Chapter I: Front Matter

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IN THE TRACK OF R. L. STEVENSON AND ELSEWHERE IN OLD FRANCE

"We made a great stir in Antwerp Docks. In a stroke or two the canoes
were away out in the middle of the Scheldt."--R. L. S.]

All rights reserved

IN THE TRACK OF R. L. STEVENSON AND ELSEWHERE IN OLD FRANCE

by

J. A. HAMMERTON

Author of "Stevensoniana"

With 92 Illustrations

Bristol J. W. Arrowsmith, 11 Quay Street

London Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Company Limited

First published in 1907

CONTENTS

_Page_

THROUGH THE CEVENNES 1

ALONG THE ROUTE OF "AN INLAND VOYAGE" 71

"THE MOST PICTURESQUE TOWN IN EUROPE" 121

THE COUNTRY OF THE CAMISARDS 137

THE WONDERLAND OF FRANCE 155

THE TOWN OF "TARTARIN" 173

"LA FÊTE DIEU" 195

"M'SIEU MEELIN OF DUNDAE" 207

ROUND ABOUT A FRENCH FAIR 219

THE PALACE OF THE ANGELS 237

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

THE SCHELDT AT ANTWERP _Frontispiece_

_Face Page_

LE MONASTIER 1

LE MONASTIER 4

CHÂTEAU NEUF, NEAR LE MONASTIER 8

GOUDET 8

CHÂTEAU BEAUFORT AT GOUDET 13

SPIRE OF OUR LADY OF PRADELLES 13

THE INN AT GOUDET 16

OLD BRIDGE AT LANGOGNE 20

THE LOIRE NEAR GOUDET 20

VILLAGE AND CASTLE OF LUC 24

LA BASTIDE 24

ROAD TO OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS 29

THE MONASTERY 29

OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS 33

MAIN STREET, LE BLEYMARD 36

RUINS OF THE HÔTEL DU LOT 36

ON THE LOZÈRE 40

ON THE LOZÈRE 45

VILLAGE OF COCURÈS 48

BRIDGE OVER THE TARN 48

WATERFALL ON THE LOZÈRE 53

IN THE VALLEY OF THE TARN 53

"CLARISSE" 56

THE TARN VALLEY AT LA VERNÈDE 60

IN THE VALLEY OF THE TARN 65

NEAR FLORAC 65

FLORAC 68

BOOM ON THE RUPEL 72

VILLEVORDE ON THE WILLEBROEK CANAL 72

THE ALLÉE VERTE AT LAEKEN 77

THE SAMBRE AT MAUBEUGE 77

THE GRAND CERF, MAUBEUGE 80

THE CHURCH AT QUARTES 84

THE SAMBRE FROM THE BRIDGE AT PONT 84

ON THE SAMBRE AT QUARTES 88

SCENE AT PONT-SUR-SAMBRE 88

THE SAMBRE CANAL AT LANDRECIES 93

THE FOREST OF MORMAL FROM THE SAMBRE 93

THE INN AT MOY 97

THE VILLAGE STREET, MOY 97

VEUVE BAZIN 100

THE BAZINS' INN AT LA FÈRE 100

THE TOWN HALL NOYON 104

HÔTEL DU NORD, NOYON 104

NOYON CATHEDRAL FROM THE EAST 109

NOYON CATHEDRAL: WEST FRONT 112

COMPIÈGNE TOWN HALL 116

THE OISE AT PONTOISE 120

GENERAL VIEW OF LE PUY 121

LE PUY: CATHEDRAL AND ROCHER DE CORNEILLE
FROM PLACE DU BREUIL 125

LACEMAKERS AT LE PUY 128

MARKET DAY AT LE PUY, SHOWING TYPES OF
THE AUVERNGATS 129

LE PUY 132

THE CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL, LE PUY 136

HOUSE OF DU CHAYLA, AT PONT DE MONTVERT 137

TWO VIEWS IN THE VILLAGE OF LA CAVALERIE 141

LA CAVALERIE, WITHIN THE CAMISARD WALL 144

ST. VERNAN, IN THE VALLEY OF THE DOURBIE 145

THE WAY OVER THE LARZAC 148

MILLAU, WITH VIEW OF THE CAUSSE NOIR 152

ON THE CAUSSE DU LARZAC 152

ON THE TARN 157

A ROCKY DEFILE ON THE TARN 160

IN THE GORGE OF THE TARN 161

THE CHÂTEAU DE LA CAZE ON THE TARN 164

PEYRELAU, IN THE VALLEY OF THE JONTE 169

BEAUCAIRE: SHOWING CASTLE AND BRIDGE ACROSS
THE RHONE TO TARASCON 173

TARASCON: THE PUBLIC MARKET 176

THE TARASQUE 177

THE CASTLE OF TARASCON 177

TARASCON: THE MAIRIE 180

A WOMAN OF TARASCON 184

TARASCON: "THE BIT OF A SQUARE" 189

TARASCON: THE PROCESSION OF THE TARASQUE 193

PROCESSION OF LA FÊTE DIEU 196

A WOMAN OF SAINTE ENIMIE 205

THE FAMOUS DRUIDICAL REMAINS AT CARNAC 208

THE MERCHANTS' TABLE 213

WOMEN OF THE CEVENNES 220

GENERAL VIEW OF MONT ST. MICHEL 244

MONT ST. MICHEL 253

Note

The travel-sketches that go to the making of this little book have appeared, in part only, in certain literary magazines, here and in America; but the greater part of the work is now printed for the first time.

Perhaps the author should anticipate a criticism that might arise from the sequence of the first two papers. Had he gone to work on a set plan, he would naturally have undertaken his pilgrimage along the route of _An Inland Voyage_ before visiting the scenes of _Travels with a Donkey_, as the one book preceded the other in order of publication, _An Inland Voyage_, which appeared originally in 1878, being properly Stevenson's first book. _Travels with a Donkey_ was published in 1879. But he has preferred to give precedence to "Through the Cevennes," as it was the first of his Stevenson travel-sketches to be written. Moreover, these little journeys were as much, indeed more affairs of personal pleasure than of copy-hunting, and when the author went forth on them he had no intention of making a book about his experiences--at least, not one deriving its chief interest from association with the memory of R. L. S. He has been counselled, however, to bring together these chapters and their accompanying photographs in this form, on the plea that the interest in Stevenson's French travels is still so considerable that any straightforward account of later journeys over the same ground cannot fail to have some attraction for the admirers of that great master of English prose.

The book is but a very little sheaf from the occasional writings of its author on his wayfarings in old France, where in the last ten years he has travelled many thousands of miles by road and rail between Maubeuge and Marseilles, from Belfort to Bordeaux, and always with undiminished interest among a people who are eminently lovable and amid scenes of infinite variety and charm.

LE MONASTIER]

Through the Cevennes