station stairs, the Luxembourg; in the town, the Empereurs. Junction with branch to Nîmes, 17 m. W., and 31 m. farther Montpellier. Below the station is a large hospital for old men and orphans, founded in 1761 by Clerc Molière. Tarascon is an unimportant town on the Rhône, opposite Beaucaire, and connected with it by a chain bridge 1450 feet long. In the church of St. Martha, built in the 12th cent., is an ancient crypt, just under the spire, with the tomb of Martha, the sister of Lazarus, whose mortal remains are said to repose here under the peaceful-looking marble effigy which marks the spot. The tradition of the place says she had come with her maid from Aix, at the request of the inhabitants, to kill a terrible dragon with a body as thick as a bull’s, and having succeeded, the inhabitants, out of gratitude to her, after her death buried her in this place. A few steps from the church, by the side of the river, rises the massive strong square castle, begun in 1400 and finished by the Roi René, now used as a prison. On the opposite side of the river, overlooking Beaucaire, are the more picturesque ruins of the castle of Montmorency, whose adjoining garden forms one of the many promenades of the people of Beaucaire. Beaucaire is a poor town with poor houses. The formerly famous fair, commencing on July 1, has become now of little importance. It is held in the broad avenue between the castle and the Rhône. [Headnote: ST. REMY. LES BAUX.] 9½ m. east from Tarascon by rail is +St. Remy+, pop. 6800. _Inn:_ Hôtel du Cheval Blanc, a comfortable house, where carriages can be hired for Les Baux, 6 m. S.W., 10 frs. Also for Arles by Les Baux and Mont-Majour, 19 m. distant, 24 frs. A mile from the Hôtel Cheval Blanc, by the high road, stood the ancient Glanum, one of the commercial stations of the Phœnician traders from Marseilles, before it fell into the possession of the Romans, who have left here two remarkable monuments, of which the more perfect consists of an open square tower standing on a massive pedestal, and surmounted by a peristyle of ten columns surrounding two statues representing the parents of Sextus and Marius, of the family of the Julii, by whom it was erected. It is 50 ft. high; the faces of the statues look to the north. The sculpture on the north side of the pedestal represents a cavalry fight; the south, “sacrificing;” the west, a combat between infantry; and the east, which is the most dilapidated, “Victory crowning a wounded soldier.” Alongside stands a triumphal arch, of which the most perfect portions are the coffered panellings of the soffit. 6 m. S.W. from St. Remy is +Les Baux+, the ancient Castrum de Baucis, pop. 100. _Inn:_ Monte Carlo. The castle town of Les Baux, commenced in 485, occupies a naked mountain of yellow sandstone, worn away by nature into bastions and buttresses, and coigns of vantage, sculptured by ancient art into palaces and chapels, battlements and dungeons. Now art and nature are confounded in one ruin. Blocks of masonry lie cheek-by-jowl with masses of the rough-hewn rock; fallen cavern vaults are heaped round fragments of fan-shaped spandrel and clustered column shaft; the doors and windows of old pleasure rooms are hung with ivy and wild fig tapestry; while winding staircases start midway upon the cliff and lead to vacancy. High overhead, suspended in mid-air, hang chambers--lady’s bower or poet’s singing room--now inaccessible, the haunt of hawks and swallows. Within this rocky honeycomb-- “cette ville en monolithe,” as it has been aptly called, for it is literally scooped out of one mountain block--live a few poor people, foddering their wretched goats at carved piscina and stately sideboards, erecting their mud-beplastered hovels in the halls of feudal princes. From Les Baux road to Fontvieille, 7 m.; whence rail to Mont-Majour and Arles (see map, page 66). [Headnote: ARLES.] {483}{54} +ARLES+, pop. 26,000. _Hotels:_ Nord; Forum; near each other in the Place du Forum. Arles is situated on the Rhône, near the Camargue, in a marshy place, as its original name, Arelas, from the Celtic words, “Ar lach,” damp place, indicates. It is said to have been founded 900 years before Marseilles, 700 years before Rome, and 1500 before the birth of Christ. The ramparts and walls rising from the public gardens and the Boulevard des Aliscamps are chiefly the work of the Emperor Constantine, who came to Arles with his family and mother, Saint Helena. He built by the side of the Rhône a superb palace, called afterwards “de la Trouille,” because opposite a ferry-boat, which was pulled or dragged from one side of the river to the other. Of this palace little more remains than the attached tower La Trouille, constructed of alternate layers of brick and stone. On the 7th August 312 his wife Faustina presented him with a son, Constantine II., who succeeded his father in May 357. He commenced the Forum, but was shortly after killed in battle defending himself against his brother Constance, who usurped the throne and finished the Forum. All that remains of this formerly splendid edifice are the two Corinthian columns, with part of the pediment encrusted into the wall of the Hôtel du Nord. It occupied the site of the Place du Forum, called also the Place des Hommes, because labourers and men-servants used to be hired in this “Place.” In the Place de la République is the Hôtel de Ville, built in 1675 on the site of the Roman baths constructed by the Emperor Augustus. The spacious vaults under the Hôtel du Nord formed probably a part of these baths, although in later times they seem to have been used as an ossuary. [Map: Arles] Almost adjoining the Hôtel de Ville is the church of St. Anne, now the Archæological Museum, with a collection of inscriptions, sarcophagi, urns, statues, columns, friezes, altars, and tombstones, those of the Pagans having the letters D.M., _Diis manibus_. Also some of the long lead pipes, with the name of the plumber, “C. Canthius Porthinus fac.,” which helped to bring water from the fountain at the foot of the hill on which Baux stands. At the inner end, right hand, is a torse of Mithras of white Pharos marble, 3 ft. 2 inches high, found in 1598 on the site of the Roman Circus. A serpent is coiled round the body, and between the coils are the signs of the Zodiac. In the opposite corner is an altar in Carrara marble to the good goddess “Bonae-Deae,” found under the church La Major. On the front face is a garland of oak leaves and acorns, and 7 inches distant from each other two human ears. Near it is a good head of Augustus, and a mutilated one of Diana. About the centre of the room is a recumbent figure of Silenus, with a wine skin under his arm. In the centre of the “Place” is the monolith obelisk, 49 ft. high, hewn by the Romans from the quarries of Esterel. It stood originally in the Circus at the S.W. corner of the town; but of it no vestiges remain. [Headnote: ST. TROPHIME.] Opposite St. Anne is the cathedral of St. Trophime, consecrated on the 17th May 626, and rebuilt in the 9th cent. The portal, erected in 1221, consists of a semicircular arch resting on six columns, behind which are statues of apostles and saints separated by pilasters. In the tympanum is Christ, the judge of the world, with the symbols of the Evangelists. In the interior the door on the S. side of the choir leads out to the cloister, of which the N. side belongs to the 9th, the south to the 16th, the east to the 13th, and the west to the 14th cent. Passing from the cloister into the street, and turning to the left, we arrive at the Theatre, commenced during the dominion of the Greeks, and finished before the Christian era. In the centre of this grand ruin, originally 335 ft. in its greatest diameter, stand two Corinthian columns 30 ft. high, and the base of other two, which formed part of the proscenium. Opposite them is the semicircular space for the spectators, with still many of the stone seats. The Venus of Arles, one of the most valuable statues in the Louvre, was found here. The theatre is open to the public, but the keeper endeavours to attach himself to strangers. [Headnote: AMPHITHEATRE.] A short way N.E. is the far grander and more imposing +Amphitheatre+ or Les Arènes, said to have been commenced by the father of Tiberius Nero, B.C. 46. It is elliptic, 459 ft. long and 132 wide, surrounded by a double wall 60 ft. high, each with two stages of arches, and in each stage 60 arches. From around the arena rise 43 tiers of stone seats, capable of containing 23,438 spectators. The stone steps leading up to them were 1½ ft. high and 2 ft. 3 inches long. There were besides above 150 rooms for the gladiators and men connected with the theatre, and 100 dens for wild beasts. The three towers were added by the Saracens in the 8th cent. Bull-fights are given in the building, when a multitude of spectators, as in the time of the Romans, fill the galleries. A splendid view of the amphitheatre, the city, and of the commencement of the delta of the Rhône, is had from the western tower. The entrance into the amphitheatre is by the north gate. The doorkeeper lives in a house a little to the left of the gate. This grand ruin should, if possible, be visited by moonlight; yet during the day the beautiful masonry is more easily examined. It is the great sight in Arles, and it is better to omit all the others than to do this one hurriedly. The Camargue or Delta of the Rhône, commencing at the outskirts of Arles, is a triangular plain of 180,000 acres extending to the Mediterranean, bounded on the west by the Petit Rhône, and on the east by the Grand Rhône. It contains small villages and large farms, with extensive vineyards and grazing ground for cattle, sheep, and horses. It is best visited by the steamboat sailing between Arles and Port St. Louis on the mouth of the great Rhône. (See p. 72, and map, p. 66.) [Headnote: ELYSEI CAMPI. TROPHIMUS.] S.E. above the Promenade is the church of St. Cesaire, 9th cent., on the site of a temple of Jupiter. From this to go to Alyscamps, walk down the Boulevard Alyscamps to the canal Craponne, where turn to the left. The first ruin passed is an old entrance into what was the domain of the monastery of St. Cesaire. The Avenue of Alyscamps is lined on each side by 33 large stone coffins with lids, and 120 smaller coffins without lids. This, the Elysei Campi, an ancient Roman cemetery, is now divested of all its valuables and statues, of which a few are in the museum. As J. C.Himself is said to have appeared during the consecration of the cemetery, it was believed that at the resurrection it would be especially favoured by Him; hence the efforts made by so many to bury their friends here. It is said that up to the 12th cent. coffins with their dead, and money for the funeral expenses, floated down the Rhône, of their own accord, to be buried in this privileged spot. At the end of the avenue is the church of St. Honorat, on the site of the chapel founded by Trophimus the Ephesian, one of St. Paul’s converts, who was sent to Arles to preach the gospel and to put an end to human sacrifices. Among the first things he is said to have done was to consecrate the Alyscamps and transform it thus from a heathen into a Christian burial-place, and add to it a little chapel. An old Arles writer alleges on his own authority that Trophimus dedicated this chapel to Mary, who was then alive. After labouring 36 years in this diocese he died on the 29th of November 94, and was buried in the little chapel he himself had built. Among the successors of Trophimus were Ambrose in 160, who remained here 20 years; Augustine in 220, who died 10 years afterwards; Jerome in 230, who also died 10 years afterwards; Marcien in 252, the originator of the Novatien sect; and St. Cyprien in 253. Saint Virgil, one of the successors, founded in 601 the church of St. Honorat beside the chapel of Trophimus. The present church dates only from the 12th to the 14th cent. The best and oldest part, excepting the foundations, is the apsidal termination, which is semicircular, with 4 pilasters and a small window in the centre to give light to the officiating priest. Over it rises a neat octagonal belfry in two arcaded stages. Under the chancel is a small crypt. The keeper calls a small chapel at the left hand corner of the chancel, the chapel of Trophimus. [Headnote: PICTURE GALLERY.] The Picture Gallery, or the Musée Reattu, is at No. 11 R. Grand Prieure, near the Tour Trouille. The house and pictures were bequeathed to the town by a cousin of the painter Reattu, b. at Arles 1760, d. 1833. On picture 119 are portraits of himself, wife, and two cousins. Next the picture gallery is the school of design. Branch line from Arles to Fontvieille, 7 m. E., passing Mont-Majour 4 m. E. Fontvieille is 7 m. S.W. from Les Baux by a good road. Junction at Arles with line to Aigues-Mortes, 36 m. S.W., and to Montpellier, 58 m. S.W.; Cette is 17 m. farther. (See map, p. 66.) [Headnote: MONT-MAJOUR.] 4 m. eastwards by rail from Arles are the ruins of the castle and abbey of Mont-Majour, all in a good state of preservation, excepting the domestic buildings, constructed in 1786. The concierge lives in a house near the station. Fee, 1 fr. He generally shows first the church, 11th cent., and the spacious crypt below, 9th cent. Adjoining the church are the cloisters, 11th cent., of the same kind as those of St. Trophime, but more interesting and more perfect, and containing the tombs of some of the counts of Anjou. Next is the beautiful square dungeon tower, nearly as perfect as when erected in 1374. It is 262 ft. high, is ascended by 137 steps, and commands a wide prospect. From this, a stair leads down the face of the hill to the chapel and cell of St. Trophimus, principally hewn in the soft limestone cliff. Standing apart at the base of the hill is St. Croix, dedicated in 1019, consisting of four semicircular sides, crowned with semidomes projecting from a square tower crowned with a kind of pyramid spire. At Fontvieille (Hôtel du Commerce) are important quarries of soft calcareous sandstone. [Headnote: PORT SAINT LOUIS.] +Arles to Port Saint Louis+, at the mouth of the Great Rhône, 25 m. S. by steamer on the Great Rhône. Time, 5 hrs. Fare, 2 frs. Railway unfinished (see map, p. 66). The steamboat passes by an important part of the Camargue with large vineyards, rendered very fertile by irrigation, the water being forced up from the river by steam engines. Cattle, sheep, and horses are reared on the tufts of coarse grass which cover the more arid portions. The population is so sparse that not a village is seen during the whole journey. (See also p. 70.) +Port Saint Louis+ (Hôtel Saint Louis), 6½ m. W. from Port Bouc, consists of a straggling village between the Rhône and the basin of the canal constructed to enable vessels to avoid the bar of the Rhône. This canal is 2½ m. long, 196 ft. wide, and 22 ft. deep. To understand the geography of this desolate flat region of land and water, exposed to every wind, it is necessary to ascend the “tour Saint Louis,” whence the plain, intersected by the Rhône and numerous canals, appears literally like a map. The only villages seen in the vast expanse are Fos, on a hill, and near it the Port Bouc. Great expense has been incurred to make Port St. Louis a convenient place for shipping, and attract to it some of the commerce from Marseilles. 23 m. S.W. from Arles, and separated from Port St. Louis by the great Etang Valcarès, is the port called Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, or simply Les Saintes. The parish church, 12th cent., surrounded by fortifications, contains the tombs of the Maries and some good sculpture. For +Arles to Port Bouc+, 29 m. S., see p. 76. The steamer sails from the S.W. corner of Arles (see map, page 66). [Headnote: ST. GILLES. LUNEL.] 11¼ m. W. by rail from Arles is +St. Gilles+, pop. 7000. Hôtel du Cheval-Blanc. A poor and ancient town on the canal of Aigues-Mortes, near the Petit Rhône. The abbey church, founded in 1116, is considered a good specimen of Byzantine architecture. The façade consists of a bald wall with a plain tower on each side. Between these towers are three semicircular recessed portals, below an entablature resting on two single and two double columns. The capitals are Corinthian, but the pedestals (considerably effaced) consist of lions and grotesque animals in uncouth positions. Behind them, on the piers of the arches of the portals, stand in bold relief statues of apostles and saints, separated from each other by pilasters. The interior, consisting of a nave and two aisles, is 290 ft. long, 88 wide, and 62 high. In the N. aisle a stair of 33 steps leads down to the lower church, with semicircular arches on short massive piers. From the centre 7 more steps descend to the tomb of St. Gilles. All the characteristics of this church are equally well represented in St. Trophime of Arles. 16¾ m. farther W., or 28 m. from Arles by rail, is +Lunel+, pop. 7300. _Inns:_ Palais; Nord; Tapis-verd; none good. A town of narrow streets, with a park and promenade by the side of the canal. The church is constructed after the pattern of those of Carcassonne and Perpignan. On the surrounding plain an inferior wine is grown. The first-class vineyards, producing the generous white wines from 17° to 18°, are all on the neighbouring gravelly eminences. [Headnote: AIGUES-MORTES.] 8 m. S. by rail from Lunel is the more interesting town of +AIGUES-MORTES+, “stagnant waters,” pop. 4300, 4 m. from the Mediterranean, and 4 ft. above it, and connected with it by a navigable canal. _Inn:_ Saint Louis. It is of great historical interest, and is surrounded by the most perfect old embrasured wall in France, built in the form of a parallelogram, 596 yds. long by 149 yds. broad. It is 36 ft. high, and is flanked by 15 towers. On the western side rises the famous round tower of Constance, 96 ft. high and 72 in diameter, containing two vaulted superimposed circular chambers, used by Louis XIV. and Louis XV. as prisons for their Protestant subjects of both sexes, who here suffered such cruelties that the Dutch and Swiss Governments were roused to interfere in their behalf, and even Frederic the Great is said to have interceded for them, but in vain. From the platform at the top of this tower is the highly interesting view of the flat country at the mouth of the Rhône, whence the traveller may judge for himself whether the sea has, or has not, receded from the town since the time of Saint Louis--we think not. Both the tower of Constance and the walls are the work of Saint Louis, who had a predilection for Aigues-Mortes, as he considered it the most suitable place in his kingdom from which to embark for Palestine. On 25th August 1248, after having heard mass in the church Notre-Dame-des-Sablons (fronting his statue), he and his Queen Marguerite sailed from Aigues-Mortes on their first expedition to Palestine. On the 3d of July 1270 he again sailed from the same place; and on that same year, on the anniversary day of his first expedition, the 25th of August, he perished among the ruins of Carthage. 4 m. S. from Aigues-Mortes by omnibus, or steamer by the canal, is the bathing station of Port-Grau-du-Roi. _Inns:_ Pommier; Dubois (see map, page 66). 49 m. N. from Lunel by rail is Vigan. (See page 105.) 96½ m. W. from Marseilles, 43 m. W. from Arles, 31 m. S.W. from Nîmes, and 15 m. S.W. from Lunel, is [Headnote: MONTPELLIER.] +MONTPELLIER+, on the sides and summit of an eminence 145 ft. above the sea and 7 miles from it. Pop. 56,000. _Hotels:_ H. Nevet, the best and most expensive, at the commencement of the Esplanade. On the same side, only a little farther up, is a block of handsome buildings containing the Public Library, closed on Sundays and Thursdays, and the Picture Gallery or Musée Fabre, open on Sundays and Mondays. Adjoining is the Lycée. In the Place de la Comédie, near the Esplanade, is the H. du Midi, the next best hotel. In the Grande Rue, the H. Cheval Blanc, frequented by commercial men. Opposite the station is the H. de la Gare. In the fine broad street, the Rue Maguelone, leading from the station to the Place de la Comédie, is the H. Maguelone, second class. Their omnibuses await passengers. Temple Protestant near station, in the Rue Maguelone. Telegraph Office in the Boulevard de la Comédie. Post in the Boulevard Jeu-de-Paume. From the Esplanade omnibus runs to Castelnau. From near the Place de la Comédie coach to Mauguio. From the Boulevard de Blanquerie, below the prison, coach to Claret and St. Hippolyte. (See map, p. 66.) [Headnote: BOTANIC GARDENS.] The most modern part of the town is the Rue Maguelone, leading from the station to the Esplanade, a delightful promenade bounded by the citadel. At the N.W. angle of the Esplanade a stair leads down to a line of boulevards, passing up by the “Hôpital Général” to the Botanic Gardens, the earliest institution of this kind in France, founded in the reign of Henri IV., and for some years under the direction of the famous botanist De Candolle. It contains an area of 9 acres, divided into three parts: at the N. end is a nursery; at the S., in a hollow, surrounded by trees, the botanical part; and between these two divisions the arboretum. Opposite the Botanic Gardens is the once famous +École de médecine+, said to have been founded by Arab physicians under the patronage of the Counts of Montpellier. It now occupies the old bishops’ palace, built in the 14th cent., with additions in the 17th. At the entrance are bronze statues of Barthez, 1734-1806, and La Peyronie, 1678-1747. Within the entrance are busts of the most celebrated professors and divines connected with the college and the church of Montpellier. In the same building are also valuable anatomical and pathological collections, and a library with 55,000 vols. Adjoining is the +Cathedral+ of St. Pierre, 14th and 15th cents., but the choir is recent, though in the same style. White marble statue of Mary and child by Canova. Overlooking the Botanic Gardens is the beautiful promenade, the Place du Peyrou, on an eminence at the western side of the town. In cold weather invalids and nurses with their children frequent the lower terrace of this “Place,” the promenade Basse du Midi. At the western end of the Peyrou is the Château d’Eau, a hexagonal Corinthian building, which receives and distributes through the town the water brought from the fontaine de St. Clement, 5½ m. from Montpellier. The aqueduct, which conveys the water across the valley from the opposite hill, consists of two tiers of arches 70 ft. high and 2896 ft. long. The gate at the end of the promenade was erected to commemorate the victories of Louis XIV. Adjoining is the Palais de Justice, with statues of Cambacérès and Cardinal Fleury. Eastwards, by crooked streets, are the Mairie and the markets. [Headnote: MUSÉE FABRE.] A short way north from the Hôtel Nevet, by the Rues Ste. Foi and also on the Esplanade, is a handsome modern edifice, comprising the +Musée Fabre+, the Bibliothèque publique with 65,000 vols., and the “Collection de la Société archéologique.” The Musée Fabre, open on Sundays and Mondays and feast days, contains, among many works of inferior merit, some good pictures by great artists, such as Berghem, Fra Bartolommeo, P. C. Champaigne, Cuyp, L. David, G. Dow, Van Dyck, Ghirlandajo, Girodet, Granet, Greuze, Metsu, Palma, P.Veronese, Porbus, P. Potter, Poussin, Samuel Reynolds, Salvator Rosa, Rubens, Ruysdael, Andrea del Sarto, D. Teniers, Terburg, Titian, and Zarg. The library contains some curious MSS. connected with, the Stuarts, which belonged to Prince Charles Edward. Montpellier produces a lovely coloured wine with good bouquet, called St. Georges d’Orgues. The manufacture of verdigris, the preparation of preserved fruits, dye works, chemical works, and distilleries, are the principal industries. From the railway station, opposite the Hôtel de Nevet, a line extends through the lagoon Pérols, covering a surface of 3000 acres, and yielding annually 2000 tons of salt, to the port of Palavas, 5 m. south (pop. 1000), with a beautiful beach. At the Palavas terminus is the Casino hotel, and on the Canal the Hôtel des Bains and the Restaurant Parisien. A cabine (bathing-house), including costume and linen, costs 1 fr. Leave the train at the Plage station. 3 m. from Montpellier, in the retired valley of the Mosson, is the mineral water establishment of Foncaude. Water saline, unctuous, and sedative. Good for indigestion and nervous disorders. 12½ m. north from Montpellier is the Pic du Loup, rising from the village St. Mathieu (pop. 500) to the height of 680 ft., commanding an extensive view, and having on the top a chapel visited by pilgrims. From Montpellier a line extends 43½ m. W. to Faugères on the line from Beziers to Capdenac by Rodez. (See map, page 27.) [Headnote: FRONTIGNAN. CETTE.] 109½ m. from Marseilles and 4½ from Cette is +Frontignan+, pop. 3000. Possessing 570 acres of vineyards producing rich amber-coloured, luscious, and spirituous wines, made principally from the clairette and picardan grapes. The neighbouring marshes yield annually about 50,000 tons of salt. 114 m. from Marseilles is +Cette+, pop. 29,000. At this point the Chemins de Fer de Paris à Lyon system joins the Chemins de Fer du Midi, and consequently carriages are often changed here. For Cette to Toulouse and Bordeaux, see Table “Bordeaux à Cette” in the “Indicateur des Chemins de Fer du Midi.” Cette is 271 m. east from Pau, 266 from Bordeaux, and 84 from Perpignan. Omnibuses and coaches await passengers. _Hotels:_ Barrillon; Grand Galion; Bains; Souche. Cette makes a pleasant halting-place. The best walk is to the top of Mt. Setius, 590 ft. Ascend by the Rue d’Esplanade, and when at the highest part of the Public Gardens take the road to the right. The view is magnificent. In front is the Mediterranean, and behind Lake Thau with its villages. At the base of the mountain is Cette, and beyond Frontignan. The Port of Cette is protected by a breakwater 548 yds. long, which encloses a harbour of 210 acres, furnished with two jetties; the western, constructed by Vauban, is 656 yds. long, and the eastern 548 yds. This busy port, besides having an extensive carrying trade, has a large wine manufactory, where above 100,000 pipes of imitations of all the well-known wines are made annually, by mixing different wines with each other. From the first bridge over the canal (not including the railway bridge) a small steamer starts three times daily for Balaruc and Meze, on Lake Thau. Meze, like Cette, is entirely devoted to the wine trade. Balaruc has a bathing establishment, supplied by intensely saline springs, resembling strong sea-water, temperature 125° Fahr. A quart contains 106 grains of chloride of sodium, 13½ of the chloride of magnesia, and a fraction of the chloride of copper, 15 grains of the sulphate, and 13½ of the bicarbonate of lime. Pension, 8 to 9 fr., and the bath treatment 4½ fr. additional. The Canal du Midi enters Lake Thau at Les Onglous, 11 m. W. from Cette. (See map, page 27.) [Headnote: MIRAMAS. PORT BOUC.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {503}{34} +MIRAMAS+, pop. 900, south from the station at the head of the Étang Chamas. At the station there are a small inn and a large plantation of almond trees, which, when in flower, exhale a delightful perfume. Passengers to Avignon by Cavaillon and L’Isle change carriages here (p. 65). Also for Port Bouc, 16¼ m. south. MIRAMAS TO PORT BOUC. +Miramas to Port Bouc+ by rail through a flat plain (see map, p. 66). The two most important towns passed on the way are: +Istres+, 6¼ m. from Miramas station and 10 N. from Port Bouc, pop. 4000, founded in the 8th cent. on Lake Olivier, and possessing still part of its ancient ramparts. The principal industry is the manufacture of salt and of the carbonate of soda. 13¼ m. from Miramas is +Fos+ (Fossae Marianae), pop. 1100, on a hill crowned with the ruins of a castle, 14th cent. At the foot of the hill, by the side of the Arles canal, are large tanks for the manufacture of salt. From Fos, other 3 miles south by rail, or 16¼ miles altogether from the Miramas railway station, or 29 miles S. from Arles by the canal, is +Port Bouc+, pop. 1000. _Inns:_ near the stations of the railway and the canal steamer, the Hôtel du Commerce; near the jetty, the Hôtel du Nord. Port Bouc, on the Étang Caroute, near the entrance to the great lake, the Étang de Berre, is an important fishing-station with a large and well-protected harbour. At the end of the jetty is a fixed light, seen within a radius of 10 m. At the other side of the entrance is Fort Bouc with a massive square tower in the centre and another lighthouse. About 7 miles west from Port Bouc by the coast road is the Port of St. Louis, page 72. (For Port Bouc to Martigues and Marseilles, see p. 118.) +Port Bouc to Arles+, 29 m. S. by the canal steamboat; time, 5 hrs; fare, 3 frs. The canal is 62 ft. wide and 8 deep. The embankments are very solid, and along a great part of them extends the railway between Arles and Saint Louis. The only town the canal passes is Fos, about ½ m. E. The Miramas railway passes it on the other side. Passengers drop into the steamer from the farmhouses. The steamer moors at the S.W. corner of Arles. (See p. 72, and map p. 66.) [Headnote: SAINT CHAMAS.] miles from PARIS miles to MARSEILLES {506½}{30½} +SAINT CHAMAS+ (Sanctus Amantius), pop. 3000, about ½ m. from the station. It is situated on the N. end of the Étang de Berre, and on both sides of a short narrow ridge of soft sandstone pierced with excavations. The Government have one of their most important powder manufactories in this place. Hardly ½ m. E. from the Hôtel de Ville is the Flavian Bridge, built by the Romans, across the stream Touloubre, with at each end a kind of triumphal arch of 12 ft. span and about 22 ft. high. At each of the four corners is a grooved Corinthian pilaster surmounted by a frieze and a projecting dentilled cornice. On the top at each end stands a lion; the two on the east arch are apparently ready to spring eastward, and the other two westward. The bridge is in a state of perfect repair, but the sculpture and inscription on the two arches over the entrances are slightly effaced. The road to it is by the Hôtel de Ville and the parish church with a rudely sculptured “Pieta” over the portal. The bridge is to the E. of St. Chamas, and is well seen from the railway, especially when crossing the viaduct of 49 interlaced arches, which carry the rail over the little valley of the Touloubre. 8½ m. E. from St. Chamas is Berre station. The town, pop. 2100, is directly south, on +Lake Berre+, a sheet of water 14 m. long and 38 in circumference. [Headnote: ROGNAC.] {519½}{17½} +ROGNAC+, pop. 900. Junction with rail to Aix, 16½ m. E., passing under the Roquefavour aqueduct, 7½ m. E. The canal, which brings 200 cubic ft. of water per second from the Durance to Marseilles and the neighbouring plain, commences opposite Pertuis, directly north from Marseilles. It is 94 m. long, of which more than 15 are under ground; it has a fall of 614 ft., traverses, by 45 tunnels, 3 chains of limestone hills, and crosses numerous valleys by aqueducts, of which the largest crosses the ravine of the river Arc at Roquefavour. This aqueduct is 270 ft. high on three tiers of arches, is 1312 ft. long, 44½ ft. wide at the base, and 14 ft. wide at the water-way. It consists of 51,000 cubic yards of masonry, and cost £151,394, while the cost of the whole canal from the Durance to the sea, near Cape Croisette, a little to the east of Marseilles, has been £2,090,000. A branch from the principal channel throws 198,000 gallons per minute into the city, while five other ramifications fertilise by irrigation the country around it. The canal water is purified in the basins of Réaltort. The large reservoir for Marseilles is behind the Palais de Longchamp. (See p. 114, and for the course of the canal, maps pp. 66 and 123.) To visit the aqueduct, take the road to the left from the station, pass under the railway bridge, and then ascend partly by a steep path and partly by steps to the house of the concierge. [Headnote: AIX. HÔTEL DE VILLE. CATHEDRAL.] 16½ m. E. from Rognac, or 33 m. N. from Marseilles by Rognac, but only 18 m. N. by Gardanne, is +Aix+-en-Provence, pop. 29,000. _Hotels:_ Negre-Coste, the best, in the Grand Cours; at the east end of the Cours, Mule-Noire, and near it at the Palais de Justice, the Hôtel du Palais; at the station end of the Cours, the Louvre and the France; at the baths, the Hôtel des Bains; opposite the Hôtel de Ville, the Hôtel Aigle d’Or. Best cafés in the Cours René. Post and telegraph offices in the street behind the Cours, or behind the division opposite the Hôtel Negre-Coste. Aix, formerly the capital of Provence, was founded 120 B.C. by the Consul Sextius Calvinus around the thermal springs, which he himself had discovered. The temperature of the water is 95° F., and the ingredients, iron and iodine, the carbonates, sulphates, and chlorides of soda and magnesia, together with an organic bituminous matter strongly impregnated with glairine. The establishment is situated at the extremity of the Cours Sextius. Pension, 8½ frs. Each bath 1 fr. At the high end of the Cours René is a statue, by David, of René of Anjou, “le bon Roi,” king of Naples, Sicily, and Jerusalem; died in 1480 at the age of 72, and buried at Angers, where he was born. He was endowed with every virtue, was a poet, painter, and musician, and was skilled in medicine and astronomy. During his reign in Aix the people were prosperous, and art and science flourished. From the right of the statue streets lead up to the principal square with a monument to Lodovico XV., the Palais de Justice with statues of the jurists Portales and Siméon, and the church of the Madeleine, built for the perpetual adoration of the host. A little higher up are the Hôtel de Ville, built in 1640; the Halle-aux-Grains, reconstructed in 1760 and adorned with bold and spirited sculpture. Next the Hôtel de Ville is the great clock tower, bearing the date 1512. In the centre of the court of the Hôtel de Ville is a statue of Mirabeau, and on the staircase a white marble statue of Marshal Villars, by Coustou. In the Hôtel de Ville is also the public library with 100,000 vols. Among the MSS. is the prayer book of King René, with illustrations said to have been done by himself. No. 569 is a small 4to volume, with copies of letters written by Queen Mary Stuart. The first 57 pages relate to her early history. At page 645 commences a defence of her conduct, written by a warm partisan of the queen. The street, ascending through the gateway of the clock tower, leads to the university buildings, the palace of the archbishop, and the Cathedral of +Saint Sauveur+, built in the 11th cent., partly on the foundations of a temple to Apollo. The tower, 195 ft. high, was built in the 15th cent., and the chancel in 1285. The façade was commenced in 1476, and the beautiful sculpture on the great entrance door executed in 1503. It is generally covered by a plain outer door. In the interior to the right is the Baptistery, an octagonal chapel with six antique marble and two granite Corinthian columns about 30 ft. high, each shaft being of one stone. The ornamental sculpture on the panels and in the spandrels is by Puget. On the same side are two triptychs, one by Crayer, “Mary worshipped by Saints,” and the other by some artist of the Jean Van Eyck school, representing in the centre Moses and the burning bush, with Mary up in a clump of trees. On one wing is King René on his knees, attended by the Magdalene, St. Maurice, and St. Anthony; and on the other wing is the king’s second wife, Jeanne de Laval, attended by her patron saints. On the outside of the shutters are the angel Gabriel and Mary. On each side of the chancel is an organ case, but only the one on the left hand has pipes. Under each is a large tapestry dating from 1511, representing scenes in the life of J. C. Both pieces are said to have belonged to St. Paul’s of London. Among the relics the church possesses are: the skull of St. Ursula, the arm of one of her 11,000 virgins presented by Nicolas V. in 1458, a rib of St. Sebastian presented by King René, and three thorns from the crown of our Lord. [Headnote: PICTURE GALLERY.] The last street at the S.E. end of the Cours René leads directly to the church of St. Jean and the +Picture Gallery+ adjoining; free on Sundays and Thursdays from 12 to 4. St. Jean was built in the 13th cent. by the Princes of the house of Aragon for the order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. The spire is 220 ft. high. To the left of the altar is the tomb of Raymond and wife, Comte de Provence. On the ground-floor of the picture gallery are sarcophagi, inscriptions, and statues ancient and modern. Upstairs is a large collection of paintings, water-colours, and drawings; but few have either labels or numbers. The “Biscotins” seen in the shop windows are round sweet biscuits about the size and shape of walnuts. The better kind, “Gallissons,” are flat and diamond shaped. The olive oil made in the farms around Aix is reputed to have a very fine fruity flavour. The reason alleged is--the trees being small the berries are gathered, or rather plucked, by the hand before they are quite ripe. Where the trees are large, as in the more favoured parts of the Riviera, the fruit must be allowed to ripen to allow of its being shaken down by long poles. The trees are pruned in circles, leaving an empty space in the centre. [Headnote: RIANS. MEYRARGUES.] (For the following see maps, pages 66 and 123.) Coach daily from the “Cours” to Rians, 20 in. N.E., passing Vauvenargues, 8 m. E. The castle, 14th cent., and village of Vauvenargues are situated near the cascades of the Val Infernets, and within 3 hrs. of the culminating point, 3175 ft. above the sea, of the Sainte Victoire mountains. +Rians+, pop. 2900, _Inn:_ Hôtel Barème, is situated amidst olive trees and vineyards. Coach daily from Rians to Meyrargues, on the railway 34½ m. N. from Marseilles, and 155½ S. from Grenoble, passing Jouques, 7½ m. N., with the ruins of its castle, both situated in the gorge of the Riaou, in which rise the copious springs of the Bouillidous, which irrigate the fields and set in motion numerous mills. 2 m. beyond Jouques is +Peyrolles+ (pop. 1200. _Inn:_ Hôtel du Grand Logis), on the Durance, and at the foot of the Grand Sambiu, 2560 ft. above the sea. In the chapel of the old fortress is a painting on wood attributed to King René. +Meyrargues+ (pop. 2000. _Inn:_ Reynaud) is situated with its castle in the valley of the Volubière. Coach at station awaits passengers from Rians. [Headnote: DILIGENCES. BRANCH LINES.] Diligence also from the Cours to Pélissanne, 18 m. W., passing by La Barben, with one of the best castles in Provence, 14 m. W. Coach from Pelissanne to Salon, 4 m. W. (For Salon, see p. 66.) 5 m. N.E. from Pelissanne is Lambesc. Diligences leave the Cours also for St. Cannat and Lambesc; but the best way is to go on to the next station N. from Aix, La Calade, where a coach awaits passengers for St. Cannat, 5 m. N.W., and Lambesc, 3½ m. farther. In the village of St. Cannat is the chapel of N. D. de la Vie, visited by pilgrims. +Lambesc+, 14 m. from Aix, pop. 3000, is a pretty little town, agreeably situated at the foot of the hill Berthoire. The manufactures of olive oil and silk form the principal industries. 7 m. S. from Aix, and 11 m. N. from Marseilles, is +Gardanne+, pop. 3500, with extensive coalfields. Junction here with branch to Carnoules, 52 m. S.E., on the line between Marseilles and Cannes. (See under Carnoules, p. 142.) From Rognac the train passes by the Étang de Berre, and halts at Vitrolles, on the east side of the rail, 2½ m. S. from Rognac. 3¼ m. S. from Vitrolles and 11¼ m. N. from Marseilles is Pas-des-Lanciers, junction with line to Martigues (see p. 66), 12¾ m. E. Four and a half miles south from the Pas-des-Lanciers, and 7 miles north from Marseilles, is the station of +L’Estaque+, a village on the sea, full of large brick and tile works, extending a good way up the valley of the Séon. This is the birthplace of the painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer Pierre Puget, born 31st October 1622, died at Marseilles 2d December 1694, in the 51st year of the reign of Louis XIV., to the glory of which his genius had contributed. He was the youngest of three brothers, the children of Simon Puget, a poor stonemason, who died while Pierre was still a boy. +Marseilles+ (see p. 111). Cabs and the omnibuses from all the principal hotels await passengers in the large open court just outside the arrival side of the railway station. At the east end of the departure side of the railway station is the Station Hotel, very comfortable, but the prices are rather more than moderate. +LYONS TO NÎMES.+ 172 m. south by the west bank of the Rhône, passing Oullins, Givors-canal, Ampuis, Peyraud, Tournon, La Voulte, Le Pouzin, Le Teil, Laudun, and Rémoulins. Thence to Marseilles other 79 miles. Maps, pages 26, 46, 56 and 66. miles from LYONS miles to NÎMES { }{172} NÎMES +LYONS+: start from the Perrache station. The train after passing Oullins and Irigny arrives at Vernaison, 9 m. from Lyons, pop. 1400, with manufactories of pocket-handkerchiefs, and a large castle converted into a school. 4 m. farther is +Givors-canal+, where the Nîmes line separates from the line to St. Etienne, 29 m. W. The canal of Givors, commenced in 1761, is 13 m. long, and is used chiefly by the coal barges. Near Tartaras it traverses a tunnel 118 yards long. The train now proceeds to Loire, 16½ m. S. from Lyons, pop. 1400, famous for chestnuts, and then 8 m. farther down the Rhône to +Ampuis+ (opposite Vaugris), pop. 2000, H. du Nord, producing apricots, melons, and chestnuts, and possessing 94 acres of the Côte-Rotie vineyards, of which 46 acres belong to the first class, yielding one of the best wines of France, remarkable for its fine colour, flavour, and violet perfume. It is a little heady, and gains much by a voyage. 3 m. farther south by rail is Condrieu, with 87 acres of vineyards, producing luscious white wines, becoming amber-coloured. 31 m. S. from Lyons is Chavanay, pop. 1800, with old castle and suspension bridge. _Inns:_ H. Commerce; Soleil; omnibus at station. 4 m. from Chavanay by coach is Pelussin, pop. 4000. Romanesque church with crypt and ruins of Virieux castle. 7 m. farther is Serrieres, pop. 1700. Railway viaduct of 66 arches. {39¼}{132¾} +PEYRAUD+, pop. 400. Junction with line to Annonay, 9 m. W., and to Grenoble, 60 m. E. by Rives and Voreppe. +Annonay+, pop. 16,500, built in the hollow and on the sides of the surrounding mountains, at the confluence of the Déôme and the Cance. _Inn:_ H. Midi, in the principal square, occupying the centre of the low town. The ruins of the old castle are on a rock by the side of the Cance. The Hôtel de Ville is on a hill beyond. The spot from which the brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier made the first air-balloon ascent, 3d June 1783, is indicated by a pyramid. They were also the founders of one of the celebrated paper mills of Annonay; whose paper was long esteemed the best in France. 27 m. N.W. from Annonay by coach, traversing a beautiful mountain-road, is St. Etienne. From Annonay the road ascends 9¾ m. to Bourg-Argental, pop. 3600. _Inn:_ France. Bourg, as the inhabitants call it, is a silk-rearing and manufacturing town, on the Déôme, in a hollow surrounded by mountains covered with vines and mulberry trees. 2 m. farther the road passes the castle of Argental, and shortly after reaches its culminating point on a vast tableland to the south of Mont Pilat. The country around is covered with a great forest of firs. The obelisks along the road are to guide travellers when snow is on the ground. The road now crosses the plateau called La République, bounded by the Bois de Merlon, and then descends to St. Etienne by Planfoy, 5 m. from St. Etienne, and La Rivière 2 m. 17½ m. by rail from Annonay is Tournon. [Headnote: TOURNON.] 56½ m. S. from Lyons, 115½ N. from Nîmes, and opposite Tain, with which it is connected by two suspension bridges, is +Tournon+, pop. 6100, on the Rhône. Hôtel de l’Assurance between the bridges, and opposite the landing-place from the Lyons and Avignon steamers. Fishers can easily reach from Tournon many of the tributaries of the Rhône. Next the hotel is the castle of the Counts of Tournon, now the Palais de Justice. Beyond it is the church of St. Julien, built in 1300. The interior is on lofty early pointed arches. Wine, silk, and olives supply the principal industries. Coach daily to Le Cheilard, 5½ hrs., ascending all the way (see p. 83). Coaches also to St. Félicien, 3 hrs. W.; to St. Agrève, 9¼ hrs. W.; and to St. Martin de Valamas, 7½ hrs. W. 3 m. N. from Tournon is Vion, with a beautiful church. (See map, p. 46.) {65½}{106½} +SAINT PERAY+, pop. 3000. _Inn:_ H. du Nord. Omnibus at station. Also omnibus for Valence. An uninteresting village about ten minutes from the station, situated on the sunny side of the valley of the Merdary. The vineyards here produce an excellent sparkling wine, the taste of which is natural, not given to it by the addition of prepared cordials, as is the case with the other champagnes. 69 m. from Lyons is Soyons, pop. 900, under an eminence crowned by the Tour Maudite, an old fortress. 77 yards above the village is a cave, La Grotte de Néron, in which prehistoric remains have been found. 2½ m. farther is Charmes, pop. 1000, and other 3 m. Beauchastel, pop. 1000, 2 m. from St. Laurent du Pape. (Map, p. 46.) [Headnote: LA VOULTE.] {77}{95} +LA VOULTE+, pop. 5000. _Inn:_ H. du Musée. Temple Protestant. Railway and steamboat stations. A dirty and badly-paved town on the right bank and on the steep sides of a hill rising from the Rhône. On the summit are the Grande Place, the parish church, and the castle, commenced by Bernard Anduze in 1305, and finished by Gilbert III. de Ventadour in 1582, who also built the chapel. The castle is now inhabited by workmen, and the chapel is a magazine. By the side of the castle is a large iron-foundry, employing 170 men. The ores come from rich mines a little way up the valley, near the decayed mineral water establishment of Celles-les-Bains. _Inn:_ H. Chalvet, 2 m. down the Rhône, but behind the hills. The water contains iron with a little free carbonic acid gas. Coach daily from La Voulte to Le Cheilard (or Cheylard), 30 m. N.W., 6 hrs., and to St. Pierreville, 24 m. W., 5 hrs. The road to the two places separates at St. Sauveur, 8¾ m. E. from St. Pierreville, and 15 m. S.E. from Le Cheilard. (See map, p. 46.) St. Sauveur, pop. 2000. _Inns:_ Poste; Voyageur. Is prettily situated on the Erieux, which descends from Le Cheilard, between high rocky banks cultivated to the summit by a series of laboriously walled terraces, on which are small fields of wheat intermingled with walnut, chestnut, apple, pear, and cherry trees, and in the more favoured spots vines and peach and mulberry trees. The road skirts the cliffs, and is itself terraced the greater part of the way. A few miles up the river, opposite the village Chalançon, _Inn:_ H. Astier, is a very good specimen of an old donkey-backed bridge, +Le Cheilard+, 2130 ft. above the sea, pop. 3500. _Inn:_ H. Courtial. This, the great diligence centre of Ardèche, is a dingy, dirty town, with narrow streets, beautifully situated on the Evreux, in a hollow between lofty terraced mountains. Coaches daily to Valence, La Voulte, and Tournon. Every other day to Annonay by the same road as the Tournon coach as far as a little beyond Mastre, 1280 ft. above the sea, whence it diverges northward. Coach daily also to Le Puy, 36 m. N.W., by St. Martin-de-Valamas, pop. 2200, at the confluence of the Eysse and the Erieux and Fay-le-Froid, 22 m. E. from Le Puy, near the river Lignon, pop. 900. (Map, page 46.) [Headnote: ST. SAUVEUR. LE CHEILARD. MARCOLS.] ROAD TO THE SOURCE OF THE LOIRE. +Saint Sauveur to Le Beage+ by St. Pierreville, Marcols, Mezillac, and Lachamp-Raphaél (Gerbier-de-Jones). The road from St. Sauveur to St. Pierreville ascends the Gluyère or Glaire in much the same way as the road to Le Cheilard ascends the Erieux. +St. Pierreville+, 1788 ft. above the sea, pop. 2100. _Inns:_ Rochier; Commerce. Temple Protestant. On an eminence rising from the Gluyère. At St. Pierreville passengers for Marcols enter a smaller vehicle. The whole way the road follows the course of the Gluyère, between great granite cliffs. 2 m. before reaching Marcols is the clean little village of +Olbon+, on both sides of the Gluyère, with a nice inn, the H. des Voyageurs, and a Temple Protestant. A little farther by the side of the stream is a spring of mineral water containing iron and carbonic acid gas. 6 m. W. from St. Pierreville is +Marcols+, 3380 ft. above the sea, a small village with three silk mills, on an eminence rising from the Gluyère. _Inn:_ H. de l’Union. This is the terminus of the stagecoaches, for the other places westwards vehicles must be hired. As conveyances cannot always be had at Marcols, the most prudent plan for those going on to Le Beage, and not disposed to walk the distance, is to spend the night at St. Pierreville, and to start early next morning in a vehicle hired from the “Bureau des Diligences,” 15 frs. per day, with one horse. Gig from Marcols to Lachamp-Raphaél, 11 frs. Le Beage is 28¼ m. N.W. from St. Pierreville, passing through Marcols 6 m., Mezillac 11¾ m., and Lachamp-Raphaél 16 m. The road from Marcols to Mezillac, 2¼ hrs., coils up the sides of steep terraced mountains. Near the summit of one, in a very exposed situation, is the small hamlet of Mezillac, consisting of low massive stone cottages, and a modern church built in the style of the former one, 10th cent. Refreshments can be had at the Bureau de Tabac. A little farther down is the inn. At Mezillac the road from Le Cheilard to Aubenas intersects the road from Mezillac to Le Beage. Thus far the prevailing rock has been granite, but about ½ m. from Mezillac the road skirts the face of a mountain one mass of basaltic prisms. [Headnote: LACHAMP-RAPHAÉL. SOURCE OF THE LOIRE.] 4½ m. W. from Mezillac is the hamlet of Lachamp-Raphaél, 4364 ft. above the sea. Most of the better cottages take in travellers, where generally abundance of good milk, butter, eggs, coffee, and potatoes may be had, with a bed. There are no trees in this region. About 1 hour from Lachamp by a bad road is the cascade du Ray-Pic, which plunges down into a dark abyss. Any lad can show the way. THE GERBIER-DE-JONCS AND MONT MEZENC. 2 m. beyond Lachamp-Raphaél, just under the culminating point of the road (4600 ft. above the sea), is a farmhouse called La Maison Bourlatié, and near it a flattened peak. Just beyond this Maison Bourlatié a road diverges to the right (eastward) from the main road, which take for the Gerbier-de-Joncs, the top of which is distinctly seen after having proceeded a short way, and is hardly an hour’s easy walking from Bourlatié. It is a most interesting and easy excursion. The +Gerbier-de-Joncs+ (_Gerbiarum jugum_) is an isolated pointed cone, composed of masses and fragments of trachyte, rising 325 ft. above the tableland, 5125 ft. above the sea, and commanding a wide and extensive view. At the base, south side, from under a block of trachyte and some loose stones, wells gently forth the infant Loire, running first into a little circular basin for the use of the adjoining farmhouse, whence it runs down the bank in a tiny streamlet from 3 to 4 inches wide, but soon becomes sufficiently powerful to turn the wheel of a mill. The continuation of the road from the Gerbier goes to Les Etables, 22 m. S.E. from Le Puy, at the foot of Mount Mezenc, 5755 ft. above the sea. Now go on to Le Beage, or return for the night to Lachamp, 22½ m. N. from Aubenas by Antraigues. +Lachamp-Raphaél to Le Beage+, 12½ m. W. Char-à-banc, 10 frs. The road, which has been ascending all the way from Valence and La Voulte, continues to ascend till about 1¾ m. beyond Lachamp, where it attains its culminating point, about 4600 ft. A little farther the road to the Gerbier diverges to the right. Less than 2 m. from this the road crosses the Loire, and soon after is joined by the road from the village of St. Eulalie on the way to Montpezat. [Map: Mont Mezenc and the Source of the Loire] [Headnote: LE BEAGE. MEZENC.] +Le Beage+, pop. 850. _Inns:_ La Maison Brun; H. des Voyageurs. A dirty cattle and swine breeding village, 4122 ft. above the sea, beautifully situated on an eminence rising from the Veyradère, which rushes past in a dark ravine below. Pasture being the principal crop cultivated, the mountain sides have no terraces. Four great fairs are held annually here. The winter is long and severe, but from June to October the weather is pleasant. The staple occupation of the females is lace-making on a pillow with bobbins. The design is on paper fixed to a short cylinder, and is further indicated by pins with coloured glass heads. The linen thread is given them by the merchants, who pay them at the rate of from 2d. to 4½d. the yard, according to the breadth of the lace, from 2 to 4 inches. A most industrious lace-maker can earn 1 fr. per day. 3¼ m. S.W. from Le Beage in an extinct crater is the lake Issarlès, occupying a surface of 222 acres. From Le Beage the trachytic mountain of +Mezenc+ (pronounce Mezing) is visited. But the best plan is to go on to Les Etables, 4410 ft. above the sea, 7½ m. N. from Le Beage by the wheel road, but only half that distance by the direct path. _Inns:_ Testud; Chalamel, where pass the night. The hamlet is situated at the foot of Mont Mezenc, 5755 ft. above the sea, or 1345 ft. above Les Etables, and 866 ft. above the hamlet of Mezenc. The ascent takes about an hour. LE BEAGE TO LE PUY. Le Beage is 12 m. S.E. from Monastier, passing through Chabanis. On the opposite side of the river are seen Freycenet, 3905 ft. above the sea, and Crouziols, 4½ m. S. from Monastier. Char-à-banc between Le Beage and Monastier, 10 frs. [Headnote: LE MONASTIER.] +LE MONASTIER+, pop. 4000, on an eminence rising from the Colanse. _Inns:_ Commerce; Voyageurs. Coach daily to Le Puy, 11 m. N.W. 10¼ m. S. is Salettes, and 22 m. S. St. Paul de Tartas, 3393 ft. above the sea, at the foot of Mont Tartas, 4424 ft. St. Paul is near Pradelles, connected by diligence with Le Puy and Langogne. The parish church, St. Théofrède, of Le Monastier, was, along with the abbey, founded in 680, and rebuilt in 961 by Ufald, 10th abbot of Monastier, and repaired and enlarged in 1493 by Estaing, the 45th abbot. The edifice exhibits throughout the Auvergne style of architecture. The portal consists of a semicircular arch with 6 mouldings resting on four short columns with sculptured capitals. Above the tympanum and also over the large rectangular window are rude mosaics. Under the eaves of the roof runs a string moulding of grotesque sculpture, representing men and animals. In the interior the capitals of the columns and the corbels on the vaulting shafts are similarly adorned. In the apse is the chapel of Saint Théofrède; with sculptured stone roof. He is the “protecteur du Monastier”--“le bon pasteur, qui s’expose a la mort pour son troupeau”--the “conservateur des fruits de la terre.” (See his litany.) 11¼ m. N. from Le Monastier by diligence along a beautiful mountain-road is Le Puy. The bureau at Le Puy of both the diligence and the courier is at No. 1 Rue du Pont-St. Barthélémy near the large “Place” and the hotels. About half-way from Le Monastier is the village of Arsac, _Inn:_ H. des Voyageurs, and about 1 m. more, on an eminence, the village and the still imposing remains of the fortress of Bouzols, 10th cent. Shortly after having crossed the Loire at the town of Brives, the diligence enters Le Puy, 2 m. from Brives. 36 m. S.W. by rail from St. Etienne, 89½ m. from Lyons, and 33 m. S.E. from St. George d’Aurac junction, on the line between Clermont and Nîmes (see maps, pp. 26 and 46), is [Headnote: LE PUY. THE CATHEDRAL.] +Le Puy+, pop. 20,000, from 2000 to 2250 ft. above the sea, between the rivers Borne and Dolezon, affluents of the Loire, 2 m. from the town. _Hotels:_ Ambassadeurs; Europe; Nord. To visit Le Puy, the best plan is to begin with the Cathedral. From the high side of the Place de Breuil, at the N.W. corner, ascend by the streets St. Gilles, Chenebouterie, and Raphaél, to the Place des Tables, with a stone pinnacle fountain in the centre. From this ascend by the R. des Tables to the flight of 40 steps, leading up to the tetrastyle portico in front of the church. Forty-one more steps lead up through this portico to the portal of the west façade of the church, built up in the 18th cent., and having against it an altar to Mary. The oblong flat stone at the base of the table of the altar belonged to a dolmen which stood on this hill from the earliest times, and is called the “Pierre aux fièvres,” from its once supposed power of curing of fever those who lay upon it. From this altar a flight of 27 steps ascends to the left, to the cloisters, while the flight to the right of 32 steps ascends to one of the two south side entrances into the church. The other south side entrance, called the Porte du Fort, 12th cent., presents an extraordinary composition of the florid Byzantine style. On one side of it is the square belfry in 5 stages, commenced in the 11th cent., on the other is the bishop’s palace, and in front a small terrace. At the north side of the church is the Porte St. Jean, 12th cent., preceded by an arch of 28 ft. span. The cloisters are in the form of an oblong square, with 9 arches on the long sides, and five on the short, supported on square piers with attached colonnettes. The south side is the earliest, beginning of the 10th cent., and the western the most recent. The church, built in 550, received a succession of alterations up to 1427, when it was injured by an earthquake. In 1846 it was repaired and restored. The interior consists of eight square compartments, each, excepting the 7th, covered with a dome resting on four massive piers. Above the 7th rises an octagonal lantern tower. Under it is the high altar, with a replica of the miracle-working image,[1] brought from Cairo in 1251, and presented to the church of Le Puy by Saint Louis in 1254, but destroyed in the Revolution of 1793, when, according to the marble tablet on the pier of this compartment, 20 priests of the diocese were executed at the same time by the same party. On the south wall a large picture represents a numerous concourse of church and civic dignitaries carrying in procession the original image to make it stay the plague, which raged in Le Puy in 1660. The picture opposite represents the Consuls of Le Puy, attired in red, thanking the image for its protection. In the sacristy is the Théodulfe Bible, 9th cent. Near the north portal is the baptistery of +St. Jean+, built in the 4th cent, on the foundations of a Roman edifice. [Footnote 1: The original image was of cedar, with the face, both of it and of the child, painted black. It was 2 ft. 3 in. high, and weighed 25 lbs. The form was rudely carved, stiff and Egyptian like, and the members of both were swathed in two plies of linen.] [Headnote: NOTRE DAME DE FRANCE.] From Saint Jean commences the ascent of the Rocher Corneille, a mass of volcanic breccia, which forms the summit of Mount Podium. On the top is the image of +Notre Dame de France+, 433 ft. above the Hôtel de Ville, and 2478 ft. above the sea. It was unveiled on the 27th September 1860, was made from 213 cannons taken at Sebastopol, is 52½ ft. high, and weighs 2165 cwt. The foot is 6 ft. long, the hands 5 ft., and the hair 22 ft. The circumference of the head of the child, J. C., is 14 ft. In the interior of the image a spiral stair of 90 steps leads up to the shoulders, whence an iron ladder of 16 steps extends to the crown of her head. From little openings in this colossal figure are most enchanting views. From the orifice in her right side is seen (2½ m. N.W.) the village of Polignac, likewise on a hill 2645 ft. above the sea, clustering round its old castle. Immediately below is the Aiguilhe, and to the left, 1¼ m. S.E., Ours Mons. On a projecting part of the rock is, in a kneeling posture, looking up to Notre Dame de France, the figure of Bishop Morlhon, b. 1799, d. 1861, one of the principal promoters of the statue. Bonnassieux is the sculptor of both of them. [Headnote: AIGUILHE.] Behind the Rocher Corneille rises the isolated volcanic rock called the +Aiguilhe+, 265 ft. high, 518 ft. in circumference at the base, 45 at the top, and ascended by 266 steps. Fee, 5 sous. On the summit is the chapel of St. Michael, commenced in 962 by Bishop Godescalk, and consecrated in 984. The present building dates principally from the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th cent.; restored and repaired in 1850. Originally the interior of it as well as of the cathedral was covered with mural paintings. The views are superb. Near the foot of the rock, and adjoining the Mairie of Aiguilhe, is an octagonal baptistery, 12th cent., called the Temple of Diana. Near the post office, in the Boulevard St. Louis, is the lower part of a tower which belonged to the town gate Pannessac. The church, at a little distance below, is St. Laurent, 14th cent. In the chapel to the left of the high altar is the grave and mausoleum of the chivalrous Duguesclin, who died on the 17th July 1380, while besieging the fortress of Châteauneuf-le-Randon, between Langogne and Mende. [Headnote: MUSÉE.] In a large new building in the public garden off the Place de Breuil is the +Musée+, open on Sundays and feast days from 2 to 5. Everything is distinctly labelled. On the ground-floor in the hall to the left are architectural relics from Roman buildings in and about Le Puy. The best fragments belonged to the temple which stood on the site now occupied by the baptistery of Saint Jean. In the hall to the right is a miscellaneous collection of Egyptian, Celtic, and Roman antiquities, mixed up with a few articles belonging to the Middle Ages. [Headnote: PICTURE GALLERY. OURS MONS.] Upstairs is the +Picture Gallery+. In the centre room are portraits of the most celebrated natives of Le Puy, and a very good copy of part of the “Danse Macabre,” dance of death, in the church of Chaise-Dieu. Among the portraits are Charles Crozatier, born 1795, died at Paris 1853, the munificent contributor to the museum of this his native town. In the right-hand hall the best paintings, chiefly belonging to the Flemish school, are in the low row, such as Begyer, d. 1664; Caravaggio; Coypel, d. 1707; Franck, d. 1616; Heem, d. 1694; Lippi, d. 1469; Maes, d. 1693; Mieris, 1747; Mierveld, 1641; Poussin, 1695; Rigaud, 1743; Terburg, 1681; Tyr, 1868; Weenix, 1719. In the adjoining small room is a complete collection of the minerals belonging to the Haute-Loire. In the left room among other pictures are: Annunciation, Tintoretto, 1594; Mdlle. de Valois, Mignard, 1695; Mary Stuart, F. Clouet, 1572; Henriette-Marie de France, wife of Charles I. of England, Van der Werf, 1722; Landscape, Hobbema, 1669; Concert, Teniers (vieux); Portrait of Girl, J. B. Santerre, 1717. In the next room are specimens of the lace, blond and guipure, worked by the females inhabiting the towns and villages among the mountains of Ardèche and the Haute-Loire, of which articles Le Puy is the great emporium. The specimens and sample books are in cases. In the centre case are specimens from Alençon, Binche, Brussels, Cevennes mountains, Malines, Russia, Valenciennes, and Venice; the Corsage with lace trimming of the gown Marie Louise wore on the day she was married to Napoleon I.; also some of her ribbons. 1¼ m. S.E. from Le Puy is +Ours Mons+, 2463 ft. above the sea, and 180 ft. above the plain. The prospect from the top is considered by Mr. Scrope most remarkable; “exhibiting in one view a vast theatre of volcanic formation, in great variety of aspect, containing igneous products of various natures, belonging to different epochs.” LE PUY TO LANGOGNE BY PRADELLES. (Map, p. 46.) +Le Puy+, 2045 ft., +to Langogne+, 2940 ft. above the sea, 26 m. S. by coach, along an admirably-constructed road, over a high, cold, treeless tableland, whose culminating point, 3900 ft., is about a mile south from the hamlet of La Sauvetat, 6 m. N. from Pradelles. 8 m. from Le Puy is Montagnac, on the Cagne, 3123 ft. From this hamlet a road diverges 8 m. S.W. to Cayres, 3727 ft. above the sea, pop. 1450. _Inn:_ Du-Lac-du-Bouchet. A lace and cheese-making village, about 1½ m. by a good road from the extinct crater of +Le Bouchet+, 231 ft. higher, than Cayres, now a lake of 222 acres and 92 ft. deep. It is very similar to Lake Issarlès, near Beage (which see p. 85). After Montagnac the coach arrives at Costaros, 3510 ft., 12 m. S., where the horses are changed. Then Sauvetat, 16 m. from Le Puy, pop. 300, and afterwards Pradelles, 3771 ft., pop. 2000, with two small inns, 21 m. from Le Puy and 5 m. from Langogne. The coach stops at Langogne railway station, where the omnibus of the Cheval Blanc awaits passengers. Pradelles is 24½ m. S. from Le Monastier by St. Paul-de-Tartas, and 2½ m. from Les Sallettes (see map, p. 46). +Pradelles to Mayres+, 18 m. S.E., char-à-banc, 20 to 25 frs., by a good but a high and exposed road, passing Peyrebelle (p. 95), La Narce, 8¾ m., pop. 900, the Col Chavade, 4170 ft. above the sea, near the source of the Ardèche, whence the road descends rapidly, passing above the hamlet of Astet. This is not a good entrance into Ardèche. From Le Puy a coach starts daily from near the post office for St. Bonnet, Usson, and Craponne, pop. 4000, directly N. from Le Puy, and 12½ m. E. from Chaise-Dieu by stage-coach. [Headnote: ESPALY. BORNE. DARSAC.] LE PUY TO LANGEAC BY ST. GEORGES. (Map, p. 46.) For geological excursions the railway between Le Puy to +Langeac+ by St. Georges d’Aurac is very useful. The culminating point of the line, 3658 ft, is in the tunnel between Darsac and Fix-St. Geneys. This railway crosses at right angles the Velay mountains, full of extinct volcanoes, extending from Chaise-Dieu to Pradelles. +Le Puy to Langeac+, 36½ m. W. by rail. The first part of the line traverses a most picturesque country among great basaltic cliffs. 1 m. from Le Puy the train passes the village of Espaly, and by the face of basaltic columns rising from the Borne and its little affluent the Riou-Pézeliou, in whose bed zircons and blue sapphires have been found. On the opposite side of the Borne is the great mass of basalt called the Croix de la Paille, with a display of prisms in three tiers, called les orgues d’Espaly. The village, pop. 2300, is built at the foot of a rock of volcanic breccia crowned by the scanty ruins of a castle built in 1260 by Guillaume de la Roue, bishop of Puy. 8¾ m. from Puy is +Borne+, 2535 ft. above the sea, pop. 390. A ramble in the ravine of Borne forms a pleasant and easy excursion from Le Puy. 5½ m. E. from this station, or 3¼ m. W. from Le Puy, is Polignac, passed by the train. The village, pop. 2500, with church of 11th cent., is at the foot of a rock of basaltic breccia crowned by the imposing ruins of a fortress dating from the 11th cent. A stair of 132 steps (ascent dangerous) leads up to the terrace of the Keep, 14th cent., commanding an extensive view. 13 m. W. from Le Puy is +Darsac+, 2914 ft. above the sea. A small hamlet, with a restaurant, the +station for Chaise-Dieu+, 13¾ m. N., fare 2½ frs., and for Arlanc, 24¼ m. N., or 10½ m. beyond Chaise-Dieu. [Headnote: LA CHAISE-DIEU.] The coach first passes through Allègre, pop. 1700, a dirty little village, 5 m. N, on the side of Mont de Bar, 3583 ft. above the sea, with the ruins of a castle built in the 14th cent. Mont de Bar and Mont du Bouchet are the best specimens of extinct volcanoes in the Velay chain. From this the diligence, after having skirted for 8 m. the high cold region of the Velay mountains, arrives at +La Chaise-Dieu+, 3576 ft. above the sea, pop. 2000. _Inns:_ Lion d’Or; Centre; Nord. A dirty, decaying village, in which its imposing church participates. Robert, a scion of the ducal house of Aurillac, and canon of St. Julien in Brioude, obtained permission from the canons of N. D. du Pay to build a small house and oratory in the wildest and most inaccessible part of the forests on their domains, where he and his companions might lead a more austere life than in their monastery at Brioude. This house, built in 1043, by degrees attained the goodly proportions of a convent, which the peasants called La Chaise-Dieu, or Casa-Dei. Clement VI., formerly Roger de Beaufort, abbot of Chaise-Dieu, born in the village, commenced, shortly after his elevation to the papal throne, to build at his own expense a church on the site formerly occupied by the oratory of St. Robert. The work was continued and finished by his nephew, Gregory XI., in 1420, by whom are the façade with the two short massive square towers, 128 ft. high, and the horse-shoe staircase of 41 steps. The tower, 30 ft. square and 110 high, attached to the S. point of the apse, was built by the abbot de Chanac to protect the church and convent, which he surrounded with a wall. The gateway, part of the wall, and part of the old convent, are just under the tower. Adjoining the remains of the abbey buildings are the cloisters, a parallelogram, 140 ft. by 77, of which only two sides remain. The long side has nine low, wide, massive, mullioned and traceried unglazed windows, and the short side four. The interior of the church is 301 ft. long, surrounded by 22 tall plain slender octagonal piers, from which springs the groining, which spreads itself over the stone-vaulted roof. The nave is 44 ft. wide, and the aisle on each side 15, all the three roofs being of the same height. The church is lighted by long narrow pointed windows, one between each two columns, excepting at the apsidal termination, where a triangular projection affords space for three windows. The tracery has little depth, and is of the simplest design. The choir, 131 ft. long, is separated from the nave by an ugly rood-loft. It contains 144 carved cedar-wood stalls, and above them on both sides 17 pieces of Arras tapestry, 16th cent., from designs by Taddeo Gaddi. In the centre is the mausoleum of Clement VI. His white marble effigy, with the hands folded and the papal Triregnum on the head, reclines on an altar table of black marble. On the N. side of the screen of the choir, just behind the pulpit, is the “Danse Macabre,” or dance of death, a favourite subject with artiste from the 12th to the 14th cent. The ironic grin and jocund gait of the skeleton death contrast vividly with the dismayed and demure expression of the great and mighty kings, priests, and warriors, young and old, gay and sedate, he marshals off, in the midst of their projects and plans, to the dark silent grave. Under it is the sadly mutilated mausoleum of Queen Edith of England, wife of the unfortunate Harold. Near it is the more perfect mausoleum of the last abbot of La Chaise-Dieu. [Headnote: ARLANC.] La Chaise-Dieu to Vichy by Arlanc and Ambert. 10½ m. N. by coach from La Chaise-Dieu, 24¼ m. N. from Darsac, and 11¼ m. S. from Ambert-du-Puy, by a beautiful road, is +Arlanc+, pop. 4500, _Inn:_ H. des Princes, between the rivers Dore and Dolore, consisting of the Bourg with the parish church and the Ville, composed mostly of old houses. A great deal of lace and blond is made here. [Headnote: AMBERT. FIX-ST. GENEYS.] 11¼ m. N. is the manufacturing town of Ambert, pop. 8000, 43 m. N. by rail from Vichy; whence the ascent is made, 3 hrs., of the culminating point of the Forez mountains, the Pierre-sur-Haute, 3882 ft. above the sea. 15 m. from Ambert, and 11¾ m. S. from Thiers, is Olliergues, pop. 2000, on a hill rising from the Dore. It contains an old bridge, some 13th cent. houses, and the ruins of a castle which belonged to the family of the Tour d’Auvergne. 13 m. farther N., or 8¾ m. S. from Thiers, is Courpière, pop. 4000, on the Dore, with some old houses and the ruins of the castle of Courte-Serre. 61 m. N. from Darsac, or 36¾ m. N. from Ambert, is Thiers, south from Vichy. For Vichy see p. 358; Thiers, p. 367. The next station west from Darsac by rail (see map, p. 46) is +Fix-St. Geneys+, 18 m. from Le Puy, 3274 ft. above the sea, pop. 900. _Inn:_ H. des Voyageurs, situated on a tableland above the valley of the Sioule, covered on one side with firs. 2½ m. farther is the station for the hamlet La Chaud, 2950 ft. above the sea, on the Sioule. 7½ m. farther is Rougeac, with a castle 1923 ft. above the sea. [Headnote: ST. GEORGES-D’AURAC. MONISTROL.] The most westerly station on the line is +St. Georges d’Aurac+, 1872 ft. above the sea, 86½ m. W. from St. Etienne, and 32 from Le Puy. 58½ m. N. by rail is Clermont, and 131 m. S. by rail is Nîmes (see map, p. 26). Near the station is the inn Lombardin. The village, pop. 500, is 2 m. S.E. Other 2 m. E. is the château Chavagnac, the birthplace of General Lafayette. 5½ m. W. is Voute-Chilhac, pop. 800, most picturesquely situated on a narrow peninsula formed by the Allier, opposite the mouth of the Avesne. The church was built in the 15th cent. by Jean de Bourbon, bishop of Le Puy. Passengers going north change carriages at the station of St. Georges d’Aurac. 4½ m. S.W. from St. Georges, 90½ W. from St. Etienne, and 36½ from Le Puy, is +Langeac+, 1690 ft., 63 m. S. from Clermont, and 127 m. N. from Nîmes. All the trains halt here. _Inns:_ H. Lombardin; Pascon. Their omnibuses await passengers. Langeac, on the Allier, is a pleasant town near the station, situated in a vast plain. The parish church dates from the 15th cent. To the N.E. of the town, in the valley of Morange, is a coal-basin of 1450 acres. (Map, page 46.) 15 m. S. from Langeac is +Monistrol+-d’Allier, 2000 ft. above the sea, pop. 1200. The station is on the E. side, and the town on the W. side of the river. Coach by a picturesque road to +Le Puy+, 17 m. N.E. by St. Privat, 2930 ft., pop. 1600, on the stream Rouchoux, which runs in a deep gully between high cliffs. A little way beyond the hamlet of Chiers the road attains its culminating point, 3739 ft. above the sea. 10 m. from Monistrol is Bains, 3235 ft., pop. 1300, with a very old church. 1¼ m. farther the road passes the picturesque rock of Cordes, 3012 ft., and then descends to Le Puy by La Roche, 2895 ft., and Mont Bonzon. Coach from +Monistrol to Saugues+, 6½ m. W., 3116 ft., pop. 4000, on the side of a hill, rising from the beautiful valley of the Margeride. In the neighbourhood is a monument called the tomb of the “English general.” It consists of a square vaulted roof of small stones resting on four round columns 13 ft. high and 6⅜ ft. apart. It has no inscription, and bears a resemblance to the mortuary chapel at Valence (see p. 44). [Headnote: LE POUZIN. PRIVAS.] miles from LYONS miles to NÎMES {81}{91} +LE POUZIN+, pop. 3000, _Inn:_ H. Lion d’Or, on the Ouvèze, which here enters the Rhône. The town has foundries and the remains of its old castle. Junction with line to Privas, 13¼ m. W. +Privas+, pop. 8000. _Inns:_ Croix d’Or; Louvre. On an eminence 1060 ft. above the sea, at the foot of Mt. Toulon, 838 ft. higher, and at the confluence of the Chazalon, the Mezayon, and the Ouvèze. The town, looking well from a distance, consists chiefly of narrow, crooked, steep streets, and dingy houses. From the promenade called the Esplanade, planted with plane trees, is an excellent view of the picturesque valley of the Ouvèze, and of the volcanic chain of the Coiron, especially of Mount Combier. 1¼ m. from Privas, on the plain of the Lai, is a house called the Logis du Roi, in which Louis XIII. established his headquarters in 1629, when, with Cardinal Richelieu, he besieged the Protestant inhabitants in the town, commanded by the brave Montbrun. From Privas, coach daily, 11 m. N. to Ollières, on the Eyrieux. _Inn:_ H. du Pont, comfortable. This coach meets at Ollières the coaches to La Voulte and Valence on the Rhône, and the coaches to Le Cheilard and to St. Pierreville. The latter is the coach to take for the Source of the Loire and Mont Mezenc (see pp. 84, 85). Coach also to Aubenas, 18 m. S.E. (See next page, and map p. 46.) [Headnote: ROCHEMAURE.] {98}{74} +ROCHEMAURE+, pop. 1300, Auberge Gabarre. Suspension bridge across the Rhône. The modern part of the village is built along the high road, but the old on the steep slopes of the basalt rocks crowned by the ruins of the castle. There are many ways up to the top; the best and most frequented commences just opposite the “auberge,” traverses the centre of the curious old stony village, passes on the right the chapel with the arms of Ventadour and Soubise on the portal, then ascends by the battlemented wall to some miserable habitations, among what was the seigneurial manor, of which large portions still remain. Next to it, on a needle-like peak of nearly horizontal columns of basalt, rises the Keep, like a spear piercing the sky. A narrow path leading so far up will be found round the N.W. corner. The views are superb, of the valley of the Rhône on one side, and on the other of the Coiron mountains. These ruins, which from below look slim and airy, are the remains of a massive edifice constructed principally of basaltic prisms in the 12th cent. by the family of Adhémar de Montheil, and reduced to its present condition by order of Louis XIII. A road up the gap on the N. side of the hill leads in a little more than an hour to Mount Chenavari, 1668 ft., distinctly seen from the top of the gap. On the summit is a tableland bordered with massive basaltic columns. At Rochemaure the olive trees begin to appear. [Headnote: LE TEIL.] {95¾}{76¼} +LE TEIL+, pop. 3200, with some small inns. Omnibus awaits passengers for Montelimart, 3¼ m. E., on the other side of the Rhône (p. 48). Branch line to Alais, 62¼ m. S.W., on the line between Nîmes and Clermont-Ferrand. From Vogué, on this branch, 17½ m. S.W. from Le Teil, and 44¾ m. N.E. from Alais, a smaller branch extends 12 m. N. to Nieigles-Prades. The Nieigles-Prades line forms a convenient entrance into Ardèche (see maps, pages 26, 46, and 56). [Headnote: AUBENAS. VALS.] +Vogué, Aubenas, Vals, Neyrac, Thueyts, Mayres.+ 5 m. W. from Teil, on the branch line to Alais, is Aubignas (Alba Augusta), pop. 530, once an important Roman station. 6¼ m. N. from Vogué is Aubenas, pop. 8000, _Inn:_ H. Durand, on a hill covered with vines, olives, and mulberry trees, rising 328 ft. above the Ardèche, and commanding an extensive view of the valley of the river. On the highest part of the town are the church and the fine old castle, now containing the college, the hospital, and some other public institutions. Aubenas is the centre of an important trade in raw silk, butter, and cheese. At Vesseaux, a village to the north of Aubenas, excellent chestnuts are grown. (Maps, pages 56 and 46.) 3¼ m. N. from Aubenas is La Begude, the station for Vals. Omnibus awaits passengers. VALS, pop. 4000, on the Volane, famous for its +Mineral Waters+. _Hotels:_ Des Bains, on an eminence above the bathing establishment and the gardens. In the same neighbourhood are the Hotels Parc; Juliette; Délicieuse; Lyon; Orient. All the important springs are also in this part. In the town are the Hotels Europe; Durand; Nord; Poste. The Pension in the Hôtel des Bains is from 12 to 15 frs., in the others from 9 to 10 frs. Season from 1st May to October. Vals is prettily situated on the Volane, in a hollow among hills covered with vineyards and studded with mulberry and chestnut trees. The springs, gardens, baths, and best hotels are all at the eastern extremity. Near the H. du Parc is the intermittent fountain, and from it, across the bridge, are the springs Vivaraises, under a grotto; and, adjoining them, the spring Juliette, while a little beyond is La Délicieuse. The springs Madeleine, St. Jean, Précieuse, and the others, belonging to the Société Générale, are all farther up the river, nearer the town, at the second bridge. None of them are so pungent nor so agreeable to the palate as the Juliette and the Délicieuse. The properties of all are much the same. They give tone to the stomach, assist the action of the liver and kidneys, and remove paralysis of the bladder. They are all cold, easily digested, and may be drunk at any time. They contain bicarbonate of soda, lime, and magnesia, lithia, iodine, iron, and some of them traces of the arseniate of soda, and owe their pungency to the free carbonic acid gas. [Headnote: ANTRAIGUES.] 5 m. N. from Vals, or 9 m. from Aubenas and 16 m. from Privas, is +Antraigues+, pop. 2000, situated on the side of three basaltic rocks, at whose base flow three impetuous mountain torrents--the Bise, Mas, and Volane. From the heights behind the town there is a magnificent view. In the neighbourhood is the extinct crater, the +Coupe d’Aizac+, covered with a beautiful reddish lava. _Inns:_ Brousse; Glaise. [Headnote: NEYRAC-LES-BAINS. THUEYTS. MAYRES.] AUBENAS TO LANGOGNE BY MAYRES. (Maps, pp. 56 and 46.) Coach daily from Aubenas to Mayres, 18 m. W. It passes through Pont-de-la-Baume, 945 ft., and by the eminence on which is +Neyrac-les-Bains+, the Nereisaqua of the Romans. _Inns:_ H. des Bains; H. Fournier. 2½ m. from Pont-de-la-Baume, 7 from Vals, and 9½ from Aubenas. It is situated within the crater of Saint Léger, containing 8 acidulous, alkaline, and chalybeate springs, temp. 81° Fahr. From several fissures issues carbonic acid gas; from one place, the Trou de la Poule, in sufficient quantity to kill birds and dogs in 2 or 3 minutes. In the neighbourhood is the volcano of Soulhiol. 2 m. W., on the left bank of the Ardèche, at its confluence with the Médéric, is +Thueyts+, pop. 2600, _Inn:_ H. Burine, situated on a bed of lava from the crater of Mont Gravenne, 2785 feet above the sea. Through this bed the Ardèche has, in cutting a passage for itself, laid bare a grand display of basaltic columns from 150 to 200 ft. high, extending nearly 2 m. down the valley. To the W. of the Bourg are a bridge with two stages of arches across the Médéric, called the Pont du Diable, and the falls of the Gueule d’Enfer, 330 ft., which, unless in rainy weather, have very little water. From this part commences the Pavé-des-Géants, a tableland composed of granite and basalt of an average height of 214 ft. from the base, lined with vertical prisms. To the right, at the extremity of this wall of rock, is the +Echelle du Roi+, a staircase of 192 steps of broken prisms, within a natural shaft or chimney, leading up to the top of the tableland, where there is a good view. The best is from Mont Gravenne. The ascent requires about 1 hour. The diligence now ascends the Ardèche to Mayres. About half-way, near the hamlet of La Mothe, are the cliffs called the Rocher d’Abraham, 4358 ft. above the sea, of which the Bauzon is the continuation. 5½ m. from Thueyts is +Mayres+, pop. 2900. _Inns:_ France; Commerce. 1810 ft. above the sea, at the foot of the Croix de Bauzon, 5055 ft. above the sea, and on the Ardèche, which here flows in a narrow gorge between granite cliffs. The stage-coaches go no farther than Mayres. For Langogne, 22 m. N.W., it is necessary to hire a vehicle. From Mayres the road commences to ascend the Col, passing above the hamlet of Astet at the foot of the Rocher d’Astet, 4925 ft. above the sea. 7 m. from Mayres is the summit of the pass or Col de la Chavade, 4170 ft. above the sea, near the source of the Ardèche. 2½ m. farther is La Narce, pop. 900. A little beyond, or 26 m. from Aubenas and 14 from Langogne, is the roadside inn of Peyrebelle, 4195 ft. above the sea, where for 25 years the landlord and his wife robbed and murdered the travellers that came to their house. Nearly 4 m. N. from Peyrebelle is Coucouron, pop. 1400. The road now attains the height of 4266 ft., where, on account of the snow and wind, it becomes very dangerous in winter. 35 m. from Aubenas and 5 from Langogne is Pradelles, 3771 ft., 16 m. from Le Puy by coach and 5 from Langogne (see p. 88, and maps, pages 26, 56 and 46). [Headnote: PRADES.] +Prades, Pont-de-la-Baume, Jaujac, Montpezat, St. Eulalie, and Source of the Loire.+ For the main loopline, see map p. 56; for the rest, map p. 46. 11¾ m. N. from Vogué station and 5½ from Aubenas station is the terminus of this branch line, called Nieigles-Prades, as from it coaches take passengers to both of these towns. Nieigles, pop. 1600, is situated on an eminence rising from the N. side of the Ardèche. In the vicinity are coal-pits and rows of basalt columns supporting terraces covered with chestnut trees. On the south side of the Ardèche, and to the east of Jaujac, is +Prades+, pop. 1200, on the Salindre, in the centre of an important coal-basin. Near the railway terminus is the village of +Pont-de-la-Baume+, pop. 900, _Inns:_ H. du Louvre, etc., 955 ft. above the sea, at the confluence of the rivers Fontaulière and Alignon with the Ardèche. One of the best headquarters for visiting the basalt rocks in the neighbourhood, both from its own position and the facility afforded here for going elsewhere, as the coaches for Vals, Mayers, Burzet, Neyrac, Montpezat, and Jaujac pass through it. [Headnote: JAUJAC. MONTPEZAT.] 3¾ m. from La Baume, or 7½ from Aubenas by coach, is +Jaujac+, the Jovis aqua of the Romans, pop. 2600. _Inn:_ Union. On an eminence above the Alignon, of which nearly the whole of the right bank from Pont-de-la-Baume to Jaujac is lined with countless basaltic prisms. From the town cross the bridge, and at the mill descend to the path by the side of the river, where there is an admirable view of the columns, which, however, are not vertical. About ½ m. from the town is the Coupe de Jaujac, an extinct volcano, which has burst through the coal formation of this valley, bounded by mountains of granite and gneiss. It is ascended easily in 20 minutes. At the foot of the crater, just where the path leading to the top commences, is a gaseous chalybeate spring; not unlike those of Vals. 14 m. N.W. from Aubenas, or about 8 from Pont-de-la-Baume by diligence, is +Montpezat+. The road from Aubenas ascends by the Ardèche, which it crosses; La Baume at the foot of the hill, on which are the ruins of the castle of Ventadour, 14th cent. Farther on, within a mile of Montpezat, are seen the ruins of the castle of Pourcheyrolles, built in 1360 on a plateau of prisms 115 ft. high, over which flows the Pourseilles, an affluent of the Fontaulière or Fontollière. Near the suspension bridge across the Fontaulière is Mt. Gravenne, the best specimen of an extinct volcano in the whole region. The toll-keeper from the bridge can point out the path leading to the top. The bridge is about 10 minutes’ walk from Montpezat. +Montpezat+-sous-Bauzon, pop. 2600, on an eminence 1877 ft. above the sea, rising from the Ardèche. _Inns:_ Europe; Poste. This is the terminus of the diligences. The river Fontaulière has its source in the crater of Mount La Vestide, the largest in the Vivarais. By the new road La Vestide is 6½ m. N.W. from Montpezat. Coach to the base of the peak and back, 10 frs. The peak is 325 ft. high from the base, but the crater is nearly 900 ft. deep. By the old road, ascending by the village of La Faud, La Vestide is only 4 m. distant. MONTPEZAT TO LE PUY. To go from Montpezat to Le Puy, 43 m. N.W., hire vehicle to Le Beage, 16 m. N.W., 20 to 25 frs., and from Le Beage to Le Monastier, 12 m., 10 frs. Diligence between Le Monastier and Le Puy. From Montpezat the road ascends by the hamlet of Le Pal, 3888 ft., opposite the extinct volcano, the Suc du Pal, 724 ft. higher, with 3 cones. North is Lake Ferrand, and still farther north, Lake Bauzon, 4832 ft. above the sea. After the hamlet of Le Pal the road passes the hamlet of Rioutort, crosses the river Padelle, and arrives at the village of Usclades, 9 m. N. from Montpezat, pop. 600, whence a winding road ascends to Le Beage, 6¼ m. N. (see p. 84). [Headnote: SAINTE EULALIE.] From Montpezat a road extends 13 m. N. to the source of the Loire by Rioutort and Sainte Eulalie. +Sainte Eulalie+, pop. 650, _Inn:_ Faure, in a little valley on the left bank of the Loire, about 2 m. S. from the road between Lachamp-Raphaél and Le Beage. The large peak seen in the distance is the Gerbier-de-Joncs, at the foot of which is the source of the Loire. To go to it, from the main road walk down to the one-arch bridge which crosses the still infant Loire, and walk up the path by the side of the stream (see p. 84, and maps pp. 46 and 85). [Headnote: RUOMS. LARGENTIÈRE.] +Ruoms, Largentière, Vallon, Pont d’Arc.+ See map, page 56. 25½ m. S.W. from Teil, 8 m. S.W. from Vogué, and 36½ m. N.E. of Alais, is +Ruoms+. Station for Largentière, 9 m. N., 1¼ fr. For Joyeuse, 8 m. W., and for Vallon, 6¼ m. S. Largentière, pop. 3000. _Hotels:_ Europe; France. Coaches to Joyeuse, Les Vans, and St. Ambroix. St. Ambroix, pop. 5000, on the Cèze, H. Luxembourg, is a town with silk-mills and glass-works. Near Ambroix is Robiac, station for Besseges, with important coal-fields. Largentière, or properly L’Argentière, situated in the ravine of the Ligne, derives its name from the argentiferous mines in the neighbourhood. On the tableland behind the Palais-de-Justice is the picturesque village of Chassiers, pop. 1300. Joyeuse, pop. 2300. _Inns:_ H. Nord; Europe. Situated with its suburb, Rosières, on the Baume. The town has part of its ancient ramparts, and the castle which belonged to the Sires de Joyeuse. In the church the chapel to the right of the choir contains an Annunciation, with the arms of the family of Joyeuse. The town of Ruoms, pop. 1300, has an interesting church, and a considerable part of its old walls, towers, and gates. [Headnote: PONT D’ARC.] VALLON TO THE PONT D’ARC. (Map, p. 56.) One hour from Ruoms station by omnibus is Vallon, pop. 2500. _Inns:_ *H. du Louvre; Luxembourg; Temple Protestant. From Vallon the Pont d’Arc is 75 minutes distant by the stony road over the hill, which, as far as the shoulder of the last ridge, is also the road to the caves. A boat from Vallon to the Pont costs 10 frs.; to St. Martin it costs 35 frs., time 7 hrs. St. Martin is 3 m. from the railway station of St. Just, on the railway on the west side of the Rhône (see p. 98). The landlord of the Louvre can procure either a guide for the Pont, 2 frs., or for the caves, 5 frs., or the boatman for sailing down the Ardèche. The Pont d’Arc is a natural bridge across the Ardèche, composed of a calcareous rock, pierced with a span of 180 ft., through which the river flows majestically. The soffit of the arch is 100 ft. high, but the total height of the parapet is 230 ft., and 48 thick. There are several rocks similar to this in France, but this one is unrivalled in size, and in the beauty and grandeur of the surrounding scenery. A lovely little plain, covered with vines, peach and mulberry trees, is enclosed by the circle of vertical cliffs 500 ft. high, which at one part extend over the river. In these cliffs are great stalactite caves, approached by iron ladders from the top. One of them is 490 ft. long and 100 ft. high. Vallon is famous for black truffles, honey, and chestnuts. Pigs are used for finding the truffles. They are better than dogs, because they are not so apt to be carried off by other scents, as, for example, when a hare or a partridge suddenly appears upon the scene. (See under Carpentras, page 54.) miles from LYONS miles to NÎMES {102½}{69½} +VIVIERS+, pop. 3300. _Inn:_ Louvre. The station and the new town are along the road parallel to the Rhône: the old town with the cathedral is on the hill behind. The streets are narrow, crooked, and steep. Here, along the W. side of the Rhône, are lofty limestone cliffs, the quarrying and preparing of which forms the principal industry of the place. Coach to Aps, 8 m. N.W. on the Teil and Alais railway, passing St. Thomé, pop. 600, at the junction of the Nègue with the Escoutay, which flows through a deep ravine. Omnibus to Châteauneuf, on the opposite or east side of the Rhône. [Headnote: BOURG-ST. ANDEOL.] {109½}{62½} +BOURG-ST. ANDEOL+, pop. 4500. _Hotels:_ Luxembourg; Europe; their omnibuses await passengers. Omnibus also for Pierrelatte (page 50), on the opposite or E. side of the Rhône. Le Bourg has handsome quays alongside the Rhône, a church founded in the 11th cent., and some houses of the 15th and 16th cents. About 350 yards from the town, at the foot of a rock, rises the spring Fontaine de Tournes, which, after turning various mills, flows into the Rhône. About 20 ft. above it is a much effaced sculpture in relief, representing the sacrifice of a bull to the god Mithras. [Headnote: ST. JUST.] {115}{57} +ST. JUST+ and St. Marcel station, from which both towns are less than a mile, but in different directions. 2½ m. from the village of St. Just is St. Martin, pop. 600, on the left or N. bank of the Ardèche. A ferry-boat crosses the river. On the other side, a little farther up, is Aiguèze, pop. 450, with ruins of castle, and farther down St. Julien, but not seen from St. Martin. Boats are hired at St. Martin to visit the caves of St. Marcel, 4½ m. up the river, or 3¾ m. W. from the village of St. Marcel. The price depends upon the time the visitors make the boat wait. The cave consists of a tunnel, 4¼ m. long, which here and there widens out into spacious lofty caverns hung with stalactites. Some parts are very steep, slippery, and fatiguing. The visit requires from 6 to 7 hours, and certainly none but ardent lovers of walking in dark caverns should undertake the labour. The sail, however, is pleasant. The nearest hotels are at Pont-Saint Esprit and at Bourg-St. Andéol. [Headnote: PONT-ST. ESPRIT.] {119}{53} +PONT-ST. ESPRIT+, pop. 5000. H. de l’Europe. Coach to La Croisière, on the other or east side of the Rhône. (See for bridge and Croisière page 50.) Station of the steamboat between Lyons and Avignon. Pont-Saint Esprit, on the west side of the Rhône and on the western Rhône railway, makes a convenient and comfortable resting-place, with pleasant promenades by the side of the Rhône. Down from the bridge are the church of St. Pierre, now abandoned, and St. Saturnin, built in the 15th cent. Near it is the citadel, built between 1595 and 1620. Within, down a steep stair of 36 steps, are the remains of a chapel constructed in 1365, now a military storehouse. On the south side is a beautifully-sculptured portal, supported on each side by an elegant pinnacled buttress. The arch, 20 ft. span, is richly decorated. In the Hôtel Dieu (infirmary) are a few specimens of old (faïences) pottery. Carriage from the hotel to Valbonne (4½ m. S.W.) and back 15 frs. At Valbonne is a beautifully-situated Chartreuse convent with about 30 inmates. The drive is pleasant (see map, page 56). Carriage also from the hotel to Saint Martin, on the Ardèche, 4½ m. N.W., there and back 12 frs. (For St. Martin see above.) 7½ m. south from Pont-St. Esprit is Bagnols-sur-Cèze, pop. 5000. H. du Louvre. Omnibus at station. A manufacturing town. Coach to Uzès, 17 m. W. {132½}{39½} +LAUDUN+, pop. 2200, about 2½ m. west from the station, and 10 m. from Orange, is built on a hill 350 ft. high. The vineyards in the neighbourhood produce a good white wine. Junction with branch to Alais, 35½ m. west, by Connaux, St. Pons, Cavillargues, Seyne, Celas, and Mejannes; small and uninteresting towns (see map, p. 26). [Headnote: ROQUEMAURE.] {137½}{34½} +ROQUEMAURE+, pop. 3100. _Inns:_ H. du Nord; H. du Midi. Omnibus at station. Situated on the small branch of the Rhône which encircles the island of Mémar, 1¼ m. long. The best part of this curious old town is in the neighbourhood of the Hôtel du Midi, where are the public promenade with large trees, the great embankment to protect the town from the invasions of the Rhône, and the ruins of the old castle, of which the most remarkable part is the square tower perched on the point of a great rock. Orchards, vineyards, and mulberry groves surround the village. Roquemaure, however, like all the other small towns on the Rhône, has a dingy and untidy appearance. Clement V., first Pope of Avignon, died here in 1314. 5 m. W. is Taval, pop. 2200, where a good wine is made. [Headnote: PONT-D’AVIGNON.] {144¾}{27¼} +PONT-D’AVIGNON+, station on the west side of the Rhône for Avignon (p. 63). Omnibuses from the hotels await passengers. The omnibus between Avignon and Villeneuve passes the station every hour. Tram every ¼ between the station and Avignon. 7 m. S. from the Pont-d’Avignon is Aramon, pop. 2800, on the Rhône, at a considerable distance from its station. 3¾ m. farther is Thezièrs, pop. 650, with the church of St. Amans, 11th cent., and the ruins of a castle. (Map, page 66.) {159¾}{12¼} +REMOULINS+, pop. 1400, with ruins of a castle. From Remoulins branch to Uzès, 12½ m. N.W. On this line, 3¼ m. from Remoulins and 9¼ from Uzès, is Pont-du-Gard station, on an eminence, whence walk down to the bridge. (For description and directions see pp. 64 and 104, and map page 66.) [Headnote: UZÈS.] +UZÈS+, pop. 5600, _Inn_ Bechard: on an eminence surrounded by picturesque calcareous rocks. From the inn walk past the church St. Etienne, then turn to the left, and having gone down the avenue ascend the double stair leading up to the beautiful terrace, on which, to the left, stands the Cathedral, and to the right, projecting from the balustrade, the little house with about 9 yards of frontage, in which Racine resided with his uncle, a canon of the cathedral. Below, in the deep narrow valley, is the stream Eure, which once supplied the Roman aqueduct at Nîmes. At the S.W. corner of the church rises from a square basement a circular campanile, 12th cent., in six stages, of which five are composed of eight blind round arches, each pierced by twin open arches resting on an impost column. On the top is a low tiled roof, partly hidden by an embrasure-like parapet. On the north side of the church is the bishop’s palace, now the Sous-Préfecture, and the seat of the tribunal. Looking from the top of the stairs towards the town the most prominent objects are the large dungeon-tower of the castle, with turrets on three of the corners; the Tour Carrée de l’Horloge, surmounted by an iron grating and a bell; and the Tour de Prison. The octagonal tower, crowned with an image of the Virgin, rises from the École des Frères, and the low square tower from the church of St. Etienne. At the other end of the promenade is the bronze statue by Duret of Admiral Comte de Brueys, né à Uzès le 11 Fevrier 1753. Mort à Aboukir (battle of the Nile) le 2 Aout 1798. Now walk up the street to the Marché au Blé, with a pretty bronze fountain opposite the Mairie and Post Office. Behind the Mairie is the entrance to the castle called Le Duché, which has for centuries belonged to the family of Crussol, Ducs d’Uzès. Fee for a party 1 fr. On entering, to the right is the Tour de la Chapelle, 13th cent., restored; to the left, the dungeon tower, 11th cent., ascended by 248 steps, commanding an extensive prospect; and in front the façade, 16th cent., by P. Delorme. The ground-floor of the “Tour de la Chapelle” contains the family vaults. Over the tombs is a large crucifix made in England; the figure is of bronze and the cross of copper. Above is the chapel. Of the house the best part is the stair, vaulted throughout and covered with sculptured stone panels. The best wines in the department are grown in the neighbourhood of Uzès. Besides the railway, Uzès is connected by a good diligence with Bagnols, 17 m. E. on the railway of the west side of the Rhône, 19 m. N. from the Pont d’Avignon, and 7½ m. S. from Pont-St. Esprit. [Headnote: SERNHAC-LÉDENON.] After Remoulins the train halts at the station +Sernhac-Lédenon+. +Lédenon+, pop. 700, is about 2 m. W. from the station, and +Sernhac+, pop. 1200, about the same distance E. 7 m. from Nîmes is the St. Gervasy-Bezouce station, and 2½ m. nearer, Marguerittes, pop. 2000, with a handsome modern church, and in the cemetery the ruins of the chapel of St. Gilles, 12th cent., seen from railway. [Map: Nimes] [Headnote: NÎMES. AMPHITHEATRE.] 172 m. S.W. from Lyons, 27½ m. S.W. from Avignon, 31 m. N.E. from Montpellier by Gallargues, 17 m. W. from Tarascon, 80 m. N.W. from Marseilles, and 450 m. S.E. from Paris by Clermont-Ferrand, is NÎMES, population 64,000, on the Vistre, 150 feet above the sea. A flight of steps as at Tarascon leads from the town up to the station. At the foot of these steps is the Hôtel des Arts, pretty comfortable room 2 frs., dinner with wine 3 frs. The trams start from in front of the house. In the town are: On the Esplanade, the H. Luxembourg, the most expensive. By the side of it, fronting a garden, the H. du Midi or Durand, from 9 to 12 frs. Fronting the amphitheatre the Cheval Blanc, commercial, 8 to 10 frs. Opposite the Maison Carrée, the H. Manivet, 9 to 12 frs., the most conveniently situated for visiting the sights. Their omnibuses await passengers at the foot of the station stair. Post Office, No. 4 B. du Grand Cours, between St. Baudine and the Public Gardens. Telegraph Office in the Place de la Salamandre, a small “Place” off the B. des Calquières. Temple Protestant, the Porte d’Auguste, and the handsome new church of St. Baudine, with its two elegant spires, are at the north end of the B. des Calquières, beyond the Esplanade. _Sights._--The Amphitheatre, the Maison Carrée, and the Roman Baths. _Cab Stands_ are found at the station, at the Amphitheatre, and at the Maison Carrée. Cab carrying 4, 2 frs. per hour. A straight, wide, and handsome avenue extends from the station to the Esplanade; having in the centre a large fountain with four marble colossal statues by Pradier round the base, representing the Rhône, the Gardon, and the fountain nymphs of Nemausa and Ura. On the top of the pedestal is a larger statue, also by Pradier, representing Nîmes, with its face towards the station. Behind it are the Palais de Justice and the Amphitheatre, and to the left the church of St. Perpetua. The great sight in Nîmes is the Roman +Amphitheatre+, the most perfect extant. In form it is elliptical, of which the great axis measures 437 ft., and the lesser 433 ft., and the height 70 ft. Around the building are two tiers of arcades, each tier having 60 arches, and all the arches being separated from each other by a Roman Doric column. Above runs an attic, from which project the consoles on which the beams that sustained the awning rested. Within each arcade, on the ground-floor and on the upper story, runs a corridor round the building, the upper one being roofed with stone slabs 18 ft. long, reaching from side to side. There were four entrances, one facing each of the cardinal points of the compass. The interior contained 32 rows of seats in 4 zones, capable of accommodating from 18,000 to 20,000 spectators. The lowest zone corresponded to the dress circle, the others to the galleries. The present entrance is from the western side, fee 50 c., opposite No. 8 Place des Arènes. The stair that leads up to the top is under the fifth arch west. No description can express the sensation experienced from contemplating this vast Roman structure from the highest tier or from the edge of the outside wall. At the same time it must be remembered that there are no railings, and that an inadvertent step might have serious consequences. The date of the building is uncertain. Titus, Adrian, and Antoninus Pius have each been conjectured to have been the founder. The Visigoths converted it into a fortress, the Castrum Arenarum, occupied by the Saracens at the beginning of the 8th cent., till driven from France by the armies Charles of Martel; died in 715. On the N. side of the amphitheatre is the Boulevard St. Antoine, with, on the left hand or W. side, the Palais des Beaux Arts, including the Public Library, containing 60,000 vols.; the Archæological Museum, containing many interesting articles, chiefly Roman, found in the neighbourhood; and the Picture Gallery, containing, among other pictures, a Magdalene by Guido; A Holy Family, a Head of John the Baptist, and a portrait of himself, by Titian; A Head of a Girl and a Return from Hunting, by Rubens; Portraits of Vanloo and of his mother, by himself; Cromwell regarding Charles I. laid out in his coffin, by Paul Delaroche, his chef d’œuvre; “Nero and a Sorceress experimenting on a slave with the poison they were preparing for Britannicus,” by Javier Sigalon; An old woman, by Greuze; also works by Gérard Dow, Claude Lorrain, Metzu, Ostade, Paul Potter, Ruysdael, Van den Welde, and Wouvermans. At the N. end of this Boulevard is the church of St. Paul, with frescoes on gold and blue grounds by H. and P. Flandrin. [Headnote: LA MAISON CARRÉE. CATHEDRAL.] Beyond are the Theatre and the Bourse, and opposite them +La Maison Carrée+, a beautiful specimen of a Roman temple, probably part of the Forum, with which it was connected by colonnades extending east and west. It is 75 ft. long, 39 wide, and 39 high, and is supposed to have been erected in the time of Antoninus Pius. It stands on a platform, and is encompassed by a quadrilateral peristyle of 30 Roman-Corinthian columns surmounted by a plain architrave, scroll frieze, sculptured dentils, and a fluted cornice. All the columns are attached, excepting the ten which support the pediment. In the area within the railing are mutilated statues and fragments of Roman columns. Eastward, in the centre of the old town, is the Cathedral St. Castor, built in the 11th cent., but nearly rebuilt in subsequent times. The most venerable portion is the façade, constructed of large blocks of stone. A delicately-cut frieze, representing scenes from Genesis, extends under the roof. The eaves of the pediment are supported by brackets with acanthus leaves. The table of the third altar, right hand, in the interior, is sculptured in much the same style as the exterior frieze. [Headnote: ROMAN BATHS. TOURMAGNE. FORT.] N.W. from the Maison Carrée is the Public Garden, adorned with vases and statues among shrubs and flowers, overshadowed by tall elm and plane trees. To the left are the remains of a temple or fane (called the temple of Diana), dedicated to the Nymphs, built B.C. 24, of huge carefully-hewn blocks of sandstone, and reduced to its present state in 1577. The little of the ornamental work that remains is very much mutilated. Opposite the temple, protected from the troublesome winds of Nîmes, are the +Roman Baths+, about 12 ft. below the level of the gardens, the vaulting being supported on small columns, over which rise open stone balustrades. Adjoining is the copious spring that supplies them, as placid but somewhat larger than the Fontaine of Vaucluse (p. 65). From the fountain a road leads up the wooded slopes of Mont Cavalier to an octagonal structure called the +Tourmagne+, 90 ft. high, erected before the Roman invasion, and supposed to have been a tomb. It was originally filled with rubble, which was excavated in the 16th cent. in search of treasure. The winding staircase of 140 steps was added in 1843. The view from the top is extensive. Fee, 30 cents. Eastward from the Tourmagne is the Fort, built by Louis XIV., now the town prison. On the western side of the fort are the remains of the reservoir, _castellum divisorium_, which received the water brought by the canal from the aqueduct of the Pont-du-Gard. This canal still brings water to the town reservoir, on the opposite or east side of the fort. In the year of Rome 788 a strong wall was built round Nîmes, 7 ft. high, pierced with 10 gates; of which there still remain two; the Porte d’Auguste, originally fronting the road to Rome, now at the E. end of the Temple Protestant, and the Porte de France at the extremity of the Rue Carrètérie. (See plan.) The ancient name of Nîmes is Nemausus, one of the cities of Gallia Narbonensis, and the capital of the Volcæ Arecomici. As early as the reign of Augustus it was a “colonia,” and possessed in the days of Strabo the “+Jus Latii+,” and therefore was independent of the Roman governors. Its most notable product then was cheese, which was exported to Rome; now it is raw silk, for which it is the principal emporium in the south of France. The wines of Nîmes are in repute in Paris, particularly the Costière and the St. Gilles, called also Vin de Remède. Both deteriorate after the sixth year in bottle. Nicot, who introduced tobacco into France, and Guizot, the minister of Louis Philippe, were born at Nîmes. [Headnote: PONT-DU-GARD.] 13½ miles from Nîmes is the +Pont-du-Gard+, built by the Romans in the reign of Augustus as part of the aqueduct, 25 m. long, which, from the neighbourhood of Uzès (page 99), brought the waters of the Eure and Airan to the reservoir beside the fort, of which only vestiges now remain. This “Pont,” which spans the valley or banks of the river Gardon, consists of three rows of arches, whose total height above the bed of the river is 156 ft. The two lower stories are formed of hewn stones, placed together without the aid of any cement; but the mason work underneath the channel of the third or top story is of rough stones cemented, by which all filtration was prevented. The first or lowest row consists of six arches, with a span of 60 ft. each, except the largest, which has 75 ft. The second row consists of eleven arches of the same dimensions as the first, and the third of 35 arches of 15 ft. span. A stair from the right bank of the river leads up to the watercourse above the topmost tier of arches. In the striking boldness of its design this bridge exhibits a decided improvement and superiority over all the other Roman aqueducts. The arches are wider, and the piers in proportion lighter, and had the same principle been extended so as to have formed it of one single row from top to bottom, it would have equalled in the skill and disposition of its materials the more judicious and more elegant structures of modern times (see Roquefavour, p. 77). Take ticket to Pont-du-Gard Station. But if with luggage, and on the way to Avignon, take ticket to Remoulins, where leave the luggage, and take another ticket to the Pont-du-Gard, which having visited, walk back to Remoulins station, where take ticket for Pont Avignon (see under Avignon, p. 64). 79 m. S.E. from Nîmes by rail is +Marseilles+ (p. 111), passing Tarascon, 17 m. (p. 66), and Arles, 25 m. (p. 68). [Headnote: VIGAN.] NÎMES TO MILLAU BY VIGAN. See Map, p. 26. 58 m. N.W. by rail from Nîmes is Vigan, whence coach 43 m. W., 9 hrs., to Millau, on the line to Paris by Rodez. There are no towns of importance on this line, though some parts, especially towards Vigan, are very picturesque. 27 m. from Vigan, and 31 from Nîmes, is Quissac, pop. 1800, junction with line to Lezan, 9 m. N., and thence 4½ m. E. to Mas des Gard, on the Nîmes and Alais line. 9 m. W. from Lezan is St. Hippolyte-Le-Fort, pop. 4500, on the sluggish Vidourle. From this the line goes westward by La Cadière to Ganges, 9½ m. from Vigan, on the Hérault, 595 ft. above the sea, pop. 5000, H. Croix Blanche, omnibus at station. The most pleasant town on the line. 2½ m. farther is Jumène, 682 ft. above the sea, pop. 3000, with coal and iron mines. 4 m. from Vigan, at Le Pont, 666 ft. above the sea, the line crosses the Hérault, and entering the picturesque valley of the Arre follows the course of that river to Vigan, pop. 6000. _Inns:_ Voyageurs; Cheval Blanc; both in the “Place,” near the statue of the Chevalier d’Assas, born at Vigan in 1733, and “Mort glorieusement à Clastercamp à 27 ans.” Vigan on the Arre, an affluent of the Hérault, is 860 ft. above the sea, in a hollow between steep mountains, with terraces of vineyards, olive, mulberry, fig, and chestnut trees to nearly their summits. The town consists of narrow, crooked, badly-paved streets. The hospital was founded in 1190. In the promenade near the post office are some old chestnut trees, disfigured with knots. In the neighbourhood are several coal-pits, worked, however, with difficulty, on account of the water they contain. Nearly a mile westward is the Fontaine Isis, the source of the water-supply of the town. Beside it are the cold sulphureous springs of Cauvalat. [Headnote: VALLERAUGUE.] Coach daily to +Valleraugue+, _Inn:_ Aresque, 14 m. N., in a very picturesque region, on the Hérault, in a deep wooded valley between the Aigoual mountains towards the N., and the Espéron mountains towards the S. The principal source of the Hérault is a little higher, towards the W., at Séreyrède. From Valleraugue the ascent is made in about 2½ hours of Mt. Aulas, 4665 ft. above the sea, the culminating point of the Espéron, commanding a magnificent view. The source of the Dourbie is just a little to the S. of Valleraugue, and of the Tarn to the N., but on the other side of the Aigoual. Excellent fishing, botanising, and geologising in this neighbourhood. [Headnote: LARZAC.] +Le Vigan to Millau+, 43 m. W. by diligence, 9 hrs. The first village the coach passes is Molières, on a hill above the road, with coal-mines. From this the road ascends to the villages of Esparron, 5½ m., and Arre, 6¼ m., from Vigan. A little higher up the coach leaves by a tunnel the valley of the Arre, and enters that of the Vis, with the village Alzon, 12½ m. from Vigan, pop. 900. _Inn:_ the Souterraine, the best on the road. After a pretty steep ascent of 7 m. the coach arrives at Sauclières, pop. 2200, _Inn:_ H. du Nord, producing excellent pork, cheese, and potatoes. The coach from this ascends the southern side of the Lenglas mountains, covered with vineyards, olive and mulberry trees, and farther up forests of chestnut trees. From the other side of the ridge it descends to the valley of the Dourbie, in which is St. Jean du Bruel, pop. 2000, _Inn:_ Commerce, 23 m. from Vigan and 20 from Millau. The coach having traversed the valley of the Dourbie, full of chestnut trees, reaches Nant, pop. 2000, a poor village, on an eminence, 16 m. from Millau. Shortly afterwards the diligence crosses the monotonous tableland of +Larzac+, 2790 ft. above the sea, and arrives at the village of La Cavalerie, with some small dolmens. 7 m. W. is Millau, on the line to Paris by Rodez. [Map: The Rhone & Savoy with the Passes from France into Italy] [Headnote: TEMPERATURE. VEGETATION.] THE RIVIERA. HOTELS, PRODUCTIONS, AND CLIMATE. [Illustration: thermometer] The Riviera is a strip of land extending 323 miles along the coast of the Mediterranean at the foot of the Maritime Alps and their off-shoots. It is usually divided into two portions--the Riviera from Hyères to Genoa, 203 miles long; and the Riviera from Genoa to Leghorn, 112 miles long. The milder and more frequented of the two is the former--the Western Riviera--which has been subjected to most careful and minute meteorological observations, and the various stations classified according to their supposed degree of temperature. Yet in the whole 203 miles the difference may be said to be imperceptible. No one station in all its parts is alike, the parts of each station differing more from each other than the stations themselves. Yet each station has some peculiarity which suits some people more than others; this peculiarity being more often accidental and social--such as the people met with, the lodgings, the general surroundings, and many other little things which exercise a more powerful influence upon the health and well-being of the mind and body than the mere fractional difference of temperature. None of the protecting mountains of any of the stations are sufficiently high, precipitous, and united to ward off the cold winds when the higher mountains behind are covered with snow. All the ridges have deep indentations through which the cold air, as well as the streams, descends to the plain. Hence no station is exempt from cold winds, and all delicate persons must ever be on their guard against them--the more sunny and beautiful the day, especially in early spring, the greater is the danger. All the stations suffer also, more or less, from the famous +Mistral+, a north-west wind, which in winter on the Riviera feels like a north-west wind on a sunny summer day in Scotland. The mean winter temperature (November, December, and January) of Hyères, considered the coolest of the winter stations, is 47°.4 Fahr., and of San Remo, considered the mildest, 48°.89 Fahr. The coldest months are December and January. With February the temperature commences to rise progressively. Throughout the entire region bright and dusty weather is the rule, cloudy and wet weather the exception. “In December wild flowers are rare till after Christmas, when the long-bracted orchid, the purple anemone, and the violet make their appearance. These by the end of January have become abundant, and are quickly followed in February by crocuses, primroses, and pretty blue hepaticas. Meanwhile the star-anemones are springing up in the olive-woods, with periwinkles and rich red anemones. In March the hillsides are fragrant with thyme, lavender, and the Mediterranean heath, to which April adds cistuses, helianthemums, convolvuli, serapiases, and gladioli.” --_H. S. Roberton_. There is a much less quantity of wild flowers now than formerly. The date-palm flourishes in the open air. Capital walking-sticks are made of the midrib of the leaf. Among the trees which fructify freely are the orange, lemon, and citron trees, the pepper tree (_Schinus molle_), the camphor tree (_Ligustrum ovalifolium_), the locust tree (_Ceratona siliqua_), the Tree Veronica, the magnolia, and different species of the Eucalyptus or gum tree and of the true Acacia. In marshy places the common bamboo (_Arundo donax_) attains a great height; while the _Sedum dasyphyllum_, the aloe, and the Opuntium or prickly-pear, clothe the dry rocky banks with verdure. The most important tree commercially is the olive, which occupies the lower part of the mountains and immense tracts in the valleys. The higher elevations are divided among the cork tree (_Quercus suber_), the Maritime, Aleppo, and umbrella pines, and the chestnut tree. The Japanese medlar (_Eriobotrya japonica_) is common in the orchards, flowers in December, and ripens its fruit in May. With the exception of the orange, lemon, and cherry, all the other orchard trees ripen their fruit too late for the winter resident. On the Riviera generally, but especially in Hyères, St. Raphael, Grasse, and Menton, board and lodging in good hotels can be had for 8s. or 9s. per day, which includes coffee or tea in the morning, and a substantial meat breakfast and dinner, with country wine (vin ordinaire) to both. In some boarding-houses (Pensions) the price per day is as low as 6s. If two are together, especially two ladies or a gentleman and his wife, an excellent plan is to take a furnished room, which, with a south exposure and good furniture, ought to cost about £2 per month. They can easily prepare their own breakfast, and they can get their dinner sent to them. If the party be numerous, apartments should be taken, which vary from £2 to £30 per month. For the season, from October to May, furnished apartments are let at prices varying from £18 to £100. As a general rule it is best to alight at some hotel, and, while on the spot, to select either the pension or apartments, as no description can give an adequate idea of the state of the drains nor of the people of the house. A maid-servant costs nearly £1 per month, a cook about one-half more, but they are not easily managed. Fluids are sold by the litre, equal to nearly a quart of four (not six) to the gallon. Solids are sold by the kilogramme, or, as it is generally called, the kilo, equal to 2 lbs. 3¼ oz. [Headnote: COST OF LIVING. FISH. VEGETABLES.] Bread is about the same price as in England. The best beef and mutton cost from 1s. 10d. to 2s. the kilo. A good chicken 2s. 6d. Eggs when at their dearest cost 1½d. each. Excellent milk costs 4d. the litre. The best butter 3s. 2d. to 3s. 6d. the kilo. Of French cheese there are a great many kinds, all very good. Among the best are the Roquefort and the fromage bleu, both resembling Stilton, and cost from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. the kilo. Fish are dearer than in England. The best caught off the coast are: the Rouget or Red Mullet, the Dorade or Bream, the Loup or Bass, the Sardine, and the Anchovy. The Gray Mullet, the Gurnard (Grondin), the John Dory (Dorée Commune), the Whiting (Merlan), and the Conger are very fair. The sole, turbot, tunny, and mackerel are inferior to those caught in the ocean. The cuttle-fish is also eaten. Good vegetables can be had all through the winter, such as carrots, leeks, celery, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, lettuce, spinage, sorrel, and artichokes. The cardon (_Cynara cardunculus_) and salsifis (_Tragopogon porrifolius_) are often served up at dinner in the hotels. The cardon tastes like celery, but the salsifis has a bitter flavour. The potatoes are of good quality, but often spoilt in the cooking. In all the stations are English clergymen, physicians, apothecaries, bankers, bakers, and grocers. [Headnote: ADVANTAGES.] Before commencing to treat in detail the different stations of the Riviera, “some of the general advantages of the invalid’s life in this region must be noticed. The chief of these is the amount of sunshine which he enjoys for weeks and even months together, when the sun often rises in a cloudless sky, shines for several hours with a brightness and warmth surpassing that of the British summer, and then sinks without a cloud behind the secondary ranges of the Maritime Alps, displaying in his setting the beautiful and varied succession of tints which characterise that glorious phenomenon of the refraction of light, a southern sunset; when he imparts to the rugged mountains a softness of outline and a brilliancy of colouring which defy description. In the early stages of phthisis, and especially when the patient is young and active-minded, struck down by overwork or sudden exposure, this cheering influence is most beneficial. It is of great importance that, while taking the needful care of himself, he should not degenerate at an early age into a hopeless valetudinarian, especially as an every-day increasing mass of evidence warrants us in believing that under the influence of medicine and climate a large number of these patients gradually recover their health and lead useful lives, and, with due care, lives of no inconsiderable duration. Patients should never neglect to consult a doctor on their first arrival, as his experience and advice with regard to lodgings, food, etc., are of great value, and may often prevent them from falling into bad hands, or settling in unhealthy localities.” To these remarks of Dr. Williams may be added, that patients should bring with them a letter from their physician describing their case and the treatment he thinks should be adopted. The best time for walking and driving is between 9 and 12, as then there is rarely either wind or dust. For invalids requiring quiet sunny walks there are no stations on the whole coast so suitable as Hyères and Bordighera. [Headnote: SEA-BATHING. DOCTORS’ FEES.] _Sea-bathing_ on the Riviera may be continued with advantage by many during the greater part of the winter season. As the rise and fall of the tide are so trifling, the beach is always in a fit state for the bather. The water of the Mediterranean is more highly mineralised than that of the ocean. It contains about 41 per cent of common salt. _Doctors’ Fees._--French doctors charge their countrymen generally 10 frs. for each visit. English doctors charge for each visit 5, 10, or 20 frs., according to what they suppose to be the means of their patients. An extra charge is made for night work. Tourists may find it convenient to take with them a little brandy, tea, arrowroot, Liebig’s extract, Gregory’s mixture, opium pills, and a little of whatever medicine they are in the habit of using. The ordinary wine at the hotels is neither so good nor so safe as formerly, and should always be watered. [Headnote: MARSEILLES.] MARSEILLES. +MARSEILLES+, pop. 319,000, 15 hrs. 25 min. from Paris, and 6 hrs. 37 min. from Lyons. From Cannes it is 4 hrs. 31 min., and from Nice 5 hrs. 27 min. 536½ m. S. from Paris, 190¼ m. S. from Lyons, 120½ m. W. from Cannes, and 140 m. W. from Nice. On the departure side of the railway station is the +Terminus Hotel+ (dear). The hotel omnibuses await passengers. Call out loudly the name of the hotel desired, to which the driver of its omnibus will respond. A plentiful supply of +Cabs+ is both at the railway and the custom-house station of the Bassin de la Joliette. Each coachman is furnished with an official tariff, which, though constantly changing, may be stated to be--Between 6 A.M. and midnight, for a cab with one horse, the course, 1 fr.; the hour, 2 frs. With 2 horses, the course, 1¼ fr.; the hour, 2¼ frs. From midnight to 6 A.M. 75 c. extra. Portmanteaus not above 30 kilo., or 68⅘ lbs., 25 c. each. The hotel omnibuses charge each passenger 1 fr. _Hotels._--In the Rue Cannebière, ascending from the Port, are very fine +Cafés+, and in the eastern continuation of it, the Rue Noailles, the best +Hotels+. The Hôtel du Louvre et de la Paix; the Hôtel Noailles; and the Hôtel Marseilles; all near each other, and charging from 12 to 20 frs. per day. Less luxurious and expensive are: the Petit Louvre, No. 16 R. Cannebière, over the office of Messageries Maritimes steamboats; between the Port and the Bourse, the Hôtel de Genève, a comfortable house; on the opposite side of the Rue Cannebière and near the opera house, the Hôtel Beauveau; near it, in the R. Vacon, the *Hôtel des Colonies. In and about the Cours Belsunce, where there are a large cab-stand and an important tramway terminus, are some good second-class hotels, of which the best is the Hotel des Phocéens, 28 R. des Récolettes. Rooms, 2½ frs.; Dinner, 3½ frs. with wine. Next it, at No. 26, is the Hôtel de l’Europe, a “maison meublée,” in which good rooms, including service, cost 2 frs. Breakfast and dinner can be had in the neighbouring restaurants. Of them, one of the most comfortable is G. Restaurant des Gourmets, adjoining the hotel. Near it is the Restaurant Bouches du Rhône, a cheap house. The other second-class houses in the Cours Belsunce which can be recommended are--the Californie; Deux Mondes; Hotel St. Marie; Négociants; Alger. The Hôtel du Cours is good also, but it is only a “maison meublée.” The continuation of the Cours Belsunce is called the Cours St. Louis, where a flower-market is held. Just off this Cours, in the Rue d’Aubagne, is a cheap, good, and clean house, the hotel and restaurant St. Louis; rooms from 1½ to 3 frs.; dinner, à la carte. At No. 8 Place de Rome is a good and cheap house, the Hôtel Forer, well situated, but it is one of those for which either a cab or the general omnibus must be taken at the station. [Headnote: STEAMBOATS. CUSTOM-HOUSE.] _Steamboats._--The steamers of the Messageries Maritimes, of Morelli et Cie., of Fraissinet et Cie., of the P. and O. Navigation Co., etc., arrive and depart from the Dock or Bassin Joliette. The custom-house is at the north end of the dock, and just outside the dock-gates are porters and a large cab-stand. The custom-house contains one waiting-room for the first and second class, and another for the third. Passengers before they can have their baggage examined have to pay 6 sous at the end of the baggage-room for each box, for which they receive an acknowledgment. A tramway runs from No. 1 Quai Joliette to Longchamps, entering the Port and the Rue Cannebière by the R. de la République. There are no hotels near the steamboat station. Small boats’ station at the head of the Port. Boats to and from the +Château d’If+, 8 frs. from 3 to 3½ hrs. On feast days small steamers make the round of the islands, starting from nearly the same place, but do not land the passengers, fare ½ fr., time 1 hr. At this part of the quay the feluccas from Spain discharge their cargoes of oranges and other fruits. From the Hôtel de Ville (1 in plan) on the port, the Bateaux Mouches cross over to the Place aux Huiles opposite, 1 sou. At the mouth of the port, from between La Consigne and the Fort St. Jean, other Bateaux Mouches cross over to the Bassin Carénage, by the side of Fort St. Nicholas, and just below the interesting old church of St. Victor, 1 sou. From this a road leads up to Notre Dame. The principal Temple Protestant is in the R. Vincent, No. 2. There is another in the R. Grignan, No. 15, near the General Post Office at No. 53. Poste-Restante, “guichet,” on the ground-floor, opposite the entrance door. Telegraph office, No. 10 Rue Pavé d’Amour. Anglican chapel, No. 100 Rue Sylvabelle, south from the Rue Grignan and parallel to it. The public library is in the Boulevard du Musée, in the École des Beaux Arts. Open daily except Sunday. Best money-changers by the west side of the Bourse, 10 in plan. The Opera is near the Port; the other theatres are around the Rue Noailles. [Map: Marseilles] [Headnote: SIGHTS. TRAMS.] +Sights.+--Palais Longchamp, an artistic edifice, containing the Picture Gallery and the +Natural History Museum+; free. Closed on Mondays and every day between 12 and 2 (see p. 114). Near the Palais is the Zoological Garden, free on Sundays. Notre Dame de la Garde (p. 116). The shops and cafés in the Rues Cannebière and Noailles. A drive on the Corniche road. Of all the +Trams+ the most important starts from the left of the statue in the Cours Belsunce, and runs by the Château des Fleurs and the Prado to its Bonneveine terminus, a little beyond the racecourse. Just behind the Bonneveine terminus is the +Château Borély+, containing the Musée d’Archéologie, including a collection of Phoenician relics found in the neighbourhood, which support the hypothesis of the Phoenician origin of Marseilles. Open on Sundays and Thursdays. On the ground-floor are Roman mosaics, busts, altars, tombstones, jewellery, mummies; and in the end room is a stone with a Phoenician inscription, regulating the tariff of the prices to be paid to the priests for sacrifices in the temple of Baal. Upstairs are collections of antique glass, necklaces, fayence from Provence and Marseilles, bronzes, gold jewellery, lamps, vases, weapons, and an octagonal plan of Marseilles 18 ft. in diameter. [Headnote: CORNICHE. BOUILLABAISSE.] Return from the Bonneveine terminus by the tram for the Place de Rome, near 12 in plan. On its way it follows the Corniche road, considered the most beautiful drive about Marseilles, fare ½ fr. The gardens and pleasure-grounds in the whole of this neighbourhood are due to the irrigation afforded by the canal. Of the bathing establishments on the Corniche road the best is the Roucas Blanc; and of the restaurants the best is the Hotel Roubion, a first-class house, charging 15 frs. per day, and for vin ordinaire, lights, and service, 5 frs. additional. The house is situated on an eminence rising from the Corniche road, at the entrance into the Vallon de l’Oriol, commands a splendid sea view, has handsome dining-rooms, and is famed for its fish dinners and Bouillabaisse. Trams and omnibuses are constantly passing it. This establishment, as well as most of the other restaurants along the Corniche road, has tanks in the rocks on the beach, in which is kept a supply of live fish to make the Provence dish called Bouillabaisse, a kind of fish soup, which, like most national dishes--plum-pudding, puchero, haggis, etc.--admits of considerable latitude in the preparation. The essentials are--whole rascasses and chapons (scorpion fishes), and rock lobsters stewed in a liquor mixed with a little of the best olive oil, and flavoured with tender savoury herbs. An extra good Bouillabaisse should include also crayfish, a few mussels, and some pieces of any first-class fish, such as the bass. [Headnote: PALAIS DE LONGCHAMP.] Those having little time to devote to Marseilles should, after taking a short stroll about the Port and in the Rues Cannebière and Noailles, enter the Joliette tram on its way up to the Palais de Longchamp, fare 2 sous. +The Palais de Longchamp+, which cost £165,000, consists of two rectangular wings, united by a semicircular colonnade of Ionic volute-fluted columns. In the centre, under a richly-sculptured massive archway, an inscription records that the great undertaking of bringing the water of the Durance to Marseilles was begun on the 15th November 1839, and was accomplished on the 8th July 1847, in the reign of Louis Philippe I. Another records that the palace was commenced in the reign of Napoleon III., on the 7th April 1862, and finished on the 15th August 1869. From a group of colossal bulls under the colonnade gushes a copious stream of water, which in its descent makes a cascade of 90 ft. in three stages. The wing to the right, standing with the face to the palace, contains the Natural History Museum; and the other, the picture and sculpture galleries. All the pictures are labelled. On the first floor are some large pictures by French artists and a few statues. In the second small room left hand is a collection of sketches by famous painters. Among the best pictures in the large centre hall of the upper story are:--F. Bol, d. 1681, portrait of woman and of King of Poland; Bourdon, d. 1671, portrait of P. de Champaigne; Cesari, d. 1640, Noah inebriated; Fontenay, d. 1715, Fruit; Girodet, d. 1824, Fruit; Gongo, d. 1764, Sacrifice to Venus and Jupiter; Greuze, d. 1805, portrait; Holbein, d. 1554, portrait; Loo, d. 1745, portrait of lady; Maratta, d. 1713, Cardinal Cibo; Mignard, d. 1695, Ninon de Lenclos; Nattier, d. 1766, Mme. de Pompadour as Aurora; Peeters, d. 1652, marine scene; Pellegrino, d. 1525, Holy Family; Perugino, d. 1524, Holy Family; F. Porbus, d. 1584, portrait; Raphael, d. 1520, St. John; Rembrandt, d. 1669, A Prophetess (sibyl); Reni, d. 1642, The Protectors of Milan; Ribera, d. 1656, Juan de Porcida; Rigaud, d. 1745, Duc de Villars; Rubens, d. 1640, Wild-boar Hunt; Salvator Rosa, d. 1675, Hermit; Veronese, d. 1588, Venetian princess; Zurbaran, d. 1662, St. Francis. In the room to the right is the “+École Provençal+,” containing, among other paintings--Barry, The Bosphorus; Duparc, d. 1778, The Milkmaid, and portraits of old man, woman, and girl knitting; Papety, d. 1849, “La Vierge Consolatrice”; P. Puget, Madonna. In the left room are, among others, J. F. Millet, b. 1815, Woman feeding Child. The most important parts of the Museum of Natural History are the conchological division and the collection of ammonites. From the Palace gardens is a good view of Marseilles. Behind the palace, on the top of the hill, is the great reservoir 242 ft. above the sea, supplied with water from the main channel by a branch canal. (See under Roquefavour, p. 77.) At this part of the hill is one of the entrances to the Zoological Gardens; free on Sundays, when they are crowded with people. Near the entrance is the +Observatory+, one of the most important in France. [Headnote: HÔTEL DE VILLE. LA CONSIGNE.] The port of Marseilles has in all an area of 422 acres, and is protected on the E. by Cape Croisette, and on the W. by Cape Couronne. Its approaches are lighted by 6 lighthouses, of which the most distant is on the Planier rock, 130 ft. above the sea, and 8 m. S.W. from Marseilles. The large steam vessels lie in the dock La Joliette, covering 55 acres, and finished in 1853; while the old-fashioned trading-vessels, with their lateen sails, crowd together in the harbour called emphatically the “Port,” containing 75½ acres. From the end of the “Port” extends eastwards the handsome and greatly-frequented street La Cannebière, so called from the rope-walks, whose site it now occupies. At nearly the middle of the N. side of the “Port” is the +Hôtel de Ville+ (1 in plan), built in the 17th cent., and adorned with sculpture by Puget, born at Marseilles; while at the western extremity of the same side, next Fort St. Jean, is a low building called La Consigne, or Health Office. Over the chimney-piece in the council-room of the Consigne is a beautiful relief in white marble by Puget, representing the plague at Milan. To the right is a picture by Gerard, representing Bishop Belsunce administering the sacrament to the plague-stricken inhabitants of Marseilles in 1720. To the left, St. Roch before the Virgin, by David. Fronting the windows, “The frigate Justice returning from Constantinople with the plague on board,” “l’an 4 de la République.” Opposite the fireplace, “The cholera on board the Melpomene,” by Horace Vernet. Next it, by Guerin, “The Chevalier Rose assisting to bury those who had died of the plague.” Between them is a Crucifixion by Auber. Between the two windows is a portrait of Bishop Belsunce. (Fee, ½ fr.) Near the Consigne is the pier of the ferry-boats. Above the Hôtel de Ville is the town infirmary, and beyond it, on a terrace 30 ft. above the quay of Joliette, [Headnote: CATHEDRAL. ARC DE TRIOMPHE.] the +Cathedral+, a Byzantine basilica, 460 ft. from S. to N., and 165 ft. from E. to W. at the transept; built of gray Florentine stone alternating with a whitish sandstone from the neighbourhood of Arles. The nave is 52 ft. wide, and the roof 82 ft. high. The great dome is 196 ft. high. Behind the cathedral are the Episcopal palace (5 in plan), the Seminary (4), and the Hospice de la Charité (7). Eastwards, in the Place d’Aix, is the +Arc de Triomphe+, an imitation of the arch of Titus at Rome, commenced on the 4th November 1825, to commemorate the prowess of the Duc d’Angoulême in the Spanish campaign of 1823. It is 58 ft. high and 58 ft. wide, has on the south side statuary by Ramey emblematic of the battles of Fleurus and Heliopolis, and on the north side similar statuary by David, representing the battles of Marengo and Austerlitz. Over the arch is the inscription-- “_A la République_.” From the arch a steep street, the R. d’Aix, descends to the Cours Belsunce, with at the N. end a statue of Bishop Belsunce, “pour perpetuer le souvenir de sa charité et de son dévouement durant la peste; qui desola Marseille” in 1720. By the side of it are the terminus of the Bonneveine tram (p. 113) and the Alcazar Lyrique, a kind of superior café chantant. [Headnote: BOURSE.] The continuation southwards of the Cours is the Rue de Rome, and farther S. the spacious Promenade du Prado. At the S. end of the Cours are, to the right the R. Cannebière, and to the left the R. Noailles, the two best streets in Marseilles. At the W. or Port end of the former is the +Bourse+ (marked 10 in the plan), a parallelogramic building, 154 feet broad by 223 long, erected between 1858 and 1860. The principal hall, 60 feet by 94, is ornamented with mural paintings. In the vestibule are allegorical statues of Marseilles and France, and a bas-relief representing Marseilles receiving productions from all parts of the world. On the opposite side of the street, by the R. de Paradis, are the Opera-house, the Palais de Justice, and the Préfecture (12 in plan). The Palais de Justice, built in 1862 in the Greek style, has on the pediment and peristyle bas-reliefs by Guillaume, representing Justice, Force, Prudence, etc. The outer hall, the “Salle des Pas-Perdus,” is surrounded by 16 columns of red marble. The Préfecture is a splendid edifice in the Renaissance style, 300 ft. long by 260 ft. wide, adorned with statues and bas-reliefs, and furnished with a grand staircase, escalier d’honneur, communicating with handsome reception-room ornamented with mural paintings. From the Bourse a pleasant road leads up to the church of +Notre Dame de la Garde+, one of the principal sights, and the most prominent object in Marseilles. From the Rue Paradis turn to the right by the Cours Pierre-Puget, traverse the pretty promenade, the Jardin de Colline, and then ascend the narrow road, the Montée des Oblats. On descending be careful to take the path to the left of the stone altar under a canopy on 4 columns. A small omnibus drives up the length of the Plateau de la Croix, whence a series of 178 steps has to be ascended to attain to the terrace on which the church stands, 535 ft. above the sea. The church is shut between 12 and 2, but the tower, ascended by 154 steps, can always be visited. Fee, ½ fr. It is 148 ft. high, crowned with a gilded image of Mary 30 ft. high, ascended by steps in the interior to the head. The view, which is just as good from the terrace, commands the whole of Marseilles. To the N.E. the culminating peak is Le Taoume, 2166 ft.; to the S.E. is the Montagne de Carpiagne, 1873 ft.; and S. from it Mont Puget, 1798 ft. In front of Marseilles are the islands Ratonneau and Pomègue, connected by a breakwater. Between them and the mainland is the little island of If (p. 118). Off Cape Croisette are the islands of Maïre and Peirot. The road down the little ravine (the Valon de l’Oriol) leads to the Corniche. NOTRE DAME DE LA GARDE. Notre Dame, an edifice in the Roman-Byzantine style, consists of an upper and a lower church. The dome over the apse is 48 ft. high. The interior of the church is lined with Carrara marble, but the pilasters and columns are of marble from Africa and the Alps. Over the high altar in the low church is the miracle-working image of Notre Dame. It is about 6 ft. high, stands on a pedestal of olive wood, is hollow, and made of a kind of stucco (carton-pierre) silvered over, excepting the face and hands of both it and the child. It weighs 1 cwt. 1 qr. and 14 lbs. On the high altar in the high church is a replica, nearly all of silver. The walls are covered with expressions of gratitude to it, and with pictures illustrating the manner in which its miraculous interposition was displayed. [Headnote: LYCÉE.] From the streets Cannebière and Noailles other handsome streets ramify, such as the Rue de Rome and the Cours Liautaud. Just where the Cours Liautaud leaves the Rue Noailles is the +Lycée+ or head grammar-school, and in the neighbourhood (marked 11) La Bibliothèque et l’École des Beaux Arts, forming together a palatial edifice off the Boulevard du Musée, 177 ft. long by 164 ft. wide. On the ground-floor are the class-rooms, and on the first story, the library, the collection of medals, and the reading-room, 131 ft. long by 19½ wide. Among the medals are 2600 belonging to Provence. The library contains 95,000 vols. and 1300 manuscripts. [Headnote: SAINT VICTOR.] At the mouth of the Port, on an eminence above Fort St. Nicolas and the Bassin de Carenage (graving dock), is the oldest church in Marseilles, +Saint Victor+, all that remains of one of the most famous monasteries in Christendom, founded in 420 by St. Cassien, ordained deacon of the church in Constantinople by Chrysostom. The exterior of St. Victor resembles a badly-built small fort surrounded by 7 unequal and uncouth square towers, the two largest at the N. side having been added by Pope Urban V., a former abbot of the monastery. Over the entrance door under these towers is a rude representation of St. George and the dragon. The upper church dates only from the beginning of the 13th cent. Near the sacristy in the S. side a stair of 32 steps leads down to the original church, a large and spacious crypt. Of this crypt the most ancient part is the small chapel shut off from the rest, with several tombs hewn in the rock. Among those buried here were St. Victor, and, according to the tradition of the place, Lazarus also, who is said to have died at Marseilles. The ancient appearance of this chapel is marred by a modern altar with a stone reredos, sculptured, it is said, by Puget. The shaft of one of the columns has a sculptured rope coiled round it. Pieces of ornamental sculpture are seen at different parts of the crypt, and remnants of a fresco painting. This also is the sanctuary of a miraculous wooden image of Mary and Child, said to have been carved by Luke. It is of a dark colour, is 3½ ft. high, and is called Notre Dame de Confession, whose intercession is sought by crowds of votaries from the 2d till the 9th of February. The best of the sarcophagi have been removed to the museum in the Château Borély (p. 113). At the foot of the eminence on which the church stands are Fort St. Nicolas and the Bassin de Carénage, whence a sou ferry steamboat crosses every four minutes to the other side. Among the modern churches perhaps the best is Saint Vincent de Paul, built in the style of the 13th cent. [Headnote: ISLAND OF IF.] _Excursions._--The principal excursion from Marseilles is to the +Island of If+, with its old château built by Francis I., long used as a state prison. Boats for the excursion lie at the Cannebière end of the Port. They charge from 5 to 9 frs.; but it is necessary to arrange the price before starting. The landing-place is at some low shelving rocks, whence a stair ascends to the terrace, on which are, to the right the entrance to the Château, and a little to the left a restaurant. A man conducts visitors over the castle, of which the most interesting parts are the cell of Monte Christo, and the place where he was thrown over into the sea. Marseilles to Martigues, 24 m. N.W. by rail (see map on p. 66). At Martigues station omnibus for Port Bouc, 3¾ m. W.; fare, ½ fr. From Port Bouc rail to Miramas, or steamboat by the canal to Arles (see p. 76). After leaving Marseilles the first station of importance is L’Estaque (see p. 80), 7 m. W., with large brick and tile works, at the foot of a wooded hill. 4¼ m. farther is Pas-des-Lanciers, with an inn close to the station. Here the Martigues branch separates from the main line, and the Martigues passengers change carriages. Here also an omnibus awaits passengers for Marignane, 3¾ m. W. on Lake Marignane, pop. 7000. Remains of castle which Mirabeau inhabited. Lake Marignane is separated from Lake Berre by a narrow strip of land. The train after passing Marignane station arrives at the station for Châteauneuf, a village S. towards the hills. [Headnote: MARTIGUES. INDUSTRIES.] +Les Martigues+, pop. 10,000. At station, omnibus for the inn, Hôtel du Cours, and omnibus for Port Bouc. Martigues is situated on both sides of the outlet from Lake Berre, and on the islets within this outlet, all connected by bridges. The railway station, the hotel, and a large part of the town are on the E. or Jonquière side. On the first or smallest of the 3 islets are the Tribunal de la Pèche and the fish-market; on the middle one is the Hôtel de Ville; and on the third and largest are the hospital and the parish church with sculptured portals. On the N. side of the canal is the part of the town called Ferrières, containing the harbour and the reservoirs for the manufacture of salt. Fishing is the principal industry of the inhabitants. There are in Marseilles numerous charitable institutions. The infirmary (Hôtel Dieu), founded in 1188 and rebuilt in 1593, can accommodate 750 patients. The workhouse (Hospice de la Charité) contains generally from 600 to 680 orphan children and aged men and women. Near the Prado is the Hôpital de la Concepcion, with 800 beds. The leading industry is soap-making, which occupies sixty factories, with 1200 artisans, and produces annually 65,000 tons, valued at £2,000,000 sterling. With this manufacture are connected oil and chemical works; in the former, which employ 2000 to 2500 workmen, 55,000 tons of different oils are produced yearly. The chemical works employ 2000 operatives in the manufacture of the salts of soda and concentrated acids, the value of whose annual production may be estimated at £320,000. Metallurgy is another great industry; a large quantity of ore, imported from Elba, Spain, and Algeria, is smelted in the blast furnaces of St. Louis in the suburbs. The Mediterranean ironworks and yards, together with other private companies, have large workshops for the construction or repair of marine steam-engines, and for every branch of iron shipbuilding, employing several thousand workmen. Marseilles is a great centre for the extraction of silver from lead ore; 16,000 tons of lead and 25 tons of fine silver are separated annually. [Headnote: COMMERCE. HISTORY.] _Commerce._--The chief imports in point of bulk are cereals from the Black Sea, Turkey, and Algeria; but the one of greatest value, raw silk, £4,000,000 yearly, comes from Italy, Spain, the Levant, China, and Japan. Then follow metals, ores, timber, sugar, wool, cotton, and rice. The principal exports in respect of value are silk, woollen and cotton fabrics, refined sugars, wines and spirits; those of greatest bulk are cereals in the form of flour, building materials, oil-cakes, manufactures in metal, oils, glass and crystal. _History._--The Greek colony of Massalia (in Latin, _Massilia_) was founded by the enterprising mariners of Phocæa in Asia Minor, about 600 B.C. After the ravages of successive streams of invaders it was repeopled in the 10th century under the protection of its viscounts. In 1112 the town bought up their rights, and was formed into a republic, governed by a podestat, appointed for life. In the remainder of the Middle Ages, however, this arrangement was modified, the higher town was governed by the bishop, and had its harbour at the creek of La Joliette. The southern suburb was governed by the abbot of St. Victor, and owned the Port des Catalans. The republic or lower town, situated between the two, retained the old harbour, and was the most powerful of the three divisions. The period of the Crusades brought great prosperity to Marseilles. King René made it his winter residence. Louis XIV. came in person to Marseilles to quell the disturbances under the Fronde. He took the town by storm, and had Fort St. Nicolas constructed. Marseilles repeatedly suffered from the plague, and an epidemic raged from May 1720 to May 1721 with a severity for which it is almost impossible to find a parallel; Bishop Belsunce, Chevalier Rose, and others immortalised themselves by their courage and devotion. During the Revolution of 1793 the people rose against the aristocracy, who up to that time had governed the commune. In the Terror they rebelled against the Convention, but were promptly subdued by General Carteux. The wars of the empire, by dealing a severe blow to their maritime commerce, excited the hatred of the inhabitants against Napoleon. Since 1815 the prosperity of the city has received a considerable impulse from the conquest of Algeria and the opening of the Suez Canal. [Headnote: THE MARSEILLAISE.] _The Marseillaise._--The famous anthem called “The Marseillaise” was composed by Joseph Rouget de l’Isle, born at Lons-le-Saulnier on the 10th May 1760, and died (it is said in poverty) at Choisy-le-Roi, 6¼ m. S. from Paris by rail, on the 27th June 1836. On the 24th April 1792, the day before the departure of a detachment of volunteers, Dietrich, the Mayor of Strasburg, gave a banquet to their officers, and during dinner requested Rouget, then an officer in the engineers, to compose a war-song for them. Although it was late before Rouget retired to his room, he had both the music and the words ready before going to bed. In the morning he handed the paper to his host, saying: “_Tenez, voilá ce que vous m’avez demandé, mais j’ai peur que cela ne soit pas trop bon._” “_Que dites vous mon ami?_” said Dietrich, after casting his eye over the MS.; “_vous avez fait un chef-d’œuvre._” The mayor’s wife having tried it on the piano, the orchestra of the theatre were engaged to perform it in the principal square of Strasburg, when such was the enthusiasm it created that the detachment marched off with nearly 1000 instead of 600 volunteers. For them Rouget called the air “Le Chant de guerre de l’armée du Rhin.” In July of the same year a detachment of volunteers was sent to Paris from Marseilles by order of Barbaroux, and as they were in the habit of singing this song both on their march and in the capital it received the name of the “Hymne des Marseillais.” Charles Barbaroux, born at Marseilles in 1767, died on the scaffold June 1794, was one of the deputies who contributed most to the fall of the monarchy. He belonged to the party called the Girondins. MARSEILLES TO MENTON. BY HYÈRES, CANNES, NICE, AND MONACO. 155 MILES. See Maps, pages 113, 155, and 185. miles from MARSEILLES miles to MENTON { }{155} +MARSEILLES.+ See under “Marseilles, Toulon, Nice et Menton” in the “Indicateur.” The train, after leaving Marseilles on its way to Toulon, traverses beautiful fertile valleys opening to the sea, and bounded by mountains mostly with whitish calcareous tops. Having crossed the stream Huveaune and traversed several tunnels and the Durance and Marseilles canal, the slow trains halt at the villages of St. Marcel, with the chapel of N. D. de Nazareth, and St. Menet, and La Penne, all situated at the foot of Mont Carpiagne. During the season, from May to October, a coach at the St. Menet station awaits passengers for the cold mineral baths of Camoins, 2 m. distant, or 5 m. by omnibus from Marseilles. The bathing establishment is about ¼ m. from the village, in an undulating hollow, among plane trees, olives, and vines. The water is cold, and contains iron and iodine, with a great deal of sulphur. It is very effective as a tonic, and in diseases of the liver. The establishment is quiet but comfortable. Pension 8 to 9 frs. per day. 10½ m. from Marseilles is +Aubagne+, pop. 8100. H. Notre Dame. Omnibus daily to Marseilles, stopping at H. St. Louis. Every train halts at Aubagne. Junction with loop-line to Valdonne, 10½ m. N., with coal-mines and potteries. Coach from Valdonne to Aix by Fuveau, where take rail. After Aubagne the train passes through the tunnel of Mussaguet, and, if a slow train, halts at the next station, Cassis, a pleasant fishing village in an oasis at the head of a small bay, between Mont Gardiole (to the west), culminating point 1800 ft., and Mont de Canaille (to the east), culminating point 1365 ft. _Inn:_ Hotel and Pension Liautaud. An omnibus awaits passengers at the station, 30 cents. A very pretty path, passing by the Grotte de Regagne and through a forest of pines on the sides of Mont Canaille, leads to La Ciotat, 6½ m. east by this road, and 23 m. from Marseilles by rail. The station for La Ciotat is 2½ m. from the town, but an omnibus awaits passengers. _Inn:_ H. de l’Univers, at the head of a well-protected harbour, nearly encircled by two strong stone jetties. At the western side of the little bay is a curious promontory, the Bec de l’Aigle (well seen from the station), composed of three lofty rocks in a row, perpendicular on the W. side. Beyond the point is the small island Ile Vert. A little quarrying and coral fishing is carried on in +La Ciotat+; but the main business of the place is derived from the great shipbuilding yards of the Messageries Maritimes, which may be said to employ directly and indirectly the whole town. [Map: Marseilles to Cannes] 4¼ m. beyond La Ciotat, or 27¼ from Marseilles, is the pretty village of St. Cyr, close to the station. 4¼ m. farther is the station for Bandol, a fishing village at the head of a shallow bay with small islands. The industries are cooperage and the culture of immortelles in fields on the plain and on terraces on the sides of the hills. 36 m. E. from Marseilles is the station Ollioules-St.-Nazaire, where omnibuses await passengers for St. Nazaire, pop. 2500, a port on the Mediterranean, and for Ollioules, pop. 3900, _Inn:_ Trotobas; situated a short way inland on the Reppe, in a deep hollow surrounded by limestone cliffs, which, about 2 m. up the river, are so close to each other as to form a gloomy ravine, at one time the haunt of the brigand Gaspard de Besse. The great industry of Ollioules, Nazaire, and Bandol is the culture of immortelles, which, when made up into wreaths, are sent all over France. The largest and best cost 24 frs. the dozen. Yellow is the natural colour of the flower, but they are variously dyed or bleached. They are cultivated on terraces among olive trees. Oranges and lemons grow freely here. The coach for Beausset halts in the Place of Ollioules, and then runs up the right bank of the Reppe to Beausset, pop. 3000. _Inn:_ France. [Headnote: LA SEYNE. SIX FOURS.] 38½ m. E. from Marseilles, and 6 m. W. from Toulon, is +La Seyne+ station. An omnibus awaits passengers for the town, pop. 11,000, H. de la Méditerranée, situated on the roads opposite Toulon, between which two ports there is constant communication by steamers. Near the hotel is the office of the omnibus for Tamaris, a village 1¼ m. S.E., at the foot of Fort Napoleon, and on the Rade (roads) du Lazaret. The omnibus returns by Balaguier. The Toulon omnibus for Reynier passes through La Seyne, from which Reynier is 3 m. W. On the hill above Reynier are the new fort and what remains of the ancient village of +Six Fours+, once a town of importance. The greater part of the crumbling walls has been cleared away, and in their stead a strong fort has been built, which occupies the entire summit of the hill. The old church still remains, of which the earliest part, 6th cent., is at the entrance extending east and west, and was originally the whole building. To the right hand are two stone altars (6th cent.), with windows behind them to give light to the officiating priest, who at that time said mass with his face to the audience. The nave, extending N. and S., was added in the 15th cent. It contains a Madonna by Puget, and some pictures on wood of the 15th cent. Under the church is a large cistern, formerly, according to the “Annales de Six Fours,” the chapel or house where Mary, sent by her brother Lazarus, told the inhabitants about Jesus. She was buried in the crypt of St. Maximin (p. 143). TOULON. 42 m. E. from Marseilles, 13 m. W. from Hyères, 22 m. S. from Carnoulles, 59 m. S.W. from St. Raphael, 79 m. S.W. from Cannes, 98½ m. S.W. from Nice, and 113 m. S.W. from Menton, is +Toulon+, pop. 71,000 (see maps, pp. 123 and 129). _Hotels:_ near the station, the Grand Hotel, a large first-class house; a little farther and near the post, the theatre, and Temple Protestant, are the Victoria and the Louvre; in the Place Puget is the Nord, and at No. 15 an office where carriages can be hired for Mont Faron and other excursions. From this “Place” start the omnibuses for Hyères, 11 m. E. by the road; also omnibuses for Ollioules and Beausset. The porpoises and scallop shells on the fountain in the centre of the “Place” are by Puget. In the Place d’Armes is the H. Place d’Armes, fronting the Arsenal and the Promenade, where the band plays on Sundays. The omnibuses for Cap Brun, Ste. Marguerite, Le Pradet, La Valette, La Garde, and La Crau, and the diligences for Pierrefeu, Collobrières, Cuers, Solliès-Pont, Belgentier, Meounes, Neroules, and Brignoles, start from the Place d’Italie at the east end of Toulon. In this “Place” are the inns H. Petit, St. Jean, and H. Croix-Blanche. (For the above places see maps, pp. 123 and 129.) In the Place Puget are several cheap restaurants. The best restaurants are on the quay of the port. [Headnote: THE QUAI DU PORT.] +The Quai du Port.+--The bronze statue on this quay, representing Navigation, is by Daumas, by whom are also the colossal statues in front of the theatre. Near it are the berths of the steamers for Saint Mandrier, 3½ m. S., and for the Iles d’Hyères. More to the right is the berth of the large steamers for La Seyne. At the west end is the hulk of the famous _Belle Poule_, covered with a roof of sloping planks. This was the vessel in which Napoleon’s body was brought from St. Helena and deposited in the Hôtel des Invalides on the 15th December 1840. The Chamber of Deputies granted £40,000 to defray the expenses of the expedition, and entrusted the command to the Prince de Joinville, with whom were associated Bertrand, Gourgaud, the younger Las Casas, and Marchand the Emperor’s valet, all the latest and most devoted of Napoleon’s adherents. On the 16th October the coffin was opened, when the body was found in an excellent state of preservation. On that same day the remains were embarked on board the _Belle Poule_, and on the 18th the ship set sail. On the 30th November it reached Cherbourg, where the body was transferred to the steamboat _Normandie_, which conveyed it up the Seine to Courbevoie, where it was placed on a most magnificent car. [Headnote: CAB FARES. THE ARSENALS.] _Cab fares._--The course, 1¼ fr.; the hour, 2 frs. The strongly-fortified port of Toulon occupies a plain rising gradually from the sea to the lofty ridge of Mont Faron, which runs east and west, and sends out lower branches, enclosing the town and harbour on either side. On the summit, immediately behind the town, are Fort Croix and large barracks; to the east is La Platrière, 1000 ft., and immediately behind it Mt. Coudon, 2305 ft. To the west is the Cap Gros, 1735 ft, and behind it Mt. Caoume, 3268 ft. On every commanding position is a fort; while from the water’s edge at the west end of the port rises Fort Malbousquet. Similarly situated on the eastern end is Fort Lamalgue, the last held by the English in 1793. The Petit Rade offers a spacious and most secure roadstead. From it are walled off, at the east end, the Port Marchand and the Vieille Darse, or town-docks, whence the steamers sail. Then follow the Government docks of Vauban, Castigneau, and Missiessy, all communicating with each other by swing bridges, and surrounded by well-built quays. The most conspicuous features of Toulon are the arsenals and the establishments connected with them, which are on a scale of almost unrivalled magnificence, occupying 717 acres, and employing above 10,000 men. Near the west end of the Port a large gateway with marble columns forms the entrance into the “Arsenal Maritime,” covering 240 acres, and containing a general storehouse, 100 forge fires, two covered building-slips, a ropery 1050 feet long, and an armoury with at the entrance two caryatides and a colossal eagle by Puget. Adjoining is the Arsenal de Castigneau, constructed on piles along the bay towards La Seyne, with the bakery, ironworks, and ship-equipment departments. Although Toulon, rather a dirty town, is crowded with marines and sailors, it maintains by the constant influx of the peasantry all the characteristics of a town of Provence. Theatres of every grade abound, from the Grand Opera House down to the poor little café chantant, where gaudily-dressed females electrify the audience with popular ballads. The most pleasant lounge in winter is on the Quai du Port, as the wharf fronting the town-dock is called. As long as the sun is above the horizon it shines there, consequently during the cold season it is crowded with all kinds of people, most of whom, unfortunately, are poisoning the air with execrable tobacco. On it are good cafés and restaurants, and booksellers’ shops where plans of the town and neighbourhood are sold. This now gay sunny promenade was in November 1793 the scene of one of the most horrid butcheries of human life recorded in history, when the infuriated Republican soldiers, mad with vengeance, slaughtered above 6000 of their countrymen, not sparing even those of their own party, in their blind rage. Sir Sydney Smith, amidst the flames of burning ships and dockyards, and the shrieks and imploring cries of the terrified populace, succeeded in rescuing and embarking some 1500. Napoleon, then a lad of 23, by whose military genius the discomfiture of the English had been effected, exerted himself to the utmost, but in vain, to stay the carnage. [Headnote: TOWN HALL.] Among the houses which border the Quai du Port is the +Town Hall+, adorned with two admirable caryatides by Pierre Puget. In front is the statue representing Navigation, and at No. 64 of the street behind is the corner house Puget built for himself. It contains four stories of nearly square windows, those in the lowest and highest rows being the smallest. The small side has three windows in each row, and the large four, the windows of the first three rows over the doorway being in couples. On the angles are shallow grooved foliated pilasters, and under the eaves a projecting dentil cornice. The most sheltered street in winter, and the coolest in summer, is the Rue Lafayette, a broad avenue lined with shops and shaded with immense lime trees. It commences at the east end of the Port and bends round to the Place Puget. About half of the street is occupied by a fruit, flower, and vegetable market. In the second story of the narrow five-storied house, at No. 89 (the Port end), is one of the cannon-balls fired by the English during the struggle of November 1793. (See above.) At the Port end of the street is the “Place,” whence the omnibus starts for Mourillon; also the church of St. François de Paule. The interior contains pictures and statues of some merit. The reredos of the altar to the left represents one of the interviews between J. C. and Marguerite Alacoque, while that of the altar to the right represents Mary announcing herself to the girl swineherd at Lourdes to be the “conceived without sin.” [Headnote: SAINTE-MARIE-MAJEURE.] The street ramifying from the west side of the Rue Lafayette, between houses Nos. 77 and 79, leads to the cathedral of +Sainte-Marie-Majeure+, commenced in the 11th cent., and finished in the 18th. The exterior is unattractive. The interior is better. The organ-loft over the entrance is of carved oak. The alabaster reredos of the altar in the chapel to the right of the high altar is by the sculptor Veyrier. The tabernacle and the two angels under it are by Puget, who is said to have executed also the alto-relievo on the side wall of the chapel representing the apostles looking into the empty tomb of Mary. Over the arch of the chapel on the left of the high altar is a Madonna in wood by Canova. Several very good pictures adorn the church. [Headnote: ST. MANDRIER. MONT FARON.] All the steamers sail from the Quai du Port. The best and largest are those which cross to La Seyne (p. 123). The steamers for the Iles d’Hyères and for St. Mandrier sail also from this wharf. The St. Mandrier steamer makes the trip six times daily, calling first at Balaguier, where the landing-place is between Fort Aiguillette to the north and Fort Balaguier to the south, the latter being easily recognised by its round tower. The restaurant and houses are situated towards Fort Aiguillette. On the other side of the point of Fort Balaguier is Le Tamarin, or Tamaris, consisting chiefly of pretty villas in luxuriant gardens full of palms and orange trees. Behind Tamaris rises Fort Napoleon, commanding a splendid view. An excellent carriage-road leads up to the top. It commences near the neck of land of the peninsula of Cepet. An omnibus runs between Le Tamaris, Balaguier, and La Seyne. The steamer, after touching at Balaguier, crosses the roads or Rade du Lazaret and enters the small bay of St. Mandrier. At the landing-place is a comfortable inn, charging 8 to 10 frs. per day. Round the point, in a warm nook among the hills, is the hospital of St. Mandrier, with 1200 beds, one of the most important establishments of this kind in France. It occupies three sides of a parallelogram, has a handsome chapel, and a great cistern vaulted with concentric circles. Adjoining is a large and well-sheltered garden with orange trees. Visitors are readily admitted. In Toulon, near the Place d’Armes, is the Hôpital de la Marine, exclusively for the navy. Although well ordered, it is hardly sufficiently ventilated. One of the most interesting walks is to the top of Mont Faron, 1792 feet above the sea. From the Porte Notre Dame, at the E. end of Toulon, take the broad road or street leading northwards by the bridge across the railway. Then passing one of the artillery establishments, leave the town by the Port of Ste. Anne--the name is on the gateway. From this the real road commences, excellent all the way, and in its gentle ascent and continuous windings ever unfolding the most lovely views of the town and the bay. When not far from the summit three roads meet. The road to the left goes to the barracks and to the top. The nearly level road to the right goes to Fort Faron, and the steep road to the left to Fort de la Croix on a rock above Fort Faron. Both are on the east or the La Valette side of the mountain. The summit consists of a stony tableland, from which rise knolls of various elevations. It can be done in a carriage. [Headnote: LA VALETTE. MONT COUDON. CAP BRUN.] _Toulon Omnibuses._--Among the omnibus-drives from Toulon the best are to +Hyères+ (p. 133) by La Valette, and to the village of Dardenne, on a stream in the picturesque valley between Mont Faron on the right or S. side and the steep Tourris mountain, with bald calcareous summits, 1426 ft. high. As far as the omnibus goes the road is good. The road eastwards through the valley leads to La Valette, and the short road northward to the village of Le Revest, on the top of an eminence commanding a good view of the ravine of the Dardenne. The village of +La Valette+, pop. 1700, is 3¼ m. E. from Toulon and 7¾ W. from Hyères by the omnibus. The carving on the church door, representing John writing the book of Revelation in the island of Patmos, is said to have been done by Puget. From this village the ascent is made of Mt. Coudon, 2305 ft., in about 2½ hours. “From Mt. Coudon there are grand views in all directions. I have sought for them a great deal, and seen a great many, but have never beheld any scene so lovely as the graceful yet bold indentured coast of France as exhibited from Coudon.” --_George Sand._ A carriage-road leads up to the very top, but unfortunately, when only a few feet from the summit, farther progress is stopped by a fort, and the best of the view lost. Commence the ascent from the narrow lane opposite the Hôtel de Ville, and, once on the high road, never leave it. On the way up many very beautiful land and sea views disclose themselves. The next best omnibus-drives are to Cap Brun and Ste. Marguerite, eastward on the coast, and to Le Pradet, a village N.E. from Ste. Marguerite, on the road to Carqueyranne. Both omnibuses start from the Place d’Italie. Although this road skirts the coast, very little of it is seen on account of hills and garden-walls. Cap Brun and Ste. Marguerite are both forts on cliffs projecting into the sea. To the east of the Fort Ste. Marguerite is the village, consisting of a few houses, with a small chapel among villas and cottages scattered over the slope of an eminence rising from a tiny cove. Le Pradet is a considerable village a little to the S. of La Garde. La Garde, on its hill crowned with the ruins of a castle, forms a marked feature in the landscape. At Cap Brun is the villa of Sir Charles Dilke. [Map: Environs of Toulon & Hyères] [Headnote: MOURILLON. BELGENTIER.] The omnibus to the sea-bathing suburb of Mourillon, 3½ m. E., behind Fort La Malgue or Malague, starts from the Port end of the Rue or Cours Lafayette. _Diligence Drives._--+Toulon to Meounes+, 19¼ m. N. by diligence from the Place d’Italie. Time, 3 hrs.; fare, 2½ frs. (see map, p. 117). The diligence, after passing through La Valette, Farlède 4¾ m., and Solliès-Ville, arrives at Solliès-Pont, 272 ft. above the sea and 10½ m. from Toulon, situated on the railway and on the Gapeau. The diligence halts near the inn H. du Commerce, where passengers from Hyères can await its arrival. The coach to Brignoles passes by the same way, but at an earlier hour. From Solliès-Pont commences the beautiful part of the route, up the fertile valley of the Gapeau between lofty and precipitous calcareous mountains. The slopes are covered with large olive trees, and the plain with fields and vineyards and numerous cherry trees. Nearly 2 m. farther up the valley, but on the other side of the Gapeau, is Solliès-Toucas (328 ft.), situated in a sheltered nook. 5 m. higher up, and 12½ m. from Toulon, is Belgentier (pronounced Belgensier), on both sides of the Gapeau. The horses are changed here. The inn (auberge), which is indifferent, is round the corner to the right. From Belgentier the olives cease to be continuous. The diligence, after passing the flour-mill Pachoquin, 558 ft., arrives at the best headquarters in the valley, Meounes, 919 ft., on the stream Naille, an affluent of the Gapeau, 3½ m. N. from Belgentier, 8¾ m. N. from Solliès-Pont, 6 m. E. from Signes, 4¾ m. S. from Roquebrussane, 12 m. S.E. from Le Camp, 5 m. S. from Garéoules, and 7½ m. S. from Forcalqueiret railway station, which is 7 m. E. by rail from Brignoles (see map, p. 123). [Headnote: MEOUNES. MONTRIEUX.] The inn of Meounes is behind the church. On a small peak overlooking the village is an image of Mary. Round three sides of the pedestal are the words “Mary conceived without sin, the tower of David, the refuge of sinners, pray for us.” On the fourth side “June 1870.” Eastward is a great circular mass of mountains, which rises abruptly on the eastern and southern rim, and sinks towards the western and northern. Going round from south to east the culminating points reach the elevations of 1794 ft., 1860 ft., 2073 ft, 2248 ft., 1934 ft., 2326 ft., and 2060 ft. Tablelands, more or less fertile, and peaks of various elevations, occupy the centre. The rocks are calcareous, and most of the paths which traverse this region are excessively stony. Scarcely 3 m. from Meounes by a very pretty road is the Carthusian Monastery of Montrieux (pronounced Monrieux), on an eminence 945 ft. above the sea. To go to it descend the high road for about 1½ m. to a bridge and first road right, which take. A little way up, the road divides into two; take the left one, which crosses the Gapeau. The building, which is prettily situated, is small, and contains only about from 30 to 35 inmates. It was founded in 1117, and had very large possessions, which, with the house, were taken from the monks at the fatal revolution of 1793. In 1845 the building was repurchased, along with 74 acres of land, and peopled with a detachment of friars from the head monastery of the order, the Chartreuse of Grenoble. The Carthusians and Trappists resemble each other in dress and in their rules, the chief difference being that the Trappists sleep in the same room, and dine together in the same room, while the Carthusians have each a separate suite of small rooms or cells, where the inmate sleeps and feeds by himself. Both affirm: “Nous ne permettons jamais aux femmes d’entrer dans notre enceinte; car nous savons que, ni le sage, ni le prophète, ni le juge, ni l’hôte de Dieu, ni ses enfans, ni même le premier modèle sorti de ses mains, n’ont pu échapper aux caresses ou aux tromperies des femmes.” A nearer but very stony path, commencing opposite the church door of Meounes, leads also to the convent. Through Meounes pass the Toulon courrier to Brignoles by Roquebrussane, the Toulon coach to Brignoles by Garéoules, and the Toulon coach to Garéoules. The drive between Meounes and Brignoles is monotonous, and the inns in the villages poor. Fare from Meounes to Brignoles 3 frs., distance 15 miles. (For Brignoles, see p. 142.) [Headnote: LA CRAU. CUERS. PIERREFEU. COLLOBRIÈRES.] +Toulon to Collobrières.+--From the Place d’Italie a coach starts daily to Collobrières, 25 m. N.E. by E., passing through La Valette 3¼ m., La Garde with its castle 5 m., and +La Crau+ 7½ m. _Inn:_ H. de France. Beyond the inn are the post and telegraph offices, and a few yards farther, in the Rue de Gapeau, the halting and meeting place of this diligence with the coach that runs between Hyères and La Crau. From La Crau the diligence proceeds to Pierrefeu, 18 m. from Toulon, where the horses are changed near the first terrace, a little higher than the inn. From Pierrefeu the diligence proceeds to Collobrières, up the thinly-peopled valley of the river. Fare, 2½ frs.; time, 4½ hrs. Excursionists from Hyères should await the diligence at La Crau, where it arrives about 4 P.M.; or take the rail to +Cuers+ station, and then the courrier, which leaves Toulon every forenoon for Collobrières, passing through Pierrefeu (p. 142). From Toulon to Pierrefeu the road traverses a fertile plain more or less undulating, covered with olive trees, vineyards, and wheat fields. The Gapeau, the river that supplies Hyères with water, is crossed a few yards beyond La Crau, and shortly afterwards the road to Pierrefeu takes a northerly direction up the valley of the Real-Martin, the principal affluent of the Gapeau. Pierrefeu, pop. 4000, is a dirty village on a hill, 482 ft. above the sea, with narrow, crooked, steep streets. From the terrace there is a pleasing view of the plain below. From Pierrefeu the coach ascends the valley of the Réal-Collobrier to +Collobrières+, pop. 3600, on an eminence rising from the stream. _Inn:_ H. de Notre Dame, near the diligence office, good and clean. The office of the courrier is in the principal street, near the Post and the Hôtel de Ville with the promenade. From the top of the hill, where stands the old church, now abandoned, is an excellent view of the valley. The lower part is covered with fields and vineyards interspersed with fruit trees. On the side of the mountains facing the north are forests of chestnut trees, some very old and of most fantastic forms, while on the opposite side are forests of sombre cork oaks. Cork-cutting, wine-making, and the exportation of chestnuts form the principal industries. The wine, when four years old, makes an agreeable vin ordinaire. In the tenth year it is at its best, when it becomes straw-coloured. A winding coach-road across the Maure mountains extends northwards to Gonfaron, a station on the railway to Cannes. Between this road and Pignans station is the culminating point of the Maures, on which is the chapel of N. D. des Anges, 2556 ft. above the sea. [Headnote: ISLES D’OR. PORQUEROLLES.] +The Islands of Hyères, or the Iles d’Or.+ Steamer every other day from Toulon to Porquerolles; time 2 hrs., fare 2 frs.; thence to the Ile Port-Cros, time 1 hour. Fare there and back to Porquerolles, 2 frs. Steamer also every other day from Les Salins of Hyères to Porquerolles by the Iles du Levant and Port-Cros. The finest of the views of Toulon and neighbourhood is from the deck of the steamer while sailing through the roads. To the north rises the massive and precipitous Mont Faron with its forts and barracks, and to the east is La Malgue with its forts and batteries. To the west is La Seyne, by the north side of the hill on which is Fort Napoleon, and southwards is the peninsula of Cepet with the large Military Hospital of St. Mandrier. The whole coast from Toulon to Hyères is afterwards seen distinctly from the steamer. Just before arriving at Porquerolles the steamer sails closely along the southern shore of the peninsula of Giens (see p. 140, and map, p. 123). Porquerolles, pop. 500, is 5 miles long, and of an average breadth of 2 miles. The culminating point is 479 ft. above the sea. The northern coast is low, the land sloping upwards to the south, where it terminates in vertical cliffs of schistose and quartzose rocks. The vegetation is nowhere luxuriant. Pines, arbutus, and heaths cover the mountains, while the more fertile plains and valleys have vineyards and fields. The climate is very dry, and the water-supply is obtained from wells. Mosquitoes can hardly be said to exist. Many rare plants are found in the woods, such as the Delphinium requienii, Galium minutulum, Pelargonium capitatum, Latyrus tingitanus, Alkanna lutea, Genista linifolia, Cistus Porquerollensis, and the Cistus olbiensis. The Port of Porquerolles is situated in nearly the centre of the N. side of the island, exactly opposite Hyères, and 9 m. from Les Salins. The pier has not sufficient water to allow the steamer to moor alongside. In the “Place,” quite close to the pier, are the church, the museum of the island collected by the most worthy curate, and the two inns, of which the H. du Progrès is the larger of the two. Above the town, at an elevation of 215 ft., is the castle, with some small buildings formerly used as an hospital, now a prison. There are three main roads in the island--the road by the N. coast westward is called the +Chemin du Langoustier+, the road by the N. coast eastward the +Chemin des Mèdes+, and the road up the centre of the island, from N. to S., the +Chemin au Phare+. This last road commences at the N.W. corner of the “Place” and terminates at the lighthouse on Cap d’Armes, the most southern point of the island, 210 ft. above the sea. The lighthouse, first-class, is ascended by 70 steps, is 46 ft. above the ground, and has a white light. The first road right from the N.W. corner of the “Place” is the Chemin du Langoustier, which, on its way westward, traverses a comparatively open country. The building in ruins, seen on the top of the ridge to the left, 370 ft. high, is an old watch-tower, considered the most ancient structure on the island. Near the end of the road is a decayed soda manufactory. At the terminus on the peninsula is a Vigie, a watch-tower and signal-station combined, 108 ft. above the sea. The road along the N.E. coast, the Chemin des Mèdes, traverses the most fertile part of the island. About half-way, near Point Lequin, it passes round the N. end of a ridge, extending N. and S., on whose summit, 479 ft. above the sea, is a semaphore or signal-station, commanding a perfect view of the whole island, while the view of the other islands, of the peninsula of Giens, of Hyères, and of the coast to beyond Cannes, is admirable. The way up is by the first branch road right at the commencement of the wood. The road at the commencement looks as if it led up the plain. The Chemin des Mèdes terminates at a farmhouse called Notre Dame, formerly a monastery, whence the continuation is by a path leading to a fort on Cap des Mèdes, to the N. of a hill 449 ft. high. [Headnote: PORT-CROS. PORT MAN. LEVANT.] +Port-Cros.+--11½ m. E. from Porquerolles port is the island of Port-Cros, 12½ m. S. from Les Salins, on the western side of the island, at the head of a small landlocked bay. An inn is near the pier. The main road extends from the landing-place up the valley by the church and the proprietor’s house to +Port Man+ at the eastern end of the island. Port-Cros consists of a picturesque wooded ridge, whose culminating point is to the south, 669 ft. above the sea; it is 2½ m. from S.W. to N.E., and 1½ m. from N. to S., and contains 1482 acres. The rocks in Porquerolles and Port-Cros are similar--mica, schist, and quartz. Round the coast are numerous little coves with tiny smooth beaches. Excellent sea fishing may be had at all times. About a mile east from Port Man is the western extremity of the more sterile island of the +Levant+, 5 m. from E. to W., and 1½ from N. to S. The culminating point is in the centre of the island, the Pierres Blanches, on which there is a signal-tower, 423 ft. above the sea. Mica, amianthus, actinolite, and tourmaline abound. +Toulon to Hyères.+ +Toulon to Hyères.+--Passengers at Toulon for Hyères, 11 m. E., can go either by the omnibus, which starts three times daily from the Place Puget, fare 1 fr., time nearly 2 hours, or by train. If by rail they should examine the Indicateur, and select a direct train, otherwise they may have to wait some time at La Pauline, where the branch line commences by La Crau to Hyères, 13 miles by rail from Toulon. [Headnote: HOTELS.] HYÈRES, pop. 13,000, the most southerly of the stations on the Riviera, the nearest to England, and only 18¼ hours from Paris. It is not so gay as Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo, and San Remo, nor perhaps even Menton; but none of these places have such beautiful boulevards, nor such a variety of charming country walks and drives either by private or stage coaches. The hotel omnibuses await passengers at the station. The station is ¾ m. S. from Hyères, and ¾ m. N. from the Hermitage. _Hotels._--At the west of the town are the Hôtel des Palmiers, below the Place des Palmiers; the *Iles d’Or, with garden off the main road; the H. Continental, on an eminence above the Iles d’Or. These three are first-class houses, and charge per day from 15 to 20 frs., including bedroom, service, wine, candles, and three meals with coffee or tea in the morning. Next the Iles d’Or is the Hesperides, 8 to 12 frs. Off the main street are the Ambassadeurs and the Europe, both from 10 to 12 frs., frequented chiefly by those who come only for a few days. At the east end of Boulevard des Palmiers the H. du Parc, 12 to 15 frs. On opposite side, and well situated for the sun, is the second-class house, the H. Iles d’Hyères, 7 to 10 frs. Near it, but not well situated, is the Méditerranée, third-class. The principal hotel on the east side of Hyères is the H. Orient, 10 to 13 frs., a comfortable and old-established house, opposite the public gardens. Farther east, and off the high road to St. Tropez, is the Beau-Séjour, from 12 to 15 frs. Down by one of the roads to the sea is the H. des Étrangers, 10 to 13 frs., in a sunny situation. About 1½ m. S. from Hyères, near the Hermitage chapel, but in a sheltered nook overlooking one of the warmest and most favoured valleys of the Montagnes des Oiseaux, is the *Hôtel and Pension de l’Hermitage, 9 to 12 frs., retired and comfortable, and frequented chiefly by English. As it is near the sea, in a forest of pines and cork oaks, it combines the advantages of Arcachon with those of Hyères. All the above prices include tea or coffee in the morning, and meat breakfast and dinner, with wine to both. Abundance of furnished apartments and villas to let. In the Place des Palmiers are a French and an English bank. Both exchange money. In the same “Place” is the Temple Protestant, and a little beyond the English Pharmacy. The Episcopal chapel is in the Boulevard Victoria. The town hospital is at the west end of the town. There are several clubs; the best are the Siècle and the Progrès, which take in English newspapers. Here, as well as in the other stations on the Riviera, all the first-class clubs or “cercles” have large gambling-rooms, as productive of evil as Monte Carlo. _Cab fares._--Per hour, 2 frs. A coach per month with driver and 2 horses, 500 frs. With 1 horse, 300 frs. [Headnote: DRIVES. COACHES.] _Drives._--A 3 to 4 hours’ drive in a coach with 1 horse costs 6 to 8 frs., with 2 horses 10 to 12 frs., but, as there is no recognised tariff, it is necessary in every case to settle the price beforehand. The drive to Carqueyranne by the coast and back by the road between the Paradis and Oiseaux mountains, with 1 horse, 8 frs. The same price to La Crau, round by the west side of Mt. Fenouillet, and back by the valley of the Gapeau. The great drive, forming a good day’s excursion, is to the Chartreuse of Montrieux, 18 m. N., by La Crau, Solliès-Pont (a railway station), and Belgentier (pronounced Belgensier). (For description, see p. 129.) Coach with 2 horses, 25 frs. there and back. The other great drive (costing the same) is to the Fort of Brégançon, 16 miles east by the coast-road, passing by Les Vieux Salins, at the eastern extremity of which a road strikes off due north towards the St. Tropez road, passing Bastidon (7 m. from Hyères) amidst large olive trees. After Les Salins the road enters the part of the plain called La Plage Largentière, in which is situated the Château de Bormettes, built by Horace Vernet (7½ m. E. from Hyères). A little farther east, on the Plage de Pellegrin, are the châteaux of Léoubes (11 m.) and Brégançon; and, on the western point of Cap Bénat, Fort Brégançon, about 4 miles west of Bormes. (For Bormes, see p. 142.) Another pleasant drive is to Cuers, 14 m. N.W. by the Gapeau and Pierrefeu. The first road that ramifies to the right, from the Gapeau valley road, leads up into the Vallée de Borel, in the heart of the Maure mountains. This road passes by the large farmhouse of Ste. Eulalie, in a plain full of large olive trees, some 6 feet in diameter. There are also some large pines. Besides these excursions there are a great many little drives which may be taken in the wooded sheltered valleys running up between the ridges of the Maure mountains, but for them a light vehicle should be selected, as some parts of the roads are not good. _Coaches._--From the Place de la Rade start daily coaches for Carqueyranne 6¼ m. W., for Les Vieux Salins 4 m. E., for La Crau 4½ m. N. (see p. 130), and for St. Tropez 32½ m. E., whence a steamer sails to St. Raphael. Near the “Place,” opposite the Hotel and Restaurant du Var, start several times daily large omnibuses for Toulon by La Valette (see maps, pp. 123 and 129). [Headnote: MASSILLON.] +Hyères proper+ is a little dirty town of narrow streets, running up the south-east side of the castle hill; like, however, all the other winter stations, the new quarter, with its handsome streets and villas, has far outgrown the original limits. A plain, 2 m. wide, is between the town and the sea. The beautifully-wooded Maure mountains surround it on the land side, mitigating the keenness of the north, north-east, and east winds, but affording indifferent protection from the mistral or north-west wind. The Toulon road, extending east and west, forms the principal thoroughfare. On it, and in its proximity, are the best shops and the best hotels. From it rise the steep streets of the old town, of which two of the gateways still exist. At the east end, fronting the Place de la Rade, is the Porte des Salins, and at the west end the Porte Fenouillet. Exactly half-way between these two stood the principal gateway, the Porte Portalet, from which the street R. Portalet leads directly up to the *Place Massillon, containing the fish-market, a bust of Massillon, and the Maison des Templiers, 12th cent., now the Hôtel de Ville. Standing with the face towards the Hôtel de Ville, we have to the left a dirty narrow street called the Rue Rubaton, in which is the house, No. 7, where Massillon, the greatest of the pulpit orators of France, was born on the 24th of June 1663. In the pulpit he appeared sedate, without gesture and parade. On one occasion, when he preached to the Court at Versailles, his sermon produced such a powerful effect on Louis XIV. that he exclaimed in the presence of the Court-- “Father, I have heard several good orators and have been satisfied with them, but whenever I hear you I am dissatisfied with myself.” The language of Massillon, though noble, was simple, and always natural and just, without labour and affectation. When he preached for the first time in the church of St. Eustache in Paris his famous sermon on Matthew vii. 14, and had arrived at the peroration, the entire congregation rose from their seats, transported and dismayed. This prosopopœia, which still astonishes in the perusal, has been chosen by Voltaire in the article “Eloquence” in the _Encyclopédie_ as an example presenting “_la figure la plus hardie, et l’un des plus beaux traits d’éloquence qu’on puisse lire chez les anciens et les modernes_.” His father, who spelt his name Masseilhon, was a notary. The business was continued from father to son in the same house from 1647 to 1834. [Headnote: ST. PAUL.] Above the “Place” is the church of St. Paul, 12th cent., on a terrace commanding a view towards the sea. The figures by the side of the altar represent the apostles Peter and Paul. In the clumsy modern addition to the church is an ancient baptismal font. [Headnote: ST. LOUIS.] At the low part of the town, in the Place Royale or de la République, is the church of St. Louis, built in the 12th cent. in the Byzantine style and restored in 1840. The floor is 11 steps below the entrance. The quadripartite vault is supported on lofty wide-spanned arches. The pulpit, of walnut, is beautifully carved. The 19 stalls display elegance and originality of design in the form and arrangement of the canopies. The confessionals are also tastefully carved, and are set into the wall. Behind the altar, to the right, is a large and remarkable picture representing the landing of St. Louis with his queen and their 3 children on the beach of Hyères (the Plage du Ceinturon) on the 12th of July 1254, when the royal family were the guests of Bertrand de Foz in the castle. The other picture, which is modern, represents St. Louis about to enter Notre Dame of Paris. The statue over the fountain in this square, the Place de la République, represents Charles of Anjou and Provence, 9th son of Louis VIII. of France, and brother of Louis IX. In 1245 Charles married the great heiress the Countess Beatrice, which event closed the independent political life of Provence by uniting it to the house of Anjou. In 1257, on the principle that might is right, he dispossessed Count Foz of the castle and territory of Hyères. At the western end of the town is the Place des Palmiers, with palms planted in 1836. Those which adorn the Boulevard des Palmiers were planted in 1864, and came from Spain. Napoleon I. lodged in the house No. 7 of the Place des Palmiers after the siege of Toulon. Around Hyères are numerous nursery-gardens, and on the plain, down by the Avenue de la Gare, is the “Jardin d’Acclimatation,” where animals, birds, and plants are reared for the Jardin d’Acclimatation of Paris, of which it is a branch. These gardens form a most enjoyable and amusing retreat, are well sheltered, and plants, flowers, and milk are sold in them. Open to the public. [Headnote: COSTEBELLE.] From the railway station to the sea extends a tract called the Costebelle, about 2½ m. from N.E. to S.W., on the wooded slopes of the Montagnes des Oiseaux. The winter here is exceptionally mild, and some of the villas stand in little hollows clothed with pine and olive trees. Near the southern end of Costebelle, on Hermitage Hill, 320 ft. above the sea, is the chapel of Notre Dame d’Hyères, visited by pilgrims. From this hill are lovely views, not obstructed by trees. In the valley on the western side are old olive trees. [Headnote: CHÂTEAU.] THE CHÂTEAU OF HYÈRES. On the top of the hill on which the old town is built is the +Château of Hyères+, which should be visited as early as possible, for the sake of acquiring a topographical knowledge of the environs. Ascend by the Hôtel de Ville and the steep narrow streets beyond, keeping to the right, as the entrance into the castle-grounds is at the S.E. end of the wall. The castle, 657 ft. above the sea, is believed to have been founded in the 7th cent., although not mentioned till the 10th, when it is called _Castrum aræarum_ or _aræis_, “air-castle.” Considerable portions of the walls, and some of the towers and dungeons, still remain, the most perfect part being on the western side, above the Hôtel des Iles d’Or. The view from the ramparts is beautiful. Immediately beneath are the town and its dependencies, like a map in bold relief. Southwards, towards the sea, is the great plain, studded with farmhouses, cypresses, olive plantations, and vegetable gardens. Beyond is the roadstead, with generally one or more vessels of war moored off the village of Les Vieux Salins. Out at sea, to the east, are the islands of Levant, Port-Cros, and Bagaud, the smallest of the three. Farther west, towards the peninsula of Giens, is Porquerolles (p. 131), the largest of the islands. Giens is distinctly seen, with its two necks of land 3 m. long. On the land side from Giens the view is bounded to the west by the little hermitage hill bearing the chapel of N. D. d’Hyères, and the Oiseaux mountains, on whose sunny flanks is Costebelle. North from Oiseaux peak is Mt. Paradis, 982 ft., which looks as if the top had been shaved off. Northwards from Mt. Paradis, on the other side of the plain, are Mt. Coudon, 2305 ft. (see p. 125), and the eastern extremity of Mt. Faron, behind Toulon. Towards the east the view is bounded by the Maure mountains and the Pointe de la Galère, with Fort Brégançon. From this fort, northwards by the beach, are the châteaux of Brégançon and Léoubes. The highest peak of the Maures is 2556 ft. above the sea, crowned by the chapel of Notre Dame des Anges. (Refer to maps, pp. 123 and 129.) [Headnote: MONT FENOUILLET.] Behind Hyères Castle is the highest of the ridges in the Maurette group, the culminating point being Mt. Fenouillet, 981 ft., at the western extremity. The path to it, which skirts the whole ridge, commences at the back of the castle, just under the peak of La Potence, 633 ft., on which is a fragment of a tower. A gibbet for the execution of malefactors stood there, hence the name. The small hill above the east end of Hyères, and standing between the old and new cemeteries, is a favourite walk, and commands a good view. Before descending from the castle observe the road to Mt. Fenouillet. +Excursion to Mont Fenouillet.+--Behind the castle ramify three paths. The path to the right leads eastward along a lower ridge of the Maurettes by the Potence to Mt. Decugis, 585 ft. The path to the left, called the “Chemin St. Bernard,” leads down to the west end of Hyères, near the octroi office and the hospital. The centre path leads to Mt. Fenouillet through plantations of olives, cork oaks, and firs, and some fine brushwood, of which the most beautiful in winter is the _Arbutus unedo_, or strawberry tree. When less than half-way a road at Mt. Roustan, 608 ft., diverges N.E. by a ridge projecting into the valley of the Gapeau. Just under the peak of Fenouillet is a small chapel visited by pilgrims. From the summit, at the foot of the cross (3 Mai 1877), there is a superb and extensive view. Numerous paths lead from it down to the road between Hyères and Toulon. [Headnote: THE TROU DES FÉES.] +Excursion to the Montagnes des Oiseaux.+--The best way is to take the path commencing in the first valley N. of the Costebelle road, ascending by the N. shoulder. The whole way the path is good, only in some places it is nearly concealed by brushwood, especially by the _Quercus coccifera_. The trees on the summit, 982 ft., obstruct the view, but on the way up charming landscapes now and then unfold themselves of Hyères on one side and of Carqueyranne on the other. +The Trou des Fées.+--On the top of the hill (345 ft), opposite the E. side of the Oiseaux peak, is a cave called the Trou des Fées. The entrance is by a vertical cavity, resembling a well. The interior, covered with stalactites, is about 96 ft. long by 40 wide. To explore it lights are necessary. The hole is not very easy to find, though a path leads directly to it. It is situated under some fir trees. The road down by the eastern valley of the Montagnes des Oiseaux to the Costebelle road passes near one of the principal springs which supply the town. The other source is in the plain, on the road “du Père-Eternel,” nearly 2 m. S.E. from the town. It is pumped up by an engine of 26 horse-power. This water filters to this place from the Gapeau, 1 m. E., through the gravelly soil of the plain. To mention all the drives and walks would be both difficult and confusing. As all the roads and paths are free, the tourist may ramble in whatever direction he pleases, either through the orchards or up the lonely but beautifully-wooded valleys and mountains. The only sound heard is the occasional report of a gun, fired by the “chasseurs” at such game as blackbirds, thrushes, jays, bullfinches, and larks. In the swamps about Giens are occasionally snipes and wild ducks. The Maure mountains and their interminable valleys offer ample scope for the walking powers of the most indefatigable pedestrian. [Headnote: CORK-CUTTING.] The principal agricultural products of Hyères, as indeed of all the Riviera, are olives, wine, and cork. The olive-berry harvest commences in December. The small berries make the best oil. The trunk has a curious propensity to separate and form new limbs, which by degrees become covered with bark. If the sap be still in a semi-dormant state, and the weather dry, the trunk and branches can bear a cold of 12° Fahr., while the orange and lemon are killed by a cold of 22°. The cold of 1820 killed the orange trees about Hyères, and nearly all the trunks and branches of the olive trees, but not the roots; from each of which sprang, in the course of time, two or three saplings, now trees growing round one common centre. Next to the Aleppo, maritime and umbrella pines, the most numerous of the forest trees is the cork oak, or _Quercus suber_, generally accompanied with the diminutive member of the oak tribe, the _Quercus coccifera_. The bark forms an important article of commerce. When the stem of the young cork oak has become 4 inches in diameter, the bark is removed for the first time, but it is of no use. Ten or even fifteen years afterwards, when the bark is about an inch thick, the trunk is stripped again, by making two circular incisions 3 to 4 feet apart, and two vertical on opposite sides. This operation is repeated every tenth year in the month of June, when the sap is in full vigour. A cork tree does not produce fine-grained cork till it is fifty years old. Cork-cutting, which formed an important industry in the mountain villages, is gradually leaving them and settling in the towns on the railways, on account of the greater facility of transport. [Headnote: PROCESSIONAL CATERPILLAR. PIPES.] The curious caterpillar of the Moth, _Bombyx processionaria_, feeds on the leaves of the Aleppo and maritime pine trees. Their nests, made of a cobweb material, and shaped like a soda-water bottle, are firmly attached to the branches. On cutting them open the caterpillars are found coiled up in a ball, and do not endeavour to escape. They feed during the night. When they leave the nest they go in procession, following each other with great precision. On the summits of the Maures, and on all the mountains bordering the Riviera, grows the heath _Erica arborea_, from whose roots pipes are made. The digging up and the preparing of these roots for the Paris manufacturers form now an important industry in the mountain villages. In England they are called briar-root pipes, briar being a corruption of the French word _bruyère_, signifying heath. The “specialité” of Hyères is the rearing of early vegetables, fruits, and flowers, for the northern markets, especially roses, strawberries, peaches, apricots, artichokes, and peas. The broad flat alluvial plain between the town and the sea is admirably suited for this purpose. The gardens are easily irrigated, and besides, within a few feet of the surface, there is always abundance of water. [Headnote: BUTTERFLIES. CLIMATE OF HYÈRES.] “About Hyères are many rare butterflies. Among the best is the Nymphalis-Jasius, the only representative in Europe of the genus Charaxes. The first brood appears early in June, the second at the beginning of September. It is found all over the Riviera, but most abundantly at Hyères. The Vanessa Antiopa appears in July and September, many of the latter generation living through the winter. Thais Medesicaste, T. Hypsipyle, Anthocaris Eupheno (the Aurore de Provence), Polyommatus Ballus, and Rhodocera Cleopatra may be taken in April. A little later there is an abundance of the Podalirius (scarce Swallow Tail), the Machaon, the Thecla Betulæ, the Argynnis Pandora, the A. Niobe, the A. Dia, the A. Aglaia, the A. Valenzina, the Arge Psyche, the Satyrus Circe, the S. Briseis, the S. Hermione, the S. Fidia, the S. Phædra, the S. Cordula, the S. Actoæ, the S. Semele, and the S. Bathseba, all common more or less throughout the summer.” --_W. A. Powell of the English Pharmacy of Hyères._ +Climate.+--Hyères is especially fitted for old people and young children, and all those whose weakened constitutions require to be strengthened by a winter abroad. Indeed, all of limited means coming to the Riviera should try this place first, as it is the nearest, the cheapest, and the most rural. For such as require gaiety, Hyères is not suited. “The chief attractions of Hyères are its climate and the beauty of its environs, which render it an agreeable place, of winter abode, even for persons in health, who do not require the animated movement and recreative resources presented by large towns, and who are in tolerable walking condition; the walks and rides, both on the plain and through the cork-tree woods, by which the hills are for the most part covered, presenting considerable variety, while from the more elevated positions charming prospects may be enjoyed.” --_Dr. Edwin Lee._ The mean winter temperature is 47°.4 F., and the average annual rainfall is 26 inches. But on the Riviera, as in England, every winter varies in the rainfall and in the degree of cold; and therefore the chances are that the traveller’s experience will not agree with the carefully-compiled stereotyped meteorological tables. The climate of Hyères is less stimulating and exciting than at Cannes and Nice; and, “generally, it may be said to be fitted for children or young persons of a lymphatic temperament, or of a scrofulous diathesis, either predisposed to consumption, or suffering from the first stage of that disease.” [Headnote: GIENS. SALTWORKS. LE CHÂTEAU.] THE BRANCH-LINE BETWEEN HYÈRES AND LES SALINS. The railway from La Pauline and Hyères to Les Salins extends 11 m. south-east. The beautiful mountain standing in full majesty before La Pauline station is Mont Coudon (see p. 128, and map p. 129). 8¾ m. S. from La Pauline, and 2½ m. S. from Hyères, is the station for La Plage, consisting of some pretty villas built between the beach and a wood of umbrella pines. From the pier the _Zephyr_ sails every afternoon (excepting Sunday) to Porquerolles (p. 131). The beach adjoining the E. side is Le Ceinturon, where St. Louis landed in 1254. At La Plage station commences the larger of the two necks of land which connect the peninsula of Giens, 3¼ m. S., with the mainland. The large neck is traversed by a line of rails extending nearly to the Tour Fondue, whence a boat sails to Porquerolles, the town opposite (p. 131). The road along the neck, which at some parts is very hot and sandy, skirts large square basin-like marshes, where salt is made by the evaporation of the sea-water by the heat of the sun. At the south end of the marshes is the little village of the saltmakers. The salt is heaped up in pyramid-shaped piles, covered on the top with tiles, and on the sides with boards, which gives them the appearance of houses. Very fine views both of Giens and Hyères are obtained on the way to the saltworks. The easiest way to approach the narrow neck is by the Carqueyranne coach. It leads directly to the village of +Le Château+, with a neat church and the ruins of a castle. Many rare plants and immense quantities of uni- and bivalve shells are found at Giens, especially on the smaller of the two necks. From Le Château a road leads westward to the small fishing hamlet of La Madrague, passing on the left a huge block of quartz with layers of mica. From a little beyond La Madrague take the road leading up to a house with a pepper-box turret, whence the continuation leads up to the semaphore or signal-station, on the highest point of the isthmus, 407 ft. above the sea. The hills are well wooded, and the tiny valleys covered with orchards, vineyards, and fields. Many pleasant rambles can be had on the isthmus. After La Plage station the train, having passed the sea-bathing station of Capé (Gapeau) and crossed the river Gapeau, arrives at [Headnote: LES SALINS. POMPONIANA.] +Les Salins+, 18 m. from Toulon and 5 from Hyères by rail. The omnibus from Hyères to Salins stops at the small “Place” opposite the pier. Fare, ½ fr. It traverses a road bordered by mulberry trees, between vineyards and olive groves. Les Salins is a poor hamlet with a little harbour frequented by feluccas and the boats of the training ships anchored in the bay. Behind the hamlet are immense shallow reservoirs for the evaporation of sea-water principally in July and August. These reservoirs or Salins occupy above 1000 acres, and produce annually 20,000 tons of the value of £10,000. It is very coarse grained, but is much esteemed by the fish-curers. 60 workmen are employed permanently, but during the hot or busy season 300 (see map, p. 129). +Coach to Carqueyranne+, 6¼ m. W., by Costebelle and the coast. After having rounded the base of Hermitage Hill the coach arrives at the commencement of the small neck of land where passengers for the peninsula of Giens alight. Scarcely 200 yards beyond this are the almost buried ruins of the Roman naval station of Pomponiana, some fine olive trees, and several villas. A road from this leads to the Hermitage, passing an olive-oil mill. West from Pomponiana by the high road is Carqueyranne, a small straggling village, from which the little port is about ½ m. distant by nearly a straight road southwards. The Toulon omnibus from the Place d’Italie halts at the port, but passes through the village on its way to Toulon. The peak to the west of Carqueyranne is Mt. Negre, 985 ft., and to the east are the peaks Oiseaux, 982 ft., and Paradis, 980 ft. Mt. Paradis may be conveniently ascended from Carqueyranne, commencing from the valley between the two chains. In Carqueyranne are produced the earliest strawberries, peas, potatoes, and artichokes for the Paris market. It is 3½° warmer than Hyères. [Headnote: BORMES.] +Coach to Bormes+, 14½ m. E. from Hyères. The coach, after passing the ramification southwards to Les Salins, halts a few minutes at La Londe, 7¾ m. E., a little village with an inn, situated on both sides of the St. Tropez road. Shortly afterwards the Bormes and Lavandou road separates from the St. Tropez road, and extends S. through a wood of fir and cork trees. Bormes is picturesquely situated among a group of hills to the east of that long ridge which terminates with Cape Benat and the Fort Brégançon. In the Place de la République or St. François is the inn, commanding a good view from the back windows. At the east end of the inn is the old churchyard, and a little beyond the new cemetery on the road to Collobrières, 14 m. N. On the other side of the “Place” is the parish church, from which a path leads up to the ruins of the castle, 12th cent., built by the Seigneurs of Bormes. Latterly it was occupied by monks. From the castle a path, passing six small chapels, ascends to the church of Notre Dame, commanding, especially from the portico, a pretty view of the plains, sea, and mountains, as far as Toulon. Bormes suffers from want of water. Less than an hour’s easy walking from Bormes is Lavandou, a prosperous fishing village on the coast road from Brégançon to St. Tropez. Savoury “langousts” or rock-lobsters are caught in the bay (see map, p. 123). {49}{106} +LA PAULINE+, a few houses with a new church, near the foot of Mont Coudon. Junction with line to Hyères, 6½ m. E. Passengers who have missed the train for Hyères should await the omnibus at the little café below. From La Pauline the train arrives at +Solliès-Pont+, pop. 3000; _Inns:_ Victoria; Commerce; on the Gapeau. Four hundred feet higher, on a steep hill, is the partially-walled and half-deserted Solliès-Ville, almost of the same colour as the cliffs it stands on. Then Cuers, on the side of the hill. _Inn:_ Poste. From the station the courrier leaves for +Collobrières+ (see p. 130). [Headnote: CARNOULES.] miles from MARSEILLES miles to MENTON {63½}{91½} +CARNOULES.+ _Inn:_ H. de la Gare. Junction with line to Gardanne, 52 m. N.W., on the line between Marseilles and Aix. [Headnote: GARDANNE. BARJOLS.] +Gardanne to Carnoules.+ Gardanne, pop. 3100. H. Truc, with large coalfields, 11 m. N. from Marseilles and 7 m. S. from Aix (see p. 77). On this line, 16 m. N.W. from Carnoules and 36 m. E. from Gardanne, is Brignoles, pop. 6000, on the Carami. _Inns:_ Poste; Cloche d’Argent; Provence. This rather dirty town, situated in the midst of plantations of plum and mulberry trees, has long been famous for its dried plums. When ripe, they are first carefully peeled and the stone taken out, then dried and gently pressed. They are put up in small flat circular boxes. The church, 13th cent., is in the highest part of the town. St. Louis of Anjou, Bishop of Toulouse, was born in the palace of the Counts of Provence, now the Sous Préfecture, situated a little higher up the street than the church. In the sacristy are preserved several of his sacerdotal vestments. Diligence daily to +Barjols+, 16½ m. N., pop. 3000; H. Pont d’Or; situated at the confluence of the Fouvery and the Crevisses (p. 167). Diligence also to Toulon by Meounes (see p. 129). [Headnote: ST. MAXIMIN.] On this branch line, 12 m. W. from Brignoles, is +St. Maximin+, 1043 ft. above the sea, pop. 3400. _Inns:_ H. du Var; France. The church of this ancient town was commenced by Charles II. of Sicily towards the end of the 13th cent, over the underground chapel of St. Maximin, 1st cent. It has no transept. The nave is 239½ ft. long and 91½ ft. high, and the aisles on each side 211 ft. long and 58 ft. high. The width of the church is 127½ feet. The exterior is ugly and unfinished. The interior of the roof rests on triple vaulting shafts rising from 10 piers on each side of the nave. Above the western entrance is a large and fine-toned organ, which was saved from destruction by the organist Fourcade playing upon it the Marseillaise. The case, the pulpit, and the lovely screen of the sanctuary are of walnut wood from the forest of Ste. Baume. Few parts of any church present such an admirable combination of beauty, elegance, and symmetry as this sanctuary, by a Flemish monk, Frère Louis, in 1692. Round the screen are 20 sculptured panels, each bearing within a wreath a representation in relief of one of the incidents in the life of some celebrated member of the order of St. Dominic. Under them are 92 stalls in 4 rows; at one end is the rood-loft, and at the other the high altar against the apsidal wall. The entrance is by one door on each side, adorned with chaste sculpture and spiral colonnettes. To the left, or N. of the altar, is a relief by Puget (?) in marble, representing the Ascension of Mary Magdalene, and on the other side, in terra-cotta, Mary receiving the Communion from St. Maximin down in the crypt where she died. The reredos of the altar at the east end of the N. aisle consists of a painting on wood by an Italian artist in 1520. In the centre is a large Crucifixion, and on each side 8 paintings on panels representing the Passion. Below, on the table of the altar, is an Entombment. In the second chapel from this is another reredos in the same style, representing St. Laurent, St. Anthony, St. Sebastian, and St. Aquinius. Here, in a small window-like recess, is a very ancient iron Crucifixion. From the chapel behind the pulpit is the entrance into the cloister and convent, 13th and 14th cents. The sculpture above the sound-board of the pulpit is of one piece, and represents the Ascension of Mary Magdalene. The undulating fluting on the panels and the sculpture on the railing are very graceful. Behind is the stair down to the crypt in which Mary Magdalene died after having swallowed a consecrated wafer given her by St. Maximin. Her body was afterwards put into the elaborately-carved alabaster sarcophagus on the left side of the altar. The marble sarcophagus next it contained some bones of the Innocents Mary is said to have brought with her from Palestine. Opposite Mary’s is the marble sarcophagus of St. Maximin, 1st cent., and then follow the sarcophagi, also in sculptured marble, of St. Marcella (Mary’s maid) and St. Sidonius, 2d cent. They are all empty, having been rifled at the Revolution of 1793. In the shrine on the altar is the skull of Mary Magdalene, and in a sort of bottle the greater part of one of her armbones. (See also under Six Fours, p. 123.) [Headnote: MONT BRETAGNE. TRETS.] The cave of Ste. Baume, in which Mary Magdalene is said to have lived 34 years, is situated among the picturesque mountains, partly in the Var, and partly in the Bouches du Rhône, of which the culminating point is Mont Bretagne, 3498 ft. To go to it, coach to La Poussiere, 5½ m. S.W., then ascend to the cave by Nans, 5 hrs. distant. Frequented by pilgrims. From the chapel St. Pilon, 3285 ft. above the cave, glorious view. (See map, p. 123.) 12 m. W. from St. Maximin and 12 E. from Gardanne is Trets, pop. 2200; _Inn:_ France; a dirty town surrounded by its old walls garnished with square towers. In the neighbourhood are coalpits, but they are small and unimportant. {75¼}{79¾} +LE LUC+ station, 1½ m. from the town, pop. 3900. _Inns:_ Poste; Rousse. Coach daily from the station by a beautiful road across the Maure mountains to St. Tropez, 26 m. S.E., by La Garde Fraisenet and Cogolin. Fare, 5 frs. Time, 4 to 5 hours. The coach, shortly after leaving the station, begins the ascent of the Maures, amidst vines, olives, chestnuts, and firs. On the top of the pass, 1495 ft. above the sea and 12 m. from Luc, is the village of La Garde Fraisenet, pop. 750, where the horses are changed. This was the site of the Grand-Fraxinet, one of the strongholds of the Saracens. 17 m. from Luc and 5 from La Garde is, on an eminence, Grimaud, pop. 1400, an interesting village with arcaded streets. In the principal square is a deep well hewn in the rock. The massive walls of the church are built of large blocks of granite. On the top of the hill is the castle built by Jean Cosse in the 15th cent., and occupied till the middle of the 18th. 19 m. from Luc, 7 from St. Tropez, and 25½ E. from Hyères, is Cogolin, pop. 1000; _Inn:_ Piffard; situated on an eminence. On the top of the hill the Saracens had a castle, from which they were driven (p. 187), and all the fortifications destroyed excepting one tower, now the town clock tower. By the roadside, about half-way between Cogolin and St. Tropez, is a very large fir tree. 32 m. N.E. from Hyères and 26 m. S.E. from Luc station is +St. Tropez+, pop. 3300, _Inn:_ Grand Hotel, a house with large rooms, at the head of the port on the quay, commanding an excellent view of the bay. The town, as usual, consists of dirty narrow streets. The church is in the style found in the valley of the Rhône and along the east coast of the Mediterranean. Nave surrounded by arches on high piers or tall slight columns, such as at Tournon and Hyères. Small chancel and no apsidal chapels, but generally an altar on the right and left of the high altar, one of the two usually being to “Maria sine labe concepta.” Behind the church, on a hill, is the citadel; and at the foot of the hill, close to the sea, the cemetery. At the head of the harbour, opposite the Grand Hotel, is a statue of Pierre André de Suffren, one of the greatest admirals France ever had. He was born at St. Cannat, in Provence, 13th July 1726, and died at Paris 8th December 1788. The promenade has seven rows of large Oriental plane trees. The sea-urchins of St. Tropez are very good. The drive by diligence from Luc to St. Tropez is more beautiful than from Hyères to St. Tropez. Coach daily to Hyères, 32½ m. W. [Headnote: DRAGUIGNAN. LORGUES.] {84½}{70½} +LES ARCS+, pop. 1200, H. de France. Branch line 8 m. N. to +Draguignan+ on the Nartubie, pop. 10,000. _Hotels:_ *Bertin; Poste; France; Var. From the side of the H. Bertin diligences start for Salernes, pop. 2250, on the Bresque. _Inn:_ H. Bernard; 13½ m N.W. from Draguignan (see map, p. 123). From Salernes the coach proceeds to Aups, pop. 2350, on the Grave, 1657 ft. above the sea, and 7½ m. N. from Salernes. _Inn:_ Gontard, with good beer. From Aups diligence to Manosque by Riez (see p. 166). Also diligence to Brignoles by Barjols (see p. 143). From Draguignan diligence 3 times in the week to Fayence, pop. 1000, situated half-way to Grasse. Diligence also to Lorgues, pop. 3000; _Inn:_ Bonne Foy; 6 m. W. Draguignan is situated on the south side of the Malmont mountains, which attain an elevation of 1995 ft. In the old town is the clock-tower, 58 ft. high, commanding an extensive view of the plain and of the surrounding mountains. In the new town the streets are broad and intersected by avenues and a beautiful promenade containing thirteen rows of lofty Oriental plane trees, about twenty in each row. The Jardin des Plantes is small. In the Place aux Herbes is one of the ancient gateways. Preserved fruits, oil, raw silk, and leather are the principal products, ¾ m. from Draguignan, by the road to Comps, is a large dolmen composed of one flat stone resting on four similar stones. The top slab is 16 ft. long by 12½ wide and 1½ thick. The others are each 7 ft. high, excepting one, which is broken. Indications of markings may be traced. Growing around this interesting Celtic monument are an oak, a splendid specimen of a “micocoulier” (_Celtis australis_), and a juniper, 20 ft. high, of a very great age. The way to it is from the H. Bertin, ascend the street, and take the first road left. When within a few yards of the kilomètre stone, indicating 1 kil. from Draguignan and 30 from Comps, take the private road to the left, leading into an olive tree plantation (see map, p. 123). [Headnote: FREJUS. COLOSSEUM.] {98}{57} +FREJUS+, pop. 3400, H. Midi close to station. Situated on the Reyran at the S.W. extremity of the Estérel mountains, a picturesque group 13 m. from N. to S. and 10 from E. to W., traversed by the “Route de Paris en Italie,” which, from Frejus to Cannes, 22½ m. E., passes by their highest peak, Mont Vinaigre, 2020 ft. above the sea. The peculiar charm of the Estérels is due to the warm reddish hue and fantastic forms of the bare porphyry cliffs rising vertically from the midst of the sombre green pines which clothe these mountains. To the west of the station are the remains of the city walls, the Porte de Gaules, and the Colosseum, or Arènes, of which the greatest diameter was 224 ft., with accommodation for upwards of 9000 spectators. On the eastern side of the station are the Porte Dorée and the terrace called the Butte St. Antoine. East of the Butte stood a Roman lighthouse. At this part are remains of Roman towers and walls. The masonry throughout is admirable, composed of stones of the size of large bricks. The Porte Dorée has alternate layers of stone and brick. Having visited the ruins by the side of the railway, pass up by the church, and leave the town by a road having on the left hand a large building--the seminary. Having walked a few paces, there will be seen to the left rather an ugly square tower, which marks the site of the theatre. The lofty ruins of arches in this neighbourhood are the remains of the Roman aqueduct which brought water to Frejus from the Siagnole, near Mons, 24 m. N.E., and contained 87 arches. To the right of the road is a terrace supported by (once) powerful masonry. Below is the old Chapelle St. Roch. In the higher part of the town is the parish church, which, with the adjoining “éveché,” belongs to the 12th cent. To the left on entering is the baptistery. In the Rue Éveché is a house with a sculptured doorway and well-executed caryatides. From Frejus commence the pleasant views and glimpses of the Mediterranean, which continue all the way to Genoa. The Phœnician merchants of Massilia (Marseilles) founded the cities of Forum Julii or Frejus, Antipolis or Antibes, Nicæa or Nice, and Agatha or Agde. Agricola, the father-in-law of Tacitus, was born at Frejus. [Map: The Estérel Mountains with Frejus and St. Raphaël to Cannes] [Headnote: SAINT RAPHAEL.] {100½}{54½} +SAINT RAPHAEL+, a rapidly-increasing place of 3000 inhabitants. In winter its guests come from the colder regions in quest of warmth, and in summer from the hot interior in quest of the cooling breezes and the still more refreshing sea-bathing. _Hotels:_ close to the station, the France, 8 to 9 frs. More expensive houses: G. H. de St. Raphael, on an eminence, with garden; near the beach, the *G. H. des Bains, 9 to 13 frs.; and Beau Rivage. Among the numerous handsome villas is the cottage built by Alphonse Karr. Temple Protestant, Anglican Chapel. Little steamer daily to St. Tropez; whence diligence to Hyères (p. 134). Omnibus runs between St. Raphael and Valescure, 2 m. inland, with G. H. de Valescure. St. Raphael, only 43 minutes from Cannes, makes a salubrious and agreeable residence, with pleasant walks, either by the beach or up the valley of the Garonne into the Estérel mountains, where the rambles are endless. At the E. end of St. Raphael is a very pleasant park, rising from the rocks on the coast. A little farther towards Cannes is the Boulerie, with a large hotel. Napoleon landed at St. Raphael on his return from Egypt in 1799, and here he embarked when he sailed for Elba. Along this part of the coast are fine specimens of the _Pinus pinea_. [Headnote: AGAY. SAINTE BAUME.] {105}{50} +AGAY+, a small custom-house station, with a few houses at the head of a small but deep bay, into which flows the stream Grenouiller. On the top of the conical hill, on the S.W. side of the station, is the +Tour de Darmont+, a signal-tower. The great excursion from Agay is to La Sainte Baume, 4½ m. distant, and a little to the N. of the peak of Cape Roux, 1444 ft. above the sea. From the station take the path eastward to the old château, which leave on the right hand, and pass under the railway to an abandoned farmhouse. There a good path begins and winds upwards to the summit of a small hill. From there descend boldly into the valley in an eastwardly direction towards the rugged red summit of Cape Roux till a stream is reached. Leaving the stream, a pathway will be seen going upwards to Cape Roux. Follow that till a high ridge is reached, close to the summit, where is a splendid view to the east and west and north-west; then take to the left, and in a few hundred yards a platform, with a spout of running water and a couple of abandoned buildings, is reached. Distance about 3½ miles. About 260 ft. above this, in the face of the rock, is La Sainte Baume, the holy cave of St. Honorat, in which this saint is said to have lived a hermit’s life for some years. The best way back to Agay is by the wide path seen from the hermitage leading westward to the river in the valley. On the way remark, on the left hand, a truncated stone pillar, a Roman milestone, with an inscription. Some archæologists base upon the existence of this stone their assertion that the Via Aurelia passed this way. At the bottom of the valley cross the Grenouiller, and join the road to Agay. [Headnote: LE TRAYAS.] After Agay the railway sweeps round by the base of Cape Roux, where a magnificent panoramic view displays itself, just before arriving at +Le Trayas+, the next and last station before reaching Cannes, 11 m. E. from St. Raphael, 6¼ m. E. from Agay, and 8¾ m. W. from Cannes. From Trayas also a road leads to the chapel of Ste. Baume, which is considered nearer though not so good as the road from Agay. At Trayas the train passes from the department of Le Var to the department of the Alpes Maritimes, then traverses the Saoumes tunnel, 886 yards, and having passed the pretty villages of Theoule and La Napoule, enters the beautifully-situated town of Cannes. [Map: Cannes] [Headnote: HOTELS AND PENSIONS.] CANNES, on the Gulf of Napoule, 120½ m. E. from Marseilles, 79 m. N.E. from Toulon, 78¼ m. N.E. from Hyères, and 19¼ m. S.W. from Nice. Fixed population, 19,400. +Hotels and Pensions.+--Although there are already very many hotels, their number continues to increase. Of villas there are about 450, which, with the exception of some 110 belonging to resident French and English proprietors, are let by the season, from the 1st of October to the last of May, at rents varying from £80 to £1200, including plate and linen. Many have coachhouse, stables, and gardens attached. For information regarding them apply to Taylor and Riddett, agents, bankers, and moneychangers, 43 Rue de Frejus. They have also a well-supplied readingroom, which they place at the disposal of the public without any charge. The first-class hotels charge from 10 to 25 frs. per day; the second from 8 to 12, including everything. A fair gratuity for service during a prolonged stay is from 50 c. to 75 c. per day. Those requiring to study economy will find the most reasonable hotels and pensions at the east end of the town. The Pension Mon Plaisir, 8 frs., in garden, Boulevard d’Alsace, near railway station. In the Boulevard Cannet, Pension d’Angleterre, 9 to 10 frs., in garden. Farther up the same Boulevard the Pension St. Nicolas, 8 frs. Near Trinity Church, the *Pension Victoria, 8 to 11 frs., with very large garden fronting the promenade. Cab, with one horse and seated for two, from the station to the hotels, 1½ fr.; each portmanteau, ½ fr. The atmosphere on the hills, and at some little distance from the sea, is supposed to be in a less electrical condition, and not so liable to produce wakefulness, as in those places near the beach, and therefore many prefer the hotels and pensions situated inland. _Hotels:_ fronting station, the Négociants; the [1]*Univers, 7½ to 9 frs. In the Allées, on the beach, the Hôtel Splendide, 12 to 20 frs. At E. end of R. d’Antibes, the Pensions Luxembourg; Wagram, 8 to 11 frs.; and the H. Russie, 9 to 12 frs. [Footnote 1: The asterisk, here as elsewhere, prefixed to the name of hotel indicates that it is one of the best of its class.] _Hotels to the east of the Allées_, fronting the beach, taking them in the order from west to east:--The National, 9 to 15 frs.; Midi, 8 to 12 frs.; *Beau-Rivage; *Gray and Albion; *Grand Hotel; Plage; the last four are first-class houses, charging from 10 to 20 frs. The H. Suisse; Augusta; Anne Therese; *Victoria, in large garden, 8 to 12 frs. Behind the Grand Hotel is the Theatre. Behind the H. Midi, in the R. Bossu, No. 8, the Post and Telegraph Offices. On the north side of the railway, but a little higher, are the Louvre; H. Central; Alsace-Lorraine, all 10 to 20 frs. St. Victor; La Paix. A little way hack are the Pension d’Angleterre; H. de France; H. Méditerranée, 9 to 13 frs. Farther east, and approaching the region of Californie, are Hotels Windsor; Mont-Fleuri; *Beau-Séjour; St. Charles; Des Anges; *Californie; Des Pins, 10 to 25 frs. On the hill overlooking the H. de Californie is the Villa Nevada, where the Duke of Albany died on Friday morning, 28th March 1884. In the interior, on eminences on the west side of the Boulevard Cannet, are the *Prince of Wales; *Provence; Des *Anglais; *Richemont; all with gardens, and charging from 12 to 25 frs. per day. At the foot of this hill, on the Boulevard Cannet, is the Pension Lerins, a plain but comfortable house, charging 7 to 8 frs. A little higher up this Boulevard is the English church of St. Paul; whence a road ascends to the Hôtel *Paradis, which, although a first-class house, on an eminence in a garden, charges only from 10 to 15 frs. Next it is the Hôtel de Hollande, similarly situated. Also well inland, on the Nouveau Chemin de Vallergues, is the H. *Beau-Lieu, 10 to 20 frs. On the west side of Cannes, near the agency of Taylor and Riddett, is the *Hôtel des Princes, 10 to 20 frs. On the hill above this part is the H. Continental, 10 to 20 frs. Between the Scotch church and the beach, and fronting the public garden, is the H. *Square Brougham, 8 to 10 frs., well situated. Beyond, between the railway and the beach, is the H. Pavilion, 12 to 25 frs. A little beyond is Christ Church, and on an eminence opposite the H. *Terrasse, 12 to 16 frs., a large house with garden. Farther west, and considerably inland, upon separate eminences, are two handsome hotels, the *Belle-Vue, behind the Rothschild villa; and the *Beau-Site, 12 to 25 frs., behind Lord Brougham’s villa. Farther west, and on the same level, is the H. Estérel, same price. On a hill, a little beyond the perfume distillery of M. Lubin, is the Pension de la Tour, well situated, and not expensive. The western suburb of Cannes is called La Bocca, and sometimes La Verrerie, from the bottle-works there. From this a road runs up the broad valley of the Siagne, where there are fields of the fragrant red Turkey rose, gathered in May for the perfumeries (see page 161). [Headnote: CHURCHES. CAB FARES. STEAMERS.] _Churches._--Christ Church, Rue de Frejus; St. Paul’s, Boulevard du Cannet; Trinity Church, a little to the east of the Cercle Nautique. Scotch Church, Rue de Frejus. Near the Church of St. Paul is the Invalid Ladies’ Home. French Churches, on the Route de Grasse, and in the Rue Notre Dame. German Church, Boulevard Cannet. Bank and money-changer opposite post office. In the neighbourhood the office of Cook & Son, where their railway and hotel tickets are sold. _Cab Fares._--One horse with 2 seats, the course 1½ fr.; the hour, 2½ frs. Two horses with 4 seats, the course 2 frs.; the hour, 3½ frs. Portmanteaus, ½ fr. each. _Steamers_ from No. 20 Quai St. Pierre for Marseilles and Cette. Twice daily for the islands of St. Marguerite and St. Honorat, 1 and 2 frs. there and back. On Thursdays and Saturdays trips to Theoule, 2 frs. [Headnote: LORD BROUGHAM.] Cannes extends 4½ m. from east to west, partly on the Gulf of Jouan, and partly on the Gulf of Napoule, covering likewise with its houses and gardens Cape Croisette, which separates these two gulfs. Landwards it extends nearly the same distance, where large hotels crown the hills, and pretty villas with gardens occupy the valleys. The principal square, called the Allés de la Liberté, is nearly in the centre of the town, at the head of the Gulf of Napoule, and is about 700 yards long by 110 wide. It contains the Hôtel de Ville and the H. Splendide. Between them is a marble statue, life-size, “A Lord Brougham, né à Edinburgh, le 19 Septembre 1778. Décédé à Cannes le 7 Mai 1868.” He is in his official robes. In his left hand, resting on the top of a palm, he holds a rose. The Hôtel de Ville contains the Public Library and interesting collections illustrating the natural history of the neighbourhood. The obliging director gives every assistance in naming the plants, insects, and minerals. At the head of the Allées, and on the adjoining eminence, is the old or original town. On this hill is the Church of Notre-Dame-d’Espérance, 17th cent., with a reliquary of the 15th. In front is a rudely-constructed wall with embrasures. Above it are St. Anne, 13th cent., the old chapel of the castle, and the square tower commenced in 1080 by the Abbot Adalbert II., of the monastery of St. Honorat. From the top is an extensive view. Near the foot of the tower is a small observatory. On a much higher hill behind is the new cemetery, where Lord Brougham was buried on the 24th of May 1868. The monument consists of a massive lofty cross on a double basement, bearing the following inscription:-- “HENRICVS BROVGHAM. Natus MDCCLXXVIII. Decessit MDCCCLXVIII.” Near him lies James, fourth Duke of Montrose, K.T., died December 1874. _The climate_, though dry and sunny, is at times precarious. In nooks sheltered by hills from the wind the heat is often oppressive, but on leaving their protection a chilling current of air is experienced. The mean winter temperature is 47° Fahr. The average number of rainy days in the year is 52, and the annual rainfall 25 inches, the same as at Nice. “The electrical condition of the climate of Cannes, as well as its equable warmth and dryness, together with the stimulating properties of the atmosphere, indicate its fitness for scrofulous and lymphatic temperaments.” --Madden’s _Resorts_. “While Cannes, therefore, possesses a winter climate well suited for children, elderly people, and many classes of invalids, especially those who require a stimulating atmosphere, it is not so well adapted for the majority of those suffering from affections of the respiratory organs.” --_Dr. Hassall._ [Headnote: DRIVES.] _Drives._--In Cannes there are great facilities for driving in carriages, light open cabs, and omnibuses. The omnibuses start for their destinations either from the east corner of the Cours (Allées de la Liberté), or from the Rue d’Antibes, near the Cours. The largest livery stables are in the Rue d’Antibes. They charge for a carriage, with coachman and two horses, per month £30. The cabmen carry their tariffs with them, and are bound to show them when required. Copies of the “Tarif des Voitures” are kept for distribution in the Kiosque on the Cours. The recognised gratuity given to coachmen is at the rate of 3 frs. for a 25 frs. fare. [Headnote: ROAD TO VALLAURIS.] THE CORNICHE OF CANNES. The best of the drives is to +Vallauris+ by the low road to the Golfe de Jouan, 4 m. N.E., then up the valley to Vallauris, 2 m. N., and 250 ft. above the sea. From Vallauris return to Cannes, 5½ m. S.W. by the Corniche road and La Californie. Carriage and pair, 25 frs. Cab with one horse, 14 frs.; with two, 18 frs. Omnibus to Vallauris, 1 fr. By taking the omnibus to Vallauris the remainder makes a delightful and easy walk along the Corniche road. Cross the Vallauris bridge a little below Massier’s pottery, and ascend the broad road. About ½ m. from the bridge is the “Observatoire de la Corniche,” where tea and coffee can be had, and whence there is a charming view east from Cannes to Bordighera. About half-way between this and the observatory at the Cannes or S.W. end of the road is the large hotel Cannes-Eden. The Belvédère, at the Cannes end of the road, in La Californie, is 545 ft. above the sea, and can be approached by omnibus from the Cours, 1 fr. each. Behind it is the terminus of the branch of the canal which supplies the east part of Cannes. The terminus of the other branch, by which the west of Cannes is supplied, is just above the Belle-Vue hotel on the road up to the Croix des Gardes. The canal commences near the source of the Siagne, a few miles from St. Cesaire. From the Belvédère an excellent carriage-road ascends to a still higher summit, 795 ft. above the sea, or 250 ft. above the Belvédère. The view is similar, including more of the interior. A short distance N.E. from this is another summit, 804 ft. above the sea, which from the top looks as if it were nearly over Antibes. Many prefer to commence this drive by Californie, and to return from Vallauris by the Golfe de Jouan and the low road. Opposite the Golfe de Jouan station is C. Massier’s pottery, and a few yards along the road towards Antibes is Napoleon’s column (p. 169). [Headnote: VALLAURIS. POTTERY. MINES.] +Vallauris+, pop. 4000, is a poor village, with small cafés and restaurants. The omnibus stops in the “Place” opposite the church and the Hôtel de Ville, containing a large flat stone bearing an inscription, stating that “the Emperor Tiberius remade the road it refers to in the 32d year of his tribunician authority.” Also a column, 4 ft. high and 14 inches in diameter, bearing an inscription to Constantine. Vallauris has long been famous for the manufacture of kitchen pottery, “Potteries Réfractaires,” earthenware utensils, principally of the “marmite” or stewpan class, capable of bearing great heat without cracking. A dozen marmites, in assorted sizes, are sold for 2 frs. To this the Massiers and others have added the manufacture of artistic pottery, of which there is a good display, both in the showrooms in the village and in those down at the Golfe de Jouan. Several of the clay-beds may be seen by the side of the road leading up northwards from Vallauris; but the best and richest strata, all of the Pleiocene period, are in that valley near the spot where this road meets the road to Antibes. About 220 yards beyond this meeting-place a cut-up road ramifies, left, into the valley containing the clay-mines. The entrances into them are covered with roofing. Any one may descend into them. The colours of the clay are blue, red, black, and gray, all in various shades. The most valuable is the blue. Most of the common articles are made of a mixture of all the clays. Red clay from Estaque, near Marseilles, is also used in the making of artistic pottery. +Vallauris to Antibes.+ The road leading northward from Vallauris and afterwards S.E. to Antibes traverses beautiful hills and valleys covered with Aleppo pines. Having passed the junction and the valley of the mines, we come to a firebrick and marmite manufactory, 410 ft. above the sea. The road behind, extending N.W., ascends to Castelaras. Afterwards a bridge is passed, and some arches of the aqueduct built by the Romans to convey water to Antibes. (For Antibes, see pp. 154 and 169.) CANNET. Two miles N. from Cannes, by the beautiful Boulevard Foncière, is +Cannet+, 265 ft., pop. 2600. At the head of the Boulevard is the H. *Bretagne, 10 to 20 frs. A little to the east of the church Ste. Philomène is a smaller house, the H. and Pension Cannet, 8 to 10 frs. Immediately opposite the church is the Villa Sardou, where in 1858 the accomplished tragedian Rachel died of consumption. At that time none of those broad roads existed which now encircle the house. Above the church is the “Place,” commanding a very pretty view. Omnibus, 6 sous. Cab to Cannet, and return by the Grasse road, 7 or 9 frs. [Headnote: LA CROISETTE.] Drive to +La Croisette+, the first cape east from Cannes, by the beautiful road 2 m. long, skirting the sea. Cab, 1 horse and 2 seats, 1½ fr., or 2½ frs. the hour. 2 horses with 4 seats, 2 frs. Tram, 6 sous. Omnibus 6 times daily, fare 30 c. This is a most enjoyable walk or drive by the beautiful esplanade fronting the sea. Near to La Croisette is the entrance to the orange orchard “Des Hesperides,” occupying 4 acres. The trees stand in rows 12 ft. apart, and were planted in 1852, when they were from 5 to 8 years old. In gardens in the country the oranges cost about a sou each, but in the Hesperides they are dearer. The best are those the second year on the tree. Frosts retard the sweetening process, and in some years damage the trees. In the village of La Croisette there is a place for pigeon-shooting, and also the remains of fortifications begun by Richelieu, but never completed. _Cannes to the Cap d’Antibes_, 7 m. E. Cab with 1 horse and 2 seats, 18 frs. With 2 horses and 4 seats, 22 frs. Private carriage, 30 frs. Omnibus between Cannes and Antibes 3 times daily. In Cannes it starts from the Allées de la Liberté, and in Antibes from the “Place,” fare 1 fr. Very near this “Place” are two comfortable inns, the H. Escouffier and the H. des Aigles d’Or; pension 7 to 8 frs. Their omnibuses await passengers at the railway station. Antibes has a little harbour and pier, and strong fortifications by Vauban, who also built the fortress Fort Carré, near the northern side of the entrance. From the N. ramparts, but more especially from the high walk above the pier on the roofs of some small houses, are seen distinctly Nice, the fishing village Cros de Cagne, and Cagne. Inland from Cagne are St. Jeannet, La Goude, Vence, and St. Paul, and, farther west, Le Bar. In the background are the Maritime Alps, generally tipped with snow in winter. In the centre of the town are two ancient towers. One of them stands in front of the church, and is used as the belfry; the other forms part of an adjoining building, the “Bureau du Recrutement.” [Map: Cannes & Environs] [Headnote: CAP D’ANTIBES. LIGHTHOUSE.] The +Cap d’Antibes+ affords a delightful little walking excursion. To visit the “Cap” from Antibes, leave the town by the small gate, the Porte Fausse, between the sea and the Porte de France, and then take the first road left by the side of the sea and the telegraph-posts. Ascend the hill, to the church, by the terraced steps of a “Via Crucis,” bordered with the usual 14 chapels, each with a group representing some part of the passion of our Lord. At the top is N. D. d’Antibes, frequented by pilgrims. The north aisle, which is the oldest part of the building, is of the 9th cent. Behind it is the lighthouse built in 1836, on a hill 187 ft. above the sea. The building is 82 ft. higher, and ascended by 115 steps. On the top is a fixed white light, visible at a distance of 28 miles. Fee for one person, ½ fr. The view is splendid. Before descending, observe the road to the Villa Thuret and to the Hôtel du Cap, a first-class house, 10 to 14 frs. Omnibus at station. The villa and grounds of Thuret are now a Government school for the culture and study of semi-tropical trees and shrubs. It is said that the first gum trees introduced into France were planted in 1853, and those in this garden in 1859. (For Antibes, see also p. 169.) The great tower on a rock to the W., overlooking the sea, is a powder-magazine. [Headnote: CROIX DES GARDES. THEOULE.] +Drives to the west of the Hôtel de Ville.+--_La Croix des Gardes_, 2½ m. N.W., and 498 ft. above the sea. The nearest way ramifies from the Frejus road by the E. side of the Belle-Vue hotel. The cross rises from a column on a block of granite. The view is extensive. By the side of the road will be observed considerable plantations of the _Acacia farnesiana_, from whose flowers a pleasant perfume is distilled. _Cannes to Napoule_, 6 m. W, Cab with 1 horse and 2 seats, 12 frs.; with 2 horses and 4 seats, 16 frs. 1 hour’s rest allowed. By omnibus, 30 c., leaving Cannes at 1 for the Bocca. At the Bocca it corresponds with the omnibus to Napoule, 50 c.; which, as it does not return till 4.30, affords ample time to walk on to +Theoule+ and back, 2 m. W. The Napoule road commences from the western, or what is also called the English, portion of Cannes. It passes the little Scotch church, behind which are the Square Brougham and the public gardens. Farther W. is Christ Church, one of the three Episcopal Chapels. A short distance beyond, on the right side of the road, is the villa Eléonore-Louise, where Lord Brougham died. The house is hidden among the trees, but the garden is easily recognised by 2 large cypress trees growing by the side of the rail. Three m. from Cannes, on an eminence covered with pines, oaks, and cypresses, on the S. side of the road, is the poor little chapel of St. Cassien, the patron saint of Cannes, whose day is held on the 23d of July, in much the same manner as the Pardons in Brittany, called here Roumeiragi. Napoule is a small hamlet by the side of an old castle on the beach, at the foot of wooded hills. From it a very pretty road by the coast, cut in the face of the cliffs, leads to the hamlet of Theoule, on a tiny plateau over the beach, at the foot of the Estérel mountains. The restaurant of Theoule is better than that at Napoule. Between these two hamlets, and spanned by the railway viaduct, a narrow precipitous valley penetrates into the mountains. From Theoule a road extends to Trayas. [Headnote: ESTÉREL. PÉGOMAS.] _Cannes to the Inn of Estérel_, 12 m. S.W. and 830 ft. above the sea. Carriage there and back, 35 frs. Cab with one horse and two seats, 18 frs.; with two horses and four seats, 22 frs. After passing the Bocca and St. Cassien, the carriage crosses the Siagne, having on the right or north Mandelieu nestling in the sun, at the foot Mt. le Duc, 1265 ft., a little to the east of the flat peak La Gaëte, 1663 ft. Afterwards the Riou is crossed at the village of Le Tremblant, 167 ft. above the sea, whence the ascent is continued by an excellent road amidst picturesque scenery to the Inn and Gendarmerie of Estérel. The inn is situated to the N. of Mt. Vinaigre, having to the east the Plan Pinet, 876 ft. above the inn, and to the west Mt. Vinaigre, 1193 ft. above the inn. The path to the summit of Mt. Vinaigre commences near the inn. The culminating part, 1030 ft., of the carriage-road is about 1¼ m. west from the inn at a place where four roads meet, almost immediately below Mt. Vinaigre, which is ascended from this point also. 7 m. N. from Cannes by the Plaine de Laval and the wide valley of the Siagne, passing the Hôtel Garibondy, is the village of +Pégomas+, pop. 1350, on the Mourachone, a slow-running stream, in some parts hidden among bamboos. Beyond the mill of the village is a pretty but difficult walk up the ravine of the stream. Omnibus, 75 c. Cab, 12 or 16 frs.; 1 hour’s rest. About 3 m. N.W. is +Auribeau+, pop. 480, prettily situated on the Siagne. Cab, 18 or 22 frs., with 2 hours’ rest. [Headnote: MOUGINS. CASTELARAS.] 4¾ m. N. from Cannes, on a hill 820 ft. above the sea, is +Mougins+, pop. 1680. The road ascends all the way, passing by the cemetery and traversing vineyards and large olive groves. The omnibus goes no farther than Les Baraques, about ¼ m. below the town. Fare, 75 c. Cab there and back, one horse, 12 frs.; two horses, 16 frs.; 1 hour’s rest. Mougins still retains a few low portions of its walls and one gate, just behind the church. In the shop near the gate is the key of the church tower. The church dates from the 12th cent. From the tower, ascended by 75 steps, is a beautiful view. To the west is La Roquette, N.W. Mouans-Sartoux, and beyond Grasse. To the S.W. near the sea, and on the border of the Estérels, is the village of Mandelieu. 4 m. N. from Mougins, by the stony old road, or a little farther by the new road, is +Castelaras+, 1050 ft. above the sea. It is half a villa and half a farmhouse, commanding from the tower a splendid view of Grasse, Le Bar, the valley of the Loup, Tourettes, Vence, etc., to the north; Biot, Antibes, Nice, etc., to the east; Mouans, Auribeau, and the Estérel mountains to the west; and Cannes with its islands to the south. The easiest way to approach Castelaras on foot is to take the train to Mouans-Sartoux, pop. 1010, then ascend the hill by the steep road to the east of the station. When on the top the farmhouse and tower are distinctly seen. Carriage there and back, 35 frs. The column farther north marks the tomb of a gentleman who died at Grasse in 1883. _Sail by steamboat_ to the Iles de Lerins. Time, 1 hr. The steamer makes two trips, so that passengers may land by the first at Ste. Marguerite, and by the second be carried on to St. Honorat, where the steamer remains sufficient time to visit the castle. ILES DE LERINS. The Island of Ste. Marguerite, 4½ m. in circumference and 1½ m. from the mainland, is covered entirely with a pine forest, except at Point Croisette, on which stands the fort founded by Richelieu, containing the apartments in which Marshal Bazaine was confined and the far more interesting vaulted cell in which the Man of the Iron Mask was closely guarded. The present entrance did not exist at that time, the only communication then being by the now walled-up door which led into the house of the governor, M. de St. Mars. From behind the prison a road, bordered by the _Eucalyptus globulus_, goes right through the pine plantation to the other side of the island. [Headnote: THE MAN OF THE IRON MASK.] The name of the Man of the Iron Mask was Hercules Anthony Matthioli, a Bolognese of ancient family, born on the 1st December 1640. On the 13th of January 1661 he married Camilla, daughter of Bernard Paleotti, by whom he had two sons, one of whom only had posterity, which has long since been extinct. Early in life Matthioli was public reader in the University of Bologna, which he soon quitted to enter the service of Charles III., Duke of Mantua, by whom he was finally made Secretary of State. The successor of Charles III., Ferdinand Charles IV., the last sovereign of Mantua, of the house of Gonzaga, created Matthioli supernumerary senator of Mantua, and gave him the title of Count. Towards the end of 1677 the Abbé d’Estrades, ambassador from France to the Republic of Venice, conceived the idea, which he was well aware would be highly acceptable to the insatiable ambition of his master, Louis XIV., of inducing the weak and unfortunate Duke Ferdinand Charles to allow of the introduction of a French garrison into Casale, a strongly-fortified town, in a great measure the key of Italy. The cession of the fortress of Pinerolo to the French by Victor Amadeus, Duke of Savoy, in 1632, had opened to them the entrance into Piedmont, while the possession of Casale would have opened to them the broad and fertile plains of Milan. The great difficulty Estrades had to encounter at first in the prosecution of this intrigue was to find a medium of communication between himself and the Duke. This channel was at last found in the person of Matthioli, who enjoyed the Duke’s confidence and favour, and was besides a complete master of Italian politics. Through him the schemes of Estrades progressed so well that he was invited to the French court, where he was received and rewarded by Louis XIV., who at the same time presented him with a valuable diamond ring. Shortly after Matthioli’s return to Italy he allowed himself to be bought over by the Austrian party, which frustrated the French negotiations and so exasperated the vindictive Louis that he sent orders to the Abbé Estrades to have him kidnapped at all hazards. For this purpose Matthioli was induced to go to the frontier beyond Turin, where he was arrested as a traitor to France by the Abbé, accompanied by four soldiers, on 2d May 1679. Such a scandalous breach of international law required the adoption of extraordinary precautionary means of concealment. His name was changed to Lestang, he was compelled to wear a black velvet mask, and when he travelled armed attendants on horseback were ready to despatch him if he made any attempt to escape, or even to reveal himself. By the direction of Estrades he was comfortably lodged and fed in prison, till orders came from Paris, stating-- “It is not the intention of the king that the Sieur de Lestang should be well treated, nor receive anything beyond the absolute necessaries of life, nor anything to make his time pass agreeably.” He was handed over to the charge of St. Mars, who took him to the castle of Pinerolo, whence in 1681 they removed to the castle of Exiles. From Exiles St. Mars removed his unfortunate and now crazy prisoner to the Island of Ste. Marguerite, where they arrived 30th April 1687, after a journey of twelve days. Among the erroneous anecdotes told of Matthioli during his ten years’ sojourn on the island are:--On one occasion he is alleged to have written his name and rank on a silver plate, which he threw out of the window. A fisherman picked it up and brought it to St. Mars, who, on finding the man could not read, let him go. On another occasion Matthioli is said to have covered one of his shirts with writing, which he likewise threw out of the window. It was found by a monk, who, when he delivered it to St. Mars, assured him that he had not read it. Two days afterwards the monk was found dead. The origin of these stories is to be found in a letter from St. Mars to the Minister, dated 4th June 1692, in which he informs him that he has been obliged to inflict corporeal punishment upon a Protestant clergyman named Salves, also in his keeping, because he would write things on his pewter vessels and linen, to make known that he was imprisoned unjustly on account of the purity of his faith. In 1697 Matthioli with his keeper left for the Bastile, of which place St. Mars had been appointed governor. They arrived on 18th September 1698. On the 19th November 1703, about 10 P.M., Matthioli died in the Bastile, after a few hours’ illness, and was buried next day at 4 P.M. in the cemetery of St. Paul.--Extracted from the _History of the Bastile_, by R. A. Davenport. [Headnote: THE ISLAND OF ST. HONORAT. ABBEY. MASSACRE.] The Island of St. Honorat contains 97 acres, or is ¼ the size of Ste. Marguerite, from which it is 750 yards distant. A pleasant road of 2½ m., shaded by umbrella pines, leads round the island. Straight from the landing-place is a convent of Cistercian monks, settled here only since 1859. The original monastery was founded by St. Honorat in 410. In 730 and 891 the Saracens invaded the island, pillaged the establishment, and massacred the monks. In the 10th century the again flourishing brotherhood received Cannes as a gift from Guillaume Gruetta, son of Redouard, Count of Antibes. In 1073 they built the tower on the island, and in 1080 the Abbé Adalbert II. commenced the castle of Cannes. In 1148 the monks strengthened and enlarged the fortifications of their tower. In 1788 the monastery was suppressed on account of the irregularities of the inmates. In 1791 the island and buildings were sold. In 1859 they were finally bought by the Bishop of Frejus, who handed them over to the present occupiers, a colony of Cistercian monks, 50 in number, of whom about two-thirds are lay brethren. “What Iona was to the ecclesiastical history of northern England, what Fulda and Monte Cassino were to the ecclesiastical history of Germany and southern Italy, +St. Honorat+ was to the church of southern Gaul. For nearly two centuries the civilisation of the great district between the Loire and the Mediterranean rested mainly on the Abbey of Lerins. Sheltered by its insular position from the ravages of the barbaric hordes who poured down the valleys of the Rhône and of the Garonne, it exercised over Provence and Aquitaine a supremacy such as Iona, till the Synod of Whitby, exercised over Northumbria. All the more illustrious sees of southern Gaul were filled by prelates who had been reared at Lerins. To Arles (p. 70) it gave in succession Hilary, Cæsarius, and Virgilius. “The present cloister of the abbey is much later than the date of the massacre of the monks, which took place, according to tradition, on the little piece of green sward in the centre of the cloister. “With the exception of the masonry of the side walls, there is nothing in the abbey church earlier than the close of the 11th cent.” --J. R. Green’s _Stray Studies_. [Headnote: CASTLE.] The tower or rather castle, as it now stands, represents two tall rectangular elevations of unequal magnitude, crowned by projecting cornices. On the ground-floor, with entrance from the beach, is a large hall with groined roof, said by some to have been a chapel, and by others a bakery, but most likely a “parloir” or reception-room. In the wall, a little to the left or west, and about 30 ft. from the ground, is a cannon-ball fired by the English when they took possession of the islands in 1746. The interior of the castle is shown by the concierge of the convent. The first part entered is the oblong cloister, in three stories, of which two remain entire. The corridor of the first is supported on short columns standing round the edge of a cistern. From this corridor open the doors into the bedrooms and refectory. From the upper corridor is the entrance to the chapel, which opened into the library. Above the library was the infirmary, of which not a vestige remains. A good view is had from the top. Visitors are next taken to the convent. The church and buildings are modern, excepting one of the cloisters. It is therefore a pity to spend much time there, especially for those who have arrived by the last steamer, and have consequently little time to spare. [Headnote: CHAPEL OF THE TRINITY.] By the road round the island are the remains of chapels of the 7th cent., or even earlier. Going from west to east there is, against the wall of the convent, a little to the west of the castle, the Chapel of St. Porcaire (restored), where, it is said, the saint was buried. At the western extremity of the island, within an old fort, is the Chapel of St. Sauveur. To the west of the landing-place, near the large gateway, are little better than the foundations of the Chapel of St. Pierre. Farther east, beside the Orphanage, is St. Justine, now a stable. The Orphanage contains about 25 boys. They are taught different trades. The franc charged for showing the castle goes to their support. On the eastern point of the island, beside a fort, is the most interesting chapel of all, the Chapel of the *+Trinity+, 35 ft. long by about 25 wide, placed from east to west. The great corner-stones of this small temple, by their size and solidity, are the main supports of the building, illustrating thereby the reason why in Scripture so much importance and honour are attached to them in edifices. The roof of the nave is semicircular, strengthened by three arches, the centre one springing from two round columns. The roofs of the three apsidal chapels are semispherical. [Headnote: PLAIN OF NAPOLEON.] +Cannes to Grasse+, 12½ m. N. by rail, pop. 12,100. _Hotels:_ the G. H. International, 9 to 12 frs., a first-class house on the road to Le Bar. In the town, H. Muraour and the Poste, 8 to 10 frs. Their omnibuses await passengers. Those who wish to walk commence by the stair to the right of the station, and then the steep road on the other side of the highway. Grasse, a town of charming views, delicious water, and the best of air, makes an excellent and beneficial change from Cannes. The town, with its terraces and labyrinth of narrow, crooked, steep streets, is situated 1090 ft. above the sea, on the southern slope of Mt. Rocavignon, which rises almost perpendicularly 695 ft. above the town. To the N.E. of Rocavignon is the Marbrière, 2920 ft. above the sea. The short but stony road to the top of Rocavig