,illustration3 ,,cavaliers ,,and ,,roundhead4 7,see page #ajh7 ,breton ,folk ,,an ,,artistic ,,tour ,,in ,,brittany ,illustration ,,by ,,henry ,,blackburn4 ,,with ,,one ,,hundred ,,and ,,seventy ,,illustrations ,,by ,r4 ,,caldecott4 ,,boston4 ,,james ,r4 ,,osgood ,,and ,,company #ahha4 ,illustration ,,preface4 ,the following notes were made during three summer tours in ,brittany1 in two of which the ,author was accompanied by the ,artist4 ,breton ,folk is not a description of the antiquities of ,brittany1 nor even a book of folk-lore4 ,it is a series of sketches of a 8black-and-white country0 under its summer aspect2 of a sombre land shrouded with white clouds1 peopled with peasants in dark costumes1 wide white collars and caps1 black and white cattle and magpies4 ,the illustrations1 one hundred and seventy in number1 have been drawn by the ,artist from sketches made on the spot1 and1 apart from their artistic qualities1 have the curious merit of truth4 ,they have been engraved with the utmost care by ,mr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,contents4 ,,chap4 ,,page ,i4-- ,,the ,,western ,,wing #a ,,ii4-- ,,st4 ,,malo--,,st4 ,,servan--,,dinard--,,dinan #f ,,iii4-- ,,lamballe--,,st4 ,,brieuc--,,guingamp #bg ,,iv4-- ,,lanleff--,,paimpol--,,lannion--,,perro s-,,guirec #de ,v4-- ,,carhaix--,,huelgoet #eh ,,vi4-- ,,morlaix--,,st4 ,,pol--,,lesneven--,,le ,,folgoet #fi ,,vii4-- ,,brest--,,plougastel--,,ch,,teauneuf ,,du ,,faou #hc ,,viii4-- ,,quimper--,,pont ,l',,abb--,,audierne--,,douarnenez #ajj ,,ix4-- ,,concarneau--,,pont-,,aven--,,quimperl #abc ,x4-- ,,hennebont #adc ,,xi4-- ,,le ,,faouet--,,gourin--,,gu,m,n #aeb ,,xii4-- ,,ste4 ,,anne ,d',,auray--,,carnac--,,locmariaker #aga ,,xiii4-- ,,vannes #aij ,,map ,,of ,,brittany1 ,,and ,,postscript ,,for ,,travellers1 at end4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,page ,cavaliers and ,roundhead ,frontispiece ,vignette ,title page ,a ,breton ,gate iii ,sketching iv ,carrying ,corn v ,vignette vi ,old ,chteau vii ,sheep sheltering from the ,wind xii ,,chapter ,i4 ,hill and ,dale #a ,on the ,road #e ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,caps of ,ctes-du-,nord #f ,map of the ,mouth of the ,rance #g ,peasants of ,ctes-du-,nord #aa ,fruit ,stall at ,dinan #ae ,a ,loaded ,hay ,cart #af ,on the ,place1 ,dinan #ag ,outside the ,walls #ah ,old ,house near ,dinan #bj ,old ,woman of ,dinan #ba ,porte de ,brest #bb ,a ,little ,beggar #bc 8,the ,hour of ,repose0 #bd ,farmhouse of ,ctes-du-,nord #be ,farmer meditating on his ,stock #bf ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,caps of ,ctes-du-,nord #bg ,the ,buckwheat ,harvest #cj ,a ,road ,scraper #ca ,sketch of ,chteau #cb ,on the ,sands near ,st4 ,brieuc #cc ,winnowing near ,st4 ,brieuc #cd ,mathurine #ce ,corner ,turret at ,guingamp #ch ,going to ,market #ci ,the ,market-place1 ,guingamp #dj ,waiting-maid at ,htel de l',ouest #da ,the ,ossuary at ,guingamp #db ,by the ,river #dd ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,cap of ,ctes-du-,nord #de ,three ,children #ej ,riding to ,market #ec ,returning ,home #eg ,,chapter ,v4 ,cap of the ,monts d',arre #eh ,peasant in ,sabots #fj ,girl tending ,sheep #fa ,old ,house at ,carhaix #fb ,on ,the ,road to ,market face #fb ,a ,cart ,party #fc ,trotting out a ,horse #fd ,cattle ,fair at ,carhaix face #fd ,a ,gentleman ,farmer #fe ,a ,family ,party #ff ,waiting for ,dinner1 ,huelgoet #fg ,shepherd of the ,monts d',arre #fh ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,cap of ,morlaix #fi ,washing in the ,river #gj ,women of ,morlaix #gb ,potato-getting near ,st4 ,pol de ,lon face #ge ,three ,men of ,st4 ,pol de ,lon #gf ,children in ,cabbage ,garden #gg ,gurgoyle at ,roscoff #gh ,an ,owner of the ,soil #gi 8,the ,fool of the ,wood0 #hj ,in the ,church of ,le ,folgoet face #hj ,on ,horseback #hb ,horse ,fair at ,le ,folgoet face #hb ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,cap of ,finistre #hc ,map of the ,bay of ,brest #hd 8,every ,dog has his ,day0 #hg ,wayside ,cross #hi ,going to the ,pardon at ,chteauneuf du ,faou face #ij ,calvary at ,pleyben #ia ,street ,musicians #ib ,races at ,chteauneuf du ,faou #id ,two ,spectators #ie ,stewards of the ,fte #if ,dancing the ,gavotte face #if ,pleased ,spectator #ig ,threshing #ih ,corn #ii ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,caps of ,finistre #ajj ,a ,promenade #aja ,on the ,place1 ,quimper #ajb ,towers of ,quimper ,cathedral #ajc ,waitress at ,htel de l'pe #ajd ,at a ,well #aje ,professional ,beggar #ajf ,a ,domestic ,scene #ajg ,two ,heads2 sketched at ,audierne #ajh ,prize-giving at ,quimper #aji ,two ,heads2 sketched at ,audierne #aaj ,a ,domestic ,interior #aaa ,river below ,pont l',abb #aab ,landscape in ,finistre #aad ,inhabitants #aaf of #aag ,audierne #aag ,cutting the ,corn #aah ,harvesting in ,finistre face #aah ,waiting for the ,sardine ,boats at ,douarnenez #abj ,waitress at ,douarnenez #aba ,beggar on the ,road #abb ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,woman and ,child1 ,finistre #abc ,concarneau3 ,coming from ,church #abd ,on the ,place at ,concarneau face #abd ,the ,last ,touches #abe ,on the ,quay at ,concarneau #abf ,a ,boating ,party #abg ,old ,man and ,child #abh ,pont-,aven3 ,washing at a ,stream #abi ,pont-,aven #aca ,returning from ,labour1 ,pont-,aven #acc ,models #ace ,at ,quimperl ,station #acf ,old ,woman at ,quimperl ,station #acg ,gathering ,sticks #ach ,on the ,place at ,quimperl #aci ,a ,big ,load #adj ,augustine #ada ,evening3 ,near ,quimperl face #adb ,drawing ,water #adb ,,chapter ,x4 ,little ,cap of ,morbihan #adc ,in the ,ville ,close1 ,hennebont #add ,the ,high ,street of the ,ville ,neuve #ade ,poverty and ,riches #adf ,reapers returning face #adg ,opposite the ,old ,inn #adg ,at the ,well #adh ,carrying ,water #adi ,washing ,parties #adi ,old ,doorway in the ,ville ,close #aej ,a ,conversation #aea ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,cap of ,morbihan #aeb ,reaping near ,hennebont #aec ,street ,in ,le ,faouet #aee ,a ,breton ,propritaire #aef ,le ,faouet face #aef ,bed-time #aeg ,the ,man on ,two ,sticks #aeh ,stairs leading to the ,chapel of ,ste4 ,barbe #afj ,gourin #afa 8,montez1 s'il vous plait1 ,monsieur60 #afb ,bullock ,cart on the ,road #afc ,waitress at the ,inn #afd ,high ,street of ,gumn #afe ,a ,meeting #aff ,en ,promenade #afg ,sunday ,morning at ,gumn #afh ,a ,conversation #afi ,the ,bottle #agj ,betrothal ,party face #agj ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,at the ,htel ,pavillon d'en ,haut #aga ,the ,tower on the ,belvdre at ,auray #agb ,evening on the ,belvdre #agc ,at the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne d',auray #agd ,at the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne d',auray #age ,at the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne d',auray face #agf ,at the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne d',auray #agg ,at the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne d',auray #ahj ,map of ,carnac #ahb ,sketch on the ,fields of ,carnac #ahc ,in the ,kitchen of the ,htel des ,voyageurs at ,carnac #ahe ,on the ,road #ahf ,in the ,wind #ahg ,the ,great ,menhir #ahh ,scavengers #ahi ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,caps of ,morbihan #aij ,vannes from the ,river face #aij ,an ,old ,inn #aib ,in a ,caf #aic ,three ,hot ,men of ,vannes #aid ,side-spring ,boots #aie ,some ,inhabitants #aih ,a ,chase #bjj ,illustration ,,breton ,,folk3 ,,an ,,artistic ,,tour ,,in ,,brittany4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,western ,,wing4 ,in an old-fashioned country-house there is often to be found a room built out from the rest of the structure1 forming1 as it were1 the extreme western wing4 ,it has windows looking to the west1 its door of communication with the great house1 and1 in summer-time1 a southern exterior wall laden with fruit and fragrant with clematis1 honeysuckle1 or jasmine4 ,the interior differs from the rest of the mansion both in its furnishing and in the habits of its occupants4 ,it is a room in which there is an absence of bright colours1 where everything is quiet in tone and more or less harmonious in aspect2 where solid woodwork takes the place of gilding1 where furniture is made simply and solidly for use and ease1 where decoration is the work of the hand--holding a needle1 a chisel1 or a hammer4 ,the prevailing colours in this quaint old room1 which give a sense of repose on coming from more highly decorated saloons1 are blue1 grey1 and green--the blue of old china1 the grey of a landscape by ,millet or ,corot1 the green that we may see sometimes in the works of ,paul ,veronese4 ,this 8western wing0 is haunted1 and full of mysteries and legends2 its furniture is antique1 and has seldom been dusted or put in order4 ,nearly every object is a curiosity in some way1 and was designed in a past age2 on the high wooden shelves over the open fireplace there are objects in wrought metal work1 antique-shaped pots and jars4 ,about the room are fragments of ,druidical monuments1 menhirs and dolmens of almost fabulous antiquity1 ancient stone crosses1 calvaries1 and carvings1 piled together in disorderly fashion1 with odd-shaped pipes1 snuffboxes1 fishing-rods1 guns1 and the like2 on the walls are small1 elaborate1 paintings of medival saints in roughly carved gilt frames1 and a few low-toned landscapes by painters of ,france2 on shelves and in niches are large brown volumes with antique clasps1 and perhaps a model in clay of an old woman in a high cap1 a priest1 or a child in sabots4 ,the room is a snuggery1 well furnished with pipes and tobacco1 and hitherto evidently not much visited by ladies2 but the door is open wide to the rest of the mansion1 through which the strains of ,meyerbeer's opera of ,dinorah may sometimes be heard4 ,the lady visitor is welcome to this out-of-the-way corner1 but she must not be surprised to find herself greeted on entering in a language which1 with all her knowledge of ,french1 she can scarcely understand2 to be asked1 perhaps1 to take a pinch of snuff1 and to conform in other homely ways to the habits of the inhabitants4 ,such a quiet1 unobtrusive corner--pleasant with its open windows to the summer air1 but much blown and rained upon by winter storms--is ,brittany1 the 8western wing0 of ,france1 holding much the same position geographically and socially to the rest of the country1 as the room we have pictured in the great house1 to the rest of the mansion4 ,the ,brittany described in these pages is comprised principally of the three departments of ,c,,tes-,,du-,,nord1 ,,finist,,re1 and ,,morbihan1 the inhabitants of these districts standing apart1 as it were1 from the rest of ,france1 preserving their own customs and traditions1 speaking their own language1 singing their own songs1 and dancing their own dances in the streets in #ahgi4 ,in these three departments is comprehended nearly all that is most characteristic of the ,bretons1 and the district forms itself naturally into a convenient summer tour of three or four weeks4 ,brittany is essentially the land of the painter4 ,it would be strange indeed if a country sprinkled with white caps1 and set thickly in summer with the brightest blossoms of the fields1 should not attract artists in search of picturesque costume and scenes of pastoral life4 ,rougher and wilder than ,normandy1 more thinly populated1 and less visited by the tourists1 ,brittany offers better opportunities for outdoor study1 and more suggestive scenes for the painter4 ,nowhere in ,france are there finer peasantry2 nowhere do we see more dignity of aspect in field labour1 more nobility of feature amongst men and women2 nowhere more picturesque ruins2 nowhere such primitive habitations and1 it must be added1 such dirt4 ,brittany is still behindhand in civilisation1 the land is only half cultivated and divided into small holdings1 and the fields are strewn with ,druidical stones4 ,from the dark recesses of the ,montagnes ,noires the streams come down between deep ravines as wild and bare of cultivation as the moors of ,scotland1 but the hillsides are clothed thickly in summer with ferns1 broom1 and heather4 ,follow one of these streams in its windings towards the sea1 where the troubled waters rest in the shade of overhanging trees1 by pastures and cultivated lands1 and we may see the ,breton peasants at their 8gathering-in10 reaping and carrying their small harvest of corn and rye1 oats and buckwheat2 the women with white caps and wide collars1 short dark skirts1 and heavy wooden sabots1 the men in white woollen jackets1 breeks 7bragous bras71 and black gaiters1 broad-brimmed hats and long hair streaming in the wind--leading oxen yoked to heavy carts painted blue4 ,here we are reminded at once of the ,french painters of pastoral life1 of ,jules ,breton1 ,millet1 ,troyon1 and ,rosa ,bonheur2 and as we see the dark brown harvest fields1 with the white clouds lying low on the horizon1 and the strong1 erect figures and grand faces of the peasants lighted by the evening sun1 we understand why ,brittany is a chosen land for the painter of paysages4 ,low in tone as the landscape is1 sombre as are the costumes of the people1 cloudy and fitful in light and shade as is all this wind-blown land1 there is yet a clearness in the atmosphere which brings out the features of the country with great distinctness1 and impresses them upon the mind4 ,to the antiquary who knows the country1 and is perchance on the track of a newly discovered menhir1 long buried in the sands2 to the poet who would seek out and see that mystic island of ,avilion1 8,where falls not hail1 or rain1 or any snow1 ,nor ever wind blows loudly02 to the historian who would add yet other links in the chain of facts in the strange eventful history of ,brittany2 to the resident ,englishman and sportsman1 who knows the corners of the trout streams and the best covers for game1 scanty though they be1 the tour suggested in these pages will have little interest2 but to the ,english traveller who would see what is most characteristic and beautiful in ,brittany in a short time1 we should say-- ,enter by the port of ,st4 ,malo from ,southampton 7or by ,dol1 if coming from ,france71 and take the following route1 diverging from it into the country districts as time and opportunity will permit4 ,from ,st4 ,malo to ,dinan by water2 from ,dinan to ,lamballe by diligence 7or railway71 thence to ,st4 ,brieuc1 ,guingamp1 ,lannion1 ,morlaix1 ,brest1 ,quimper1 ,quimperl1 ,hennebont1 ,auray1 ,vannes1 and ,rennes4 ,thus1 then1 having set the modern tourist on his way1 and provided for the exigencies of rapid holiday-making1 let us recommend him to diverge from the beaten track as much as possible1 striking out in every direction from the main line of route1 both inland and to the coast1 travelling by road as much as possible1 and seeing the people1 as they are only to be seen1 8off the line40 ,in ,breton ,folk the reader will be troubled little with the history of ,brittany1 with the wars of the ,plantagenets1 or with the merits of various styles of architecture1 but some general impression of the country may be gathered from its pages1 and especially of the people as they are to be seen to-day4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,st4 ,,malo--,,st4 ,,servan--,,dinard--,,dinan4 ,illustration ,on a bright summer's morning in ,july the ballon captif1 which we may use in imagination in these pages--our ,french friends having taught us its use in peace as well as in war--floats over the blue water-gate of ,brittany like a golden ball4 ,the sun is high1 and the tide is flowing fast round the dark rock islands that lie at our feet1 pouring into the harbour of ,,st4 ,,malo1 floating the vessels and fishing-boats innumerable that line the quays inside the narrow neck of land called ,le ,sillon1 which connects the city with the mainland1 and driving gay parties of bathers up the sands of the beautiful ,baie d'cluse at ,dinard4 ,on the map on the opposite page1 we see the relative positions of ,st4 ,malo1 ,st4 ,servan1 and ,dinard1 also the mouth of the river ,rance1 which flows southward1 wide and strong1 into innumerable bays1 until it winds under the walls and towers of ,dinan4 ,looking down upon the city1 now alive with the life which the rising tide gives to every sea-port2 seeing the strength of its position seaward1 and the protection from without to the little forests of masts1 whose leaves are the bright trade banners of many nations1 it is easy to understand how centuries ago ,st4 ,malo and ,st4 ,servan were chosen as military strongholds1#a and how in these later times ,st4 ,malo has a maritime importance apparently out of proportion to its trade1 and to its population of not more than #ad1jjj inhabitants4 ,footnote #a3 ,st4 ,servan is built on the site of ,aleth1 one of the six capitals of ancient ,armorica2 there was a monastery here in the sixth century4 ,illustration ,from a bird's-eye point of view we may obtain a clearer idea of ,st4 ,malo and its neighbourhood than many who have actually visited these places1 and can judge for ourselves of its probable attractions for a summer visit4 ,it seems unusually bright and pleasant this morning1 for the light west wind has cleared the air1 and carried the odours of ,st4 ,malo landward4 ,there is to be a regatta in the afternoon1 the principal course being across1 and across1 the mouth of the ,rance1 between ,st4 ,malo and ,dinard1 and already little white sails may be seen spread in various directions1 darting in and out between the rock islands outside the bay4 ,on one of these islands1 ,grand ,b1 marked with a cross on the map1 is the tomb of the illustrious ,chteaubriand1 a plain granite slab1 surmounted by a cross1 and railed in with a very ordinary-looking iron railing4 ,this gravestone1 which stands upon an eminence1 and is conspicuous rather than solitary1 is described by a ,french writer as a romantic resting-place for the departed diplomatist1 characteristic and sublime--8ni arbres1 ni fleurs1 ni inscription--le roc1 la mer et l'immensit02 but as a matter of fact it is anything but solitary in summer-time1 and it is more visited by tourists than sea-gulls4 ,the waves are beating round it now1 but at low water there will be a line of pedestrians crossing the sands2 some to bathe and some to place immortelles on the tomb4 ,the sands of ,le ,sillon are covered with bathers and holiday crowds in dazzling costumes1 the rising tide driving them up closer to the rocks every minute4 ,everywhere there is life and movement2 the narrow1 winding streets of ,st4 ,malo pour out their contents on the seashore2 little steamers pass to and from ,dinard continually1 fishing and pilot boats come and go1 and yachts are fluttering their white sails far out at sea4 ,everything looks gay1 for the sun is bright1 and it is the day of the regatta4 ,looking landward1 the eye ranges over a district of flat1 marshy land1 that once was sea1 and we may discern in the direction of ,dol an island rock in the midst of a marshy plain1 at least three miles from the sea4 ,on the summit of this rock is a chapel to ,notre ,dame de l',esprance1 and near it1 standing alone on the plain1 is a column of grey granite nearly thirty feet high1 one of the 8menhirs0 or 8,druid stones0 that we shall see often in ,brittany4 ,eastward there is the beautiful bay of ,cancale1 famous for its oyster-fisheries2 the village built on the heights is glistening in the sunlight1 and the blue bay stretches away east and north as far as ,granville4 ,cancale is also crowded this morning1 for it is the fashion to come from ,st4 ,malo on fte days1 to eat oysters1 and to pay for them4 ,a summer correspondent1 who followed the fashion1 writes3 8,the people of ,cancale are amongst the most able and industrious fishermen in ,brittany1 and the oysters from the parcs of ,cancale are famous even in the ,parisian restaurants2 but in the cabarets of ,cancale the charges resemble those of ,paris40 ,we mention this by the way because travellers who have taken up their quarters at the principal hotels at ,st4 ,malo1 finding the charges higher than they expected1 might1 without a caution1 take wing to ,cancale4 ,they may be attracted thither1 for the day at least1 to see the fishing operations1 to study costume1 to explore the coast by boat1 or to visit the island monastery of ,st4 ,michel4 ,the water is smooth in the shallow bay of ,cancale1 and the view extending over miles of blue sea to the green hills beyond ,avranches makes a charming picture4 ,the aspect of ,st4 ,malo from the sea is that of a crowd of grey houses with high-pitched roofs1 surrounded with stone walls and sixteenth-century towers1 and with one church spire conspicuous in the centre4 ,at high-water the waves beat up against the granite rocks and battlements1 and ,st4 ,malo seems an island2 at low water it stands high on a pediment of granite1 surrounded by little island rocks and wide plains of sand2 the spring tides rising nearly forty feet above low-water mark4 ,but the chief interest of ,st4 ,malo is undoubtedly outside of it4 ,in the narrow1 tortuous streets1 shut in by high walls1 we experience something of the sensation of dwellers in modern ,gothic villas2 we have insufficient light and air1 we are cramped for space1 but we know at the same time that1 outwardly1 we are extremely picturesque4 8,rien de triste et de provinciale comme la ville de ,saint-,malo1 o tout le monde est couch #i h4 du soir2 rues noires et tortueuses2 pas de soleil1 ni de mouvement2 enfin une ville morte40 ,such is the popular ,french view of it in the height of the season1 when prices at the hotels are nearly as high as in ,paris4 ,the fortifications and towers of ,st4 ,malo are interesting as examples of military architecture of the sixteenth century2 the castle with its four round towers was erected1 it is said1 by ,queen-,duchess ,anne to assert her power over the bishops of ,st4 ,malo1 who had held it from the time when it was an island monastery4 ,from the ramparts and quays we can best see many of the old houses and residences of the wealthy traders of the last century1 now dilapidated or turned into barracks or public offices2 and we may also note here and there1 in narrow streets1 remnants of carved timber beams and wooden pillars which formed the frontage of some of the oldest houses4 ,we can walk upon the ramparts all round the town1 from which there are extensive views over sea and land2 and we can inhale1 on the western side1 the fresh breezes of the sea1 and1 on the other1 the odours rising from innumerable unwashed streets and alleys4 ,the church1 the spire of which was completed by order of ,napolon ,,iii41 has little architectural interest4 ,the structure dates from the twelfth century1 but its present aspect is modern and tawdry1 with a huge high-altar1 candlesticks1 gilt furniture1 relics1 and artificial flowers4 ,the most noteworthy objects are some carved woodwork in the chancel1 and a stained-glass window4 ,the principal streets of ,st4 ,malo are modernised1 and the shops are full of wares from ,paris and ,rennes4 ,the appearance and manners of the people are ,french rather than ,breton1 and--although the strange patterns of the white caps worn by the peasants and fisherwomen1 and the curiously uncouth intonation of voices which already greets our ears1 remind us that we are very far from the capital of ,france--there is little here of distinctive ,breton costume4 ,st4 ,malo from its position is an important maritime station4 ,it is busy1 and busier every year1 with shipbuilding1 for it has a large fishing population and an export trade with all parts of the world4 ,brittany is a food-producing land1 and ,st4 ,malo is its principal northern port2 but its manufactures are comparatively unimportant1 and its retail trade is largely dependent on the influx of visitors4 ,in the suburb of ,,st4 ,,servan1 where a few ,english people live quietly1 there is less appearance of commercial activity than in ,st4 ,malo4 ,it is in fact a faubourg1 comparatively unprotected by walls1 and undisturbed by much traffic4 ,its population of #ab1jjj have their principal business in ,st4 ,malo1 and there is a constant stream of pedestrians passing to and fro1 crossing on a movable bridge worked by steam1 the supports of which are on rails under water4 ,the principal street of ,st4 ,servan is wider than ,wardour ,street in ,london1 but it resembles it somewhat in dinginess1 and in the fact that its shops are full of tempting baits for the bric--brac hunter2 old wood carvings1 pots1 and stones1 which should be purchased with caution4 ,the ,bretons1 both in ,st4 ,malo and ,st4 ,servan1 are a little demoralised in summer1 and wish to be 8fine40 ,to-day being a fte day1 they are en grande toilette1 and the wonderful white caps worn by some of the women are trimmed with real old lace4 ,in the shops and on the promenades the majority of women are dressed as in ,paris1 and they wear kid gloves 8like their betters02 the country people and the fishing and poorer class of ,malouins1 only1 wearing any distinctive costume4 ,the fishermen of ,cancale make money and save it1 and send their children to school by train to ,rennes1 and the fisherman's daughter comes back in a costume that makes her neighbours envious4 ,every year more white caps are thrown aside1 for ,mathilde will not be outdone by ,louise2 and so the change goes on1 and each year the markets of ,st4 ,malo and ,st4 ,servan have less individuality of costume4 ,nevertheless1 groups such as are sketched are to be seen to-day in ,st4 ,malo1 ,st4 ,servan1 and ,dinard3 the women in white caps1 dark stuff gowns1 and neatly made shoes2 the men in blue serge and sabots4 ,the women's caps vary in pattern according to their district4 ,they generally wear a close-fitting under cap1 with a small high-crimped crown1 and a wide lappet pinned on the top of the head4 ,in ,st4 ,malo we may see ,normandy as well as ,brittany caps1 and it is not until we get farther into the interior that the costume of the district is strongly marked4#b ,footnote #b3 ,the caps peculiar to different parts of ,brittany are indicated at the head of each chapter4 ,illustration ,,dinard--once a little fishing-village1 now a fashionable watering-place--the position of which we see on the map on page #g1 is a delightful residence in summer1 and nearly as dear as ,trouville1 in ,normandy2 but the air is bracing and exceptionally good1 the walks in the neighbourhood shady and delightful1 and the bathing in the sheltered ,baie d'cluse as good as any in ,france4 ,in ,dinard there are about #hjj houses and villas in pleasant gardens1 most of which are let for a short summer season of three months4 ,there is a well managed 8tablissement des ,bains0 and casino1 and several good hotels4 ,dinard is the starting-point to reach ,dinan by road2 also for the little fishing-villages of ,st4 ,briac and ,st4 ,jacut1 on the coast1 westward4 ,at ,st4 ,briac the visitor who does not care to be fashionable will find an inn1 good bathing1 and summer quarters of a rougher kind than at ,dinard2 and at ,st4 ,jacut there is a convent standing almost out at sea1 where the nuns take boarders in summer for a very small sum4 ,at ,dinard you play at croquet on the sands2 at ,st4 ,briac you scramble over granite rocks1 and fish in the pools under their shadows2 at ,st4 ,jacut you wander over the sands with a shrimp-net1 and in the evening help the nuns to draw water from the convent well4 ,but we have come to ,brittany to sketch and to note what is most characteristic and picturesque4 ,so far1 on the threshold as it were1 what have we seen8 ,coming from ,england1 and sailing southward into its blue bay on a summer morning1 there was an impression of brightness and colour unusual on our own shores4 ,in ,st4 ,malo itself three pictures remain upon the memory4 ,the first is the sunset between the islands and across the sands1 near the bathing-place of ,le ,sillon2 the second the moonlight view of its cathedral tower at the end of a narrow street1 filling it and towering above it with a grandeur of effect almost equal to that of ,st4 ,stephen's at ,vienna2 the third picture is in the small courtyard of the ,htel de ,france4 ,this house1 or part of it1 belonged to the family of the ,vicomte de ,chteaubriand1 and it was here1 in a room facing the sea1 that the celebrated author and diplomatist was born4 ,in the hotel the family arms 7the peacock's plume7 are emblazoned1 and just outside its gates1 in the little dusty square called 8,la ,place de ,chteaubriand10 a new bronze statue1 bright and shining1 has lately been erected to his memory4 ,travellers imprisoned between the narrow streets and dingy walls of ,st4 ,malo1 fortified and barricaded against the fresh breezes of the sea1 may perchance seek the cool courtyard of the ,htel de ,france as a place of refuge during the heat of the day1 and1 if not quite tired of hearing of ,chteaubriand1 may dwell in imagination upon the historic associations of this house4 ,in a corner of the courtyard1 now used as a caf1 there is an old stone staircase leading to the first tage1 such as we may see in the courtyard of many a ,french chteau1 and upon it there lingers this afternoon an ,english girl in the costume most affected by society in #ahgh4 ,she wears a rich1 dark1 close-fitting dress in simple folds1 spreading where it trails upon the rough granite steps with the stealthy grandeur of a peacock's tail upon a ruined wall4 ,as she turns her head and leans over between the pillars of the covered balcony1 her 8,rubens hat0 and fair hair are framed in antique carved stone4 ,the effect is accidental1 but the harmonious combination of costume and architecture brings out suddenly the beauties of each1 and gives us a glimpse1 not to be forgotten1 of the graces of a past age4 ,,the ,,rance4 ,the tide is now flowing fast up the ,rance1 filling its numerous bays and inlets1 floating odd-shaped little boats and rafts that are moored off the villages on its banks1 running up here and there inland between rocks and trees and forming miniature lakes1 which will disappear as the tide goes down4 ,the little steamer for ,dinan starts from the ,quai ,napolon1 and goes up on the flood in about three hours1 having just time to reach ,dinan and return to ,st4 ,malo before the water has subsided4 ,the foredeck is crowded with market-women and small merchandise1 and on the afterdeck1 which is but a few yards square1 there are some ,french and ,english tourists under a canvas awning1 which is useful alike for shelter from sun1 rain1 or cinders4 ,steering south-east by south1 we steam gently up the ,rance1 getting a fine view of ,st4 ,servan in passing 7a view which we should have missed altogether by the land route to ,dinan72 a river that1 near its mouth1 seems to have no boundaries or banks1 that flows in and out amongst cultivated fields1 then suddenly through narrow defiles of rocks and under the shadow of forest trees that might be ,switzerland4 ,once or twice we sail1 as it were1 in an inland lake1 or1 as the ,french call it1 8une petite ,mediterrane02 we can neither see where we entered nor any outlet on our route4 ,there are fishing and market boats1 lying in quiet corners1 and one or two pleasure yachts with flags flying1 moored in the prettiest spots near modern summer chlets1 the slate roofs of which appear above the trees4 ,we pass one considerable village1 ,st4 ,suliac1 on the east bank1 behind which is the ancient fort of ,chteauneuf2 and1 on the west1 the grey walls of more than one old chteau are visible4 ,the water is blue and tidal until we arrive at a lock a few miles from ,dinan1 when the little steamer ploughs through a narrow canal-like stream1 and sends the water flowing over the banks1 washing the stems of the poplar trees4 ,illustration3 ,,fruit ,,stall ,,at ,,dinan4 ,we are entering ,brittany now1 and are far out of hearing of the waves that beat upon ,st4 ,malo1 and of the band of the casino on its sands4 ,on either side the valleys are rich with verdure and with orchards of fruit4 ,there are farmhouses and villas dotted about1 and peasants at work in the fields4 ,we pass close to the banks during the last mile1 and are shut in by rocks and trees2 but all at once the view enlarges1 and there rises before us a scene so grand and1 at the same time1 so familiar that we feel delighted and rewarded at having approached ,dinan by water4 ,the prevailing tone of landscape during the last few miles has been sombre1 and the valleys in shadow with their dark granite rocks and gloom of firs have contrasted picturesquely with the sunshine on distant fields4 ,as we reach ,dinan in the afternoon1 the valley of the ,rance is in shadow1 whilst above and before us1 crowning a hill1 are the old roofs1 towers1 and spires of ,dinan shining in the sun4 ,the sides of the valley here are almost precipitous1 and across it1 high above our heads1 is a plain modern viaduct1 reaching to the suburb of ,lanvallay4 ,dinan is on the west or left bank of the ,rance2 and near the bridge where we land the steep streets of the old town reach to the water's edge4 ,above our heads are feudal towers1 and parts of old walls1 and the grey roofs of houses between the trees1 and away southward the valley of the ,rance winding out of sight4 ,we said it was a familiar picture1 for the approach to ,dinan by water and the view from the hills on the opposite bank of the ,rance1 seen under summer suns1 have been perpetuated in brightness by many an ,english artist4 ,it is well to see ,dinan thus1 en couleur de rose1 and to remember it in its most bright and attractive aspect1 for on a nearer and longer acquaintance our impressions may change4 ,dinan--situated on the summit and slopes of wooded hills1 their dark granite sides appearing here and there through the trees1 its medival towers and terraces1 and its old grey houses with pointed roofs1 and its handsome white modern houses--forms a good background to the market-women1 with their stalls of fruit and vegetables1 peasants in blue blouses1 and the usual summer crowd of tourists1 including ,parisians in suits of white1 with broad straw hats and blue umbrellas1 thronging on the quay waiting for our little steamer4 ,there are several hundred ,english residents in ,dinan1 and the voices in the streets have a familiar sound1 neither ,french nor ,breton4 ,but the population1 including ,english1 scarcely exceeds #aj1jjj even in summer2 and the inhabitants1 who are not given up to trading with visitors1 are principally occupied in agriculture1 or working in their dark dwellings at hand looms4 ,illustration ,as we climb up a steep1 dirty street1 leading from the quay1 called the ,rue de ,jersual1 and under a ,gothic gateway--past old houses1 with high-pitched roofs and leaning timbers1 rising one above another in irregular steps--we hear the sound of the loom in the darkness on either side1 and the inhabitants come out to stare as usual2 shining red faces1 under white caps1 lean out from little latticed windows and from doorways1 and in the gutters many a little pair of sabots stuffed with hay is rattling on the stones4 ,it is a ladder of cobblestones and dirt1 cool and slippery1 sheltered by projecting eaves from the afternoon sun2 the principal approach from the river a century ago1 up which a stream of pilgrims files into the upper town4 ,they pause to take breath at the top1 and then disperse on the ,place1 where1 in front of dusty rows of trees1 the omnibuses and carts1 which have come round by the broad1 circuitous road1 are setting down travellers4 ,the entrance to the inn is blocked by a loaded hay cart1 stuck fast in the archway of the house1 as in the sketch4 ,we have ascended at least #cjj feet to the ,place1 and take up our quarters in one of the hotels in the wide open square1 looking as dusty and uncared for as usual in ,french provincial towns1 and commanding1 as usual also1 no view of the country round4 ,illustration ,in a few minutes the bustle caused by the arrival of travellers has ceased1 and the principal square of ,dinan resumes its ordinary aspect on a summer's day4 ,nurses1 in white caps1 sit knitting under the shadows of stunted trees1 while the children play in the dust2 cavalry officers of all grades play at cards and drink absinthe at little tables half hidden by trees planted in boxes at the hotel doors2 ladies and children1 a priest1 a workman in blue blouse dragging a load of stones1 a woman coming from market1 and an ,englishman or two1 on pleasure intent1 with draggled beard and grey knickerbockers1 as is the fashion of the time4 ,above the trees1 the houses across the square rise in irregular lines1 their steep roofs1 old and sun-stained1 are full of variety and colour2 behind them tree tops wave1 and great masses of white clouds drive northward to the sea4 ,illustration ,dinan is full of interest both for the artist and the antiquary4 ,the cathedral of ,st4 ,sauveur1 with its fine carved doorway and ,romanesque architecture1 the old clock-tower in the ,rue de l',horloge1 the medival gateways1 and the old houses in the narrow streets1 form a succession of pictures worthy of study4 ,it is well to examine the castle1 once occupied by the ,queen-,duchess ,anne and now a prison1 and to ascend the tower1 from which there is a magnificent view4 ,in the museum at the ,mairie there are several interesting monuments and ecclesiastical relics4 ,and yet perhaps the chief interest of ,dinan is in the variety and beauty of its environs2 on every side will be found charming wooded walks and valleys1 from which we can see its position1 set high on green hills1 the sky-line a fringe of trees and towers4 ,the walks on the ramparts1 with their lines of poplars and the views across the deep fosse below will give an idea of the military architecture of the middle ages1 and especially of the natural strength and importance of ,dinan as a fortified city when besieged by the ,duke of ,lancaster in #acei and defended by the brave ,du ,guesclin4 ,in ,st4 ,malo1 ,chteaubriand was the hero2 in ,dinan it is ,du ,guesclin1 constable of ,france in the fourteenth century4 ,in the cathedral of ,st4 ,sauveur they have burned candles before the jewelled casket containing his heart1 for centuries1 and on the ,place there is a poor statue of him in plaster2 but the more lasting monuments are the records of his deeds and the songs of the people1 which we shall hear often on our travels4 ,whichever way we turn in ,dinan1 we find some new view and point of interest1 and the inhabitants are so accustomed to the incursion of strangers1 and reap so many benefits by their coming1 that we are allowed to sketch almost undisturbed4 ,there is an old woman with deformed hands and feet1 who sits knitting on the ,place1 whose familiar figure will be recalled by the sketch on page #ba4 ,the ramparts are comparatively deserted by day1 and form a promenade by moonlight worth coming far to see4 ,if ever there was a spot on earth prepared for lovers1 it is surely the broad walk on the southern ramparts of ,dinan1 where the moon shines upon the path between tall waving poplars and silvers the distant trees1 where there is scarcely a sound to break the stillness1 where there is room for every ,romeo out of hearing of his neighbour1 and where the sounds of the city are hushed behind granite walls4 ,it is naturally romantic and beautiful1 and1 with the associations which cling around its towers1 has a charm which is almost unique2 but we must tell the truth4 ,there are clusters of white roses clinging to the old masonry above1 which have scattered their full-blown leaves at our feet1 and below1 in the deep dell which formed the ancient fosse1 there is honeysuckle in the straggling garden2 but the odours that rise on the evening air are not of roses nor of honeysuckle1 nor from the broad champaign around4 ,there surely was never a beautiful spot so defiled4 ,as a picture1 the general aspect of ,dinan will remain in memory--a picture not to be effaced by the erection of large new barracks1 or by the railway now constructing in the valley--stately ,dinan with its ancient groves and terraces1 its hanging gardens1 and sylvan views4 ,illustration ,we must not linger in such a well-known part of ,brittany1 or we would take the reader in imagination to one or two of the old houses in the neighbourhood1 like the one sketched below2 also1 a little way up the river1 to the picturesque ruins of the abbey of ,lehon4 ,this last is a spot especially to be visited1 and where1 if we are wise and have time1 we should take apartments for a week in summer4 ,another favourite walk is on the opposite side of ,dinan1 leaving the town by the ramparts towards the north4 ,here in the midst of a tangle of briars and bushes1 hemmed in on every side1 run over with ivy and every variety of creeper1 shut off entirely from some points of view by an orchard laden to the ground with fruit and by a garden of flowers1 is the one tower left of the famous chteau of ,,la ,,garaye ,the grey octagonal turret1 with its crumbling ,renaissance ornament1 stands high above the surrounding trees1 and catches the evening sunlight long after the avenue of beeches by which it is approached is in gloom4 ,the place is as solemn and quiet1 at the end of a long avenue1 as any poet could desire2 but as we approach the gates of the chteau of 8the lady with the liberal hand10 whom ,mrs4 ,norton has immortalised in her poem1 there are the usual signs of demoralisation4 ,there are pigs about1 and tourists2 and the show is charged for in the usual way4 ,we pay our money and take away some souvenir of the place4 ,americans who have read 7and recited often in their own homes7 8,the ,lady of ,la ,garaye0 sometimes make ,dinan the extreme western point of their tour in ,europe1 and have trodden the ground into a deep track to the chteau with their pilgrim feet2 but the position is inconvenient for tourists who have much to see1 and so1 it is understood1 they are going to buy the turret and take it home4 ,the idea is not as absurd as it may sound2 it is a very pretty ruin as it stands1 but it will fall soon if not cared for1 and the low wall on either side of the turret will disappear behind the fruitful orchard4 ,the old hospital is now used as a farm-shed1 but wants repairing to be habitable2 and the ancient cider-press1 with its massive wooden beams1 lies rotting in the sun4 ,the farm children are gathering blackberries from the bushes which grow between the hearthstones of the old banquet-hall1 poultry swarm in my lady's boudoir1 and there is a hum of bees and insects about the ruin4 ,illustration ,we have said nothing of the ,english colony and church at ,dinan1 of the convent of the ,ursulines and their good works1 or of the people to be seen on market-days1 because ,dinan is well known to travellers1 and there is very little to distinguish it from other ,french towns4 ,to see the people1 and sketch the ,bretons in their most picturesque aspects1 we must go farther afield4 ,as we leave ,dinan by diligence with much cracking of whips and jingling of bells1 through the wide square tenanted as usual by white-capped nurses and idlers2 rolling in the high banquette down past the old gateways1 out into the country road towards the west1 we see the last of ,dinan and its towers4 ,whether in its autumn beauty with rich surrounding woods1 or with its winter curtain folded softly1 with tassels and fringes of frost1 ,dinan leaves a brilliant impression upon the mind4 ,we forget the modern incursion of tourists1 and the demoralisation amongst the poorer inhabitants caused by the scattering of sous1 we forgive its dingy1 neglected streets1 its ill-kept boulevards and squares1 and its slow1 unenterprising ways2 we remember only its grandeur and picturesqueness4 ,illustration ,as we pass out by the ,porte de ,brest1 we meet a ,breton propritaire and his wife in a cart1 whom we must not take for peasants because of the black stuff gown and white cap of the bright-faced woman1 and the broad-brimmed hat and blouse of the man4 ,we drive through a straggling suburb of houses1 where the peasants stare at us from their dark dwellings2 we stop at wayside inns--unnecessarily1 it would seem--and are surrounded by beggars of all ages and sizes4 ,here is one who comes suddenly to earth at the sound of wheels1 and peers from the darkness of her home underground with the brightness and vivacity of a weasel2 her black eyes glisten with astonishment and with the instinct of animal nature scenting food2 she transforms herself in an instant from the buoyant youth and almost cherub-like beauty in the sketch to a cringing1 whining mendicant4 8,quelque chose1 quelque chose pour l'amour de ,dieu10 in good1 clear ,french1 nearly all the words that her parents would have her learn1 in the intervals of playing and road-scraping--the latter her only serious business in life4 ,but the schoolmaster is abroad in ,brittany2 the edict has gone forth that every child of ,france shall henceforth learn the ,french tongue2 and this little creature will be caught and tamed1 and civilised into ways that her parents never knew4 ,illustration ,one more picture on the road1 an incident common enough1 but characteristic and worth recording4 ,it is a sultry afternoon1 with a deep blue sky and a burning sun4 ,so fierce is the heat that it has silenced for a time the barking of dogs and the arguments of some of our passengers4 ,just outside a village the straight road1 unsheltered even by poplars1 is fringed with low brushwood and long grasses withering under a curtain of dust4 ,there is nothing stirring but a little yellowhammer and a magpie on the road1 a cantonnire in wide straw hat1 chipping at a heap of stones1 and the lumbering diligence in which we travel2 no shelter but in a wood hard by4 ,presently we come to a halt in a narrow part of the road1 for ,m4 ,achille ,dufaure's cart of charcoal stops the way4 ,it is a suggestive picture1 which we may call 8,the ,hour of ,repose40 ,in the foreground1 in the burning road1 is a tall white charger1 encumbered1 now in his old age1 with a great wooden collar and clumsy harness1 chained to a dark blue cart with dirt-encrusted wheels1 half smothered on this summer's day with a blue woolsack over his shoulders1 foaming at the mouth1 and streaming with the wounds of flies and other injuries1 but pricking his ears as of old at the sound of approaching wheels4 ,in the background1 but a few yards off1 is a cool wood of beech and elm1 dark in its shadows1 green in its depth with ivy and fern1 and fringed against the sky with tops of waving poplars4 ,this broad mass of green1 which comes between the brightness of sky and the burning road1 with its foreground of dry grasses1 is relieved on one spot by a cool ripple of blue--it is ,achille lying on his face asleep1 his blouse just lifted by a breeze2 he will repose for two or three hours1 whilst his horse stands in the sun1 and the hot shadows lengthen from his heels4 ,no amount of shouting on the part of our driver will waken the sleeper2 blessings and curses1 cracking of whips and blowing of horns1 are all tried in vain1 and the monotony of our journey is relieved by the diligence being dragged1 as it might have been at first1 over the field at the roadside1 and we resume our way4 ,illustration ,as we travel westward1 the aspect of the land becomes suddenly changed2 it is clouded over and rained upon1 and is a sombre contrast to the former brightness4 ,after the glare of the sun the senses are grateful for quiet tones2 but the sight is strange1 almost mournful4 ,the district is only a few miles from busy towns and sea-ports1 and on the main line of railway from ,paris to ,brest1 but it is out of the world1 and seems1 under its cloudy aspect1 farther than ever removed from civilisation2 we pass substantial-looking farmhouses1 but the dwellings of the peasants are generally hovels1 with tumble-down mud walls and immovable windows2 in their gardens are dungheaps and stagnant pools of water4 ,we see women at work in the fields1 girls tending cattle1 and the men1 generally1 looking on4 ,illustration ,the distance from ,dinan to ,lamballe by road is twenty-five miles1 a slow and sleepy journey of about five hours by the direct route2 a journey seldom taken by travellers since the completion of the railway westward4 ,everything we pass on the road looks comparatively untidy1 rough1 and poor1 with the poverty of ignorance and neglect rather than of means1 for the soil1 as we approach ,lamballe1 is rich1 and yields well4 ,the country is really fruitful1 but an acre of land is often divided into twenty different lots1 in each of which there are separate crops of hemp1 buckwheat1 or potatoes1 or they are filled with gorse for winter fodder for cattle4 ,the hedges are made of mud-banks1 gorse1 and ferns1 and the gates between them are formed of felled trees1 the stem forming the upper bar1 the roots being left as a counterpoise to lift the gate on its rough1 wooden latch4 ,the rain ceases as we approach ,lamballe2 the air is fresh with the wind coming from the bay of ,st4 ,brieuc1 and as the sky clears1 we obtain1 at intervals on the undulating road1 views over finely wooded valleys1 with high hedgerows1 banked up and planted with elms and oaks4 ,the chestnut trees1 wet with the rain1 are rich in colour1 and the fields of buckwheat lighten the landscape again4 ,another turn in the road1 and we are in evening light1 there is open pasture land1 and the cattle are winding home2 at another1 a farmer is meditating on his stock in the corner of a field4 ,thus we pass from one picture to another1 quaint and idyllic1 the last reminding us more of ,troyon than of ,rosa ,bonheur4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,lamballe--,,st4 ,,brieuc--,,guingamp4 ,illustration ,it is half past five o'clock on a summer's morning at ,,lamballe1 and the deep-toned bell of ,notre ,dame resounds through the valley of ,the ,gouessan4 ,the sun is up1 and gleams upon the roof tops1 and upon the heads of the old women who are sitting thus early in the market-place1 surrounded with flowers1 taking their morning meal of potage4 ,it is market morning1 and the open square in the centre of the town is filling fast with arrivals from the country4 ,everything is fresh from the late rains1 and the air is laden with the scent of flowers1 butter1 and milk4 ,on every side carts are unloading1 and itinerant vendors are fitting up stalls for the sale of provisions and goods4 ,there are rows of stalls for the sale of cloth stuffs1 shoes1 and wooden sabots1 for pots and pans1 and for innumerable trinkets of small value to tempt the peasantry4 ,the shops are opening one by one1 displaying less fashionable1 if more useful1 wares than we have seen at ,st4 ,malo and ,dinan2 agricultural implements1 and all articles for the use and temptation of the country people who come from far to make purchases1 bargaining in a rather uncouth tongue1 but with a certain dignity and determination of manner which we shall find peculiar to the ,bretons4 ,both buyers and sellers speak in a language apparently half ,french and half ,welsh1 and the majority dress in plain1 dark1 home-spun stuffs1 the men with their blouses1 the women with their caps1 all put on clean for the day4 ,this market-place at ,lamballe is a sight1 if only to see the fowls and the flowers4 ,it is full of the killed and wounded1 bright plumage and delicate leaves2 beauty led captive by vigorous hands1 hustled out of the market-place by rosy1 unsentimental housekeepers2 carried heads downwards1 both fowls and flowers6 ,the noise and chattering of a market morning have begun in earnest1 but the great bell of ,notre ,dame resounds above all2 two other churches soon join in the concert1 and the clatter of sabots over the rough cobblestones up to the church doors adds to the clamour4 ,it is time to follow the people up the streets1 almost too steep for wheels1 which lead to the great church of ,notre ,dame1 built oh the site of the ancient castle of the counts of ,penthivre4 ,travellers1 especially summer tourists coming from ,dinan or ,rennes1 on their way westward by railway1 seeing the beautiful position of this town1 with its church above the valley1 pause sometimes to consider 8whether ,lamballe is worth stopping at for a night40 ,as we are writing for all1 we may tell them1 as we pause to take breath on the ladder of stones which leads to ,notre ,dame1 that the ,gothic pile which crowns the hill before them1 whose granite walls almost overhang a precipice1 and from the rocks of which its pillars and arches seem to spring1 is not only full of historic interest1 but has a grandeur of effect in the interior which we shall seldom find equalled in ,brittany4 ,the original structure was a castle chapel1 built early in the sixteenth century1 but the present building does not present many special architectural features of interest1 excepting the remains of an ancient rood-loft and some stained glass4 ,the building has undergone several periods of restoration down to the present time1 when workmen are busy repairing its outer walls4 ,but the interior1 on ,sundays and fte days1 is a picture to be remembered1 and is especially full of human interest4 ,the nave is less obstructed with modern ornaments than usual1 and there is a quietness about the services which we do not find in larger towns4 ,there are the usual wooden cabinets set against the side wall with green curtains in place of doors2 in the centre compartment there is a dark object concealed1 and on one side the skirt of a woman's dress peeps from under the curtain2 it is only ,marie in a new gown telling some of her sins4 ,there are several women kneeling on chairs1 dressed in dark green or brown shawls1 stuff dresses1 and neat strong shoes2 all heads turn one way as we enter1 the old women1 especially1 scanning us from head to foot and mentally taking our measure as they pray4 ,here1 on this summer morning1 crowded with men1 women1 and children on their knees1 their figures just distinguishable in the subdued light1 the proportions of the lancet arches supported by clustering pillars1 and the stained-glass windows1 have a fine effect4 ,before leaving ,lamballe1 a sketch should be made1 from the valley1 of the church of ,notre ,dame1 with its surrounding houses1 walls and rocks in evening light4 ,the drawing1 if accurate1 will be considered exaggerated1 on account of the extraordinarily picturesque and commanding site4 ,the views from the terraces and old ramparts of ,lamballe form an almost complete panorama of the country round4 ,it is a view of rich cultivated land1 covered with crops of cereals1 and cattle grazing in the valleys4 ,over all this land the great bell of ,lamballe makes itself heard in company with the whistle of the locomotive which hurries travellers on to ,st4 ,brieuc1 a distance of twelve miles westward4 ,in ,,st4 ,,brieuc we find ourselves in a busy city of #ae1jjj inhabitants1 apparently too much occupied with trade and agriculture to think about beautifying their houses and streets4 ,there are many narrow1 irregular streets1 in which the old houses have been replaced by others generally modern and mean2 8une vraie ville de rentiers qui aurait besoin d'tre #8hausmannise4'0 ,there is a large square ,place for the military1 and a market-place near the cathedral1 where the old women congregate4 ,st4 ,brieuc1 as will be seen on the map1 is the principal town in the department2 it carries on a large export trade in the produce of the country1 especially in butter and vegetables1 for the ,english and ,european markets4 ,cattle are exported largely from ,lgu1 the actual port1 about two miles off1 in the centre of the bay of ,brieuc1 hidden from the town by intervening hills4 ,illustration ,in the country round and on the hills overlooking the sea1 there are men and women at work in the fields1 girls carrying milk on their heads from the neighbouring farms1 and others busy in the farmyards4 ,the buckwheat harvest has commenced1 and the fields are being robbed of their rich colour2 but the scene is bright with fresh green and yellow mustard1 and rich here and there with clover4 ,the sombre figures are the peasantry with their dark costumes4 ,here we feel inclined1 for the first time1 to stay and sketch1 wandering along the coast to the fishing villages on the western shore of the wide-spreading bay of ,st4 ,brieuc1 visiting the farms and homesteads1 and making studies of the interiors of dwellings4 ,the rough1 wasteful method of husbandry1 the old farmhouses with their one living-room with massive furniture and mud floors1 and the simple manners of the peasants1 remind us irresistibly of ,ireland1 whilst the names of people and places and the intonation of voices are altogether ,welsh4 ,illustration ,everyone is at work near ,st4 ,brieuc in the summer months1 every man1 woman1 and child1 in the fields1 on the roads1 or on the shore2 a bright1 quick-witted population1 accustomed to the inroads of strangers4 ,the inhabitants are superintended in their occupations by some officers of the line1 whose regiments are quartered near the town4 ,the soldiers are sprinkled over the streets1 and dot the hillsides with colour4 ,the rattle of drums and the smoke of innumerable bad cigars make a lasting impression in this city4 ,st4 ,brieuc1 or ,st4 ,brioc1 is the site of a very ancient bishopric1 whose chapter was loyal and powerful to the last4 ,its history is told best in the strength of its cathedral walls1 and especially in the ruins of the tower of ,cesson1 a castle once commanding the entrance to the bay and the approach to ,st4 ,brieuc from the sea4 ,there is little that is remarkable in the churches1 and1 unless it be some old overhanging houses near the cathedral1 little to sketch in the town that we shall not find of a better type elsewhere4 ,the business of nearly everyone at ,st4 ,brieuc is to prepare ox hides1 tallow1 hemp1 and flax1 to sell stores for the ships that fit out here for the ,newfoundland cod-fisheries1 and generally to provide the agricultural population with the necessaries of civilisation4 ,the town is as noisy as any ,french market-town where soldiers are quartered4 ,in the evening come the carts from the country1 and the clatter of sabots over the stones2 at sundown the regimental drums1 at midnight the evacuation of the cafs1 and the songs of warriors going to their rest2 at dawn a market generally begins under our windows4 ,when do these people find rest8 ,the answer comes laconically from the femme de chambre at our inn4 8,there is the winter for rest02 and there is the ,french saying1 applicable enough in this land of noises1 that we have 8l'ternit pour nous reposer40 ,illustration ,in the neighbourhood of ,st4 ,brieuc is a picturesque chteau1 part of which is shown in the sketch2 on the sky-line fringing the roof are metal figures of horses1 men1 and dogs1 typical of the chase4 ,there are modern innovations of high white houses1 factories1 steam ploughs1 plate-glass windows1 and smooth pavements to walk on1 and the majority of people one meets in ,st4 ,brieuc are dressed in modern fashion1 but there are odd corners1 and very odd old men and women in the by-streets4 ,there is an old woman who sits in the market-place surrounded by earthenware pots1 rather disconsolately1 for trade is bad2 but who1 facing the last rays of the setting sun1 unconsciously makes a picture which for colour is a delight to the eye2 a comfortable old woman in dark blue dress1 with dazzling white cap1 bronzed hands and wrinkled face1 all aglow under its snowy awning2 a background of brown and blue earthenware piled in straw1 a distance of dark shadows1 and half defined leaning eaves4 ,illustration ,st4 ,brieuc is much visited in the summer for sea bathing4 ,the large buildings near the sea1 surrounded by high walls and gardens1 are convents or seminaries1 where several hundred children are boarded and educated for about #bj a year4 ,in the summer the children give place to adult pensionnaires1 who come from all parts of ,france for the bathing season1 and the convents are turned into lodging-houses1 reaping a good harvest in spite of the apparently moderate terms of five or six francs a day4 ,these pensionnaires spread over the cliffs and sands like summer flies1 to be discerned sometimes in the distance as in the sketch4 ,illustration3 ,,winnowing ,,near ,,st4 ,,brieuc4 ,it is at a village on the cliff near ,fort ,rosalier that we first see men and women winnowing1 their arms extended in the breeze1 a bright and characteristic scene recorded exactly in the sketch2 a picture soon to vanish before patent winnowing-machines and other improvements4 ,mathurine1 one of the party--who has pinned a clean white band of linen over her flowing hair and under-cap1 and put on a dark brown embroidered shawl--takes the opportunity1 during the midday meal of potage1 to stand for her portrait4 ,illustration ,about midway between ,st4 ,brieuc and ,guingamp1 on the north side of the railway1 is the quiet little town of ,chtelaudren4 ,it is washed and watered by the ,leff1 the 8river of tears10 which1 coming from the mountains that we see to the south1 winds its way through rich valleys1 seaward4 ,in its course1 and in its time1 the ,leff has done much havoc in this peaceful valley1 inundating and destroying ,chtelaudren in #aggc1 and still occasionally overflowing its banks4 ,to-day it is to the angler a capital trout stream1 if he will follow its course southward to the mountains2 to the artistic eye it is a sparkling river of light1 set in a landscape of green and grey4 ,in the town of ,chtelaudren1 with its one wide and rather dreary-looking street1 there is not much to detain the visitor1 but it is a good starting-point from which to explore the country and the ,montagnes ,noires4 ,the land is thickly cultivated1 and well grown with crops almost down to the sea2 and on every side in this autumn time there are signs of industry4 ,from the fields we hear voices of women at work2 in the farmyards there is the dull thud of the flail and the burr of the winnowing-machine4 ,across the sloping fields from the sea come sounds of singing and laughter1 disconnected and weird sometimes1 from being caught up by the wind1 then dropped and taken up again4 99 99 99 99 99 ,eight miles from ,chtelaudren1 in a green valley watered by the river ,trieux1 is the quiet old town of ,,guingamp4 ,its past history1 like that of nearly every town in ,brittany1 has been so eventful that its present normal state may well be calm2 but once a year its inhabitants neither work nor repose4 ,in the month of ,september they hold their annual ,fte de ,st4 ,loup1 and pilgrims come from all parts of ,brittany by excursion trains to the famous 8,pardon0 of ,guingamp4 ,these religious festivals which are held once a year in nearly every town in ,brittany1 and are generally combined with dancing1 fireworks1 and other festivities1 are the occasion of a great gathering of the people from remote parts of the country2 excursion trains bring tourists and pilgrims from all parts of ,france1 and during the week of the fte it is difficult to find a resting-place in ,guingamp4 ,the three principal ,pardons are generally held at ,ste4 ,anne d',auray in ,morbihan1 in ,july1 at ,ste4 ,anne de la ,palue in ,finistre1 in ,august1 and at ,guingamp1 in ,september4 ,the ,pardon at ,guingamp is held on ,sunday and ,monday1 when processions are formed to the shrine of a saint a mile and a half outside the town1 indulgences are granted1 relics and crosses are distributed1 trinkets are blessed1 and sermons preached by the bishop of the diocese to the people assembled in the open air4 ,after the services there is a fte in the town1 of which the programme on the next page will give the best idea4 ,,programme ,,of ,,the ,f,,te ,,at ,,guingamp ,,at ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,the 8,,pardon40 ,illustration3 ,,ville ,,de ,,guingamp ,f,,te ,,de ,s,,tloup ,,programme ,,dimanche ,,et ,,lundi ,,matin1 ,,de ,,onze ,,heures ,,midi ,musique ,militaire sur la ,place du ,centre ,,deux ,,heures ,,apr,s ,,midi1 ,,chaque ,,jour ,d,,part ,,du ,,cort,,ge1 ,,musique ,,en ,t,,te1 ,,pour ,,saint-,,loup ,,six ,,heures ,,du ,,soir ,,retour1 ,,en ,,ville1 ,,des ,,danseurs ,,et ,,de ,,la ,,musique ,,les ,,deux ,,soirs1 ,,huit ,,heures1 ,,sur ,,la ,,place ,,du ,,centre ,,bal ,,grand ,,orchestre ,,brillante ,,illumination ,,la ,,fin ,,du ,,bal ,,embrasement ,,de ,,toute ,,la ,,place ,aux ,feux de ,bengale de diverses couleurs 7,effets de ,jour1 ,effets d',incendie7 ,,grande ,,retraite ,v,,nitienne ,,aux ,,pyramides ,,de ,,lanternes ,,et ,,feux ,,de ,,bengale ,illuminations et ,dcors1 par ,m4 ,kervella1 de ,rennes ,the religious aspect of these ,pardons1 and the gathering of the pilgrims1 is sketched in ,chapter ,,xii42 we will therefore speak of ,guingamp as it is seen every day4 ,whether it be from the interest attaching to the great annual fte1 or from reports of the miraculous cures that have been effected by the patron saint1 ,guingamp has always attracted travellers1 and has been written of in terms of rapture which may astonish a visitor when he sees it for the first time4 ,it is a town of not more than #hjjj inhabitants1 with one principal street1 which winds irregularly down like a stream1 spreading and overflowing its banks at one point1 in triangular fashion1 in what is called the market-place1 then narrowing again1 and working its way through a suburb of small houses into the great high-road to ,morlaix4 ,it has two monuments--the church of ,notre ,dame1 and a bronze fountain in the market-place4 ,the timbered houses are old1 and many of their gables lean2 the cobblestones in the streets are rough1 and the public square of dust1 with withering trees1 built on the old ramparts1 looks as dreary as any we shall see on our travels4 ,but it is surrounded by green landscape1 and the view from the walks on the ramparts1 seen through the tops of poplars1 is of a green valley with trees and grey roof-tops1 between which winds the river ,trieux1 slowly turning water-wheels4 ,illustration ,the church was built between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries1 and represents several styles of architecture--,romanesque1 ,gothic1 and ,renaissance4 ,it was originally founded as a castle chapel1 and part of the structure is as early as the thirteenth century4 ,it has three towers1 the centre one having a spire4 ,the interior is impressive1 on account of the simplicity of arrangement for services and the comparatively uninterrupted view of the nave and aisles2 an effect more like that on entering a cathedral in ,spain than in ,france4 ,illustration ,brittany is a land of lasting monuments2 and of its buildings it has been well said1 8ce que la ,normandie modelait dans le tuf1 la ,basse-,bretagne le ciselait en granit02 but remembering the magnificent churches we have seen in ,normandy1 we need not detain the reader long in ,notre ,dame de ,guingamp4 ,if we were asked by tourists if the church of ,notre ,dame at ,guingamp was worth going very far to see1 we should answer1 ,no4 ,it is only as a picture that it attracts us much4 ,we shall see finer buildings in other parts of ,brittany1 but nowhere a more characteristic assembly4 ,the most curious feature is a chapel forming the north porch1 which is open and close to the street1 lighted at night for services1 and separated only from the road by a grille4 ,this portail1 as it is called1 forms the chapel of ,notre ,dame de ,halgoet1 and is the sacred shrine to which all come at the fte of ,guingamp4 ,it is ornamented by rich stone carving and grotesque gurgoyles4 ,the people of ,guingamp love the chapel of ,notre ,dame de ,halgoet2 it is a retreat for them by day and by night1 a place of meeting for old and young1 with a perpetual beggars' mart at the door4 ,this north porch with its open grille is a house of call for rich and poor of both sexes1 and placed as it is in the centre of the town1 abutting upon the principal street1 it forms part of their everyday life to go in and out as they pass by4 ,it is one of the many welcome retreats in ,france2 in a land of perpetual noises and glare1 of shrill1 uncouth voices and latch-less doors1 it is the church that gives us peace and shade4 ,illustration ,in the centre of ,guingamp is its market-place1 and in the centre of the market-place is a fountain1 consisting of a circular granite basin with a wrought-iron railing4 ,there is a second basin of bronze1 supported by four sea-horses with conventional wings1 and a third by four naiads2 the central figure is the ,virgin1 her feet resting on a crescent4 ,this fountain was constructed by an ,italian artist1 and its waters played for the first time on the night of the annual ,pardon1 in #agde4 ,the history of ,guingamp is not complete without recounting the story of the construction of this fountain2 but regarded from a picturesque point of view1 the smooth green bronze with its ,renaissance ornamentation harmonises neither with the surrounding houses1 with their high-pitched roofs and pointed turrets1 nor with the towers of ,notre ,dame4 ,we are more interested with the living groups which furnish the wide market-place in the morning sun4 ,illustration ,a few yards from the cathedral1 on the opposite side of the street1 is the old ,htel de l',ouest1 where travellers are entertained in rather rough but bountiful fashion4 8,take a little trout or salmon1 caught this morning in the ,trieux1 a little beef1 a little mutton1 a little veal1 some tongue1 some omelettes1 some pheasant1 some fish salad1 some sweets1 some coffee1 and then--stir gently10 is the prescription for travellers who stay at the ,htel de l',ouest4 ,as this is an average hotel1 it may be worth while to state that the bill presented 7by the young lady in the sketch7 to three ,english travellers1 who spent a night and part of a day there1 was #ab fr4 #hj c4 ,excepting at the time of ftes1 ,guingamp is almost as quiet and primitive in its ways as in the days of the ,black ,prince4 ,our notes of days spent in this city in different years are the most uneventful in our records4 ,on one summer's morning we hear an unusual sound from the great bell of ,notre ,dame1 and find a procession of priests and choristers winding up the principal street1 followed by hundreds of the inhabitants4 ,what is the occasion8 8,the mother of the ,maire is dead2 she was a bountiful lady1 beloved by all1 and we are to bury her this morning40 ,and so the inhabitants turn out en masse1 and march with slow steps1 for about half a mile1 to the cemetery4 ,it is a dark1 silent stream of people1 filling the street1 and carrying everything slowly before it2 the only sounds being the chanting of the choir1 and the repetition of prayers4 ,we follow to the cemetery1 which is crowded with graves1 each headed by little iron or wooden crosses1 hung with immortelles4 ,the procession divides and disperses down the narrow paths1 a few only of the friends of the deceased standing near the grave4 ,illustration ,at one corner of the cemetery is a shabby little wooden building1 like a gardener's tool-house1 which seems to excite much interest4 ,a girl1 with shining bronzed face1 in a snow-white cap1 holding a little child by the hand1 is coming out of the door2 we venture to ask the reason of her visit4 8,just to see my father for a minute10 is the ready answer4 ,in a little wooden box1 about the size of a small dog kennel1 is her father's skull or chef1 as it is called2 he is tumbling over with his friends in other boxes exactly as in the sketch1 which1 rough as it is1 has the grim merit of accuracy4 ,the sight is a common one in ,brittany1 but it is startling and takes us by surprise at first1 to see at least fifty of these shabby boxes1 some on shelves in rows1 but generally piled up in disorder and neglect4 ,the lady who is being buried so solemnly this morning will some day be unearthed1 and her chef1 in a box duly labelled and decorated with immortelles1 will take its place in the ossuary of ,guingamp4 ,from the high ground near the cemetery1 and especially from a hill a little farther from the town in a north-easterly direction1 we obtain a good view of ,guingamp and of the country round4 ,there is a mound1 covered with smooth grass1 clumps of gorse1 and tall fir trees1 through which the wind moans on the calmest day2 a spot much favoured on summer evenings by the youth of ,guingamp4 ,looking round over the thickly wooded but rather sombre landscape1 and on the old grey roofs of the town1 one is a little at a loss to account for the rapturous descriptions which nearly all travellers give of ,guingamp4 ,on a fine summer's morning the landscape is seen to perfection2 but to tell the truth about it1 the scene is not very striking either for beauty or for colour4 ,guingamp has been described as 8a diamond set in emeralds10 and we read of its landscape 8riant10 and so on4 8,guingamp m'a pris le cur10 says another traveller2 but their interest is in the past1 they people it with memories1 and with the events of past years4 ,our business is with the present aspect of ,brittany1 and we are bound to record that ,guingamp1 excepting at the time of the ,pardon1 is a very ordinary place indeed4 ,the artist and the angler may linger in its valleys1 and make it headquarters for many an excursion4 ,if we might suggest one walk to them1 we should say-- ,go out of the town in a south-easterly direction1 following the course of the river ,trieux on its right bank for half an hour1 and you will come to a suburban village1 with a rough wooden cross 7like the one sketched on page #hi7 raised aloft in the centre of the street1 and the bright and trim new stone spire of a chapel conspicuous amongst its irregular roof-tops4 ,turn round to the right hand1 just by the cross1 and enter a large farmyard2 the women are busy winnowing1 not with hands upraised in the wind1 as we have seen them at ,st4 ,brieuc1 but twirling by hand a new patent blue-painted rotatory winnowing-machine with a burring sound1 in a cloud of choking dust4 ,they are storing their harvest in a large barn1 the remains of an ancient ,gothic church1 the abbey of ,ste4 ,croix1 with its choir window piled up with straw4 ,immediately in front are the farm buildings1 part of a round tower and a corner turret standing1 and much of the old woodwork and massive interior fittings is still preserved4 ,the garden reaches to the river1 where ancient and historic trout disregard the angler of to-day4 ,the farm and its surroundings are as picturesque as any painter could desire4 ,the inhabitants of this suburb have a real grievance2 they had lived for generations in familiar sight and sound of the cathedral of ,guingamp2 they saw its spire and towers at evening1 standing out sharp and clear against the western sky1 and were in feeling living almost in the town itself1 when suddenly the engineers of the 8,chemin de ,fer de l',ouest0 threw up a mountain of earth in their midst1 and shut out the town and the sunset light from them1 and from their children1 for evermore4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,lanleff--,,paimpol--,,lannion--,,perro s-,,guirec4 ,illustration ,twelve miles north-east of ,guingamp is ,lanleff--8the land of tears10 celebrated for one of the most curious architectural monuments in ,brittany1 the circular temple of ,lanleff4 ,leaving ,guingamp1 we pass through a solitary wooded country1 the undulating road soon rising high above the valley of the ,trieux4 ,the air is fresh and invigorating1 and the views from the summits of the hills extend over a wide range of land4 ,at ,gommenech we enter the valley of the ,leff that we passed at ,chtelaudren4 ,there is no prettier river1 or one that should more truly delight an artist's eye1 than the ,leff in its long1 winding journey from the mountains to the sea4 ,sheltered by woods1 shut in here and there by granite walls1 with ruins crowning the heights1 between green banks and through sloping fields1 it is one of those picturesque rivers which are peculiar to ,brittany of which we seldom hear mention1 but which many an ,english angler knows well4 ,the view of ,gommenech is to be remembered as we cross the valley on our way to the temple of ,lanleff2 the temple is in ruins1 and partially unroofed1 but enough remains of the original nave supported by pillars1 and its outer circle of aisles1 to give us a perfect idea of the structure1 which resembles closely and has1 doubtless1 the same origin as the round churches in ,england built by the ,crusaders on their return from the ,holy ,land4 ,the diameter of the church to the walls of the outer aisles is not more than #bj feet2 in the inner circle1 or nave1 the twelve arches are round and ,romanesque in style1 with rude carvings on the capitals4 ,a chancel was afterwards built into the original structure1 so that the unroofed walls of the temple formed1 as it were1 a vestibule to the parish church1 and in this circular open porch1 under the shadow of a yew-tree1 the congregations used to kneel4 ,but the people now assemble in the new parish church on the hillside1 and the temple is kept for show4 ,the 8holy well with its blood-stained stone0 is pointed out to visitors2 the pieces of oolite1 that encircle the well1 show shining red spots when wetted1 to mark the place where1 according to tradition1 8an avaricious priest received money from a father who sold his child to the ,evil ,one40 ,we listen to the story gravely1 and certainly no sign of doubt1 or of levity1 passes over the grave face of the ,breton woman who tells it2 we are in a land of historic monuments and traditions of the past1 and the people who live at ,lanleff are too wise even to smile at the interest travellers take in these things4 ,the story has been handed down from father to son1 from mother to daughter1 and is now passed on to tourists who can master a little of the ,breton tongue4 ,continuing our journey northward1 we soon arrive at the summit of a hill overlooking the bay of ,paimpol and the thickly wooded country round2 we have passed good country-houses on the route1 with flower-gardens skirted by hanging woods2 and as we approach ,paimpol1 there are houses scattered in sheltered bays1 with fishing and pleasure boats aground2 an old church surrounded closely by houses1 a little ,place1 a custom house1 a quay1 boatmen1 and fisherwomen2 but--where is the water8 ,it has retreated for more than a mile1 and the long bay or estuary and the port of ,paimpol are a desolate waste of mud4 ,paimpol is a small but busy fishing village1 much frequented in summer by the ,french for bathing4 ,it is not fashionable1 but the inns are comfortable1 and the country is full of attractions for the summer visitor4 ,the houses on the ,place and in the narrow streets are old and weather-worn2 some are dark and mysterious-looking1 and have that peculiar smuggling aspect with which we soon become familiar on this coast4 ,in a corner of the quiet churchyard of ,paimpol there reposes at full length1 in stone1 8,l',abb ,jean ,vincent ,moy10 many years cur of this place and honorary canon of ,st4 ,brieuc2 and round about him1 placed thickly in rows1 the former inhabitants of ,paimpol rest under black wooden crosses4 ,the cur is carved in dark green stone1 from which time has taken the sharpness of the chiselling2 but the expression is life-like1 representing him in the popular act of blessing4 ,there is a cup of holy water at his feet1 supplied by an old woman who kneels before the tomb on the damp ground4 ,it is her pious office to guard the tomb of her pastor1 and brush off the leaves which fall thickly from the grove of elms overhead4 ,they move slowly and die leisurely at ,paimpol2 this old woman's time is not yet1 for she 8has only eighty years40 ,in four newly made graves there repose ,eugnie1 ,marie1 ,mathilde1 and ,hortense1 and their respective ages are eighty-two1 eighty-four1 eighty-eight1 and eighty-nine6 ,at ,paimpol in summer every one seems to take life easily1 the ,french visitors driving about1 bathing1 boating1 and living perpetually in the fresh1 pure air2 the native inhabitants getting up boat-races1 and dancing the 8gavotte0 at night1 in streets lighted by paper lanterns in old ,breton fashion1 as we see sketched at ,chteauneuf du ,faou4 ,there is unusual brightness on this sombre1 storm-washed shore2 there is the dazzle of a crimson pennant1 and the flashing of a snow-white sail2 there are green banks1 in contrast to water of the deepest blue1 for in these little inlets of the sea the summer sun clothes everything with brightness in a moment4 ,perhaps we have seen ,paimpol en couleur de rose1 for there has been blue sky overhead nearly every day for a fortnight1 and the sun is so hot at midday that the market-women put up their red umbrellas1 and the men descend into cool cellars for shelter and refreshment4 ,there is a favourite walk1 of about a mile1 to a promontory on the south side of the port1 by a pathway skirting fields of corn and buckwheat1 which brings us to high ground and a shady plantation of firs1 where we lose sight of ,paimpol itself1 but obtain the best idea of the surrounding scenery4 ,we choose this walk a little before sunset on a day when there is a high tide4 ,at our feet1 on the left hand1 is a steep bank with tree-tops below1 their dark foliage contrasting with the blue of the water and the orange stems of weather-worn firs4 ,looking far away northward and eastward across the water1 dotted with white sails coming in with the tide1 the island rocks light up brilliantly in the setting sun4 ,the air is so clear seaward that we can distinguish little houses on the island which guards the port1 and on more distant rocks far out to sea1 all glittering in the sun4 ,turning southward1 to the real bay of ,paimpol1 which we cannot see from the town1 the opposite banks are in shadow1 and the foliage which reaches to the water's edge takes a rich purple tinge4 ,the outlines are soft and indistinct1 excepting on a tongue of land in the middle of the bay1 where in the midst of a garden of fruit-trees1 and surrounded by ivy-grown walls1 we can just trace the ,gothic lines of the abbey of ,,beauport4 ,it is a shaded walk of about a mile and a half from ,paimpol to ,beauport4 ,the road and the by-paths are shut in by high banks1 so that we come upon it rather suddenly1 looking down upon the ruins1 through the bare windows of which we can see the sea4 ,the ,gothic chapel is a complete ruin1 but part of the abbey building is in good preservation1 and inhabited4 ,one room is turned into a school-house1 and a great roofless hall1 once the refectory1 is used as a threshing-floor4 ,the romantic aspect of the ruins of ,beauport1 with its surrounding scenery1 has been described in every book on ,brittany1 and the view of it by moonlight over the bay of ,paimpol is as famous as that of 8fair ,melrose40 ,to this ancient abbey come pilgrims of the nineteenth century to study and wonder at the art of life shown by the monks of the thirteenth4 ,if ever there was a spot where nature and art seem combined for man's special enjoyment1 it must have been at ,beauport4 ,here the fruitful land meets the bountiful sea1 and there is no arid line of demarcation2 the corn waves at the water's edge1 and the flowers bloom and shed their leaves into the water4 ,the soil is rich1 and the air is soft1 and in this autumn time the harvest seems everywhere ready to man's hand--a harvest of fruit and grain on land1 a harvest of fish and rich seaweed spread at every tide upon the shore4 ,the abbey of ,beauport is considered by ,m4 ,merrime to be 8the most perfect example of the monastic architecture of the thirteenth century0--in fact1 the most important and beautiful ruin in ,brittany4 8,it lies ,deep-meadow'd1 happy1 fair with orchard-lawns ,and bowery hollows1 crown'd with summer sea40 ,as we wander round the gardens and through the avenues of trees that line the raised walks on the breakwater1 or under the shadow of high brick walls1 laden with old fruit-trees1 it is easy to realise in our minds the lives of its former occupants4 ,the picturesqueness of ,beauport1 especially the view1 from the eastern side1 of the chapter-house and other dwellings1 should attract artists4 ,this afternoon there is one large white umbrella planted firmly in the gravel of its deserted walks1 and one canvas spread with a green landscape in which old1 grey1 mullioned windows1 and the stems of weather-beaten trees1 form prominent features4 ,from ,paimpol to ,lannion is twenty miles by the road1 crossing the river ,trieux by a lofty suspension bridge at ,lzardrieux1 and halting at the ancient cathedral town of ,trguier by the way4 ,,tr,,guier1 as will be seen on the map1 is well situated for exploring the coast and for visiting a variety of places of interest in the neighbourhood2 and it is a town in which the artist and the antiquary would desire to stay4 ,the cathedral with its graceful spire1 8perce au jour10 and its old market-place1 with the streets leading from it1 form pictures more characteristic and interesting than anything we have seen in ,dinan or ,guingamp4 ,trguier1 which was one of the four original bishoprics of ,brittany1 abounds in historical associations4 ,everywhere we hear of 8,st4 ,ives10 or 8,st4 ,yves0 7the lawyers' patron saint71 who lived here in the thirteenth century1 and who is buried in the cathedral by the side of ,duke ,john ,v4 ,from ,trguier to the sea there is a wide estuary1 capable of floating1 at high tide1 vessels of large tonnage2 and it was here that the famous expedition against ,england by 8,constable ,clisson0 in the fourteenth century was to have embarked4 ,the shipbuilding which is carried on at ,trguier and the views on the banks of the estuary are not the least picturesque points to notice4 ,the cathedral is in a variety of styles2 it has a north porch of ,norman work1 and a square tower1 8the tower of ,hastings10 of the eleventh or twelfth century1 and some beautiful cloisters of the fifteenth4 ,it might be worth while to stay at ,trguier if only to examine and sketch the interior of an old ,breton farmhouse in the neighbourhood1 containing the bed of 8,st4 ,ives10 and other relics of the patron saint2 here too we are within easy reach of the remains of the castle of 8,la ,roche ,derrien10 with its fine views northward over the sea4 ,illustration ,it is near ,trguier that we make the discovery of a watering-place1 ,perros-,guirec1 where we can live in the height of the summer season for five francs a day1 and where it is difficult to spend more4 ,the bay of ,perros-,guirec is just sufficiently off the track of tourists to make it delightful in summer4 ,there are two small inns on the shore1 one at either extremity2 but the actual village of ,perros-,guirec is situated amongst the trees which crown the northern promontory of the bay2 there are a few summer-houses and gardens1 an old church1 and near it a convent1 where in ,july and ,august strangers may board for a small sum4 ,it seems hard to break up the peace of this retreat by printing a description of it1 but here1 we are bound to record1 is a spot where we can spend our summer days with the greatest delight4 ,we can live as we like1 dress as we like1 bathe in the water at our feet1 sit and sketch in the shade of woods1 through the branches of which we see the shining sea4 ,the air1 so fresh and bracing1 sweet with the breath of pines1 is more grateful in the hot summer months than at ,dinard or ,trouville1 and the sights and sounds are certainly more healthful and restful4 ,it is evening as we return from a walk by the sea north of ,perros-,guirec2 before us is a wide and beautiful bay1 extending for nearly half a mile in a noble curve of shore2 it is shut off from the land by sloping hills1 and bounded at either extremity by rocks4 ,the tide is nearly out1 and the sand is as pure1 smooth1 and untrodden1 as on ,robinson ,crusoe's island4 ,there are no projecting rocks or stones on this wide plain1 nothing to be seen on its surface but our long dark shadows and two little crabs1 behind their time1 making hard for the retreating water4 ,we cross the bay leisurely1 treading lightly on the carpet of sand1 and watching the sunset light on the rocks and on the little islands which make this coast such a terror to navigators4 ,they are smiling this evening in that roseate hue which storm-washed red granite rocks put forth on gala days1 and their purple reflections in the water are as deep and glowing as from the steep walls of the ,lago di ,garda under an ,october sun4 ,the two crabs soon disappear in the water1 but as we cross the bay1 two other little spots appear at some distance on the sand4 ,the sight is so unusual here that the thought of ,crusoe on his island occurs again1 and we approach cautiously4 ,the objects are larger and farther off than at first appeared1 in fact nearly a quarter of a mile2 they consist of two neat little bundles of clothing1 one of which appears to be a silk dress surmounted by a white straw hat6 ,there is nothing near them but sand1 no sign of human creature2 but1 presently looking seaward1 the mystery is explained by two heads appearing suddenly on the surface of the sea1 one with long hair floating from it4 ,we beat a retreat and learn afterwards that an evening walk in 8ce pays ici0 is often supplemented by an evening bath4 ,thus ,monsieur and ,madame1 strolling together on the sands1 make a diversion without ceremony or 8machines10 and without the slightest 8mauvaise honte40 ,a little to the north of ,perros-,guirec is the village of ,ploumanach1 almost built out into the sea4 ,it is a place to be visited above all others on this coast for its wildness1 and to see the hardy fishing population1 living amongst a loose mass of rocks1 nearly surrounded by water4 ,looking northward1 on a clear day1 we may see a group of islands that form1 as it were1 outworks of granite protecting the land from the waves that break upon this shore4 ,one of these islands1 the abode of innumerable wild-fowl1 is said1 with doubtful authority1 to be the ,island of ,avalon1 or ,avilion1 where ,king ,arthur was buried4 ,all round these rocky promontories the inhabitants live more on the sea than on the land2 they look to the sea for their harvest1 and glean on the shore rather than in the fields4 ,the children of this seafaring community1 when tired of the earth1 take to the water naturally1 and it is not an uncommon thing to see the mother of a family rush from her cottage1 lift up her skirts deftly1 and jump into the sea to the rescue4 ,the principal town in this neighbourhood is ,,lannion2 it is a natural commercial centre for the surrounding districts1 collecting and dispersing the produce of the sea and of the shore1 and busy also in providing and fitting out vessels for the mackerel-fisheries4 ,it is a busy town1 with a fixed population of about #gjjj1 but apparently with accommodation1 and occupation in the busy seasons of spring and autumn1 for a much larger number4 ,lannion dates from the twelfth century4 ,it is picturesquely situated on the steep slope of hills above the river ,guier4 ,the market-place in the centre of the town1 from which steep streets descend to the river1 is remarkable for its curious old houses1 but nearly all traces of local costume have vanished4 ,so1 too1 has vanished the antique tapestry representing the story of ,coriolanus1 and 8a staircase up which a regiment of grenadiers could march in double columns10 which used to be shown at the ,htel de l',europe4 ,in their stead we find plate-glass shop fronts1 good pavements1 and little children seated on dirty doorsteps dressed la parisienne4 ,on market-days the country people come in wearing their old costumes1 and a few well-to-do farmers and their wives1 who put up at the best inns1 are dressed in the old homely fashion of the ,bretons of the ,ctes-du-,nord4 ,illustration ,lannion1 at the time of writing1 may be said to be one of the outposts of ,french tourist civilisation in the ,ctes-du-,nord4 ,hither come in summer-time a few ,parisians1 and families from the interior1 for the bathing2 driving to and from ,perros-,guirec and other places on the coast daily1 but seldom actually staying on the seashore4 ,in their train come the latest fashions1 both in manners and in dress1 and it is here we may notice1 especially on ,sundays and ftes1 the strange contrasts in costume between the ,bretons and 8the ,french10 as the natives persist in calling their visitors4 ,it is on their way down to the ,jardin ,anglais one ,sunday morning that a gay ,parisian and his wife walk through the market-place and down one of the old steep streets2 behind them come nurse and bb1 all 8en grande toilette de l't40 ,the lady wears a white dress1 which trails over the cobblestones2 the gentleman is in brown holland1 with white shoes1 white tie1 and a new straw hat shaped like a ,prussian helmet and decorated with a crimson band2 the baby is decorated in as much of the fashion of the day as its size will permit2 the nurse1 the neatest of the party1 wears a spotless white cap and dark short dress4 ,an old dame1 seated at her doorstep1 taking a bountiful pinch of snuff1 emits a harsh sound1 more like 8,jah60 or 8,yah60 than the customary approving 8,jolie60 which comes so trippingly on every ,french tongue4 ,the ,breton woman1 in her old-fashioned gown1 black stockings1 and neat stout shoes1 who owns the house she lives in1 and perhaps half a dozen others1 regards the fashionable visitors with anything but pleasure1 and resists the advance of fashion into ,lannion as an evil almost equal to an inroad of ,prussians4 ,in ,lannion the most interesting buildings will be found in the neighbourhood of the ,grande ,place1 where some curious slated 8hoods10 and projecting roofs1 break up the perpendicular lines of the modern buildings2 enough remaining even now to account for the frequent descriptions of its picturesqueness4 ,the church of ,st4 ,jean1 with its high terrace overlooking the valley1 is interesting principally from its commanding position above the town4 ,from its terraces and between the stems of its dusty trees there is a pretty sight on ,sunday morning when the people crowd to the neighbouring church of ,brlvenez4 ,looking northwards across a deep ravine--through which a once clear1 rapid stream rushes full of soap into the river ,guier--we see that in course of time it has worn its way through rocks1 washed the slight covering of earth from the roots of trees that grow on its steep sides1 that it has been utilised to turn water-wheels1 dashing in and out of holes in wooden houses built over its banks4 ,it has 8washed0 for ,lannion for hundreds of years1 and every summer's evening down by the bridge1 the women1 old and young1 may be seen on their knees at work on wet boards4 ,on the opposite side of the ravine the houses rise one above the other in a series of steps to the church of ,brlvenez with its fine spire cresting the hill2 and it is up and down these steps that on ,sundays and fte days the people crowd in a dark procession all day4 ,the ascent is steep indeed1 and the young have to help the old to make the pilgrimage4 ,if we follow the crowd across the ravine and up this narrow way1 we find that it has been selected by suffering and poverty-stricken humanity as a public mart4 ,the path is so narrow and steep that there is no escape from the beggars that line the way4 ,in the churchyard at the top it is a pretty sight to see the country people meeting and chatting together under the trees1 standing in groups waiting for the service4 ,they are evidently accustomed to the beggars2 but it seems hard upon ,marie and ,mathilde1 coming on a summer's morning through the fields to church1 to have to run the gauntlet of so much misery and disease1 to have hideous deformities thrust upon their sight1 and curses hurled at them if they do not give4 ,a stranger is of course fair game--he is ,dives1 and ,lazarus is waiting for him at the gate2 but all are importuned alike1 and every hideous artifice is used to extract alms under the protection of the church4 ,the women and children push their way bravely1 slipping over the stone stiles modestly one by one1 their neat short skirts being suited to the work4 ,the air is fresh and sweet1 blowing through the churchyard2 but inside the church the crowd is great1 and the heat almost insufferable4 ,the beggars do not go in1 at least not many of them1 but they lie in wait and line the descent of this ladder of life1 sunning themselves in corners until the pilgrims pass down4 ,before leaving ,lannion1 a word should be said about the inn accommodation1 because it is exceptionally good4 ,they may be small matters to record in print1 but it will be useful to travellers to know that in ,lannion they will find at the principal inn the comforts of civilisation1 including an excellent cup of tea4 ,after a few days' stay at the ,htel de l',europe the illusion will be dispelled that in travelling in ,brittany1 away from railways1 it is necessary to 8rough it10 as the saying is4 ,in all the principal towns on our route the hotels will be found as good as in ,normandy and other parts of western ,france2 and throughout ,brittany we get abundance of good meat1 bread1 butter1 milk1 and wine4 ,at the ,htel de l',europe at ,lannion1 ,english families come to stay1 it being quieter and less crowded than ,dinan1 as well as a convenient centre for visiting some of the most interesting spots in ,brittany2 interesting to ,english people especially for their historical and romantic associations4 ,everyone makes a short stay at ,lannion1 in order to visit the thirteenth-century castle of ,tonqudec1 in a lovely valley about eight miles south of the town4 ,it is easy to reach it by taking one of the diligences on the road to ,guingamp to a point about five miles from ,lannion1 or by taking a carriage direct4 ,at the time of writing1 this castle is one of the best preserved specimens of military architecture in all ,france1 and it is to our mind one of the beauty spots in ,brittany4 ,time has covered its towers and walls with thick and luxuriant foliage1 graceful in line1 and altogether picturesque from its untrimmed aspect2 in autumn time it is as rich in colour as a pheasant's wing1 and the lines of the landscape which surround it are as varied as the waves of the sea4 ,the castle of ,tonqudec was one of the ancient strongholds of ,brittany2 the present structure is in great part the restoration of ,henry ,,iv41 and the ruin the work of ,cardinal ,richelieu2 time and ivy having done the rest4 ,it is rare to find1 as at ,tonqudec1 so 8complete a ruin10 if we may use the word1 showing the plan and structure of its different courts1 its fortifications1 and surrounding dwellings1 as used in the thirteenth century4 ,we must not dwell upon architectural details1 but we may mention the views that are to be obtained from its windows and towers1 the adjoining park and avenues of old trees1 and the lake with its ancient carp asleep under the banks1 who--according to the women in charge of the castle--8have lived so long that their tails are worn out06 ,at ,lannion and ,tonqudec we are on the border-land which divides the departments of the ,ctes-du-,nord and ,finistre4 ,the little river ,douron1 which takes its source in the ,monts d',arre1 and falls into a bay between ,plestin and ,lanmeur1 marks the boundary of the departments and also of the ancient bishoprics of ,trguier and ,st4 ,pol de ,lon4 ,there is a natural division between the two departments in the general aspect of the country and demeanour of the people4 ,from the hanging gardens of ,beauport and the sleepy orchards and cornfields which surround ,lannion and ,tonqudec we shall shortly pass to a wilder and sterner part of the coast1 dominated by the cathedral spires of ,st4 ,pol and ,le ,folgoet4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,v4 ,,carhaix--,,huelgoet4 ,illustration ,thus far we have spoken of the northern coast1 where the busy inhabitants of the ,ctes-du-,nord come most in contact with ,french traders1 and travellers of different nations4 ,let us now turn towards the mountains1 where the country is less fertile1 the people are more isolated1 and there is more character and local costume to be seen4 ,if we leave the ,western ,railway at ,guingamp or ,belle-,isle-en-,terre1 we may follow the course of the streams which take their rise in the ,monts d',arre1 and1 passing through ,callac1 reach ,carhaix the same evening4 ,we cross the purple mountains where the solitary shepherd in goat's-skin coat 7sketched on page #fh7 tends his flocks on poor pastures1 and where the1 almost equally solitary1 ,englishman is busy with a fly-rod4 ,at ,callac1 where comfortable quarters are to be obtained1 many ,englishmen stay for the fishing and shooting seasons2 the streams are well stocked with fish1 and there is little difficulty in getting permission for fishing4 ,the game laws are very strict in ,france1 as is well known2 the opening and closing of the shooting season varies every year1 the prefect deciding the day in ,september when shooting may begin4 ,the chasse courant1 which includes hunting the wolf and the wild-boar1 commences about a month later4 ,the seasons close at the end of ,january1 and whenever snow is on the ground4 ,altogether there is more attraction for the angler than for the sportsman in ,brittany1 and there is no better centre for the angler than ,callac4 ,the aspect of the people and their dwellings in this neighbourhood is more simple and primitive than we have yet seen2 and the features of the peasants are more strongly marked with the privations of generations4 ,it is the same dull round of life1 labour1 and hardship1 with a few gleams of sunshine in summer2 and a ,pardon and a blessing from the priest at the annual fte4 ,there is the same story everywhere4 8,we move slowly2 we do as our fathers did1 and live contentedly as they lived40 ,how did they live sixty years ago8 ,an ,englishman who spent some time in ,brittany in #ahah says of the peasants3--8,they are rude1 uncivilised1 simple1 and dirty in their habits2 they live literally like pigs1 lying upon the ground and eating chestnuts boiled in milk as their principal food4 ,their houses are generally built of mud1 without order or convenience1 and it is a common thing in ,brittany for men1 women1 children1 and animals to sleep together in the same apartment1 upon no resting-place but the earth covered with straw40#c ,this was written sixty years ago1 but the mud houses are before us1 and the description holds good to-day4 ,forty years later a writer in an ,english newspaper is sent to report upon the state of the agricultural labourer in ,brittany2 what does he find8 8,the ,breton peasant10 he says1#d 8is still isolated from the towns by his language4 ,he has kept himself apart1 and mistrusts the outer world4 ,his fare is black bread1 made of buckwheat1 or rye1 oats or barley1 boiled with milk4 ,if he have a change in his diet1 it is in the shape of potatoes4 ,his life is an unbroken monotony4 ,he never changes his manners1 his habits1 or his dress4 ,he is a stranger in the large towns1 where even his language is not understood1 save by a few people who deal with him4 ,he is as patient and quiet as a beast of burden2 his daily hard labour seems to subdue even his affections1 it leaves him no time for grief1 no hours for the indulgence of remorse1 no moment for despair40 ,footnote #c3 ,stothard's ,brittany1 #ahbj4 ,footnote #d3 ,blanchard ,jerrold's ,letters to the ,morning ,post1 #ahec-fj4 ,illustration ,twenty years later1 what do we find8 ,excepting in a few districts1 such as that near ,lannion1 where there is a considerable advance in agriculture1 and where the peasant's position is better1 we find the same figure wearing the same coat1 standing just where he did2 his life the same weary round of labour by day1 and rest in an old mud hovel at sundown4 ,the problem of a life of labour and monotony is yet unsolved2 he is just where he was in #ahej1 and where his father was in #ahbj4 ,the great ,chemin de ,fer de l',ouest1 that was to do so much for the owners of the land and the tillers of the fruitful soil of ,brittany1 which has been driven through the heart of the country1 with its enormous viaducts and its trains of cattle trucks2 which has thrown up embankments of earth that shut him off from the rest of the world1 appear to have done little good4 ,a train rushes past his patch of land several times a day1 and perhaps his priest is in it1 on his way to ,paris or ,rennes2 it no longer startles his children or his pigs1 for it has passed now for years2 but 8traffic10 or what is generally understood by the term1 scarcely exists1 and passengers1 excepting in summer1 are few and far between4 ,a step higher than the peasant1 and we find the farm people1 all working on in the old grooves1 and1 excepting in the matter of sending their children by train to be educated 7which to a certain extent is compulsory71 and in the gradual use of modern agricultural implements1 showing little signs of change4 ,nearly all the farms are worked on a small scale1 and with the least employment of capital4 8,thrift1 thrift60 is the watchword with them all2 early and late they labour1 man1 woman1 and child1 and year by year gain a little on the past2 a piece more land1 a few hundred francs put by2 but they live on in the same humble1 penurious way1 with little care or trouble about the outer world1 and knowing little of its movements4 ,their very charities are an investment by the teaching of their own church3 a sou is given to a beggar without grudging1 for shall it not be repaid8 ,thus on the one side we may contemplate a life of work and thrift1 which is admirable1 and a conservatism which keeps the soil in the hands of the labourer2 but on the other1 the view is of a race behindhand in civilisation1 wanting in knowledge and in sympathy with the rest of mankind4 ,illustration ,we descend the hills from ,callac1 following the course of the river ,aven to ,,carhaix1 the ancient capital of a province and the centre of a large agricultural district1 owing its present importance to its cattle fairs4 ,at ordinary times life is peaceful enough at ,carhaix2 in the principal square is the ,htel de la ,tour d',auvergne1 where visitors can live as comfortably as in any country town in ,france1 and where the days resemble one another very closely4 ,every afternoon the people sit and sun themselves in the principal square1 as in the sketch below1 and pigs lie down undisturbed in the middle of the street2 every evening the inhabitants walk under the trees on the dingy ,place1 with its avenues of limes1 where there is a fine view over the country1 and where is ,marochetti's bronze statue of ,la ,tour d',auvergne1 8le premier grenadier de ,france40 ,illustration ,between two and three o'clock in the afternoon there is the only communication with the outer world1 when1 with much cracking of whips and rattling over stones1 a crazy vehicle called 8the courier10 with its lame and battered horse1 covered with dust and foam1 comes lumbering in4 ,it brings a packet of newspapers1 chiefly local2 for ,carhaix cares little for the doings of the world beyond that of which it is the centre4 ,but we must now speak of the fair4 ,six roads converge upon ,carhaix1 and upon these roads1 and across the open land1 on a summer's morning1 comes a stream of horses1 cattle1 pigs1 and people4 ,it is the day of the cattle fair1 a day for meeting and marketing for all the country round2 a day of rejoicing1 bargaining1 and of cruelty to animals scarcely to be paralleled elsewhere2 the day and the place to see the ,breton farmers and cattle-dealers1 to study the costumes and the ways of the peasants from some of the most primitive districts of ,brittany4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,road ,,to ,,market4 ,it is only four o'clock in the morning1 but the sounds of shouting 7in strong ,breton tones1 which seem to ,englishmen a perpetual echo from the ,welsh hills71 the lowing of cattle1 the shrieking of pigs1 and the heavy thud of sabots resound upon the roads4 ,on the rising ground just outside ,carhaix1 on the western road1 we can see them through an avenue of trees coming across the country in narrow defile1 like the commissariat train of an army on the march2 the men leading cattle1 the women on horseback and on foot1 laden with provisions2 and others in holiday attire1 arriving in country carts4 ,illustration ,the sun shines full on the wrinkled faces of the men1 and on the white caps of the women1 and lights up the group with unwonted brilliancy2 even the sober costumes of the people with their blue and brown stuffs1 and the black1 and white and fawn-coloured1 cattle which they lead1 would1 if recorded faithfully by a painter1 stand out in high accents of colour against the low-toned land2 a rustic picture so fitful and vanishing that only the rapid artist1 who has presented ,brittany to us in these pages 7as it has never been pictured before71 could depict4 ,it is the sunny side of ,brittany in all its quaintness1 the pastoral aspect of life which those who dwell in cities seldom see4 ,there is nothing to mar the beauty of the morning1 for the noise of the market is as yet a distant sound1 mingled with the bells of ,carhaix for early mass2 there is nothing to suggest a change but the gathering of the clouds towards the west1 and the stout umbrellas and cloaks carried by the women4 ,illustration ,let us follow them1 later in the day1 to a large square where the fair is held1 and where there are wonderful sights and sounds2 under the trees a crowd of men and women1 in the dust and heat1 horses1 cattle1 and pigs1 in perpetual movement1 with much drinking and shouting at the booths which line one side of the enclosure4 ,there are a great many horses for sale1 which do not find buyers1 although the government agents are here from the neighbouring haras at ,callac1 and horse-dealers have come from all parts4 ,the cattle market is overstocked1 and the little black and white cattle1 a cross between ,alderneys and ,bretons1 go for very small sums to reluctant purchasers4 ,the pig market is more active1 as every ,breton peasant likes to possess a pig1 and the noises proceeding from this part of the square are deafening4 ,the gentleman farmer in blue blouse to keep off the dust is the portrait of a prominent figure moving amongst the crowd4 ,illustration3 ,,cattle ,,fair ,,at ,,carhaix4 ,illustration ,the meetings of the country people1 and the groups sitting under the trees to rest1 are as suggestive pictures as we have seen1 and the costumes are full of variety and interest2 the whole forms a scene of which the full-page sketch gives an accurate idea4 ,these markets are held several times a year1 and for a few hours disturb the quiet of the sleepy town of ,carhaix4 ,we could well stay at ,carhaix1 for the scenery is varied and interesting1 and there is much to observe in the farmhouses in the neighbourhood2 old furniture1 old carved bedsteads1 cabinets1 and clocks2 old brass-work1 old lace and embroideries4 ,pictures come to us at every turn1 pictures of domestic happiness and content1 only to be seen in byways far removed from cities and their troubles2 family groups1 in which our presence seems sometimes an intrusion4 ,brittany1 like ,spain1 is a country that should be travelled through cautiously2 the inhabitants live out of doors in summer-time1 and perform various domestic operations in the roads1 regardless of traffic4 ,turn a corner suddenly and you may come upon a scene of family discord1 or affection1 where you are of necessity de trop2 take a walk in the evening in the outskirts of a town1 and the mute aspect of the people1 one and all1 is that the road belongs to them1 that the dirt and the dunghills of the poorest are heirlooms which no invading sanitary inspector shall reform4 ,illustration ,in the farmhouses in the neighbourhood we shall often find but one living and sleeping room--kitchen1 sitting-room1 bedroom1 all in one2 the bedstead of carved oak1 the cupboards and chests with brass handles and bosses1 the copper cooking utensils bright and shining1 the floor at the same time being of bare earth4 ,there is often a dungheap outside1 and a shed for cows opening into the living room1 which is common alike to pigs1 fowls1 and children4 ,we see the women coming out of their dark1 unhealthy dwellings on fte-days1 looking bright and clean1 with old lace in their caps1 embroidered shawls1 and the neatest of shoes4 ,we see them thrashing corn and scattering the grain wastefully on the ground1 and farming on a small scale in primitive fashion4 ,but the ,bretons who live thus are nearly all prosperous and thrifty in their own way2 they own most of the land they farm1 paying rent1 for a portion perhaps1 at the rate of twenty or twenty-five francs an acre1 but adding to the extent of their ownership year by year4 ,nearly everyone we meet at ,carhaix is engaged in agriculture1 and the majority are well-to-do4 ,the land yields well1 and there is the ,canal de ,brest passing through the town to take the produce to the coast4 ,illustration3 ,,waiting ,,for ,,dinner1 ,,huelgoet4 ,turning northwards towards ,morlaix1 we pass through somewhat dreary scenery1 until we come to a gorge near ,huelgoet1 which1 with its rocks and rushing streams1 will remind us of ,switzerland2 here are some ancient lead and silver mines1 which were a source of considerable wealth in the fifteenth century4 ,there is a silent and deserted air about the streets of ,huelgoet1 seldom disturbed by the sound of wheels2 at the inn where we rest our dinner is cooked in the salle manger at the open fireplace1 and from the manner of the people it is evident strangers are rare1 even in summer4 ,we are asked by the taciturn landlord to take up our abode here 8for the sake of the fishing10 and a book is shown containing the names of visitors who have staid at the inn4 ,the road between ,huelgoet and ,morlaix1 passing over a spur of the ,monts d',arre1 is again wild and desolate2 we see flocks scattered over barren pastures1 and men and women at work on open ground far away from habitations4 ,it is a suggestive part of ,brittany for the landscape painter1 a dark lonely land of rugged outline1 full of poetry and mystery4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,morlaix--,,st4 ,,pol--,,lesneven--,,le ,,folgoet4 ,illustration ,from the quiet of ,carhaix and the solemn landscape which surrounds ,huelgoet to the bustle of ,morlaix1 only sixteen miles to the north1 seems a rapid transition4 ,if we arrive at ,morlaix by railway1 we cross a lofty viaduct over a deep ravine1 and1 far below1 see clusters of grey roofs1 white houses1 rocks and trees1 church towers1 and factory chimneys4 ,descending to the town1 we find ourselves in the centre of more commercial activity than we have seen since leaving ,st4 ,malo4 ,morlaix is a prosperous town1 containing about #ae1jjj inhabitants1 busily engaged in trade4 ,it is built at the confluence of two streams1 the ,jarlot and the ,queffleut1 which meet in the centre of the city1 and 7arched over for some distance in their course7 wind down the valley to the sea1 six miles away4 ,on either side of this canal-like stream are quays1 and rows of houses1 old and new1 strangely intermixed4 ,the commercial traveller1 the shipper of native products1 and the importer of foreign goods is ever busy at ,morlaix4 ,but its aspect is still essentially old2 its outward characteristics are primitive3 weather-worn gables with carved beams1 steep streets and rough pavements with open gutters1 and1 in the centre of the city1 a dingy river1 with washerwomen on its banks4 ,the sketch gives an exact idea of the scene as enacted every day in the principal street2 but the old architecture of ,morlaix is best indicated on page #gb4 ,a few demolitions take place every year1 but1 visiting ,morlaix for the third time in #ahgh1 we find the most interesting buildings standing and leaning against each other as of old4 ,tradition is strong in this city1 and many new shops preserve over their doors their old signs1 the ancient insignia of the trades of the merchants of ,morlaix4 ,some are grotesque figures carved in wood1 painted and gilt2 there is one little figure1 for instance1 at the corner of the ,rue ,notre ,dame1 8,au ,sommeur ,breton10 in cocked hat and curled wig1 which carries us back in imagination several centuries4 ,illustration ,in the 8,rue des ,nobles10 where the high-pitched roofs and overhanging eaves nearly meet across the street1 we may see the actual dwellings of the nobles of ,brittany in the fifteenth century1 whilst above on the steep hillsides1 and all around1 are the modern1 meaner1 and more healthy dwellings of the traders of the nineteenth4 ,the approach to ,morlaix by water in the old days1 when at the last turn of the river the pointed gables and towers came into view1 must have been very picturesque4 ,its aspect in #aeje1 when the nobles received the ,queen-,duchess ,anne on her pilgrimage through ,brittany1 and later--when ,mary ,queen of ,scots landed here on her way to ,paris to espouse the ,dauphin in #aedh--we may picture to ourselves1 with some regret1 as we walk down the new wide ,rue de ,brest1 and see above us the great railway viaduct4 ,it is a strange medley of grey roofs1 trees1 rocks1 towers1 factory chimneys1 quays lined with stores1 precipitous streets1 tottering dwellings1 and defaced churches 7one turned into a granary71 arched over by the modern railway viaduct1 from the view of which there is no escape1 but which1 from its very height and solidity1 has a certain grandeur of effect4 ,but the old is quite overwhelmed by the new1 and even the steep hillsides seem dwarfed by the giant proportions of the viaduct4 ,there is not only more movement1 but there is more colour in ,morlaix1 than we are accustomed to in ,brittany2 down on the quay1 for instance1 there are red sashes1 and clothing of bright ,oriental hues1 drying in the wind2 and there is a certain ,eastern air about the open shops in the old quarters which tells of distant commerce4 ,but the present prosperity of ,morlaix is in its tobacco manufactories1 in its trade in butter1 grain1 fruit1 c41 and in its position as the natural place of export for the products of a fruitful part of ,brittany4 ,it is well to stay at ,morlaix to make sketches of some of the lofty interiors with their carved staircases1 some of which are quite unique2 and it is well to see it on ,sundays1 for nowhere shall we see pleasanter faces or a happier and brighter-looking population4 ,on market mornings the country people crowd the ,place1 and1 in the morning and in the evening1 five or six hundred factory hands1 men and women1 pass up and down the ,rue de ,brest4 ,it is a familiar sight1 but the neat caps and dark homely attire of the women are again delightful to see4 ,the brightness1 style1 and vivacity1 of the women of ,morlaix leave a distinct impression on the mind4 ,illustration ,in the neighbourhood1 in the direction of ,brest1 are two of the most famous calvaries and churches of the ,renaissance1 ,st4 ,thgonnec and ,guimiliau4 ,it is half an hour's journey by train to the little deserted station of ,st4 ,thgonnec1 on the railway to ,brest1 and a mile to the north is the village4 ,there is no one at the station but the station-master1 and no communication with the village of ,st4 ,thgonnec excepting by a covered cart1 which meets the morning train4 ,the fine church1 which stands in the midst of a straggling village of dilapidated houses1 pigsties1 and dirt1 is rich in sculpture and gilding in the style of the ,renaissance2 on the high-altar1 on the pulpit1 and in the side chapels are elaborate carvings1 much overdone with gilding and restoration1 but grand in general effect4 ,in the churchyard all is grey1 sad-looking1 and dilapidated2 the ancient calvary1 erected in #afaj in dark ,kersanton stone1 is injured and time-stained2 the quaint figures1 elaborately carved1 representing passages in the history of ,christ 7dressed in ruffs and gowns of the sixteenth century71 are roughly propped up and stuck together1 for the benefit of pilgrims who come to the shrine4 ,the calvary of ,st4 ,thgonnec1 like most others in ,brittany1 depicts scenes in the life and ,passion of ,christ4 ,in the centre is a group of three crosses1 representing the scene of the ,crucifixion1 with figures of the centurion and soldiers1 angels1 and the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john1 and on either side are the two thieves4 ,below1 round the base of the structure1 are figures in ,breton costume1 representing the judgment of ,pilate1 ,christ bearing the cross1 the ,entombment1 and the ,resurrection4 ,some of the figures are remarkable for animation1 and1 in spite of the state of the monument1 appeal more powerfully to the imagination than a group of coloured life-size figures representing the ,entombment which is shewn to visitors in the crypt4#e ,footnote #e3 ,for a sketch of one of the calvaries1 see page #ia4 ,the church and calvary of ,guimiliau is in a quiet village a few miles to the south-west1 a short drive from ,st4 ,thgonnec1 crossing the railway4 ,the church dates from the ,renaissance1 and is rich in carving and decoration2 the interior is loaded with ornament1 the eastern end being a mass of crude colours and florid decoration4 ,in the south porch is some elaborate carving1 and in the organ loft are some bas-reliefs on the oak panels4 ,there is a baptistry of carved oak1 consisting of a canopy with allegorical figures1 supported on eight spiral pillars1 around which are twisted vine leaves1 fruit1 flowers1 and birds4 ,the pulpit1 dated #afgg1 is also a remarkable work of art4 ,but in the churchyard1 time-stained and crumbling to decay as usual1 is the great object of our visit1 a solid stone structure raised upon arches1 upon which is a crowd of little carved figures in the costume of the sixteenth century1 representing the various scenes of the ,passion4 ,there are saints in the niches at the corners1 and high above is a crucifix1 with the figures of ,mary and ,st4 ,john on either side4 ,this monument dates from #aehj1 but many of the figures have been restored at a later date4 ,altogether the calvaries of ,st4 ,thgonnec and ,guimiliau1 whether regarded from a picturesque or antiquarian point of view1 are the most interesting monuments we have yet seen2 interesting in their very loneliness1 the object of so much thought and labour in the middle ages1 left thus neglected and in ruin4 ,the calvaries of ,brittany seem little cared for1 excepting as curiosities2 but once a year1 at ,easter time1 there are religious ceremonies connected with them1 when special services are performed1 and the various scenes depicted on the monuments are explained to the people4 ,then is the time to visit ,st4 ,thgonnec and ,guimiliau1 when the people are seen gathered round the sculptured crosses1 in the same costumes and in the same attitude of faith as their forefathers4 ,from the time we left ,st4 ,thgonnec station until our return in the evening1 after visiting these two calvaries1 we have seen few people in the fields or on the roads4 ,the busy city of ,morlaix absorbs all available hands1 and leaves the country towns almost deserted4 ,when the railway was advanced at an enormous cost through a difficult country to the port of ,brest1 it was thought1 naturally enough1 that it would open up traffic en route2 but here at ,st4 ,thgonnec no one comes4 8,i live10 says the station-master1 8in a vast solitude1 the monotony of which is only broken by the passing of five or six trains a day2 scarcely any one comes near me2 a stray tourist or two in the summer1 and an occasional visit from a wolf in winter1 one of which has killed my favourite dog40 ,this station-master1 whose daughter was being educated at ,morlaix1 kept a brood of turkeys for distraction2 but it was 8a lonely life10 as he said1 a solitude the more keenly felt because he was connected by a telegraph wire with the headquarters of the administration of the ,chemin de ,fer de l',ouest4 8,it was solitude without peace1 for at any moment1 day or night1 the bell might ring40 ,it is difficult to realise that this is on the main line of railway between ,paris and ,brest6 ,illustration3 ,,potato-,,getting ,,near ,,st4 ,,pol ,,de ,l,,on4 ,there is no stranger or more suggestive contrast for the traveller in ,brittany than to leave ,morlaix on a summer's morning and drive twelve miles in a north-westerly direction to ,st4 ,pol de ,lon4 ,it takes only three hours1 but in that short journey we pass1 as it were1 from life to death1 from the commercial activity of to-day to a stillness which belongs to the past4 ,the passage is from wharves and warehouses1 from crowded factories and the shrieking of steam1 to open country1 hill and dale1 to the sea4 ,in ,morlaix the monuments are to commerce1 in ,st4 ,pol de ,lon to the church2 in ,morlaix there is activity and a certain amount of civilisation1 in ,st4 ,pol de ,lon1 by contrast1 there is stillness1 poverty1 and degradation4 ,our last view of ,morlaix is of a stupendous railway viaduct1 of comfortable villas and trim gardens2 our first view of ,st4 ,pol de ,lon across the open land is of three noble church spires standing out sharply against the sky4 ,ancient stone crosses and images of saints in glass cases are passed as usual on the roadside1 before we approach ,lon1 8the ,holy ,city10 which five centuries ago1 when ,morlaix was unknown1 was an important bishopric and the centre of great ecclesiastical wealth4 ,to-day its aspect is poor and dreary1 even in sunshine2 grey and cold in colour1 and generally dirty4 ,but the cathedral with its spires and the tower of the church of ,notre ,dame de ,creizker 7nearly #djj feet high7 are the absorbing points of interest1 the reason of our journey to ,st4 ,pol4 ,the inhabitants1 numbering about #gjjj1 are principally agricultural1 or are employed at the port2 fishermen and knitting women1 reserved and dignified in manner1 living rough homely lives1 disdaining many of the modern ways of ,morlaix1 but having a keen eye to commerce1 which they carry on actively with far-away places1 including ,norway and ,greenland4 ,illustration ,as we saunter up the rough1 ill-paved streets of the cathedral square1 the men come out of the cafs and dbits de tabac1 and give us a rough but not unkindly greeting1 as in the sketch4 ,the principal occupation of our three friends is to cultivate potatoes1 cabbages1 onions1 asparagus1 and other vegetables for foreign markets2 for this part of ,brittany forms one vast market-garden1 whence the cities of ,western ,europe are supplied4 ,the inhabitants who live in the cathedral square have grown up in perpetual wonderment 7expressed in their faces7 at the summer procession of pilgrims to ,st4 ,pol de ,lon2 pilgrims in strange costumes1 who dispense sous to their children1 inquire for the keys of the tower of the ,creizker1 and then mount several hundred feet above them in the wind4 ,illustration ,the cathedral dedicated to ,st4 ,pol is a fine example of early ,gothic architecture1 noble in proportions1 rich in carving and sombre in colour1 the dark green ,kersanton stone giving a fine effect to the interior1 in which some white-robed nuns are generally to be seen on their knees4 ,the nave is thirteenth-century work1 there is some florid carving on the south porch1 and a fine rose window2 above are two towers1 with lofty lancet windows1 and spires which remind us of churches in ,normandy4 ,but the spire of ,notre ,dame de ,creizker--literally1 8,our ,lady of the ,middle ,town0--which is higher than the cathedral towers1 is the most interesting object in ,st4 ,pol2 the central point round which the lives of the ,lonnais radiate1 a landmark seen far and wide by land and sea4 ,this spire1 built in the fourteenth century1 in the reign of ,john ,,iv41 ,duke of ,brittany1 is supposed to be the work of an ,english architect4 ,the tower is of granite1 richly ornamented with a projecting cornice1 and its spire is pierced through to the sky4 ,the beauty and magnificence of the churches of ,st4 ,pol de ,lon are out of all proportion to the present importance--or unimportance--of the place4 ,the inhabitants have little sympathy with the art of the sixteenth century1 or with the ,druidical remains they find in their fields1 but they welcome travellers gladly in the nineteenth4 ,it is a wide plain round about ,st4 ,pol1 from which the ,gothic spires seem to reach to heaven1 and where a human figure1 standing in a field1 points upwards with strange emphasis against the sky2 a district peopled by classic-looking market gardeners1 whose children walk in groves of cabbages five feet high1 and play at hide and seek in their shadows4 ,illustration3 ,,gurgoyle ,,at ,,roscoff4 ,three miles north of ,st4 ,pol is the little sea-port of ,roscoff1 historically interesting as the landing-place of the child princess ,mary ,queen of ,scots1 who passed through ,roscoff on her way to ,nantes in #aedh4 ,there are the ruins of a chapel founded by her1 still standing on the seashore2 in the church1 with its open belfry tower1 are some curious alabaster reliefs2 and in the neighbourhood1 in a convent garden1 is a gigantic fig-tree1 said to be two centuries old4 ,roscoff is now used as a bathing-place1 and there is a constant passing to and fro in summer between this port and a little island three miles farther north1 the le de ,batz1 where a hardy population of fishermen and women ply their dangerous trade1 with hardly any communication with the shore in winter4 ,it is almost worth while to cross to the le de ,batz to see the 8,druidesses10 as the women of the island are called1 assembling on ,sundays in their island church2 and it might be worth while for a painter to make a longer stay in this neighbourhood1 to make studies 7if only for colour7 of some of the curious figures to be seen in such out-of-the-way corners as ,roscoff4 ,here is one of an old man with long hair and semi-nautical aspect1 who sits in the evening on a stone seat in front of the cottage which he owns1 facing the sea2 a poor man to outward appearance1 but an owner of the soil2 his face is screwed and weather-worn1 his clothes are patched in various shades of brown2 his blouse is of a dark and greasy tinge2 his working life has been spent in the fields or down at the port1 but his final cause is undoubtedly to smoke2 he has coloured by degrees1 like a good old pipe1 and his sabots have caught the true meerschaum tinge2 he has smouldered at ,roscoff for many years1 and seems ready for burning1 stacked against the wall like the fagots collected for winter fires4 ,there is no difficulty in making a sketch1 for this rich-toned 8owner of the soil0 of ,finistre has a perfect contempt for strangers1 and is as immovable as the gurgoyle sketched on the preceding page4 ,illustration ,let us now turn westward in the direction of ,lesneven and ,le ,folgoet1 to see one of the finest churches in ,finistre4 ,there are two roads to ,lesneven1 of which we would recommend the traveller to take the one to the north1 near the sea4 ,the country is for the most part dreary in aspect1 but there are some curious wayside crosses on the route4 ,there are a few fields of buckwheat1 corn1 and rye1 banked up by high hedges1 and skirted by pollard trees4 ,it is one of those drives which should be taken leisurely by the antiquary or the archologist2 a route where there is little to remind us of the present1 and much to bring before us the habits of the past4 ,every monument we pass on the road1 every hovel at the roadside1 and nearly every peasant in the fields1 is of the pattern of a past age4 ,illustration ,as we skirt these quiet shores of northern ,finistre1 we may listen for a moment to a story just five hundred years old1 a story that every ,breton peasant that we pass on the road knows by heart3 how a poor idiot named ,salaun1 who lived in the neighbourhood of ,lesneven for forty years1 and begged for his bread in the name of the ,virgin1 uttering only the words1 8,ave ,maria10 was found dead by a fountain and buried on the spot2 how a white lily grew upon his grave1 with the words1 8,ave ,maria10 inscribed upon the leaves2 and how ,john of ,blois1 then fighting for the dukedom of ,brittany1 hearing of the 8miracle10 vowed that1 if successful in battle1 he would erect a church to ,notre ,dame de ,folgoet1 i4e4 8,fool of the ,wood40 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,le ,,folgoet4 ,the church was completed by his son1 ,john ,v41 about #adbj4 ,it was built like most of the churches and monuments of ,finistre1 of the dark ,kersanton stone found near ,st4 ,pol de ,lon1 and at the village of ,kersanton1 near ,brest4 ,the church consists of a lofty nave and aisles under one roof1 with a long projecting transept on the south side4 ,the great beauty of the church is in its carving1 that on the south porch being perhaps the finest4 ,the great west door1 now falling into ruin1 is elaborately ornamented with wreaths of the vine and other devices1 and above it is a bas-relief representing the ,nativity and the ,adoration of the ,shepherds4 ,in the beautiful south porch1 which is supposed to have been added by the ,queen-,duchess ,anne1 are the arms of ,brittany and figures of the twelve apostles in niches1 and round its roof are traces of a richly carved parapet4 ,in the interior there are five altars1 with carved figures of angels1 birds1 and flowers2 and on the rood-loft1 between the choir and nave1 supported upon elaborately carved pillars1 is some open tracery cut in stone1 in good preservation4 ,there is a fine rose window1 as at ,st4 ,pol de ,lon4 ,the spring1 or ,fool's ,well1 is under the high-altar1 and the water flows into a basin outside the church4 ,it is here that the sick and needy come and kneel before a statue of ,our ,lady set in a ,gothic niche1 and bathe their limbs in the water of the miraculous well2 a retired spot1 where1 at all hours of the day1 peasants are to be found on their knees in prayer4 ,we have given but slight descriptions of the churches of ,st4 ,pol de ,lon and ,le ,folgoet1 but enough to indicate that here at least the traveller will be rewarded for going out of the beaten track1 and that in ,brittany1 owing to the wonderful durability of the ,kersanton stone1 we can still see the handwork and judge of the skill of the sculptors of the fourteenth century4 ,the church of ,le ,folgoet stands1 as guide-books tell us1 on 8a silent spot1 unvisited save on certain festivals1 and removed a mile and a half from any town40 ,we find it the centre of a tumult impossible to describe4 ,there is a large horse-fair being held1 which has collected a crowd almost equal to that at ,carhaix2 but here there is more variety in the costume of the men1 the red ,phrygian caps and sashes lighting up the crowd with unusual colour4 ,it is a scene strangely in contrast with the quiet of the cathedral1 where under its cool arcades men are kneeling1 whip in hand2 they have come to pray for a special blessing from ,st4 ,cornly1 the patron saint of cattle4 ,the men1 in light canvas trousers and blue jerseys1 standing on the left in the picture of the fair1 are horse dealers and agents for the government1 who attend every cattle fair and market throughout the country4 ,the men on the right1 watching a horse being trotted out1 are thoroughly characteristic figures1 portraits of well-to-do ,breton farmers and dealers4 ,the boy on the horse is a good example of the ,breton gamin1 or hanger-on at fairs1 who trots out the horses with untiring energy1 and with a freedom and grace of limb delightful to behold4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,horse ,,fair ,,at ,,le ,,folgoet4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,brest--,,plougastel--,,ch,,teauneuf ,,du ,,faou4 ,illustration ,at ,landerneau we are once more on the high-road to ,brest4 ,we have left for a time the dreary wind-blown promontories of the coast1 and find shelter in a pleasant valley1 surrounded by trees and gardens1 and watered by a river which opens out westward into the bay of ,brest4 ,the railway from ,landerneau to ,brest is carried for the most part at a high level1 and from the windows on the left hand we obtain beautiful views of the scenery of the bay4 ,below we can see the stores of timber for naval use1 and are otherwise reminded of our approach to a sea-port by the company which collect at the small stations en route4 ,in the crowded carriage are old weather-beaten fishermen and countrywomen with market baskets1 and1 in one corner1 two boys with fair fresh faces1 set in wide straw hats1 bearing upon them the inscriptions of ,vulcan and ,vengeance4 ,brest is a naval station of such importance that even travellers in search of the picturesque should not pass it by without a short visit2 the arsenal1 docks1 and harbour are on a scale of completeness second only to ,cherbourg2 moreover1 ,brest is the most convenient point from which to visit other parts of the coast of ,finistre1 especially the fishing village of ,le ,conquet1 the abbey of ,st4 ,mathieu on the extreme western point of ,brittany1 and the island of ,oussant4 ,brest is situated on an elevated position on the north side of one of the finest natural harbours in the world1 commanding good views from its ramparts and promenades4 ,the population is about #gj1jjj1 exclusive of soldiers and sailors2 a busy cosmopolitan maritime city1 in which there is little of the ,breton character to be studied4 ,illustration ,in order to realise the beauty of the inland bay of ,brest1 we must look down again from our imaginary ballon captif1 and see its blue waters1 green banks and woods coming down to the water's edge2 the country dotted with white villas and little wooden chlets belonging to the wealthy traders of ,brest1 and here and there the sombre avenues of a chteau with grey1 high-pitched roofs and pointed turrets peeping through the trees4 ,across this inland sea1 traversed by little steamers and dotted with white sails--raised high upon the heath-clad hills which form the western spur of the ,monts d',arre--is the little town of ,plougastel4 ,it is too late to cross the bay on the occasion of our visit to ,plougastel1 and so we take the last train to ,kerhuon station1 where there is a ferry4 ,a vessel has just been paid off at ,brest1 and in the railway carriage are several sailors on their way home4 ,one of them gets out with us at ,kerhuon1 and we go down together to the river4 ,by some mischance the ferry-boat is missing1 and all is darkness at the little boathouse4 ,the young sailor1 ready at expedients1 puts down his pack1 collects some furze1 and lights a fire as a signal4 ,we sit and wait and shout at intervals1 burning the fuel until just about midnight1 when we hear the plash of oars1 and a dark object glides past2 it is a fishing-boat with one mast1 with three men in the stern1 and two women rowing4 ,after a little parleying they agree to take us across for thirty centimes each1 and the women turn the boat round1 running it heavily against the stones of the causeway4 ,we get in quickly and stand in the bows1 whilst we silently cross the ,landerneau river4 ,it is a strange1 mysterious boat-load2 not a word is uttered1 there is no sound but the heavy plodding and working of the oars1 and the night is so dark we cannot see the faces of the men or the nature of the packages that weigh down the stern4 ,the moon1 rising through the clouds1 just illumines the darkness as we near the shore2 it shines on the smooth1 wet mast1 on the waterproof hat of the marine standing up in the boat1 and reveals close to us the strong1 stout arms of a girl1 bared to the shoulder1 her head concealed in a dark1 tight-fitting headdress1 with lappets like an ,egyptian sphynx2 the head is raised for a moment1 and eyes are turned upon us as we leave1 but no word is uttered1 scarcely a 8,bon soir60 as the boat drifts away into the night4 ,the moon shines as we ascend the hill--winding up a path between great rocks and under the shadow of stunted trees1 to ,plougastel--revealing a poor-looking town of plain stone houses1 silent and deserted at this midnight hour4 ,at a corner of two streets our companion points out the inn and takes leave1 having to go to his home at the further end of the town4 ,we knock for admittance1 but without avail2 heads are put out of various windows1 but the answer is that every house is crowded1 for 8to-morrow is the fte02 and1 truth to tell1 curses are heaped upon the strangers for disturbing the dogs1 who begin to howl as they trot by on their midnight errands4 ,there is nothing to be done until daybreak1 and so the night is spent in the open air4 ,we have come to ,plougastel to see the people1 and also its famous calvary1 which stands in the middle of a desolate churchyard strewn with newly cut stone4 ,as the day begins to dawn1 we make our way to the church1 and to the spot where we can just discern the calvary1 with its carved figures standing darkly against the sky4 ,there is a flutter at our approach1 for birds have been nestling behind the headless horsemen1 and sheltering in the nooks and corners of the ancient pile4 ,we leave them to silence a little longer1 and stroll out to the highest ground to see the sun rise4 ,soon there is a streak of light from the east1 which gives shape and outline to the church tower and the grey roofs of ,plougastel1 and1 as we reach the high ground outside the town1 the landscape southward is lighting in the morning sun2 we see cultivated valleys and parklike views1 with pleasant green slopes leading down to the sea4 ,but beautiful as is the foreground1 with its undulating green1 interspersed with granite boulders1 with dew upon gossamer webs and little clouds of vapour stealing between clumps of grass1 the view across the bay1 where the distant headlands 7indicated on the map overleaf7 take a pearly tinge1 is the best sight of all4 ,a little northward and westward are the masts1 chimneys1 and church spires1 and the smoke and steam1 of ,brest1 for the morning is breaking over a busy scene at the arsenal and dockyards2 but here1 as the sun shines out1 the sound in the long grass are of grasshoppers1 birds1 and bees4 ,it is the morning of the fte2 the thrush clears his throat1 and so do the peasants in their own way1 as they come slowly up the hill4 ,let us leave the view and go into the streets of ,plougastel1 which are already alive with people1 some of whom might be the descendants of ,eastern races1 wearing ,egyptian or ,phrygian headdresses1 caps from ,albania1 embroideries from ,greece1 and sashes from ,arabia4 ,here1 then1 for the first time in our travels1 we find colour predominating in the costumes of the people4 ,some of the women wear close-fitting dark green caps embroidered with gold thread1 their dark skirts also bordered with embroideries or stripes of colour2 some wear white stockings and neat-fitting1 red or black1 slippers or shoes4 ,but the prevailing headdress of the women is the white cambric coiffe with large side lappets and wide collars which we see elsewhere in ,finistre2 the men have broad-brimmed hats with embroidered strings or ribbons4 ,some of the men who come from the south wear striped trousers with a red sash1 and spare blue jacket with numerous silver buttons1 as in the sketch opposite4 ,some are dressed entirely in blue cloth or serge1 with sashes and red caps1 but others have broad white trousers and belts1 their jackets and blouses embroidered on the shoulders and sleeves4 ,there is colour everywhere1 subdued by the dark blue of blouses and the sober brown and green stuff gowns of the older women4 ,illustration ,it is said that the people of ,plougastel1 preserving their old costumes and traditions1 still live much apart from their neighbours2 a life half seafaring1 half agricultural1 whose origin is traced to some early immigration of ,eastern races4 ,by ten o'clock hundreds of people have come in from the neighbouring villages1 and as they all crowd together at the church door and in the square round the calvary1 we see the strangest medley of costumes in all ,brittany4 ,they collect round the calvary1 some praying1 some quarrelling or bargaining for small wares2 a general place of rendezvous on fte-days1 especially on the #bdth of ,june 7the ,feast of ,st4 ,jean1 called the 8,pardon of ,birds071 when a large number of birds are offered for sale4 ,this is a good day to see the costumes of the peasants1 to hear their songs1 and to see the dances in the streets of ,plougastel4 ,the calvary was erected about the year #afjb1 and some of the figures are as sharp and clear as if carved yesterday2 some are headless1 and otherwise injured or destroyed4 ,around the three elevated crosses are a series of bas-reliefs1 full-length figures cut in ,kersanton stone1 depicting various incidents in ,new ,testament history--the ,entry into ,jerusalem1 ,christ teaching among the ,doctors1 the ,offerings of the ,magi1 the ,baptism of ,st4 ,john1 the ,entombment1 c4 ,on the south side is a representation of the ,bearing of the ,cross1 on the north is the ,judgment of ,pilate1 and so on4 ,some of the figures are very expressive1 some have a certain quaintness and humour1 and here and there we detect the same anachronisms in costume as at ,st4 ,thgonnec1 where the ,breton costume is introduced4 ,altogether we must regard the calvary of ,plougastel as a curiosity rather than as a great work of art2 a grotesque group which1 in its dark rugged outline set against the sky1 will be remembered by travellers as something peculiar to ,brittany1 something which1 in this land of strange medival monuments and relics1 is yet perhaps the strangest sight of all4#f ,footnote #f3 ,see sketch of a calvary on page #ia4 ,returning to ,daoulas1 we join the high-road between ,landerneau and ,quimper1 and pass southwards along the inland shores of the bay of ,brest to ,chteaulin4 ,as travellers speed through this district by railway1 they get glimpses1 on the left hand1 of the forest of ,guimerch1 and on the right1 through the tree-tops1 of inlets of the bay1 and of the ancient little town of ,le ,faou1 lying as it were at their feet4 ,on the railway we pass over an estuary at a great elevation1 and on a greater part of the route to ,chteaulin are on the spurs of the ,monts d',arre4 ,travellers from ,brest to ,quimper should not be deterred from stopping at ,chteaulin by the one line devoted to it in guide-books1 viz4 8a dirty little town in parklike scenery1 with no good inns40 ,illustration ,the shores of the bay of ,brest and the bay of ,douarnenez are districts to be lingered in when the sun shines1 for the days are really few when we may see the country to advantage4 ,the luxuriance of foliage on the hills1 the height of the grasses1 the deep green in the valleys1 and the enormous umbrellas carried by the peasants1 should remind us that fine days are few4 ,chteaulin is crowded once a year to visit the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne la ,palue1 a ceremony that generally takes place on the last ,sunday in ,august4 ,the modern chapel of ,ste4 ,anne stands alone upon high ground1 overlooking the bay of ,douarnenez1 near ,plonvez-,porsay1 a small village about eight miles west of ,chteaulin4 ,crowds of people come from ,brest by boat1 and every road and pathway leading to the chapel is lined with people on the morning of the ,pardon4 ,the ceremonies are nearly the same as at ,guingamp and at ,ste4 ,anne d',auray1 but the camping-out of the people on the hillside above the sea 7sometimes #aj1jjj in number71 the processions of pilgrims1 bare-footed1 to the ,holy ,well of ,ste4 ,anne1 and other customs1 are more curious than any to be seen elsewhere4 ,it is at the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne la ,palue that the ceremonies of the church are rendered most picturesque from the surroundings1 and where a greater variety of the ancient costumes of ,cornouaille are to be seen4 ,the trinkets1 rosaries1 and ribbons which are blessed and sold to the peasants are a modern importation from ,angers or ,lyons1 but the embroidery round the dress of a beggar woman may be rare in colour and design4 ,nowhere else1 excepting at ,plougastel1 shall we see such embroidered caps and bodices2 nowhere1 not even at ,auray1 such bronzed and wrinkled human creatures4 ,the procession of the priests and people takes place on ,saturday1 about three in the afternoon1 when the banner of ,ste4 ,anne la ,palue is carried across the hills by girls dressed in crimson1 gold-embroidered robes1 with scarves of silver thread and headdresses of lace and tissue of gold4 ,these are pictures in sunshine which are rare at ,pardon times1 and of summer nights when camping under tents is no hardship2 but what must the scene be at ,ste4 ,anne la ,palue in storm and rain1 when thousands of pilgrims1 old and young1 have no shelter1 when all colour and brightness has vanished1 and the wind sweeps over the hills8 ,let us now turn inland a few miles1 following the course of the ,canal de ,brest1 to ,chteauneuf du ,faou1 a small town where ,mr4 ,caldecott made sketches at a ,pardon which was held in the rain4 ,this visit1 made in #ahgd1 will be best described in the artist's own words3-- 8,the courier for ,chteauneuf du ,faou left ,chteaulin at #c ,a4,m4 ,so we hire a phaeton1 and proceed up the hilly road towards ,pleyben4 ,on the left is a beautiful vale with a pretty village by the side of the river which runs towards ,brest4 ,the scenery is like the borders of ,wales1 and the weather like that of ,scotland2 but the clean1 elderly girls coming down the road are like themselves only4 ,illustration3 ,,going ,,to ,,the ,,pardon ,,at ,,ch,,teauneuf ,,du ,,faou4 ,illustration 8,we reach ,pleyben in about two hours1 a small deserted-looking town with a wide ,place1 at one end of which is a curious calvary 7date #afgj7 undergoing repair1 and an old church1 partly ,gothic1 partly ,renaissance4 ,the painted window over the altar is apparently old1 but part is replaced by plain glass4 ,the ceiling is blue with gold stars1 and there are large painted effigies of the apostles in the porch4 8,in about two hours after leaving ,pleyben1 the phaeton rattles into the little town of ,chteauneuf du ,faou1 knocking about the umbrellas of the people crowding the streets on the occasion of a pardon4 ,the ,htel du ,midi1 where we put up1 is at the farther end of the town1 and is conducted in a simple manner4 ,ladies would not like its arrangements4 ,several inhabitants1 and a visitor or two1 dine at the table d'hte1 but all are unable to carve a duck except the ,english visitor1 who is accordingly put down as a cook4 ,there is music in the streets1 and the town is full of people1 some of whom dance a kind of quadrille1 called the #8gavotte1' in the market-hall2 others attend a large booth to see acrobatic and other performances4 ,illustration ,illustration 8,the next day is still wet1 and there are many people again in the streets1 some from far away4 ,the races come off on the high-road4 ,i go to see the finish of one2 four horses1 strong and about fourteen hands high1 gallop up a hilly length of a high-road2 a pink1 a red1 a yellow1 and a green and white jacket1 dash by with a flourish of gaily tied up tails4 ,i join the admiring crowd which encircles the winner1 and we all go in procession to the ,htel de ,ville4 ,i notice as the rider dismounts and enters the building to receive the prize 7twenty francs7 that he uses no saddle1 wears his usual trousers1 and has his coloured cap and jacket made of calico4 8,in the large timber-built market-hall is a vast crowd of extensively linened1 many-buttoned men--some with rosettes1 the stewards of the fte--joined hand in hand in one long serpentine line with clean1 red-faced1 large-capped1 big-collared girls4 ,they jig along the earthen floor in shoes1 clogs1 and sabots to the music of a flageolet and a bag-pipe1 varied by an occasional few bars of the voice4 ,this is called the #8gavotte1' as the waitress of the htel1 who is dancing1 informs me4 ,a farmer in blouse1 with a collar 7sketched overleaf71 beats time with his sabots4 ,one soldier1 two town bonnets1 and a few gendarmes relieve the costume of the peasants1 which is1 however1 full of variety40 ,illustration ,the ,breton ronde or round dance1 of which the gavotte is a good example1 is one of the most characteristic scenes to be witnessed in ,brittany4 ,at nearly every fte and gathering--in the streets1 in the fields1 or in the town-hall--we see the peasants dancing the gavotte1 the musicians being generally two1 one with the ancient ,armorican bag-pipe 7biniou71 the other with a flageolet4 ,frequently1 as in the sketch1 one of the musicians puts down his instrument to sing4 ,illustration ,the dancers keep good time1 going through a variety of figures1 but always returning to the ronde1 dancing together1 hand in hand1 with great precision and animation1 and a certain kind of grace4 ,the gravity of manner and the downward look of the women in certain figures1 as they advance and retire with hands down1 give a peculiar quaintness to the gavotte1 which1 apparently rollicking and unrestrained1 is1 in fact1 orderly and regular in every movement4 ,the circular motion of the dancers1 now revolving in several circles1 now in one grande ronde1 is traced by ,m4 ,emile ,souvestre1 and other writers1 to ,druidic origin and the movements of the stars4 ,illustration ,but as the dancers come swinging down the centre of the hall1 hand in hand1 now meeting1 now parting2 as fresh couples join and others fall into the rear2 as we hear the measured tread and the voices which never seem to tire1 we should be content to describe the 8gavotte0 as a good old country dance of singular animation and picturesqueness2 a scene of jollity and at the same time of good order1 of which the sketch gives an admirable idea4 ,illustration ,there is one figure dressed in the latest fashion of ,quimper1 who is looked upon with doubtful admiration by the other dancers1 but who will serve to remind us that distinctive costume1 even in these out-of-the-way places1 is a flickering flame1 and that in a few years such scenes as the above will have lost their character4 ,we give a few bars of a favourite air1 played with great spirit1 which seemed to give the performers intense enjoyment1 for they returned to it again and again4 ,illustration ,at dusk oil lamps are lighted1 a crowd fills the hall1 and1 when far away down the wet streets of ,chteauneuf du ,faou1 we can see the steam rising between the rafters and hear the clatter of the dancers4 ,illustration ,four years later1 on the #hth of ,august #ahgh1 we arrive on a quiet1 sultry evening at the same little inn at ,chteauneuf4 ,there is no one in the house but two little children and some fowls1 and the streets are silent and almost deserted2 but at a little distance from the inn we hear the heavy thud of flails1 and going up a little green pathway across the road1 where a grey cloud of dust rises between the trees1 we come upon a scene of energy and determination which defies description4 ,it is the last evening for threshing out a little patch of corn1 and the whole strength of the establishment has been enlisted in the service1 including the waiter1 chef de cuisine1 stable-boy1 a farm labourer1 and one or two professional 8batteurs02 four on one side1 five on the other1 swinging and letting fall their heavy flails in turn1 close to each others' heads1 with a precision and desperate energy wonderful to behold4 ,mr4 ,caldecott's sketches1 taken at the moment1 in a cloud of dust1 bring the scene before us most vividly2 the garon of the inn1 the second in the row1 all energy and excitement1 putting his face into his work so to speak1 urging on the rest by shouts and gestures1 but still keeping steady time with his flail2 opposite to him1 last but one1 is 8,madame10 her face tied tightly over with a veil1 as a protection from the dust2 and1 last in the line1 the chef de cuisine1 working as hard as the rest4 ,in the second sketch the leaders have changed position1 the pace is quickened1 and1 from where we stand1 the flails seem to fly dangerously close to the heads of the women4 ,but no one flinches1 and the strokes come down together as if from two operators instead of nine4 ,the grain is beaten out wastefully on the ground1 and gathered into sacks by two old women1 who put the straw afterwards into the pillows of the ,htel du ,midi4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,quimper--,,pont ,l',,abb--,,audierne--,,douarnenez4 ,illustration ,in the fruitful valley of the ,odet and the ,steir1 where two rivers join in their southern course to the sea1 there rise the beautiful spires of ,quimper1 the present capital of ,finistre2 a town containing about #ac1jjj inhabitants1 now the centre of the commerce and industry of southern ,finistre1 and1 it may be added1 the most pleasant resting-place on our travels4 ,if we approach ,quimper for the first time by road over the hills1 we shall form the best idea of the beauty of its situation and of the picturesqueness of its buildings4 ,the first impression of the traveller who arrives by train1 and is hurried in an omnibus along the straight quays lined with trees1 to the ,htel de l'pe1 on the right bank of the river ,odet1 is one of slight disappointment at the modern aspect of the town2 but let him glance for one moment from above out of one of the back windows of the inn 7opened for him by the bright-faced maiden sketched on page #ajd71 and the view of old roofs and cathedral towers will reassure his mind that neither in architecture nor in costume is this city likely to be wanting in interest4 ,quimper1 the ancient capital of ,cornouaille1 with its warlike and romantic history of the middle ages1 the centre of historic associations in the times of the ,war of the ,succession1 preserves many landmarks and monuments that will interest the traveller and the antiquarian4 ,the fine ,gothic cathedral has a richly sculptured porch with foliated carving of the fourteenth century1 such as we saw at ,le ,folgoet4 ,above and between the two towers is an equestrian statue of the somewhat mythical ,king ,gradlon1 who held a court at ,kemper in the fifth century1 whose prowess is recorded in the early chronicles of ,brittany1 and in the romances of the ,round ,table4 ,the episode of his hunting in the neighbouring forests1 being miraculously fed by one ,corentin1 a hermit1 and finally converted to ,christianity1 is recorded continually in song and story2 and from this incident 7related by ,souvestre and sung by ,brizeux7 dates the foundation of the ancient bishopric of ,st4 ,corentin4 ,the statue1 like nearly every monument in ,brittany1 was partly destroyed during the ,revolution in #agic4 ,illustration ,illustration ,in spite of railways1 telegraphs1 and newspapers1 and the bustle of commerce that fills the streets and market of ,quimper1 some of the inhabitants of the neighbouring valleys find time1 on ,st4 ,cecilia's ,day1 to perform a pilgrimage to the cathedral and to sing songs in honour of ,st4 ,corentin4 ,thus we see how lovingly conservative ,brittany clings to its monuments and legends1 and how its people still dwell in the past4 ,the story of ,king ,gradlon may be a myth1 but1 like all legends and traditions1 it has its origin in fact2 and we who are not historians may be fascinated with the thought that the battered horseman1 the object of so much interest to pilgrims in the past and to tourists in the present1 is a link in a chain of facts1 pointing backwards to a far-off time when1 a little westward of the site of the present city of ,quimper1 on a promontory near ,pont ,croix1 stood the ancient ,celtic city of ,is1 remains of which are to be found to this day upon the shore4 ,the cathedral of ,quimper was founded in the thirteenth century1 but was principally built in the fourteenth and fifteenth4 ,it has no very remarkable architectural features1 but there is a grandeur in the lofty aspect of the interior1 lighted by some fine stained glass1 which leaves an impression of beauty on the mind4 ,it is the centre and rallying-point for all the country round1 the home of ,catholicism1 the 8one church0 to the inhabitants of ,finistre4 ,no picture of the wide ,place by the river1 where the great gatherings take place on fte-days1 and where so many curious costumes are to be seen together1 is complete without the two modern spires of the cathedral rearing high above the town4 ,the procession of people passing up the wide street on a ,sunday morning leading to its doors--a dense mass of figures1 fringed with white caps1 like foam on a heaving sea1 the figures framed by projecting gables nearly meeting overhead--forms another picture which has also for its background the two noble spires4#g ,the old houses in the market-place in the cathedral square1 and the old inn1 the ,htel du ,lion d',or 7this last well worthy of a sketch71 are overshadowed by the pile4 ,the people that come in by the old-fashioned diligences and the country carts and waggons go straight to the cathedral on arrival in the square4 ,footnote #g3 ,we believe it was to ,m4 ,viollet ,le ,duc1 whose architectural taste and energy are so well known in ,france1 that the completion of these towers is principally due4 ,illustration ,the interior of the cathedral1 which is the largest in ,brittany1 is very striking2 there is a handsome chapel dedicated to ,ste4 ,anne1 the patron saint of ,brittany1 to ,st4 ,roch1 and other saints4 ,there is high-mass at half past ten1 and a sermon by an ancient ecclesiastic preached from the handsome carved pulpit in the nave4 ,it is an eloquent discourse1 apparently1 for along the aisles and between the pillars familiar-sounding phrases are poured fluent and fast4 ,but the dense crowd of men and women with upturned faces on the pavement near the door can hear little of what is passing2 the words take an upward curve of sound1 and are heard more distinctly by the spiders and the flies4 ,the loss may not have been great if we take the testimony of a writer#h in #ahgg1 who says3--8,i attended mass one morning at ,quimper1 and the following is the substance of a sermon preached to a large and attentive congregation mostly of working men and women3 #8,there are three duties1' said the preacher1 #8imposed by the church on the faithful3 first1 to confess at least once a year2 secondly1 to confess in one's own parish2 thirdly1 to confess within the fifteen days of ,easter4' ,the omission of the first of these is regarded by the church as a sin of such gravity that it is condemned to be punished by the withholding of ,christian burial4 ,not one word1 throughout a long discourse to simple1 devout1 careworn peasant folk1 of moral teaching1 religious counsel1 or brotherly love60 ,footnote #h3 ,a ,year in ,western ,france1 by ,m4 ,betham-,edwards4 ,illustration ,in some of the chapels there are services during the day1 and there is a continual movement of white caps in and out of the confessionals2 and1 occasionally during the day1 some poor1 weather-worn man is doing penance1 going round and round the cathedral on his knees1 making a curious slouching sound on the pavement 7as grotesque a figure as sketched on page #ajf74 ,he is dressed in rags1 and carries his sabots under his arm during his long journey2 thus1 several times round the pavement1 dragging his weary limbs and--according to the enormity of his sins--paying his sous as he goes4 ,the character of the people of this part of ,cornouaille seems less reserved1 and there is a gay1 genial aspect about them which is refreshing when coming from the north4 ,the bright face and figure of the girl whose portrait ,mr4 ,caldecott has caught exactly is one of a flutter of five1 who wait at table at the ,htel de l'pe in the costume of the country1 which1 by the way1 is worn here for the especial benefit of travellers4 ,it is probable that every one of these bright-faced women would discard it to-morrow if they had the chance 7as their mistress and her children have done72 but there is still plenty of local costume to be seen in ,quimper4 ,we have only to go out into the gardens1 to visit the farms1 by-roads1 and lanes1 and we shall come upon some of the most picturesque scenes in our travels4 ,illustration ,illustration ,in the corner of a field just outside the town1 where a lively discussion is going forward between a farm labourer and three girls at a well1 there is a picture which for colour alone is worth remembering4 ,it is one of those everyday scenes in which costume and the surrounding landscape harmonise delightfully4 ,we give few sketches of architecture because photographs of the best examples may always be obtained1 preferring rather to give the life of the people4 ,there are more figure subjects in the streets of ,quimper than there is time to note4 ,thus1 for instance1 as we pass through a poor1 dirty suburb at the lower end of the town1 a woman comes to the door of a dark dwelling1 and gives alms to a professional beggar1 so grotesque and terrible in aspect that he hardly seems human2 but the woman standing at the stone doorway wears a costume that might have been copied from an ,elizabethan missal4 ,she gives1 as every one gives1 to the poor in ,brittany1 but her husband's small wages at the pottery works hard by leave little margin for charity1 and he will want all his spare money at this time of year for the ftes4 ,the ftes are an occasion for universal feasting and rejoicing1 in which the drinking propensities of the holiday makers are only too apparent in the streets1 leading in the evening1 sometimes1 to domestic interviews like the one sketched below4 ,illustration ,at the time of the ,fte of the ,assumption there is a crowd at ,quimper from all parts of ,finistre1 and there is an amount of festivity which must be bewildering to the quiet inhabitants2 it is then that we may see sometimes in the streets the splendid type of ,breton woman sketched at the head of this chapter1 and1 by contrast1 some others much more grotesque4 ,but perhaps the most interesting group of all1 and the most complete and characteristic of ,mr4 ,caldecott's sketches1 is the one which forms the frontispiece to this volume--a scene in a cabaret1 or wineshop1 where the farmers who have come in to market1 whose carts we may see on the cathedral square1 meet and discuss the topics of the day1 amongst which1 after the state of trade and the crops1 the term of ,marshal ,mc,mahon's government and the results of the annual levy of 8les conscrits0 are uppermost4 ,soon after harvest-time1 generally early in ,september1 the annual levy of reserves for the army takes place1 and ,quimper1 being the centre of a populous district1 is the rallying-point for lower ,finistre4 ,illustration ,it is the nearest approach to an open political discussion that we may witness on our travels1 and a good opportunity to see the conservative ,breton farmer1 the 8owner of the soil10 one who troubles himself little about 8politics0 in the true sense of the word1 and is scarcely a match in argument for the more advanced republican trader and manufacturer of ,quimper1 but who1 from hereditary instinct1 if from no other motive1 is generally an upholder of legitimist doctrines and a royalist at heart4 ,seated on the carved oak bench on the left is a young ,breton clodhopper or farm help1 whose ill-luck it has been to be drawn this year2 who leaves his farm with regret--a home where he worked from sunrise to sunset for two francs a week1 living on coarse food and lodging in the dark with the pigs4 ,as he sits and listens with perplexed attention to the principal speaker1 and others gather round in the common room to hear the oracle1 we have a picture which tells its story with singular eloquence1 and presents to us the common everyday life of the people of lower ,brittany with a truthfulness and vivacity seldom1 if ever1 exceeded4 ,the only bright colour in the picture is in the red sashes of the men and in one or two small ornaments worn by the women4 ,illustration ,other scenes should be recorded if only to show1 by way of contrast1 that ,quimper is very like other parts of ,france4 ,at one of the lyces the annual prize-giving is going forward1 and there is a fashionable gathering1 in which military uniforms are prominent4 ,it is an opportunity for seeing some of the lite of ,quimper both on the platform and in the crowded hall1 and a great chance for a sketch4 ,the boys come up one by one1 and stand on a raised platform to be decorated with a paper wreath1 to receive a book and a salutation on both cheeks4 ,it is interesting to note that1 before joining his applauding friends in the hall1 the boy takes off his wreath and throws it away4 ,there is scarcely a ,breton costume in the hall4 ,illustration ,in ,quimper we are in a pleasant valley1 surrounded by gardens1 orchards1 and fields1 and sheltered from the wind by clustering woods4 ,the sun shines so warmly here that it is difficult to realise that a few miles to the west and south there are stretches of broad moorland leading to the boldest coast on the west of ,france4 ,it is true that the people that come in from ,pont l',abb1 ,audierne1 and ,douarnenez bear the impress of a seafaring life1 and are different in style and costume to any that we have yet seen4 ,it is worth while for every one who stays in ,quimper to see something of the coast1 and to make a tour of at least two or three days to ,pont l',abb1 ,penmarc'h1 ,pont ,croix1 the ,pointe du ,raz1 and ,douarnenez4 ,in this short journey the traveller will see some of the finest coast scenery in ,brittany1 and people differing in character and costume from other parts of ,finistre2 a hardy fishing population1 tempted to dangers and hardships by the riches to be found in the sea4 ,if the scenery which we have passed through on our way to ,quimper resembled ,wales1 the district west of ,quimper will remind us of ,cornwall4 ,we are1 in fact1 on the extreme edge of ,brittany1 corresponding to the ,cornwall of ,england1 ,cornouaille1 the ,cornn ,galli of the ancients1 a dangerous1 storm-blown coast1 wild1 desolate1 and picturesque4 ,we may go down the river from ,quimper to ,pont l',abb1 or a shorter route by road a distance of twelve miles1 the first part over hills and through cultivated lands1 in the latter part over wide moorland1 covered with gorse and edged with pines4 ,this is a beautiful drive1 but1 to judge of the quiet1 almost medival stillness of ,pont l',abb1 it should be approached by water on a summer's evening1 when1 after a long and sometimes rather boisterous passage from the mouth of the river ,odet1 the little fishing-boat is rowed up the ,pont l',abb river under the tower of its ancient castle4 ,on the left1 before entering the river1 the little port of ,loctudy is passed1 where there is an ancient ,romanesque church1 well preserved1 said to have been built by the ,knights ,templars in the twelfth century4 ,illustration ,pont l',abb with its dull1 straight streets and deserted-looking houses1 has no striking architectural features2 but the costumes of the people are altogether unique in ,brittany1 and the interiors of their dwellings are as quaint and curious as any painter would desire4 ,the women wear close-fitting caps of red or green1 embroidered with gold thread1 the hair being turned up at the back and fastened at the top2 they wear skirts of blue or green with a border of yellow1 and the men1 short blue jackets and sashes4 ,in ,pont l',abb we may see1 what is so rare in these days1 an old street in which the costume of the people harmonises with the date of the buildings1 and in which the quiet of a past century seems never to have been disturbed4 ,walk down a narrow grass-grown street to the open square above the river1 at the end of which is the western porch of the fine church of ,pont l',abb1 and the only two figures visible in the afternoon are a girl carrying a basket coming from the ,carmelite convent1 and a priest in black robes crossing the square4 ,the church and convent were founded in #achc1 and there is little here to mark the passage of years4 ,the church has been completed and beautified since those early times1 and afterwards wrecked by the ,revolution2 but the aspect of the square and of the cloisters of the convent are little altered4 ,the interior of the church is remarkable for the grace and lightness of its pillars1 and for the richness of its stained glass2 the rose windows are said to rival in beauty those of ,rouen4 ,notwithstanding that the church has but one aisle1 that the ceiling is now painted blue1 and that the carvings in stone and wood are sadly mutilated1 it is an architectural monument of great interest4 ,illustration ,six miles south-west of ,pont l',abb1 across a dreary1 marshy plain is the poor fishing town of ,penmarc'h1 built upon the dark rocks that form a barrier against the sea1 on one of the wildest promontories of ,cornouaille2 a city whose riches in the fifteenth century were so great that1 according to historians1 8she could equip her three thousand men-at-arms1 and shelter behind her jetties a fleet of eight hundred craft40 ,the original prosperity of ,penmarc'h arose from the cod-fisheries1 which were the source of immense wealth before the discovery of ,newfoundland4 ,the history of its invasion by the ,english in #adjd1 and the disasters in the sixteenth century1 when the town was partly destroyed by an inroad of the sea1 and afterwards sacked by ,guy ,eder ,fontenelle at the time of the ,wars of the ,league1 is one of the most romantic and terrible in the history of ,brittany4 ,it is a place to see if only to mark the traces of this wonderful city1 once containing #aj1jjj inhabitants4 ,a few ruined towers and the foundations of streets mark the site of the ancient city1 which is now inhabited by a scattered fishing population numbering in all about #bjjj1 the men braving the elements in their little fishing-boats1 the women and children collecting seaweed and tilling the poor soil4 ,there is a mass of rocks separated from the land1 called the ,torche de ,penmarc'h1 which all visitors are taken to see1 and where the waves break upon the shore with the sound of thunder4 ,we have said little of the ruins of the church of ,st4 ,gunol and of the parish church of ,ste4 ,nonna at ,penmarc'h1 with its stained glass and quaint stone carving1 or of other relics of the ancient city1 because in nearly every town in ,cornouaille there is some object of interest to examine4 ,antiquarian travellers should stay at the ,htel des ,voyageurs at ,pont l',abb1 where they will be very comfortably housed1 and can explore this district1 interesting not only for the historic associations connected with ,penmarc'h1 but for ,druidical remains which the winds of the ,atlantic are laying bare every year on this coast4 ,it is a dreary1 wind-swept promontory1 from which the quiet superstitious inhabitants are only too glad to retreat4 ,no wonder they flock into ,quimper1 and sun themselves on the ,place during the summer days6 ,on the road between ,pont l',abb and ,audierne we obtain fine views of the open landscape1 with solitary figures here and there working in the fields1 and occasional glimpses of the sea4 ,it is a windy drive2 the colour is sombre1 and the clouds which come up in heavy masses from the sea cast deep shadows over the land4 ,illustration ,if we try to recall the impression of the scene1 it is principally of clouds1 as in landscapes by ,ruysdael or ,gricault4 ,the land for miles is without sign of habitation1 the highest point of interest is a bank of furze1 a stunted tree1 or a heap of broken stones1 chipped perhaps from a fallen menhir2 a solitude that seems more hopeless and remote from the tumultuous aspect of the heavens4 ,but as we approach the town of ,pont ,croix1 and1 turning westward1 descend the hills to cross the estuary of ,audierne1 the view over the bay is more luxuriant4 ,below us1 through the stems of pine trees that line the steep road1 cut in granite rocks--as we descend to the right bank of the river ,goayen where it widens into an estuary--is the little fishing village of ,audierne1 consisting of two or three straight streets of granite houses1 one or two large wharves and warehouses1 a lighthouse1 and nearly a mile of protecting sea-wall4 ,the evening is now fine and calm1 and the tide is coming in without a ripple1 bringing a few fishing-boats up to the quay1 and attracting the inhabitants on to the ,place in front of the principal inn1 the ,htel du ,commerce1 where the portly ,pre ,batifoulier receives us1 and provides us with excellent accommodation4 ,it is a sheltered1 sunny spot1 surrounded by cultivated hills1 where people come from ,quimper to bathe in summer2 but if we walk upon the downs behind the town1 we shall get glimpses of a coast almost as exposed and dangerous to mariners as at ,penmarc'h1 where the sardine fishermen are spreading their nets on the grass4 ,audierne is within six miles of the famous ,pointe du ,raz1 the ,land's ,end of ,brittany1 beyond which1 stretching out into the ,atlantic1 is the le de ,sein1 inhabited by a poor population of fishermen and seaweed gatherers4 ,a glance at the map will show the position of the island1 and the 8,bec du ,raz10 the dangerous channel which divides it from the shore1 through which the fishermen of ,audierne and ,douarnenez1 with many prayers and crossings of the breast1 pass and re-pass in their frail boats4 ,it is a dreary road from ,audierne to the ,pointe du ,raz1 passing the villages of ,plogoff and ,lescoff4 ,at this point the rocks are higher above the sea than at ,penmarc'h1 and the scene is altogether more extensive and magnificent4 ,we are on an elevation of eighty or ninety feet1 and almost surrounded by the sea4 ,to the south and east is the wide bay of ,audierne1 to the west the le de ,sein1 the ancient home of ,druidesses1 and the horizon line of the ,atlantic2 to the north and east the bay of ,douarnenez1 across which is the jutting headland of ,la ,chvre4 ,a cloud of sea-birds rises from the rocks below1 and floats away like a puff of steam1 there is an orange tint in the seaweed piled upon the shore1 and a purple tinge upon the distant hills across the bay of ,douarnenez2 but the green upon the scanty grass in the foreground is cold in colour1 and almost the only flowers are yellow sea-poppies and the little white bells of the convolvulus4 ,on every side are piles of rocks stretching out seaward as barriers against the waves of the ,atlantic2 a dangerous1 desolate shore1 on which many a vessel has been wrecked4 ,to the north is the ,druids' 8,baie des ,trpasss10 where1 according to ancient legends1 the spirits of the departed wait on the shore to be taken in boats to the le de ,sein4 ,it is a ,celtic legend1 recounted in every history of ,brittany4 ,illustration ,the exposed position of the ,pointe du ,raz1 the strange1 fantastic grandeur of the rocks1 and the wildness of the waves that beat upon the shore in almost all weathers1 are alone worth a visit4 ,the numerous artists who stay at ,quimper1 ,douarnenez1 and ,pont-,aven1 in the summer months would do well to pitch their tents for a time near the ,pointe du ,raz1 if only to watch from this elevation the changing aspects of sea and sky1 to see the sea1 calm and blue in the distance1 but dashing spray in sunshine over walls of rock1 and seaweed gatherers on a summer evening getting in their harvest1 as deep in colour as the corn4 ,illustration ,illustration ,leaving ,audierne1 and turning eastward towards ,douarnenez1 following the course of the river ,goayen1 we come in about an hour to ,pont ,croix1 an ancient town of #bejj inhabitants4 ,the church is a fine ,romanesque building of the fifteenth century1 with a curious porch and some good carving in the interior4 ,it is a quiet1 rather deserted-looking town1 on an eminence above the river1 reminding one in its position and its air of faded importance of the ecclesiastical city of ,coutances1 in ,normandy4 ,illustration ,it is a fine drive over undulating hills to ,douarnenez1 with views of landscape more fertile than any we have seen since leaving ,quimper2 landscape with open moorland1 interspersed with fields of corn1 where harvesting is being actively carried on1 as in the sketch4 ,here we get a glimpse of one of the old farmhouses of ,finistre1 and 7on a very small scale7 of the farmer himself approaching in the distance to superintend operations4 ,a few miles farther1 and the landscape is again bare and uncultivated1 we see peasants in the fields at rare intervals2 flocks of black and brown sheep feeding on the open land4 ,there is a charm of wildness and a peculiar beauty about the scenery here that we who write for artists should insist upon with all the power of the pen4 ,it is the fashion to stay at ,douarnenez and at ,pont-,aven1 but we have few records of the best scenery in ,cornouaille4 ,illustration3 ,,harvesting ,,in ,,finist,,re4 ,douarnenez1 the headquarters of the sardine-fisheries1 has a population of about #ijjj1 almost entirely given up to this industry2 the men in their boats1 and the women and girls in the factories4 ,it is a busy1 dirty1 and not very attractive town1 with one principal street leading down to the port2 but walk out of it in any direction1 so as to escape the odours of the sardine factories1 and the views from the high ground are most rewarding4 ,there is no prettier sight1 for instance1 than to watch the arrival of a fleet of several hundred fishing-boats rounding the last promontory1 racing in whilst they are eagerly watched from the shore4 ,at the point where the sketch was taken1 the little fleet divides1 to come to anchor at different inlets of the bay4 ,of the scene down at the port1 where the boats unload2 of the massing of a forest of masts against the evening sky1 with rocks and houses high above as a background1 we can only hint in these pages4 ,illustration3 ,,waiting ,,for ,,the ,,sardine ,,boats ,,at ,,douarnenez4 ,at ,douarnenez1 in summer1 the inhabitants are accustomed to an inroad of visitors who come for the bathing season1 and there is a little colony of artists who live comfortably at the principal inns 7en pension for five or six francs a day71 but it is not as quiet as ,pont-,aven1 of which we shall speak in the next chapter1 for the streets are closely built and badly paved1 and the busy inhabitants wear sabots which are rattled down to the shore at all hours of the day and night1 according to the tide4 ,moreover1 the inhabitants of the town are scarcely typical ,bretons2 they are a little demoralised by success in trade1 a little inclined to smuggling1 and decidedly fond of drinking4 ,the men1 living hard lives1 facing the most fearful storms of the ,atlantic in their exposed little boats1 out sometimes for days without a take1 are apt to be uproarious when on shore4 ,the hardy1 bright-featured women of ,cornouaille1 whose faces are becoming so familiar to us in these pages1 have a rather sad and reckless look at ,douarnenez2 their homes are not too tidy as a rule2 the little children play in streets which steam with refuse from the sardine factories1 where their elder sisters are working in gangs1 with bare feet and skirts tucked up to their knees1 sifting1 and sorting1 and cooking sardines1 and singing snatches of ,breton songs the while4 ,the lower streets1 steep and narrow1 are blocked with fish-carts1 and the port is crowded with boats with nets drying in festoons4 ,but the view of ,douarnenez seen at a little distance out at sea1 with its high rocks and overhanging trees almost reaching to the water's edge1 and above1 the spire of the old church of ,ploar standing sharp against the sky1 will remain best in the memory4 ,there is no end to the beauties of the bay of ,douarnenez1 if we explore the neighbourhood1 starting off early for the day and not returning until sundown4 ,illustration ,in the evening there is a great ,bohemian gathering at the ,htel du ,commerce2 its artistic visitors overflow into the street1 and make themselves heard as well as seen4 ,there is a clatter of tongues and a cloud of smoke issuing from the little caf presided over by the neat figure in the sketch4 ,those who have been to the ,htel du ,commerce at ,douarnenez will recognise the portrait at once2 those who have not must picture to themselves a girl with dark hair and brown complexion1 a headdress and bodice in which scarlet and gold are intermingled1 a dark skirt with a border of yellow or orange1 and a spotless white apron and sleeves4 ,in soft shoes she flits silently through the rooms and supplies our clamorous wants in turn2 neither remonstrance nor flattery will move her1 or cause her to raise her eyes4 ,the children of ,douarnenez have learned to beg1 and along the broad road which leads to ,quimper1 beggars are stationed at intervals to waylay the charitable4 ,driving home in the little covered carriage shown in the sketch1 a dark object appears before us on the way4 ,near it1 at the side of the road1 is a little shed roughly made with poles and brambles1 and1 protruding from it1 two sabots filled with straw1 two sticks1 and a pair of bragous bras4 ,the rest of the structure consists of dried ferns1 and a poor deaf human creature propped up to receive the alms of the charitable1 a grim figure watching and waiting in the sun and wind4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,concarneau--,,pont-,,aven--,,quimperl4 ,illustration ,fourteen miles south-east of ,quimper is ,concarneau1 another important fishing station of ,cornouaille4 ,it is well to go thither by road1 in order to see the view of ,quimper and the valley below1 when a few miles out of the town2 a view which few travellers see in these days4 ,the old town of ,,concarneau1 with its fortifications and towers1 called 8,ville ,close10 which in its position somewhat resembles ,st4 ,malo1 is approached by a drawbridge from the mainland1 and at high tide is surrounded by water2 it consists of one long irregular street with old houses shut in by dark walls1 through the loopholes of which we see the sea4 ,the nominal population of ,concarneau is #ejjj1 but in the ,faubourg ,ste4 ,croix1 where the fleet of fishing-boats come and go at every tide1 the population is upwards of #aj1jjj4 ,there is a fine modern aquarium1 and there are several interesting monuments in the immediate neighbourhood1 but there is nothing very remarkable in the situation of the town itself1 and it is certainly not a place for visitors to stay in2 the work of life at ,concarneau is to catch and cure little fishes1 and the odours of the dead and the dying1 the cured and the fried1 pervade the air4 ,the hedges are made of the cuttings of sardine boxes4 ,illustration ,we happen to see ,concarneau at its best on a fine summer's morning1 when the wide quay of the ,faubourg ,ste4 ,croix1 where the sketch is taken1 is alive with people1 the majority on their way to church across the drawbridge in the ,ville ,close4 ,the little fleet of fishing-boats is moored in a cluster at the quay2 the nets are drying in the sun en masse1 and the cork floats hang from the masts in graceful festoons4 ,everyone is in holiday attire1 and seems bent upon going somewhere--to church1 for a drive in the country1 or for an excursion out to sea4 ,the fishermen and workmen have for the most part disappeared into the wine-shops1 whence their hilarity overflows into the streets4 ,the girls employed in the sardine factories have put on their best dresses and neatest shoes1 and go in companies of six or eight together to the church4 ,their smooth white caps and lappets glisten in the clear air which blows lightly from the south-east1 and the odours of sardines are for the time forgotten4 ,it is the time and the spot from which to take away an impression of ,concarneau1 for its ordinary everyday aspect is not romantic4 ,the procession of people coming from church down the old-fashioned street1 shut in by walls and towers1 makes a good picture4 ,the majority wear their proper costume1 as sketched on opposite page2 a few only have fallen into temptation1 and carry bonnets1 trains1 and high heels across the ,place4 ,illustration3 ,concarnean ,sunday morning ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,quay ,,at ,,concarneau4 ,there is a wide1 open space in front of the ,htel des ,voyageurs1 on the quay ,ste4 ,croix--where1 at a window overlooking the quay1 the femme de chambre is putting the last touches to her toilet--but behind it are narrow1 dirty streets1 crowded cafs and estaminets1 where the husbands of these white-capped women have disappeared for the day4 ,the majority of the well-to-do inhabitants are en promenade under the trees1 and nearly everyone is bent upon pleasure of some sort4 ,here is a party just starting for a boating excursion across the bay1 singing a ,breton air to the time of the rowers1 which we can hear on the quay4 ,the sketch gives the exact picture3 the heavy fishing-boat built for rough weather and stormy seas2 the rowers standing four abreast1 the heavy oars plashing in the sunlight1 the boat down at the stern with its holiday load2 whilst the gamin of ,concarneau sits on the edge of the quay1 over the principal drain of the town1 with a string to catch little fishes4 ,illustration ,the sketch on the quay when the tide is out1 with people waiting for the ferry-boat1 gives the aspect looking seaward1 on a quiet evening1 as we drive away towards ,,pont-,,aven4 ,to reach ,pont-,aven1 we ascend and descend some gently sloping hills1 in an easterly direction1 for about eight miles4 ,on the left hand of the road1 near the village of ,trgunc2 we pass one of the largest rocking stones in ,brittany1 a block of granite #ab feet long by #i feet1 poised upon a second slab half buried in the ground4 ,little children lie in wait for travellers1 and move this stone1 which is known far and wide as 8,la pierre aux maris tromps10 a stone by which husbands are said to test the fidelity of their wives4 ,all the heath-covered land on the way to ,pont-,aven is strewn with granite boulders2 there is a celebrated dolmen1 or 8table stone10 in the neighbourhood1 and1 near at hand1 at ,rustphan1 are the picturesque remains of a fifteenth-century castle1 which may be reached through a wood by leaving the road at the village of ,nizon1 two miles from ,pont-,aven4 ,illustration ,at a point where the river ,aven--breaking through its narrow channel1 dashing under bridges and turning numerous water-wheels--spreads out into a broad estuary1 is the little port of ,pont-,aven1 built four miles from the sea4 ,the majority of the houses are of granite1 and sheltered under wooded hills2 the water rushes past flour-mills and under bridges with perpetual noise1 and a breeze stirs the poplar trees that line its banks on the calmest day4 ,the widest part of the village is the ,place1 sketched 7looking northwards7 from the stone bridge which gives ,pont-,aven its name4 ,a small community of farmers1 millers1 fishermen and peasant-women1 is its native population1 supplemented in summer by a considerable foreign element4 ,illustration ,pont-,aven is a favourite spot for artists1 and a terra incognita to the majority of travellers in ,brittany4 ,here the art student1 who has spent the winter in the ,quartier ,latin in ,paris1 comes when the leaves are green1 and settles down for the summer to study undisturbed4 ,how far he succeeds depends upon himself2 his surroundings are delightful1 and everything he needs is to be obtained in an easy way that will sound romantic and impossible in #ahgi4 ,pont-,aven being set in a valley between two thickly wooded hills1 opening out southwards to the sea1 the climate is temperate and favourable to outdoor work4 ,in the centre of the village is a little triangular ,place1 and at the broad end1 facing the sun1 is the principal inn1 the ,htel des ,voyageurs1 which1 at the time of writing1 has an excellent hostess1 who takes pensionnaires for about five francs a day1 8tout compris10 and where the living is as good and plentiful as can be desired4 ,this popular hostelry is principally supported by ,american artists1 some of whom have lived here all through the year2 but many ,english and ,french painters have stayed at ,pont-,aven1 and have left contributions in the shape of oil paintings on the panels of the salle manger4 ,we have mentioned the ,htel des ,voyageurs2 but there are other inns2 there is the ,htel du ,lion d',or1 also on the ,place1 frequented principally by ,french artists and travellers2 and down by the bridge1 a quaint little auberge 7with a signboard painted by one of the inmates71 the ,pension ,gloanec4 ,this is the true ,bohemian home at ,pont-,aven1 where living is even more moderate than at the inns4 ,here the panels of the rooms are also decorated with works of art1 and here1 in the evening1 and in the morning1 seated round a table in the road1 dressed in the easy bourgeois fashion of the country1 may be seen artists whose names we need not print1 but many of whose works are known over the world4 ,the resources of these establishments are elastic1 accommodation being afforded1 if necessary1 for fifty or sixty pensionnaires1 by providing beds a few yards off in the village4 ,the cost of living1 board and lodging1 at the ,pension ,gloanec1 including two good meals a day with cider1 is sixty francs a month6 ,when we add that the bedrooms are clean and bright1 especially those provided in the neighbouring cottages1 we have said enough about creature comforts1 which are popularly supposed to be unknown in ,brittany4 ,the materials for work and opportunities for study are similar to those in ,wales1 with fewer distractions than at ,bettwys-y-,coed4 ,illustration3 ,,pont-,,aven4 ,at ,pont-,aven the presiding genius at the ,htel des ,voyageurs is one ,mademoiselle ,julia ,guillou4 ,at this little inn1 as at the ,htel du ,commerce at ,douarnenez1 the traveller need not be surprised to find that the conversation at table is of the ,paris ,salon1 to find bedrooms and lofts turned into studios1 and a pervading smell of oil paint4 ,it is said of ,pont-,aven that it is 8the only spot in ,europe where ,americans are content to live all the year round02 but perhaps the kind face and almost motherly care of her pensionnaires by the portly young hostess1 ,mademoiselle ,julia ,guillou1 has something to do with their content4 ,the views in the neighbourhood of ,pont-,aven are beautiful1 and the cool avenues of beeches and chestnut trees1 a distinctive feature of the country1 extend for miles4 ,from one of these avenues1 on the high ground leading to an ancient chapel1 there is a view over the village where we can trace the windings of the river far away towards the sea1 and where the white sails of the fishing-boats seem to pass between the trees4 ,the sides of the valleys are grey with rocks1 and the fields slope steeply down to the slate roofs of the cottages built by the streams1 where women1 young and old1 beautiful and the reverse1 may be seen washing amongst the stones4 ,illustration3 ,,returning ,,from ,,labour1 ,,pont-,,aven4 ,pont-,aven has one advantage over other places in ,brittany2 its inhabitants in their picturesque costume 7which remains unaltered7 have learned that to sit as a model is a pleasant and lucrative profession1 and they do this for a small fee without hesitation or 8mauvaise honte40 ,this is a point of great importance to the artist1 and one which some may be glad to learn through these pages4 ,the peasants1 both men and women1 are glad to sit for a franc for the greater part of a day2 it is only at harvest time1 when field labourers are scarce1 that the demand may be greater than the supply4 and recruits have to be found in the neighbouring fishing villages4 ,once or twice a week in the summer1 a beauty comes over from ,concarneau in a cart1 her face radiant in the sunshine1 the white lappets of her cap flying in the wind4 ,add to these opportunities for the study of peasant life and costume the variety of scenery1 and the brightness and warmth of colour infused into everything under a more southern sun than ,england1 and it will be seen that there are advantages here not to be overlooked by the painter4 ,illustration ,the picturesque town of ,,quimperl on the rivers ,ell and ,isole1 from which so many ,english travellers have been scared1 in years gone by1 by ,murray's laconic admonition1 8,no good inn10 is a most pleasant and comfortable resting-place4 ,it is approached on a high level when coming by railway from ,quimper1 the road from the station winding round the hills down to the ,place1 where there is the comfortable ,htel des ,voyageurs4 ,on arriving at ,quimperl1 the aspect of the people is more cosmopolitan1 for we are approaching the borders of the province of ,morbihan1 and are on the highway between ,nantes and ,brest4 ,illustration3 at ,quimperl ,station ,the people at the station are not numerous1 and they are nearly all third-class travellers4 ,the quiet1 almost taciturn company consists of a tourist1 a sergent de ville1 a commercial man of ,quimperl1 the same old woman that we meet everywhere on our travels1 in the comfortable dark hood and cape of the country1 and a peasant-woman taking home her sack of meal1 sketched on the opposite page4 ,quimperl contains about #fejj inhabitants1 principally occupied in agriculture4 ,it is surrounded by hills covered with orchards and gardens shut in by high walls2 an old and sleepy place1 full of memories of the past1 and with1 apparently1 little ambition for the future4 ,there is an ancient abbey church1 built in the eleventh century1 on the plan of the ,holy ,sepulchre at ,jerusalem2 in the crypt is the tomb of ,st4 ,gurlos1 one of the early abbots of ,quimperl4 ,the large grey-roofed building on the ,place adjoining this church1 now used as the ,mairie1 was formerly a convent of ,benedictine nuns2 and other buildings1 such as the old inn1 the ,lion d',or1 were originally used by the abbots of ,st4 ,croix4 ,illustration ,but ,quimperl1 in spite of its railway1 is a town where grass grows between the paving-stones of its streets2 a place which owes much of its attraction to its picturesque site and its ancient buildings1 to its market-days1 its weddings and ftes4 ,in the lower town there are some old narrow streets1 with most picturesque wooden gables1 and there is one dilapidated square1 called 8the ,place of ,revolution10 where there would seem little left to destroy4 ,illustration ,a painter might well make ,quimperl a centre of operations1 for its precincts are little known2 the gardens shine with laden fruit-trees1 and the hills are rich in colour until late in autumn2 and in the evening there is no better place for rest than under the trees on the ,place ,nationale4 ,here the people pass to and fro1 as in the sketch on the opposite page2 there are more women than men to be seen1 for the latter are resting from their labours1 in the cafs4 ,beyond1 and high above this group1 are the houses of the old town1 surmounted by the two square ,gothic towers1 with spires covered with lichen1 of the church of ,st4 ,michel4 ,under the trees near the river are women selling sardines and fruit4 ,the position of the bridge over the ,ell is indicated by the man leaning over the stone parapet4 ,the man with the cart has just come in with wood for winter fires4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,place ,,at ,,quimperl4 ,the great attraction to ,quimperl is in the country round2 in the beauty of the woods and the windings of the streams4 ,in this neighbourhood the artist and the angler may settle down together and spend the summer months delightfully4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,big ,,load4 ,we said that ,quimperl1 a town with a railway station1 on the great highway between ,nantes and ,brest1 owes most of its life and picturesque attraction to women1 weddings1 ftes1 and flowers4 ,let us picture a prominent personage at the old ,htel du ,lion d',or4 ,she had a beautiful name1 ,augustine1 pronounced with enviable accuracy by all the household4 ,she hovered about us like a fairy1 attending to our wants in the most delicate way2 to outward seeming a ministering angel with pure white wings1 but1 in truth1 a drudge1 a methodical housewife1 massive1 and hard to the touch4 ,she did the work of three ,parisian garons1 and walked upstairs unaided with portmanteaus which it would require two men to lift1 anywhere out of ,brittany4 ,she slept in a box in the kitchen1 and dressed 8somehow0 in five minutes4 ,she ate what was left1 contentedly1 at the end of the day1 and rose at sunrise to do the laborious work of the house2 helping also at harvest-time in the fields4 ,she had the sweetest of smiles 7when she liked71 an unconquerable habit of taking snuff1 and a murderous way of killing fowls in the early morning which we shall not easily forget4 ,how it comes to pass that this girl of nineteen occupies such an important position in the household is one of those things which are peculiar to ,brittany4 ,the strong individuality1 industry1 and force of character of the women make themselves felt wherever we go4 ,whilst the men slumber and smoke1 the women are building little fortunes or propping up old ones4 ,all through the land1 in the houses1 in the factories1 and in the fields1 the strong1 firm hand and arm of a woman does the work4 ,illustration3 ,,augustine4 ,the pedestrian or sportsman1 in his wanderings through ,brittany1 will1 if he knows the country1 seek1 at the end of a long day1 the country auberge where a 8household fairy0 presides4 ,the land is full of legends and tales of gnomes and witches1 but the reality is a white-capped figure1 that welcomes the traveller at the inn door the modern representative of 8mine host40 ,her brightness and attraction1 and at the same time her whole armour and coat of mail1 are her stiffly starched cap1 epaulets1 and apron of spotless white4 ,she presides at the ftes and weddings which are celebrated at the inns1 and joins in the frolics at the end of the day1 dancing with the rest up and down the street1 and submitting with modest but hearty goodwill to some rather demonstrative tokens of esteem4 8,how is it that these widespread collars are never crumpled80 some one asks4 8,oh1 we just turn them round and throw them over the shoulder for a minute60 is the quick answer4 ,let us refer to our notebook to see how one of these weddings is managed in ,quimperl in #ahgh4 ,it is just after harvest1 and the time for rest and festivity in many a village round4 ,coats and gowns that have been laid by for months are brought out1 and many an antique-shaped garment sees the light for the first time for a year4 ,two or three weddings are arranged for the same day1 and at early morning all meet at ,quimperl4 ,the girls come on foot1 dressed in their local costumes1 excepting a little innovation of finery here and there2 the 8boys10 for they are little more in age1 have modernised themselves1 and wear a clumsy imitation of the conventional suit of black1 being especially proud of ,parisian hats4 ,but excepting in the matter of costume1 they do as their forefathers did2 they spend the day in the streets of ,quimperl1 parading arm-in-arm with their brides1 stopping to take1 and to give1 refreshment at every inn-door and at the homes of all their friends4 ,we meet them early in the morning crossing the principal square2 they have registered their marriages1 and have taken the sacrament in the church of ,st4 ,michel1 in the upper town1 and for the rest of the long summer day and half into the night they dance the 8,de ,rober0 up and down the streets1 hand in hand together1 to the music of the bag-pipe and the flageolet4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,evening3 near ,quimperl4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,hennebont4 ,illustration ,from ,quimperl to ,hennebont by road or railway1 we pass ,pont ,scorff1 where is the boundary line which divides the departments of ,finistre and ,morbihan4 ,we enter now the district of ,bas-,bretagne1 the ,arcadia of ,brittany1 of which so much has been written and sung by ,french writers1 and of which only those who have lingered in its byways have discovered the charm4 ,it is the part of ,brittany most interesting from its historic associations1 the land most strewn with dolmens and menhirs1 and mysterious ,druidical remains4 ,holiday travellers from ,quimper to ,vannes pass by the large and busy town of ,l',orient because it is described1 truly1 as 8an uninteresting modern town with straight streets and quays10 and many also pass by ,,hennebont4 ,there is no historic interest in ,l',orient1 whose #dj1jjj inhabitants are busy in shipping and trade--the trade1 amongst other things1 of importing foreign spirits and tobacco1 and of planting in every village in ,brittany the cheap manufactured cottons and fineries which stamp out individuality in costume1 the last stronghold of self-respect amongst the peasants1 both men and women4 ,in every remote village1 on church walls and on medival towers1 is posted in glowing colours the announcement of a ,grand ,magasin des ,modes at ,l',orient1 and every afternoon there comes by train to ,hennebont the ,petit ,journal to complete the work of civilisation2 a little journal1 distributed by hand to all who possess a sou1 giving in its daily sheet little beyond ,parisian gossip1 but containing sometimes some strange paragraphs like the following1 which would seem of doubtful interest to ,bretons3-- 8--,on adoucit les mains et on les habitue des mouvements aristocratiques40 8--,on communique aux jeunes ladies le nom et la profession de leur futur mari40 8--,on enseigne l'lgance et la grce en douze heures1 succs garanti40 8--,on loue et on change de petits enfants40 8--,on coupe les oreilles et la queue aux chiens d'aprs la dernire mode40 ,illustration ,hennebont is only five miles from ,l',orient1 and of course some of the inhabitants wear the modern dress1 but it is still very primitive-looking1 being seldom visited by strangers4 ,sloping southward towards the river1 where ships are loading and unloading at the little port1 is the chief street1 shown in the sketch opposite4 ,hennebont is an old historic town1 containing about #ejjj inhabitants1 and is the natural outlet for the produce of the surrounding country4 ,at the upper end the street widens into a grass-grown ,place1 where is the church of ,notre ,dame de ,paradis1 with its square tower and lofty recessed portal1 the work1 it is believed1 of an ,english architect in the sixteenth century1 a structure not in any way very remarkable4 ,the town is divided into the comparatively modern ,ville ,neuve1 sketched above1 the ,ville ,close1 and the ,vieille ,ville on the right bank of the ,blavet1 memorable for its sieges in the ,war of ,succession in ,brittany1 and for the exploits of the ,countess of ,montfort in defending the city in the fourteenth century1 of which ,froissart gives a spirited account in his ,chronicles4 ,illustration ,illustration ,in the high-street of the town1 the ,ville ,neuve1 are the two principal inns1 we can hardly call them hotels1 outside one of which a traveller reposes after the midday meal2 and a little below are the older hostelries1 where there have been numerous arrivals during the day4 ,opposite1 on a low wall1 is a shelter of trees1 a favourite lounge1 whither come in the afternoon the old and the young to talk1 to quarrel1 and to flirt4 ,illustration3 ,,reapers ,,on ,,the ,,road4 ,sit down on the wall and watch the passers by4 ,first a cart1 drawn by diminutive bullocks1 heavily laden with field produce1 comes lumbering down1 the driver in broad-brimmed hat and heavy sabots2 next1 a clatter of hoofs and a troop of high-bred horses1 led or ridden by riders in scarlet coats and white trousers1 pass down to the river2 they come from the haras in the neighbourhood1 one of the government breeding establishments2 this gives a dash of colour and a style to ,hennebont quite foreign to its ordinary aspect4 ,next1 with heavy1 measured tread1 comes a procession1 half solemn1 half grotesque1 of reapers and professional batteurs changing their quarters4 ,next comes out and stands at the door of the ,htel de ,france the innkeeper1 dressed1 unlike most of his neighbours1 in a frock-coat and hat2 a slim man in dandy ,parisian attire1 almost the only black figure to be seen in ,hennebont4 ,illustration ,women pass busily up and down1 carrying heavy loads1 some with the white lappets of their caps thrown backward1 treading heavily like beasts of burden4 ,excepting for a short time in the heat of the day1 when the men rest and the women knit1 there are few unemployed hands in ,hennebont4 ,illustration ,the evening brings more activity1 the farmers and their wives pack up and depart in their country carts1 shutters open in the dark grey-stone houses on the ,place near the church2 the maire and the avocat take a walk1 or a drive with their families2 and women and children emerge on various errands4 ,it is then that out of side streets1 and doorways in walls unlocked with heavy keys1 issue1 one by one1 the fairest inhabitants of ,morbihan1 some especially erect1 bearing earthen vessels on their heads1 wending their way up the town to a road beyond the church1 where1 under the cool shade of trees1 and partly shut in by walls1 is the fountain which supplies ,hennebont with water4 ,it is a rendezvous for old and young1 men1 women1 and cattle1 a place to see and to sketch1 charming in its sheltered aspect after a midday sun2 women coming and going with their pitchers2 men helping or bringing cattle to water1 and numerous washing parties on their knees4 ,illustration ,illustration ,every way we turn there is a picture of some sort to be sketched2 if we follow the narrow1 winding streets of the ,ville ,close1 sheltered by trees and overshadowed by walls1 we come suddenly upon an old time-stained doorway like that below2 and1 amongst the people that crowd the poorer quarter1 are many quaint and interesting groups4 ,illustration ,here we may notice again the harmonious combinations of costume and buildings1 and how the women1 tall and straight1 clad in draperies of soft material1 seem to give dignity to the most squalid surroundings4 ,they are a pleasant1 homely people at ,hennebont2 a town worth visiting before simplicity1 individuality1 and local costume have passed away4 ,but the air is close in this valley1 and we are too near the main line of railway2 let us turn northward to see something more of the interior of the province of ,morbihan4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,le ,,faouet--,,gourin--,,gu,m,n4 ,illustration ,it is a pleasant change1 even from the quiet of ,hennebont1 to wind slowly up the hills covered thickly with ferns and woods1 to disturb the magpies on the roads1 and the yellowhammer and the lizards on the rough stone walls2 to see the silent peasants knee-deep in the fields1 the little black and white cattle tethered to pasture1 the black and brown sheep grazing in the open land1 and the pigs at the cottage doors4 ,it is a considerable ascent from the town through an undulating landscape of woods and streams and ferns2 the valleys green in their depths1 the trees turning gold and brown where they fringe the hills4 ,illustration3 ,,reaping ,,near ,,hennebont4 ,as we approach ,le ,faouet1 the scene changes gradually to a sterner aspect1 the trees are less luxuriant1 and the soil is less fruitful4 ,here and there we pass on the road a busy harvest scene1 the people turning round at the sound of approaching wheels to watch the travellers pass4 ,it is the farmer himself that gazes at us1 half amused2 the time for harvest is short on these rainy hills1 and so master and man1 and every available help1 work early and late to get in the crops4 ,the sun that shines so brilliantly to-day1 and lights up the harvest field with a golden glow1 will disappear in a few hours1 and the fields may be a wreck from the wind and rain4 ,every now and then a deep shadow is thrown over the land from the clouds that drift eastward from the sea1 but they are high in the heavens to-day1 and the sky is of an almost ,eastern blue4 ,before us northwards the horizon is of a colder hue1 and as we ascend the last long hill to ,le ,faouet1 the cupola on the church tower and the grey roofs of the houses with their backgrounds of firs have by contrast a sombre tinge4 ,illustration ,on the road from ,quimperl to ,le ,faouet a stream is crossed that divides the two provinces of ,finistre and ,morbihan2 it is a stream well stocked with trout2 in fact1 in most of these rivers there is excellent fishing1 and there are no better headquarters for sport than ,le ,faouet4 ,the town1 which is well situated and has fine views of the country1 contains not more than #cjjj inhabitants1 nearly all but the oldest and the poorest being engaged in agriculture4 ,it is a great centre on certain days1 when the people collect under the eaves of the market-place shown in the full-page sketch4 ,but excepting the visits of a few sportsmen and tourists in summer1 ,le ,faouet is scarcely ever visited by the outer world4 ,the houses are built of stone1 old and covered with lichen2 the covered market-place has heavy wooden eaves1 and is protected by ancient elms2 the inhabitants are dressed for the most part in rough and primitive fashion1 the men in white cloth jackets1 loose breeches1 and sabots1 and the women in dark comfortable cloth hoods1 as in the sketch at the head of this chapter4 ,illustration ,it is a quiet1 self-contained1 dignified population at ,le ,faouet1 approached at intervals by the commercial traveller1 and a few cattle- and horse-dealers1 but holding otherwise little communication with towns4 ,here1 in this neighbourhood1 we may contemplate the typical ,breton1 who1 braced physically to withstand the shocks of the tempest1 resists with an almost irresistible vis inertia the advance of ,french civilisation2 whom neither the progress of steam nor compulsory education has much disturbed4 ,he has1 for trading purposes1 acquired some knowledge of ,french1 but he keeps this knowledge to himself1 and never displays it unnecessarily2 he has thus an advantage over strangers1 who may imagine he cannot understand a word4 ,illustration3 ,,le ,,faouet4 ,to come into a quiet village like ,le ,faouet with no purpose but observation requires a certain amount of courage1 and1 if it were not that a little more than a mile north of ,le ,faouet there is the famous chapel of ,ste4 ,barbe1 and southward about two miles1 in an old church1 there is an elaborately carved rood-screen1 we might hesitate to take up our quarters here4 ,unless a man has business in ,le ,faouet unless he is an antiquary1 a fisherman1 or a painter1 he would leave it the day he entered4 ,it is not1 however1 uncommon for the landlord of the ,htel du ,lion d',or to have pensionnaires who stay for the summer4 ,illustration ,in spite of the grandeur of its situation1 the solidity of its buildings1 and the evident industry of the inhabitants1 there is a dreary1 ruinous look about the ,place of ,le ,faouet even on a summer's day4 ,what must it be in winter winds8 ,on the brightest and driest day of the year many of the houses are dark and unhealthy-looking1 built close together1 with narrow lanes of mud and filth between them4 ,what must they be when the rains begin8 ,we have seen in ,le ,faouet some of the finest types of ,bretons1 both men and women4 ,let us record one figure which will never be effaced from memory4 ,passing down a street leading from the principal square1 we meet coming up the hill bareheaded1 in the full blaze of the sun1 in the dust and heat1 the strange1 wild-looking figure in the sketch2 his clothes are patched1 his hair is white1 his face red2 with crutches1 and one leg1 he drags 7with the help of a dog and one or two charitable children7 his house1 with him about the town4 ,it is a strange conveyance made of sticks and dried ferns1 but it is home4 ,travellers see strange sights1 but surely no sight more grotesque was ever seen than 8the man on two sticks0 of ,le ,faouet1 whose portrait is given to the life4 ,illustration ,before leaving ,le ,faouet1 a visit should be made to the fifteenth-century church of ,st4 ,fiacre1 to see the fine rood-screen elaborately carved with figures representing scenes in the life of ,christ1 panels of elaborate and grotesque workmanship4 ,the work on this screen was partly executed in #adhj and in #afbg1 and the whole was restored1 painted1 and gilt in #ahff4 ,there is also some fine stained glass1 dating from #aeeb4 ,to the chapel of ,,ste4 ,,barbe is a shaded walk of about a mile and a half--first through narrow lanes and broad avenues1 then up a steep ascent where the path is sometimes cut in steps in the rock4 ,it brings us in half an hour to a high plateau fringed with furze and wind-blown pines4 ,the view from the eminence is magnificent3 the eye wanders eastward and southward1 over a broad valley with a mountain stream1 the ,ell winding first through beds of rocks1 then into pastures1 and disappearing in cultivated fields4 ,as we walk to the edge of this mountain-side1 where there is only a small hut visible1 the panorama increases in extent over the country1 and the variety of colour1 from the grey of scattered boulders and blue of pines1 to the deep green of the meadows and woods1 forms a scene of such natural beauty that we almost forget the object of our mission4 ,the chapel of ,ste4 ,barbe1 approached down a flight of steps1 is actually close to our feet2 it is built of granite under the hillside1 sheltered from the winds by enormous rocks and trees1 and with a steep declivity below2 a solid granite structure fitted into the hillside1 so to speak1 the space not permitting the nave of the chapel to be in the usual position4 ,in the interior--which is shown by an old man in tatters who kneels at the altar whilst we walk round--is a gallery with carved panels1 supported by seraphim holding shields1 and grotesque animals on the mouldings2 there is also some old stained glass4 ,there is a tradition attaching to this chapel1 that a knight1 hunting in the neighbourhood in the fifteenth century1 was overtaken by a storm in the valley below1 and1 being preserved from falling rocks by the prayers of ,ste4 ,barbe1 erected this chapel to her memory4 ,from that day there has been an annual pilgrimage to ,ste4 ,barbe1 when some of the devotees creep round the precipitous exterior walls as an act of penance4 ,before leaving1 we pass up the rough stone steps in the sketch to even higher ground1 where there is a small chapel dedicated to ,st4 ,michel4 ,it is fortunate to have seen the view from ,ste4 ,barbe on a clear day1 for the clouds1 which gather in the distance1 as white as snow1 through the tree tops1 come up in a few hours and shroud the land4 ,illustration ,ten miles in a north-westerly direction1 in some of the finest scenery of the ,montagnes ,noires1 is ,,gourin1 a small town in the centre of a district of old iron mines1 stone and slate quarries4 ,mr4 ,caldecott1 who visited this district in a previous year1 in bad weather1 speaks of the 8wide1 dirty1 uninteresting-looking street of ,gourin1 at the top of which is the ,htel du ,cheval ,blanc10 but he has made a sketch of the women washing at a stream just outside the town1 which only wants colour to be one of the most picturesque of our series4 ,illustration ,excepting for fishing1 shooting1 or perchance to record the forms and colours of the mountains in a sketch1 few visitors will find their way to ,gourin1 even in summer2 but the following notes by the artist may be interesting to travellers3-- 8,the dining-room of the inn at ,gourin opens on to the public ,place1 and is frequented by commercial travellers and two or three residents2 one of the latter1 being a chasseur1 is followed through the glass door by a pack of hounds1 the large sporting spaniels of the country1 and at each guest's elbow a dog stations himself to receive gratuities40 8,after resting for the night in a comfortable room1 separate from the main premises1 ,i hire a vehicle to take me to ,le ,faouet1 as the morning is wet2 a long-bodied cart1 drawn by a white horse1 with the wheels set forward and a shifting seat1 on which is a large pillow4 ,we drive through a hilly1 wooded country in a high wind40 ,illustration3 8,,montez1 ,s',,il ,,vous ,,plait1 ,,monsieur60 ,the storm is so severe at ,le ,faouet that 8slates are blown from the roofs of the houses1 men grasp their hats1 women tack hither and thither across the square1 and geese take advantage of the breeze and try to fly40 ,on the way to ,ste4 ,barbe1 8a tall tree crashes across the path1 which is strewn with unripe acorns1 chestnuts1 apples1 fir cones1 leaves1 and twigs40 ,the hurricane that was experienced here swept over the whole of ,brittany with great violence1 and1 according to the ,journal de ,rennes1 8laid low at least a thousand trees40 ,up and down again on a good road1 a drive of seventeen miles from ,le ,faouet takes us to ,,gu,m,n1 meeting a few reapers1 and a cart drawn by bullocks in charge of men who have succumbed to thirst and heat4 ,illustration ,we halt halfway at the poor village of ,kernasclden1 where there is hardly an inhabitant to be seen1 but where1 abutting on the high-road1 is a beautiful ,gothic church1 rich in carving and grand in proportion1 a striking contrast to the hovels which immediately surround it4 ,it is a good example of fifteenth-century work1 built at the same time as the church of ,st4 ,fiacre1 and by the same founder4 ,there is a legend here too curious not to repeat1 that angels aided in the building of these two beautiful churches1 carrying the tools1 which were scarce in those days1 backwards and forwards from one church to the other1 to aid the workmen4 ,at ,gumn1 a little town on the river ,scorff1 we are still in the interior of the country4 ,it is in some ways more civilised than ,le ,faouet1 but as far removed from railways1 and with as little communication with the outer world4 ,illustration ,let us first give our experiences of the principal inn1 which is on the left1 looking up the street in the sketch1 where travellers are driven under an archway into a wide stable-yard1 and enter the house by the kitchen4 ,the beds are clean and comfortable enough1 the fare is homely but plentiful1 and there is nothing to scare away the most fastidious4 ,at the midday meal we have trout1 caught a little way down the river ,scorff1 one or two dishes of meat1 an omelette if desired1 and1 as usual1 very good bread1 butter1 and cider4 ,the dinner1 or evening meal1 is rather more elaborate1 especially if a fresh traveller has come in4 ,the view1 across the table at breakfast time1 of the presiding genius of the inn1 the bottle of cider1 the large wineglass1 and the half cut loaf1 are all depicted exactly4 ,the vacant chair is soon to be occupied by a commercial traveller1 who has been busy all the morning in the town1 doing more havoc in the one day that he devotes to ,gumn than we like to think of4 ,he represents a cheap clothier's house at ,l',orient1 and has tempted many of the quiet inhabitants to change their simple stuffs and white caps for the more fashionable dresses and hats of the town4 ,it should be remembered1 however1 that it is to this very commis voyageur1 whom we travellers are apt to treat with scant courtesy and whose proceedings we often regard with anything but pleasure1 that we owe the comforts of these inns1 and the possibility of travel in remote places4 ,the commercial traveller1 coming from ,vannes or ,l',orient is the pioneer in such towns as ,gumn2 he teaches the ,breton innkeeper the mysteries of civilised life1 and the art of living differently from the lower animals4 ,it is a heavy penalty to pay1 from the artistic point of view1 that he should bring his patterns and his sham jewellery1 and leave so much of it behind in ,gumn4 ,but our little waiting-maid is not yet converted to the policy of adopting modern ways4 ,her spotless white cap and sleeves1 neat dress1 and rows of pendent coins1 are of a pattern as old and characteristic as the gables of the houses of ,gumn4 ,illustration ,so bright and charming is our little maid this morning that it is difficult to believe that she came out of a carved wooden bedstead let into the wall of the kitchen 7a bed of two stories1 holding four671 that she does most of the work of the hotel1 and helps in the stable4 ,it is enough for us to record that travellers are well cared for2 that ,englishmen come here for the fishing1 and sometimes stay for weeks1 living at the rate of four or five francs a day1 including everything4 ,illustration ,the streets of ,gumn are full of people on ,sunday morning--men in short jackets1 wide trousers1 and black1 broad-brimmed hats1 old women in the comfortable coiffe sketched above1 girls with white caps and stomachers1 short dresses1 and neat shoes1 all coming into the church and afterwards meeting in the street4 ,these are principally country people2 but the inhabitant of ,gumn1 the small propritaire or employ1 who lives in the town1 often wears a semi-nautical attire1 as sketched overleaf4 ,illustration ,five old women sit together in the road1 their chairs drawn together for company1 and to make an inclosure for two or three little tottering inhabitants of ,gumn1 who at the age of three are dressed in the costume of their ancestors4 ,here the harmony of costume and architecture1 both in form and colour1 strikes the eye at once1 and we want nothing to complete the picture4 ,there is nothing1 it seems1 to add1 nothing to leave out2 let us stay for a month 7we are inclined to say7 and sketch in the high-street of ,gumn such figures as are standing talking together at an old-fashioned doorway1 opposite to our inn4 ,but the scene soon changes1 and out of one of the old houses1 dark in the interior1 with a floor below the level of the street1 comes a lady with a nurse and child2 she has a light dress with a train1 a hat with scarlet feathers1 and a parasol4 ,she is going for a promenade1 and1 as she passes down the street1 is greeted by the old women thus3 8,see they carry their tails in their hands1 these fine demoiselles60 ,the ,caf du ,nord is a favourite house of call1 and thither the men resort to play at cards or billiards1 whilst the women bring out their chairs and sit under the eaves1 knitting1 gossiping1 and watching the passers-by4 ,illustration ,there is no traffic in the streets1 and no fear of being disturbed4 ,a newspaper may arrive in the evening to inform the inhabitants of the last market prices1 or that a workman has fallen out of a window in ,paris4 ,a very few items of local intelligence suffice for ,gumn1 which is too much occupied with its own interests to care for what the rest of the world calls news4 ,the sun and moon rise and set for ,gumn alone2 it is the 8boss0 of their wheel of life4 ,illustration ,we have seen only the high-street of ,gumn1 but the town should be viewed from above1 with its grey roofs1 its church tower1 and the ruins of a castle eight hundred years old1 in the midst of beautiful hills1 bright with gorse1 and grey with granite boulders2 and a view reaching far away over a wooded valley with the river ,scorff winding towards the sea4 ,on one evening there is a great gathering at the old caf with high-pitched roof1 at the division of the two streets at the top of the sketch on page #afe4 ,the daughter of the popular hostess has been betrothed at the presbytery1 and in a month she is to be married4 ,she has her dot1 or portion1 of a few hundred francs1 and her husband that is to be1 his little farm2 they have met to celebrate the occasion1 and their immediate friends make merry until far into the night4 ,they all sit together round a rough table in the little room1 the lamps lighting the girls' faces1 the men in blouses or white jackets1 with bright buttons2 a background of timbered ceiling1 smoke1 laughter1 songs1 and jollity1 continued long after the lights go out in the street and the moon rises over the valley4 ,all will go well with them if the bottle which first drew them together does not scatter their happiness too soon4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,gumn ,july #ahgh4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,ste4 ,,anne ,d',,auray--,,carnac--,,locmariaker4 ,illustration ,on the #bdth of ,july we take up our quarters at the comfortable ,htel ,pavillon d'en ,haut1 at ,auray4 ,to-morrow is the great day of the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne1 the occasion of the annual pilgrimage to the miraculous well1 whither from far and near1 on foot and on horseback1 in carts and other strange road conveyances1 and by excursion trains1 come pilgrims to the shrine of ,ste4 ,anne4 ,like the great annual gatherings at ,guingamp and at ,ste4 ,anne la ,palue1 of which we have spoken1 the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne attracts a strange medley of people1 and thus it is that the ordinarily quiet little town of ,auray1 situated four miles from the shrine1 is crowded to overflowing4 ,the town of ,auray1 which contains about #ejjj inhabitants1 is finely situated above the river which bears its name4 ,it was formerly a port of commercial importance1 but its trade has drifted to ,vannes and ,l',orient1 and it is best known to travellers as a starting-point for visiting the fields of ,carnac and ,locmariaker2 also as a pleasant and healthy place of residence1 where fishing and shooting can be obtained4 ,there are no objects of great antiquity to be seen at ,auray itself1 its historic castle has disappeared1 but there is much to interest the traveller in the old streets with timbered houses1 leading down to the river4 ,on a wide ,place a few yards off1 called the ,belvdre1 is a column to ascend to see the view1 looking northward and eastward1 in the direction of ,vannes1 over a wide stretch of cultivated land1 pastures1 and woods1 dotted with white houses and church spires1 one of which is ,ste4 ,anne d',auray4 ,immediately beneath is a rocky1 precipitous path down to the river1 with small vessels loading and unloading1 and the grey roofs of toy-like houses and warehouses on the quay4 ,a sudden cloud of smoke1 which curls through the gorse and bushes which conceal the greater part of the river from view1 comes from a little steamer which has arrived from ,belle-le with the evening tide1 and has brought another crowd of pilgrims for ,ste4 ,anne4 ,all is quiet and beautiful from this vantage-ground2 the air is soft1 and slowly waves the tree-tops in the avenue which skirts the ,belvdre on its southern side2 there is nothing to indicate the tumult of to-morrow4 ,illustration ,the morning of the #beth of ,july is bright1 and the gilt statue of ,ste4 ,anne glitters above the trees4 ,if at this moment we could look down from the spire of its church1 upon the country round1 we should see on every road1 and across the open land1 little dark specks which are pilgrims all tending one way--to the shrine4 ,they have been coming all through the night1 camping in the fields and sleeping at the roadside4 ,the broad ,roman road from ,vannes is covered with carts and carriages1 and more people are arriving by the river4 ,illustration3 ,,evening ,,on ,,the ,,belv,d,,re1 ,,auray4 ,the crowd that has assembled in the open square near the church of ,ste4 ,anne at six in the morning numbers several thousands1 and increases every hour4 ,they are pilgrims of every grade1 from the marquis and his family1 who have driven from ,vannes the evening before1 and stay comfortably at the large hotel1 to the solitary herdsman in goatskin coat and wooden shoes stuffed with straw1 who has walked for two days and nights from his home in the ,montagnes ,noires4 ,but they have come on the same errand1 and will stand side by side before an altar in one of the side chapels1 and burn their candles together4 ,they both believe1 or are taught to believe1 in a legend that some time in the seventeenth century a saint appeared to one ,nicolazic1 who rented a farm near this spot1 and commanded him to dig in a field for her image1 and to erect a chapel to her memory4 ,they both have heard of the miraculous cures at the well of ,ste4 ,anne1 and believe that no household can prosper1 no ships are safe at sea1 no cattle or crops can thrive1 unless once a year1 at least1 they come to burn candles to ,ste4 ,anne2 and they both have wife1 mother1 or sister christened ,anne1 the name in fact of nearly every child we see to-day4 ,illustration ,the miraculous well of ,ste4 ,anne is in a large inclosure at the western end of which is the ,scala ,santa1 a small1 raised chapel1 open to the air and covered by a cupola2 a modern wooden erection about twenty feet from the ground1 approached on either side by a covered flight of steps4 ,it is from this platform that the opening ceremony of the ,pardon takes place in the afternoon of the #beth of ,july1 when after a procession round the town with a brass band and banners1 the bishop of ,vannes1 or other dignitary1 addresses the people in the open square4 ,the procession is a long one1 gay with the green-and-gold-embroidered vestments of the priests1 and bright with the white robes of the acolytes with their crimson sashes2 a quickly moving procession of bareheaded men singing the litany of ,ste4 ,anne1 with banners 7representing different departments and communes7 waving above them1 and silver crosses and relics carried high in the air4 ,the crowd presses forward to see1 and forms a narrow lane to let them pass to the ,scala ,santa1 where the head of the procession comes to a standstill1 and as many of the priests and attendants as can crowd on to the steps stand as a sort of bodyguard1 whilst the bishop addresses the multitude assembled in the square beneath4 ,illustration ,then the outsiders of the crowd get up and watch the proceedings 7including a cook in white cap and apron1 who sits upon the hotel wall71 some eagerly from curiosity apparently1 some with devotion1 and some1 it must be confessed1 with an easy1 jaunty air more appropriate to a show in a country fair4 ,there are several hundreds on the grass before us in the bright sun1 in the glare of which the sketch was taken1 sitting together in parties1 kneeling in prayer1 or standing close together intent upon the scene4 ,what those upturned faces were1 and what the good bishop saw beneath him in the crowd1 as he rolled forth a discourse full of earnestness and eloquence1 the pencil has recorded in the sketch4 ,it gives1 as no words could describe1 the mingled expression of feeling on the faces of the pilgrims1 and tells more eloquently than any argument that the influence of the ,church is on the wane in ,brittany4 ,the words spoken are the old story3 first the history of 8the miracle of ,ste4 ,anne10 then an exhortation as to the importance of confession and of works of charity and masses for the dead4 ,the costume of the people that listen is nearly the same as in #afbc1 when ,ste4 ,anne appeared in a wheat-field to a peasant2 and yet--and in spite of all accounts of the earnest devotion of the people--if we look at the aspect of the crowd1 we seem to understand the matter better than we ever did before4 ,they stand bareheaded in the sunshine1 old and young1 rich and poor2 on the left1 the pretty bourgeois' daughter1 from ,auray1 in plain cloth dress1 with velvet body1 dark green shawl1 and neatest of shoes2 behind her1 in the background1 a contingent from more remote districts1 farmers and small traders1 the majority being comfortable people who have come by train4 ,the spare old woman with eccentric expression and worn hands1 holding purchases1 or plunder1 in her apron1 is not a pauper1 but a hanger-on at a large household1 who has saved money4 ,next1 nearer to us1 is a peasant farmer1 with long grey hair1 in white jacket and breeches and leathern girdle1 who has come on foot from his home in the interior4 ,he has walked all through the night to be present at the ,pardon1 as he has done every year1 going through the round of services and exercises1 contributing several francs in money to the church1 buying a few charms and trinkets1 and then plodding home4 ,behind him1 with stick and umbrella under arm1 holding beads in her hand1 with fat red face1 a white hood and apron1 is a comfortable farmer's wife from ,baud2 on her right an old woman in dark green coiffe1 framing a screwed-up face1 a study of colour in bronze and green4 ,behind them is a tall1 bareheaded man with his daughter1 two of the best types of ,bretons in the crowd4 ,on the right in the sketch is a pretty figure with a cross on her breast1 with shining face1 in the white cap and wide collar so common in ,finistre2 and1 next1 three peasants1 old and wrinkled1 bronzed with sun and grime1 the common type at ,pardons4 ,thus--leaving out some of the more hideous aspects of deformity and disease--this sketch gives an exact picture of the crowd1 and a true idea of the strange mixture of curiosity1 amusement1 and religious awe with which the celebration of ,ste4 ,anne is received in the present day4 ,illustration3 ,at the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne d',auray4 ,illustration ,let us add a few notes of the scene on ,sunday1 the second day of the ,pardon1 when the crowd is greatest1 and when there must be collected at least #aj1jjj people2 when1 besides the peasants and country people1 visitors from ,paris and other parts of ,france have filled to overflowing the large modern hotel1 the courtyard of which is full of carriages and conveyances of all kinds4 ,in the streets and round the open square there are booths for the sale of trinkets and toys1 rosaries1 tapers1 statuettes1 and medals of ,ste4 ,anne1 besides the more common objects for sale at a country fair4 ,in the roadway women cook fish and cakes 7galettes7 at charcoal fires2 there are itinerant vendors of gigantic wax candles1 there are peep-shows and other amusements1 skittles and games like quoits1 played with leaden counters of the size of a five-franc piece4 ,there is every kind of amusement in honour of ,ste4 ,anne1 and the family meetings and gatherings1 that take place round the cafs and in the open fields1 suggest a picnic more than a pilgrimage4 ,but it is in the street leading to the church door1 and in the adjoining cloisters of a convent1 that the more serious aspects of the ,pardon are to be witnessed1 some of which it would be impossible to record in a sketch4 ,from four o'clock in the morning masses have been said1 and in and out of the church there has been a continual stream of people1 all in holiday attire1 and nearly all wearing strings of beads1 crosses1 or silver ornaments bearing the image of ,ste4 ,anne4 ,they form in groups on the grass in the centre of the cloistered square1 close together1 some kneeling1 some standing erect1 with eyes strained upwards at a cracked and weather-worn statue of the ,christ2 they tell their beads1 and drop sous into a box at the foot of the cross1 the poorest contributing something4 ,they pass round the cloisters in a continual stream1 missing nothing set down for them1 but stopping and kneeling at each 8station0 with expressions of devotion and awe at some grotesque paintings on the walls representing the ,passion4 ,they stop and pray1 some on one knee only with beads in hand1 some kneeling low on the pavement1 sitting on the heels of their sabots for rest4 ,they have come a long and weary march1 they are at the end of their pilgrimage1 and so it happens that sitting and praying they fall asleep4 ,a heavy thwack from a neighbour's umbrella falls upon the shoulders of the sleepers1 and again they go the round4 ,by midday the crowd has increased so that movement in the road is difficult4 ,coming slowly up the narrow street--blocked by carriages1 by vendors of 8objets de dvotion10 and by the crowd that passes up and down--is an1 apparently very poor1 old man with long dark hair1 a white sheepskin jacket and bragous bras1 a leather girdle and sabots1 holding in his hand a hollow candle three feet high2 it has cost him six sous1 and he will place it presently at the altar in the church with the rest4 ,following him is a farmer and his wife1 well-to-do people1 who have come by train1 and combine a little marketing with their religious observances4 ,following them are two young married people with their child1 all dressed in the latest costumes of ,paris1 the father manfully taking off his light-kid gloves1 and carrying his candle to the church with the rest4 ,the scene in the church1 where services have been held at intervals all day1 and the people crowd to burn candles at the side altars1 is of people handing up babies1 beads1 and trinkets to be blessed2 of the flaring of candles1 of the movements of tired priests1 and the perpetual murmur of prayers4 ,we have spoken often of the simple1 practical1 and graceful dress of the women2 but here at ,auray we must confess that many of the country people in full holiday attire are anything but graceful in appearance4 ,at a side altar of the chapel there is a young face1 very fair1 with large devotional eyes1 deepened in colour and intensity by her white cap2 but below it is a stiff1 shapeless bodice as hard as wood1 and a bundle of lower garments piled one upon the other1 till the figure is a rather ungainly sight2 her large capable hands hold her book1 her rosary1 and a stout umbrella2 she is encumbered with clothing1 but she differs from her modernised sisters in one thing3 her dress is not on her mind when she says her prayers4 ,she is on her knees nearly all day at ,auray2 but1 working or praying1 half her young life has been spent in this position4 ,in spite of the grotesque element1 which is everywhere at ,pardons1 the sight is often a sad one2 sad1 especially1 to see so many young faces clouded by superstitious awe4 ,the saying would seem to apply to ,brittany1 that 8national piety springs from a fountain of tears40 ,we have purposely said little of the repulsive side of the spectacle2 of the terrible-looking men and women who have come out of their hiding-places to kneel at the shrine and to beg from strangers2 who wander about like savages1 and are propitiated with beads4 ,figures strange1 weird1 and grotesque1 the like of which we shall see nowhere else in the world1 pass round the cloisters of ,st4 ,anne d',auray for two days in the year4 ,there is one half witted man from the sea-coast1 evidently soon 8going home02 as he drags himself along1 the shadows seem to deepen1 and the light from human eyes to burn more fiercely in their tenement4 ,fed with seaweed1 thatched with straw1 exposed to the wildest winds of the ,atlantic1 his home little better than a hole in the rocks1 what wonder that he comes across the hills once a year to the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne for a blessing2 that he prays for a land beyond the sea1 visioned in his mind by innumerable candles1 and paid for in advance through weary years in his ,passage to the ,cross6 ,illustration ,many of the pilgrims go through other religious observances before leaving ,auray1 including washing in the well1 going step by step up the ,scala ,santa on their hands and knees2 and all--the poorest and most pitiable--leave something in the coffers of ,ste4 ,anne4 ,and so the long day passes1 and at last the tide recedes4 ,what if a strong north wind and the running river ,auray could bear them away seaward to be seen no more8 ,what if all the wretchedness1 dirt1 and disease1 collected1 as if by a miracle1 at ,ste4 ,anne for two days1 could1 by another miracle as great1 be swept away for ever6 ,,carnac4 ,turning southward and westward from ,auray1 a drive of eight or nine miles across a dreary-looking district1 with patches of pasture interspersed with gorse and ferns1 and here and there a peasant leading a cow1 driving a cart1 or digging in the poor soil--on reaching a rising ground1 we see before us a wide stretch of open land1 grey and monotonous in colour1 and beyond1 in the far distance1 the horizon line of sea4 ,leaving the carriage-road1 about a mile before reaching the village of ,carnac1 and turning off to the left1 we come rather suddenly1 as it seems1 upon a stubble field strewn with large grey rocks or stones1 some of them six or eight feet high1 standing on end1 upright1 or leaning against each other1 but the majority lying ple-mle on the ground1 some half buried in the earth1 or hidden by gorse or long grass4 ,they are for the most part smooth and time-worn blocks of1 apparently unhewn1 granite1 of all shapes and sizes1 some covered with moss and lichen4 ,is this1 then1 the famous field of ,carnac1 with its 8avenues of menhirs10 the object of so many pilgrimages1 the origin of so many theories1 the birthplace of so many legends8 ,the first impression1 we need hardly say1 is disappointing1 and fills the traveller with that feeling of blank dismay which comes upon him on the first sight of the 8,court of ,lions0 at the ,alhambra in ,spain4 ,but in a little while1 looking westward1 and tracing a certain order and method in the position of 8the ,stones10 he begins to realise that by no ordinary forces of nature1 but by some unknown hands in past ages1 these pillars must have been raised4 ,but how raised1 and by whom brought and strewn on this desolate shore8 ,that they were monuments of the dead1 or that they mark the spot where burials took place1 forming a consecrated ground for the ancient inhabitants of ,armorica1 is the commonly received opinion4 ,we are told also that these irregular rows of unhewn stone are relics of serpent worship1 that they represent serpents' teeth and the waving lines of its body2 also that they mark the places of sacrifice of the ,druids2 bones and ancient remains of human beings having been found to support this theory4 ,the 8menhir10 or 8long stone of the sun10 will suggest the form of monument used in all ages in religious worship1 and the 8dolmen10 or table stone 7which we see in the neighbourhood of ,locmariaker71 consisting of a chamber formed by placing one large flat stone horizontally on two or more upright blocks1 points to the theory of a place of sacrifice in ,druidical times1 or at any rate to a place of burial4#i ,all else seems vague and mysterious1 leading men of succeeding ages to surround the scene with legends and traditions4 ,it has been said that 8the ancient temples of aboriginal races are generally to be found where nature wears her saddest and most funereal aspect10 and certainly ,carnac is no exception to the rule4 ,footnote #i3 ,the forms of the menhir and the dolmen are indicated on the title-page4 ,it is a summer's day1 and the light south wind that comes over the sea1 and gently sways the trees inland1 here blows up the sand into our faces1 and moans between the stones4 ,it is such a wild and dreary place--where1 excepting for a farm and an oasis of a few trees1 there is no welcome colour presented to the eye--that the mind leans naturally to the mysterious side1 and clings rather to legend and tradition than to historic facts2 thus we may see in this confused array an army of pagan warriors turned into stone1 and cling1 like the present inhabitants of ,carnac1 to the story of the patron saint of their herds and flocks 7,st4 ,cornly71 who1 pursued to the sea by a host of armed men1 and finding no means of escape1 cursed his pursuers and turned them into stone4 ,if1 by the aid of the map below1 we look down upon the fields of ,carnac1 we shall discern a certain order and method in the arrangement of the stones1 and carry away a more definite impression4 ,thus we see the menhirs 7or peulvens1 8pillars of stone10 as they would be more accurately described7 arranged in three avenues extending from east to west1 commencing irregularly at ,kerlescant1 continuing in a second group called ,kermario1 and ending abruptly near ,carnac4 ,these avenues form the principal groups1 but there are two others1 one at ,erdeven and one at ,ste4 ,barbe1 in a north-westerly direction1 besides separate menhirs or peulvens1 scattered about for miles1 half buried in the soil or standing in the long grass4 ,it is estimated by old chroniclers that on these fields there once were #ab1jjj or #ae1jjj ,celtic monuments2 at the present time there are not #ajjj to be found upon the fields of ,carnac1 so many having been destroyed or taken away for building or other purposes4 ,illustration ,the most prominent object on the field of ,carnac is a mound of stones1 once a burial-place1 on which there is a chapel and a calvary dedicated to ,st4 ,michel4 ,every traveller ascends this mound to obtain a view1 on the one side1 of the plains of ,carnac1 and1 on the other1 of the peninsula of ,quiberon and of the distant islands of ,belle-le1 ,houath1 and ,hoedic4 ,from the mound we can also see the spot where the ruins of ,roman houses and baths have been found4 ,on the right1 as we look seaward1 is the little village of ,carnac close at hand1 with its grey spire and cluster of houses1 and here and there in the distance are trees1 farms1 and patches of cultivation4 ,but all looks dreary and wind-blown1 even in summer-time and the inhabitants that stop in their work in the fields to stare1 or pursue the tourist through the day1 have a wild and weary look that is infinitely sad4 ,illustration3 ,,sketch ,,on ,,the ,,fields ,,of ,,carnac4 ,in the church of ,carnac are some curious relics1 and frescoes descriptive of events in the life of ,st4 ,cornly1 and in a house opposite is a collection of ancient ornaments1 weapons1 bone implements1 and the like1 which have been unearthed from time to time1 and are now exhibited for a small fee4 ,visitors to ,carnac should make enquiry for the site of recent excavations made by ,mr4 ,miln1 a ,scotch gentleman who has devoted some years to archological labours in the neighbourhood4 ,descending to the village of ,carnac1 the traveller finds a comfortable resting-place at the ,htel des ,voyageurs1 and a pleasant contrast to the prevailing sadness of the outer world4 ,in this old-fashioned inn a sumptuous breakfast is prepared in summer for visitors2 and here assemble1 at midday1 the more prosperous part of the community1 including priests of antiquarian taste1 small farmers1 traders in fish1 travelling merchants1 carriage drivers1 and others4 ,the kitchen should be seen by all visitors1 with its old fireplace and furniture1 ancient clock1 and comfortable beds2 the pleasant faces and homely welcome of the people giving colour and character to the picture4 ,for a few weeks in summer-time1 and at the time of the ,pardon of ,ste4 ,anne d',auray1 this little inn is a centre of attraction2 it is close to the church1 where1 round its walls in grave procession1 peasants still bring their cattle to be cured--kneeling and praying1 in the road1 for miraculous aid4 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,the ,,kitchen ,,of ,,the ,h,,tel ,,des ,,voyageurs ,,at ,,carnac4 ,turning to the north-west1 about two miles on the road to ,erdeven1 is ,plouharnel1 a village somewhat poor in its surroundings1 but giving comfortable accommodation to travellers who come to see the dolmen of ,corcorro1 one of the largest in ,brittany4 ,it consists of three chambers1 or 8alles couvertes10 which were opened in #ahcj and found to contain fragments of earthen vessels1 and an urn containing ashes1 gold necklaces1 c4 ,the enormous slabs which rest upon and project beyond the upright stones1 measured originally1 it is supposed1 about forty-five feet2 the dolmen now measures twenty-four feet by twelve2 it was formerly underground1 but now stands in the open moorland4 ,illustration ,the landlord of the inn at ,plouharnel formed a collection of relics in #ahdi1 including celts of jade and bronze1 taken from this and other dolmens in the neighbourhood4 ,it should be noted that these relics belong to a much later period than others found near ,locmariaker1 some of which are to be seen at the ,museum of ,antiquities at ,vannes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the second principal excursion from ,auray is to ,,locmariaker and the island of ,gvr ,innis4 ,locmariaker1 or 8the place of the ,virgin ,mary10 is situated nine miles in a southerly direction from ,auray1 and the island of ,gvr ,innis 7,goat ,island7 is one of a cluster of little islands two miles east of ,locmariaker4 ,at the extremity of the peninsula are two large mounds or tumuli1 where various implements and relics have been found1 pointing to the time of the ,roman occupation of ,gaul2 and side by side with these1 remains of dolmens and menhirs of a much earlier date4 ,the ,montagne de la ,fe1 a tumulus of stones about thirty feet high1 was excavated in #ahfc1 and in the vaulted chamber or grotto were found necklaces1 beads1 and other ornaments which may be seen in the museum at ,vannes4 ,there is a guide who shows the interior to visitors1 and points to the hatchet-shaped inscriptions on the stones4 ,in the ,man ,lud1 the second great tumulus opened in #ahfc1 was found a large chamber1 supposed to have been a sepulchre1 containing the skeletons of horses' heads1 as well as other bones4 ,illustration ,after visiting the tumuli1 we cross the fields a little way from ,locmariaker1 following upon the track of three priests1 to see the great fallen menhir1 called 8,men-er-,groch10 or 8,stone of the ,fairies40 ,it is as wild and wind-blown here as at ,carnac2 in every direction1 excepting due north1 is the sea1 and beyond the sea is a strong south-west wind4 ,the sun that shines upon the islands1 and light up the colours of the lichen on the rocks out at sea1 scarce illumines the foreground2 there is no relief upon the low land but mounds of earth covered with long grass and furze1 and here and there1 half buried in the ground1 grey rocks1 strewn about as if by some convulsion of nature4 ,there is no trace of man's handling1 as far as we can see2 nothing to suggest a monument1 and nothing1 by contrast1 to give an idea of size4 ,but all at once1 as we descend a little behind some clumps of heather1 there loom up before us against the sea and sky the dark rounded sides of two enormous stones1 half buried in the ground1 but raised once1 as history and tradition tell us1 in the form of an obelisk seventy feet high and sixteen feet in diameter6 ,all is silent but the wind coming through distant pines1 scattering the gorse blossom on the ground1 and bending the long grass4 ,there are rooks floating in the air1 and presently there is a flapping of black garments as three pilgrims appear upon the more distant portion of the menhir1 clambering down its side4 ,it is an undignified contrast1 but valuable to us for the impression of size and grandeur it gives to the fallen monument4 ,illustration ,two miles off1 on the inland sea of ,morbihan--approached easily by boats at certain times of the tide1 but often with great difficulty owing to the currents--is the small island called ,gvr ,innis4 ,this island is about three quarters of a mile in length1 and is green and cultivated1 but so difficult is the approach that it is only in summer-time that there is much communication with the mainland4 ,on a summer's day a few adventurous tourists come scrambling up the wet rocks from boats1 to visit the tumulus or mound of stones which has been excavated of late years1 and in which there have been found various ,celtic remains and inscriptions4 ,it is1 outwardly1 a mound or heap of stones about #cjj feet in circumference1 and not more than #cj feet high4 ,of the origin1 or use1 of these tumuli1 of which the one on ,gvr ,innis is the most remarkable in ,brittany1 neither antiquaries of the past nor the present owner1 ,m4 ,closmedenc1 who lives on the island in summer1 can give a satisfactory account4 ,like the island of ,avalon1 it sleeps in an atmosphere of romance and mystery2 the most searching of modern antiquaries speaking of the 8circular and serpent-like waving lines0 cut on the stones of ,gvr ,innis as 8unaccountable10 and of the inscriptions as of 8unknown meaning40 ,here we may pause1 wondering no longer at the superstitions of the peasants1 or the romances and legends of the people of ,morbihan4 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,vannes4 ,illustration ,a few miles from ,auray and ,carnac is the ancient city of ,,vannes1 the chief town of the department of ,morbihan and the capital of ,basse-,bretagne4 ,this city1 from its position1 is the natural point of departure for travellers entering ,brittany from the east1 as it is also the natural place of rest when coming from the west4 ,there is not much to attract the traveller at first sight1 but the result of several visits is to leave an impression of great interest on the mind4 ,one of the oldest1 perhaps the oldest1 of the cities of ancient ,armorica1 its very name and its position carry us back to early history1 when the fleets of the ,veneti commanded these seas1 and were finally conquered by ,csar in the sea of ,morbihan1 their leaders put to death1 and their people sold for slaves4 ,the part of ,vannes of most interest to travellers is the old city with its narrow streets and overhanging houses1 and the remains of its walls and gates4 ,in the narrowest part1 near the ,place ,henri-,quatre1 there rises between the eaves of the houses the square tower and spire of the cathedral of ,st4 ,peter1 a structure dating from the eleventh century1 altered and almost rebuilt in the fifteenth4 ,the interior of the cathedral is gloomy1 and the streets which surround it are dark and old4 ,there are some cloisters and a finely sculptured porch of dark stone4 ,the principal chapel in the interior is dedicated to the ,spanish ,dominican monk ,st4 ,vincent ,ferrier1 who evangelised the province in the time of ,duke ,john ,v41 and died at ,vannes in #adai4 ,the relics of this saint are once a year carried in procession round the town4 ,illustration3 ,,sketch ,,of ,,vannes ,,from ,,the ,,river4 ,there is one side chapel with an altar1 on which are three glass cases1 in one of which are relics1 and1 apparently1 some wax models of bones and imitation jewels2 above these1 between the folds of a curtain half drawn aside1 is a painting of ,ste4 ,marie de ,bon ,secours1 to whom the chapel is dedicated4 ,the light through a narrow stained-glass window falls upon the figure of an old woman1 holding beads in her worn hands1 who kneels upon the scagliola steps before the altar4 ,there is nothing uncommon in the sight2 but there is a romantic story that this old woman and the beautiful ,madonna are one and the same2 that she had sat in her youth as a model for the ,holy ,virgin1 and that she kneels every day before the portrait of her old self4 ,we have spoken of the cathedral and of its patron saint1 because ,vannes is an ecclesiastical city of importance1 the see of an ancient bishopric1 and a radiating point for the church in ,morbihan2 but1 as a matter of fact1 we see and hear very little of the church at ,vannes2 and it seems by contrast with the country--where every wayside has its cross or holy fountain1 every district its little chapel or altar with saints and relics amongst the trees1 every group of peasant-women a pastor--that the country people have more than their share of homilies and exhortations4 ,coming from the interior1 we miss the attitude of religious awe amongst the women1 which seems to be put off at the city gates2 and we miss1 also1 the individuality of costume which vanishes fast in towns4 ,if we were to picture the people as we see them on ,sunday in ,vannes1 they would be very ordinary indeed1 with just a sprinkling of white caps1 and a few touches of embroidery on a shawl or a blouse1 to remind us that we are in ,morbihan2 and in their general attitude they would seem as much at a loss for occupation as in other centres of civilisation where galleries and museums are closed on ,sundays4 ,there is a museum of ,celtic antiquities at ,vannes1 containing a collection of ornaments1 flints1 c41 found in the cromlechs at ,carnac and the neighbourhood1 which is well worth visiting2 and there are various shows and amusements for the people on the ,place and in the public gardens2 but the fact remains that the majority of the working inhabitants sidle off on ,sunday morning as we see them in the sketch1 gravitating one by one towards every house outside of which hangs a bunch of dried mistletoe or broom4 ,illustration ,there are many picturesque old houses such as the above2 there is a walk by the river under the old walls and towers1 and another in the upper town with a view far away towards ,nantes and the sea2 and there is almost southern warmth and colour under its sunny walls1 where we are sheltered from the winds of the ,morbihan4 ,the people that we see are for the most part pleasant and prosperous-looking1 busy in commerce or in agriculture4 ,there is1 it is true1 more than one regiment of the line quartered here1 and the cafs1 bright with plate-glass and gilding1 are full of warriors of various sizes2 in the morning and in the evening the air vibrates with regimental drums1 but there is little else to remind us that the inhabitants are the direct descendants of a warlike nation1 and that barons and knights once defended the battlements and towers of ,vannes4 ,the morning is spent at billiards in most of the cafs1 and in some1 especially frequented by the townspeople1 there are such groups as the above4 ,illustration ,outside the caf1 seated on a bench1 is a ,french commercial traveller1 dressed like a common dandy from ,l',orient1 with blue frock-coat1 white trousers1 very narrow at the bottom1 hair cut close to the head1 and a portentous moustache2 and he does with it what every human creature seems to do with an artificially contrived tuft of hair on his upper lip1 he twitches it round and round and pulls at it without ceasing2 he has done this every day for many years1 and the action1 apparently1 relieves his mind4 ,the sight is familiar in civilised communities1 but this figure contrasts so strongly with the clean-faced1 dignified ,bretons that it seems time to pack up our sketchbooks and depart4 ,illustration3 ,,three ,,hot ,,men ,,of ,,vannes4 ,are the fashions changing in ,brittany8 or is it only the usual tourists' cry1 the complaint of those who resent all change in costume and dwellings in order that villages should remain 8picturesque10 who look upon their brother living in a hovel as they do upon an old door-knocker or a china plate8 ,let us think of the influences at work in out-of-the-way places1 where the travelling marchand des bottes1 who has followed us through nearly every village in ,brittany with his caravan of side-spring boots1 plies his terrible trade2 and let us remember the expression on the faces of the dancers in the booth at ,chteauneuf du ,faou1 at the arrival from ,quimper of the 8fine lady10 who stands up with her relations to dance the gavotte in the latest fashion of the towns4 ,illustration ,before leaving ,vannes1 we should go down at night to the old ,place ,henri-,quatre1 where the roofs of the houses meet overhead1 where1 in moonlight1 the gables cast wonderful shadows across the square1 and above our heads rise the towers of the cathedral with a grandeur of effect not to be seen at any other time1 or from any other point of view4 ,it is then that the cathedral precincts look most mysterious in their darkness2 narrow1 irregular streets with open gutters1 lighted only by a glimmer from latticed windows1 and where1 from old doorways1 figures are dimly seen to pass in and out4 ,it is a poor quarter1 where a ,dutch painter would find work for a lifetime4 ,we said that there was no light in the streets1 but1 passing round the cathedral1 there is a strong light from a lantern held close to the ground2 it is the chiffonnier of ,vannes 7who1 like his ,parisian confrre1 has learned the art of pecking and discrimination from the fowls7 wandering through the night with his basket and iron wand4 ,one more note made in ,vannes in stormy autumn-time4 ,we go down to the port1 sheltered from the wind by a high wall1 through which narrow passages have been made to reach the sea4 ,it is nearly dusk1 and the rough-hewn edges of the stone wall stand out sharply against the sky4 ,as we pass one of these1 facing the west1 the narrow opening to the shore is illumined by a blood-red sunset light1 so bright by contrast that three figures coming towards us from the seashore step1 as it were1 out of a furnace4 ,they have men's voices1 but as they approach and pass us hurriedly1 we see that their heads are bare1 and that their robes touch the ground4 ,upon their shoulders they carry a 8dear brother0 to his rest--the drift of last night's storm-tide4 ,next morning a rough stone cottage-door just outside the town is hung round with black--the drapery giving an appearance of height1 and almost grandeur of dimensions1 to the little interior--and resting upon the step is the projecting end of a wooden coffin painted white4 ,there are candles burning on either side2 a metal crucifix is placed on the doorstep1 and on a little table on the ground in the road is a vase of flowers4 ,the neighbours pass up and down crossing themselves1 and muttering ,latin words of prayer for the dead1 and the little children stand and stare4 ,two days after there is a bright procession1 headed by a priest and acolytes in white robes1 with hymns and incense1 followed by a little crowd bareheaded1 all struggling against the wind1 to a plot of ground on a promontory near the seashore1 where the poor ,breton is taken to his rest4 ,there is a crowd of his forefathers here before him1 with black wooden crosses where their heads should be2 they are planted out in rows1 and labelled with wooden sticks to mark their species1 and the garden is walled in with stones and great rock boulders to keep out the wind4 ,but it is a dreary place2 the wind finds it out from behind the stones1 blows down the wooden crosses1 and strews the ground with seaweed and dead leaves2 nothing resists the havoc of the wind over the graves1 but some bright yellow immortelles and some metal images of the ,christ4 ,in the neighbourhood of ,vannes there are numerous interesting excursions to be made1 especially southward to the peninsula of ,rhuys1 on the south side of the sea of ,morbihan1 to ,sarzeau 7where ,lesage1 the author of ,gil ,blas1 was born71 and to the abbey of ,st4 ,gildas1 also to the ruins of the fortress of ,sucinio1 built in #abej by ,duke ,jean de ,roux4 ,a few miles to the north-west is the military town of ,pontivy1 now called ,napolonville1 to be reached easily by railway from ,vannes2 and near it the village of ,st4 ,nicodme 7see map71 where on the first ,saturday in ,august one of the largest gatherings of the people takes place4 ,the ,pardon of ,st4 ,nicodme is as interesting as any described in this book1 but the customs and ceremonies are too similar to others to be described without wearying the reader with repetition4 ,a little farther south1 and we should enter the department of the ,loire-,infrieure2 we are in fact but a few miles from the city of ,nantes1 so well described by ,miss ,betham-,edwards1 in ,a ,year in ,western ,france4 ,in this neighbourhood are the sunny vineyards of ,st4 ,nazaire1 the salt districts of ,croisic where the costumes of the inhabitants are again most curious1 and the little sea-coast villages pictured by ,mr4 ,wedmore in his ,pastorals of ,france2 but there is enough in the ,loire-,infrieure for a separate book1 peopled by ,breton folk of an altogether different type4 ,we have said little of the ancient chteaux of ,brittany1 many of which are in good preservation1 and are inhabited by direct descendants of the barons of the fifteenth century2 but we would suggest to the traveller1 before leaving ,vannes1 to visit the picturesque castle of ,elven1 where ,henry of ,richmond1 afterwards king of ,england1 was confined for fifteen years2 and1 if possible1 to go by road to ,josselin1 where there is one of the finest chteaux of the ,renaissance4 ,the numerous sketches1 of ,breton folk1 in this book have prevented us from dwelling more at length on the architectural features of the country1 which have been described in many books of travel4 ,illustration ,what clings to our recollections of ,brittany8 ,some things that are not beautiful1 and which by no stretch of fancy can be described en couleur de rose4 ,the public exhibition of disease and human deformities permitted by the church are sights to which ,english eyes are unaccustomed1 and of which the young and untravelled part of our community have happily little knowledge4 ,but no wise determination to see only the 8bright side0 of things1 no infusion of otto of roses amongst these leaves1 can take away the stain that clings to many things in ,brittany4 ,it would seem a consideration of some consequence to the numerous ,english residents abroad1 though we seldom hear it touched upon1 that their children must of necessity be brought in contact with so much that is cruel and repulsive4 ,some may think it salutary and right to see these things2 at any rate it is part of the bargain with those who live abroad1 and the habits of the people can scarcely be interfered with2 but it is a source of wonder to visitors to the principal towns that the residents cannot persuade the authorities to keep more decently their streets and public ways4 ,we will not dwell upon the cruelty to animals1 upon the sights to be witnessed in every market-town1 such as tortured calves and half suffocated pigs1 because cruelty is everywhere1 and we as strangers are helpless in a land where it is not considered a sin to inflict suffering upon animals4 ,it is true that any very flagrant acts can be dealt with by law1 but the law is seldom enforced4 ,what does it matter about les animaux8 asks the kindest-hearted1 most motherly of ,breton women1 whose children drag live birds through the dust as playthings1 and whose husband1 if he be of a scientific turn1 may perchance keep a grasshopper with a pin through his head1 living1 for days in a glass case6 ,but our lasting impressions of ,brittany are of a people and of a country1 interesting for their isolation from the rest of ,europe3 of a people who are1 as has been well said1 8dwelling in an heroic past that possibly never existed1 consoling the failures of their destiny by beautiful fancies1 and throwing a grace over their hard1 unhopeful lives with romantic dreams and traditions02 of a people who invest every road and fountain with a holy name--for wherever two roads meet1 there is a cross or a sign1 and wherever three streams meet1 they are called ,la ,trinit2--of a land that stands alone in ,western ,europe1 its rocks unmoved by the shocks of tempest from without1 and its manners unpolished by advancing civilisation from within2 of a land where men look to the sea as well as to the earth for their harvest1 where the plough comes down to the water's edge and the nets of the fishermen are dried upon fig-trees1 where laden orchards drop their fruit over weather-worn walls on to the sands1 and fish1 leaping from the sea1 alight sometimes in a field of corn2 of a land brightened for a few weeks in summer with the flower of buckwheat1 and coloured with the coral of its stems1 where the wind sweeps over waves of grass and grain1 and scatters the harvest over the sea4 ,illustration ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,,brittany ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,postscript ,,for ,,travellers4 ,the expenses of a journey to and from ,brittany and ,england are limited to a return ticket 7#b #abs47 from ,london to ,st4 ,malo1 vi ,southampton1 which lasts two months4 ,all other travelling expenses on the routes indicated on the map need not exceed five pounds1 by taking the public conveyances4 ,carriages at the usual posting rates4 ,small and inferior one-horse carriages can be hired nearly everywhere4 ,the average cost of living at the hotels 7which are tolerable in all the towns7 is #aj fr4 7#hs47 a day2 or by the week1 #f fr4 and #g fr4 ,pedestrians spend very little anywhere4 ,the principal rivers for fishing are the ,blavet1 the ,trieux1 and the ,aven4 ,anglers should stay at ,st4 ,nicolas du ,plem in ,ctes-du-,nord1 and at ,rosporden in ,finistre4 7,see map47 ,the most convenient guide-book is the ,guide ,diamant1 by ,ad4 ,joanne1 published by ,hachette4 ,there is a good road map of ,brittany published by ,aug4 ,logerot1 #ee ,quai des ,augustins1 ,paris4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,transcriber',s ,,notes #a4 ,inserted #8as' between #8tone' and #8the' on p4 #d4 #b4 ,changed #8or' to #8for' on p4 #d4 #c4 ,changed #8above' to #8below' on p4 #ajg4 #d4 ,silently corrected typographical errors4 #e4 ,retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed4 #f4 ,enclosed italics font in underscores4