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  A BOOK OF
  THE CEVENNES




  BY THE SAME AUTHOR

  MEHALAH
  THE TRAGEDY OF THE CÆSARS
  THE DESERTS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE
  STRANGE SURVIVALS
  SONGS OF THE WEST
  A GARLAND OF COUNTRY SONG
  OLD COUNTRY LIFE
  AN OLD ENGLISH HOME
  YORKSHIRE ODDITIES
  HISTORIC ODDITIES
  OLD ENGLISH FAIRY TALES
  THE VICAR OF MORWENSTOW
  FREAKS OF FANATICISM
  A BOOK OF FAIRY TALES


  UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME

  A BOOK OF BRITTANY
  A BOOK OF DARTMOOR
  A BOOK OF THE WEST
     I. DEVON
    II. CORNWALL
  A BOOK OF NORTH WALES
  A BOOK OF SOUTH WALES
  A BOOK OF THE RHINE
  A BOOK OF THE RIVIERA
  A BOOK OF THE PYRENEES




[Illustration: THE TAMARGUE FROM LA SOUCHE]




  A BOOK OF
  THE CEVENNES

  BY S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.

  "ILLE TERRARUM MIHI PRÆTER OMNES
  ANGULUS RIDET, UBI NON HYMETTO
  MELLA DECEDUNT, VIRIDIQUE CERTAT
              BACCA VENAFRO;
  VER UBI LONGUM, TEPIDASQUE PRÆBET
  JUPITER BRUMAS."

                   _Hor._ Od. ii. 6.

  [Illustration]

  WITH FORTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
  EIGHT OF WHICH ARE IN COLOUR, AND A MAP


  London
  John Long
  Norris Street, Haymarket

  [_All rights reserved_]




  _First Published in 1907_


  Illustrations reproduced by the Hentschel-Colourtype Process




CONTENTS


  CHAPTER                                                          PAGE

     I. THE CRESCENT                                                  1

    II. LE VELAY                                                     15

   III. LE PUY                                                       34

    IV. ROUND ABOUT LE PUY                                           60

     V. L'AUBERGE DE PEYRABEILLE                                     84

    VI. LES BOUTIÈRES                                               103

   VII. THE VOLCANOES OF THE VIVARAIS                               114

  VIII. THE CANON OF THE ARDÈCHE                                    137

    IX. THE WOOD OF PAÏOLIVE                                        153

     X. THE RAVINE OF THE ALLIER                                    161

    XI. THE CAMISARDS                                               177

   XII. ALAIS                                                       203

  XIII. GANGES                                                      221

   XIV. LE VIGAN                                                    237

    XV. L'AIGOUAL                                                   248

   XVI. THE LAND OF FERDINAND FABRE                                 262

  XVII. THE HÉRAULT                                                 282

        INDEX                                                       305




ILLUSTRATIONS


  IN COLOUR

  THE TAMARGUE FROM LA SOUCHE                            _Frontispiece_
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  LACEMAKER, LE PUIS                                                 25

  LACEMAKERS                                                        102
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  CASTLE OF VENTADOUR                                               128
    From a photograph by Bigot-Croze.

  PEASANTS OF THE CAUSSES                                           176

  THE GOAT'S LEAP, LE VIGAN                                         241

  PEASANT GIRLS OF THE CAUSSES                                      248

  DOLMEN OF GRANDMONT                                               293
    From a photograph by L. Froment.


  IN MONOTONE

  THE CYCLOPSES AT MOURÈZE                                            2
    From a photograph by L. Froment.

  LE SUC DE SARA                                                     14
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  LA VOUTE-SUR-LOIRE                                                 23
      From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  CASCADE DES ESTREYS                                                23
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  LA BÉATE                                                           27
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  CEVENOL PEASANT                                                    29
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  CATHEDRAL, WEST FRONT, LE PUY                                      34
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  PORCH, CATHEDRAL, LE PUY                                           40
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  L'AIGUILHE                                                         42
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  BASALT, ESPALY                                                     61
    From a photograph by Vazelle.

  LA ROCHE LAMBERT                                                   64
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  MÉZENC                                                             69
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  GERBIER DE JONC                                                    72
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  THE TAVERN OF PEYRABEILLE                                          84
    From a photograph by Margerite-Brémont.

  MAYRES                                                             97
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  THE VIVARAIS CHAIN                                                114
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  THE VOLANE VALLEY                                                 121
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  LE FAUTEUIL DU DIABLE                                             123
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  FALL AT ANTRAIGUES                                                125
    From a photograph by Bigot-Croze.

  IN THE ARDÈCHE                                                    129
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  CRATER OF LA GRAVENNE                                             130
    From a photograph by Bigot-Croze.

  FALLS OF RUY PIC                                                  132
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  GORGES OF THE ARDÈCHE                                             137
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  PONT DE L'ARC                                                     144
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  "THE CATHEDRAL"                                                   147
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  PAÏOLIVE                                                          155
    From a photograph by Artige frères.

  CASTLE OF GANGES                                                  225
    From a photograph by J. Bernard.

  BRAMABIAU                                                         253
    From a photograph by C. Bernheim.

  CHEESEMAKERS, ROQUEFORT                                           275
    From a photograph by E. Carrère.

  S. GUILHEM-LE-DÉSERT                                              283
    From a photograph by L. Froment.

  IN THE CIRQUE, MOURÈZE                                            284
    From a photograph by L. Froment.

  GROUP AT MOURÈZE                                                  287
    From a photograph by L. Froment.

  THE SENTINEL AT MOURÈZE                                           288
    From a photograph by L. Froment.

  ON THE HÉRAULT                                                    296
    From a photograph by L. Froment.

  S. GUILHEM-LE-DÉSERT                                              298
    From a photograph by L. Froment.

  MILLS ON THE HÉRAULT                                              298
    From a photograph by L. Froment.


  IN THE TEXT
                                                                   PAGE
  SKETCH MAP OF THE CÉVENNES                                          4




PREFACE


The Cévennes are a mountain fringe to the uplifted plateau of
Central France, and are less visited by English tourists than any
other mountainous district in la belle France. They have been most
unjustly neglected. The scenery is singularly varied. The historical
associations are rich, but mainly tragic.

This is not a guide-book, but an introduction to the country, to be
supplemented by guide-books. The area is so extensive, that I have had
to exercise restraint and limit myself to a few of the most salient
features and most profitable centres whence excursions may be made.
The Cévennes should be visited from March to June, afterwards the heat
is too great for travelling to be comfortable. For inns, consult the
annual volume of the French Touring Club; Baedeker and Joanne cannot
always be relied on, as proprietors change, either for the better or
for the worse. I have been landed in unsatisfactory quarters by relying
on one or other of these guide-books, owing to the above-mentioned
reason.

The "Touring-Club de France," Avenue de la Grande Armée 65, Paris,
is doing excellent work in refusing to recommend a hotel unless the
sanitary arrangements be up-to-date.




THE CEVENNES




CHAPTER I

THE CRESCENT

     The great central plateau—The true Cévennes—The character of
     the range—The watershed—The Garrigues—The Boutières—Mézenc—The
     Coiron—The mountains of the Vivarais—The Ardèche—Volcanoes—The
     Camisard country—Larzac—The Hérault—The Espinouse—The Montagne
     Noire—Neglect of the Cévennes—Their great interest.


The great central plateau of France that serves as the watershed
between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and severs France
proper—the old medieval France—from Languedoc, is due to a mighty
upheaval of granite, carrying with it aloft on its back beds of schist,
Jura limestone, chalk, coal, and red sandstone. The granite has not
everywhere reached the surface, it has not in all parts shaken off the
burden that lay on it. The superincumbent beds do not lie in position
one above another, like ranges of books on shelves. Many of them over a
large tract have been carried away by denudation through the action of
water.

The plateau under consideration stretches over an area of 3,000 square
miles. It dies down towards the north-west, but reaches its highest
elevation in the east and in the south. This great upland district
had to be crossed before the peoples dwelling north and south of it
could be fused into one. The plateau extends through the old provinces
of Marche and Limousin, Auvergne, Forez, the Velay, the Vivarais,
Rouergue, and the Gévaudan. But it was disturbed, broken up, and
overlaid by volcanic eruptions at a comparatively recent date, pouring
forth floods of lava and clouds of ash in Auvergne, le Velay, and le
Vivarais. In its upheaval, moreover, the granite turned up, snapped,
and exposed the superposed beds, and left them as bristling ridges to
the east and south. It is this fringe that constitutes the Cévennes.
These describe a half-moon, with its convexity towards the basin of the
Rhône. Locally, indeed, the name