St. Etienne.
PARIS
LYONS
312
37
SAINT ETIENNE, 1770
ft. above the sea, pop. 127,000. Hotels: Nord; France; both
first-class. The Poste; Europe; Des Arts; Paris, are less expensive, and
frequented by commercial travellers. From the Europe the diligences
start for Annonay. In the Rue de la Paix is the Temple Protestant. East
from the temple, in the Rue des Jardins, is the Palais de Justice,
a large handsome building.
This great manufacturing town, cold and muddy in winter, and dusty in summer, was founded by the Romans B.C. 56, and from a very early period became famous for forges and the manufacture of cables, ribbons, firearms, and “faïence” or crockery. It is situated in the long narrow valley of the Furens, amidst productive coal-beds. One long street, bearing the names of the Rues de Roanne, Paris, Foy, St. Louis, and Annonay, extends from west to east, dividing the city into two nearly equal parts. Off this street are the principal squares or “Places.” In nearly the centre of this street, where it is intersected by the Rue des Jardins and the Rue Royale, leading northwards to the railway station, is the Hotel de Ville, with, at the west end, the Post and Telegraph Offices. On the south side of the part of the street called the Rue St. Louis are: the Theatre, and on the hill behind, the Ecole de Dessin, reached by 53 steps, passing an artificial grotto. Above the Ecole, in the Rue St. Barbe, reside some of the many weavers of ribbons, who exhibit their looms with pleasure to visitors. On the summit of this hill is a Capuchin convent and church, surmounted with a gilded image of the Virgin. The road from this convent, down the hill, passes the church of St. Etienne, built in the 12th cent., containing some beautiful glass, and a relief representing the martyrdom of St. Etienne.
St. Etienne: Museums.
A little to the east, and also on the side of the hill, is the PALAIS DES
ARTS, open from 10 to 12 and from 2 to 4. It contains The
Picture Gallery, The Museum of Natural History, and complete collections
of specimens of the manufactures of St. Etienne. On the ground-floor are
the fire arms, labelled and ranged in rows. Under glass-cases are the
separate pieces, from the smallest screw to the barrel; including locks,
triggers, cartridges, percussion-caps, shot, and balls. The centre room
upstairs contains the Picture Gallery, nearly all modern. The most
striking is, “Nero beholding the effect of poison on slaves.” On one
side of the Picture Gallery is the Natural History Museum, and on the
other, collections of ancient tapestry, enamels, cabinets, and
furniture. In a separate saloon is the faïence, consisting chiefly of
plates. In the second storey is the MUSEE DE FABRIQUE. In the
centre of the room are models of the ribbon-looms, and round the walls,
under glass, specimens of the ribbons, which, from their small size and
arrangement, do not show to advantage. Even the portraits, although most
remarkable specimens of silk-weaving, are apt to be passed by, as simply
very good engravings. Among them is a group in a sitting posture
representing the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Prince of Wales, woven by
Carquillat, who has several other works of art in this room. In the
lower cases, in pattern books, are specimens of all the varied fabrics
from the looms of St. Etienne.
St. Etienne:
Manufactures.
The annual value of the silk manufactures is estimated at £3,300,000,
employing 40,000 workmen and 280,000 spindles (broches), of which
165,000 work organzines and trames, and 114,000 work the silk intended
for crapes and gauze ribbons. The number of looms has been estimated in
all at 65,000 for weaving silks, and 80,000 for ribbons. The coalfields
occupy nearly 85 square miles, employ 5000 miners, and produce on an
average annually £1,600,000 worth of coal. At the west end of the long
street, opposite the gas-works, are the Manufacture d’Armes of the
Government, and adjoining their coal-pits (puits). This large
establishment is under the superintendence of artillery officers of high
rank, and employs about 2800 men. There are, besides, several private
gun manufactories throughout the town, which turn out annually as many
as 300,000 stand of arms, including pistols and revolvers. The Promenade
of St. Etienne is the Cours Fauriel. It adjoins the Jardin des Plantes,
and is north from the Place du Palais des Arts, by the straight street,
the Rue de la Badouillière.
Rochetaillée.
Excursions.—Nearly 2 m. S. is Valbenoite, pop. 7000, with large hardware manufactories, and the great reservoir of the city called the Gouffre d’Enfer. 2½ m. farther by the same road is the village of Rochetaillée. This is also the road to take to ascend Mont Pilat. A carriage-road reaches the length of Bessat, 10 m. from St. Etienne. Thence a path leads to the farm of the Perdrix, 7 m. farther, where pass the night. Mont Pilat has two peaks—the Trois Dents, 4480 ft., and the Crête de la Perdrix, 4705 ft.
14½ m. by rail from St. Etienne is the St. Galmier station, 1260 ft. above the sea (see p. 346). An omnibus awaits passengers for the town, 1½ m. distant, on a hill 200 ft. above the station. It is a poor place with poor inns, the Commerce and Voyageurs. At the foot of the hill are the mineral springs and the establishments for bottling the water. The springs are at a considerable distance below the surface, reached by deep shafts, like the “Source Remy,” cased with masonry, and furnished with spiral staircases.
From Roannes (p. 346), on the St. Galmier branch line, an omnibus starts for St. Alban, 6¼ m. distant, with a hotel and bathing establishment possessing cold acidulous chalybeate springs.
Nearer St. Germains, at the station of St. Martin d’Estreaux, a coach awaits passengers for Sail-les-Bains, 3¼ m. from the station. The bath-house has a hotel of its own. The establishment is supplied by six springs containing bicarbonate of soda, sulphur, and iron.
St. Germains is the station for Vichy (p. 358).
Distance, 318 miles. Time, 17½ hours.
LYONS
318
PARIS. This route is the same as the preceding as far as Roanne.
For time-tables, see under “Paris, Tarare, et Lyon.” The route becomes
picturesque after Roanne.
Roanne. Tarare.
PARIS
LYONS
262
56
ROANNE. (See p. 346.) 5 m. S.E. is
L’Hôpital, and 19 m. more the manufacturing town of Amplepuis, pop.
7000, at the foot of a hill 1525 ft. above the sea-level, producing
considerable quantities of muslin, calico, cotton, and linen cloth.
3 m. from Amplepuis commences the tunnel, 3200 yards, which pierces
the ridge that separates the basin of the Loire from the Rhône. The
temperature of the Rhône basin in winter is rawer and colder than that
of the Loire.
PARIS
LYONS
288
30
TARARE, pop. 15,000.
Hotel: Europe; an uninteresting and unattractive manufacturing
town on the Turdine, surrounded by steep mountains, among which is Mont
Chevrier, one of the highest summits of the Beaujolais range. At the low
end of the town is the
railway station, and at the high end the viaduct of 21 arches across the
valley of the Turdine. The arch which crosses the road has a span of 95
ft., the others average 35 ft. About 60,000 men in the town and environs
are employed in the manufacture of velvet, embroidery, trimming, and
especially in the particular kind of muslin called “tarlatan,”
a thin gauze-like fabric, for which it is celebrated.
PARIS
LYONS
318
LYONS (see p.
29).
121 m. W. by Givors-Canal, St. Etienne, Montbrison, and Thiers.
Montbrison.
At Givors-Canal passengers for stations on the west side of the Rhône change carriages. From Givors-Canal to St. Etienne the train passes towns with coal-mines and large smelting works and foundries. At St. Etienne (p. 346) a long halt is generally made. A little way up from the station will be found the steam tram, which, after traversing the best part of the town, returns to this terminus. 56½ m. W. from Lyons and 64½ m. E. from Clermont is Montbrison on the Vizezy, pop. 6700. Inn: H. Lion d’Or. An uninteresting town, whose public buildings occupy religious edifices, secularised after the revolution of 1793. Of these the most prominent is the Palais de Justice, in the convent and church of the nuns of “Sainte Marie.”
Behind the inn is the parish church of N. D. d’Esperance, founded in 1223, but recently repaired. The west portal (restored), with its heavy square tower and buttresses, was built in 1443 by order of Charles I. de Bourbon. The most interesting part is the five-sided apse, with in each side one long lancet window, and above it two small windows separated by an impost colonnette. To each corner is attached diagonally a long, narrow, slightly receding buttress. The church is 206 ft. long, and 62 ft. high from the pavement to the roof. At the E. end of the N. aisle is the mausoleum to Count “Fores and Niver, Guigo IV.,” who founded the church in MCCXXIII. Opposite is the monument to the jurist Vernato, d. MCCCLVIII.
Montbrison: Salle des Etats.
Fronting the E. end of the church is the Salle des Etats (house of Parliament) du Forez, built about the year 1300 by Jean I., Comte de Forez, and recently restored by the Duc de Persigny from plans by Violet-le-Duc. The name was afterwards changed into the Salle de la Diana (decana), from having been converted into the chapter-house of the church. It now contains the library of the Diana society, who also hold their meetings here. It is 64 ft. long, 26¼ ft. wide, and 26¼ ft. high. The roof is entirely covered with small painted representations of the escutcheons of the Counts of Forez, and of every family that has possessed land in the territory. The large end windows are modern additions. The chimney-piece, though modern, occupies the place of the original one.
Less than ½ m. from the inn, by the Clermont road, is a cold mineral spring, containing bicarbonates of lime, magnesia, and soda, with free carbonic acid gas. It makes a refreshing drink, as well as a tonic and diuretic. A little farther, about a mile from the town, is the old untidy village of Moingt, with church 12th cent., and in front of it a ruined gateway and round tower 13th cent. Montbrison is 49¼ m. W. from Lyons by the Dombes railway. The Lyons terminus of the Dombes railway is the station of St. Paul (p. 30).
Between Montbrison and Thiers there is nothing remarkable till just after St. Remay, the station before Thiers, when the train passes by the gorge of the Durolle at an immense depth below. At this part the train traverses eight tunnels, and crosses the valley of the Durolle by a viaduct of seven arches. 24¼ m. E. from Clermont, 40½ m. W. from Montbrison, 60 m. W. from St. Etienne, and 96¾ m. W. from Lyons is
Thiers. Vertaizon. Billom.
Thiers, pop. 16,500, at first a small hamlet beside a fortress (Tigernum castrum) and a chapel dedicated to St. Symphorien (see p. 367).
Thiers is 72¼ m. N. from Darsac by coach, passing Olliergues, Vertolaye, Ambert, Marsac, Arlanc, and Chaise-Dieu (see p. 89).
Thiers makes a pleasant railway excursion either from Vichy or Clermont-Ferrand.
1¼ m. W. from Thiers and 23 m. E. from Clermont-Ferrand is
Courty. Junction with line to St. Germain des Fossés, 27½ m. W., passing Vichy, 21½ m. N.
13 m. W. from Courty and 10 m. E. from Clermont is Vertaizon, pop. 2200, situated 1¼ m. S. from the station. Junction with branch line to Billom, 5½ m. S., pop. 4300. Inns: Voyageurs; Commerce. A prettily situated town among hills crowned with ruins of castles from 12th to 16th cents. Church St. Cerneuf, 11th to 13th cents.
The train from Vertaizon takes 30 minutes to reach Clermont-Ferrand (see p. 369).
This Route conducts to the volcanic region of Central France; to the famous Spas of Vichy, Royat, Mont-Dore, Bourboule, and St. Nectaire; and to the best towns for studying the architecture of Auvergne. (See Maps, pp. 1 and 27.)
MARSEILLES
530
PARIS. Start from the station of the Chemins de Fer de Paris à
Lyon, and request a ticket for Nîmes by Clermont-Ferrand. The first
stations passed are Brunoy (p. 2), Melun (p. 2), and Fontainebleau (p. 3). At Moret,
42 m. S.E. from Paris, the rail to Marseilles by Nevers and Nîmes
separates from the rail to Marseilles by Dijon and Lyon. (For Moret, see p. 10.)
PARIS
MARSEILLES
73
457
MONTARGIS, pop.
10,000, on the Loing and the canal Briare. Inns: Poste; France.
The principal street leads directly from the station to the Hôtel de la
Poste at the opposite end of the town. The streets about the old castle
are narrow and dirty, and some of them steep. This castle, rebuilt by
Charles V., called formerly the “berceau des enfants de France,”
became private property in 1809. A house has been built within the
circle of the crumbling walls, of which a 14th cent, gateway still
stands.
The parish church is of different epochs—the nave and the aisles belong to the 12th cent., and the chancel, which is four steps higher, to the 16th. It is supported on ten tall slender columns, from which the groining of the roof ramifies in all directions.
The town fairs are held in the promenade, called the Patis. In the adjoining forest, covering 21,030 acres, is the Dolmen of Paucourt. Montargis is a great railway junction on one of the main lines between Paris and the south of France.
10 m. S. by rail from Montargis is Nogent-sur-Vernisson, station for Châtillon-sur-Loing. Time, 75 minutes; fare, 1 fr. Admiral Coligny was born in 1516 in the old castle of this place, situated in the midst of the hereditary domain of the family.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
96
434
GIEN, pop. 7600. Inns:
Poste; Paris. An old town on the Loire, and an important railway
junction. On the hill rising from the town is the church of St. Pierre,
flanked by a square tower, 15th cent., commanding an admirable view.
Adjoining is the château, a handsome edifice built in 1494 by Anne
de Beaujeu, daughter of Louis XI. It is now occupied by the Préfecture.
Below, in the town, is the church of St. Louis, 17th cent. 38 m.
N.W. by branch line is Orleans (see pp. 148 and 151 in Black’s
Normandy).
Briare. Cosne.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
102½
427½
BRIARE, pop. 5200.
Inn: H. de la Poste. A pleasant town on the Loire,
where large quantities of buttons are manufactured. 3 m. farther S.
by rail is Châtillon-sur-Loire, pop. 3300. Inn: H. des Trois Rois;
omnibus awaits passengers.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
121
409
COSNE, pop. 7000. Inns:
Grand Cerf; Belle Étoile. This little town, with ironworks of
considerable importance, and still retaining parts of its old
fortifications and castle, is situated on the Loire at its junction with
the Nohain. The best of the churches is St. Aignan, of which the portal
and apse are of the 11th cent.; the rest is modern. 6½ m. farther
S. by rail is Sancerre on the Loire, pop. 3700. Inn: Pointe du
Jour. With castle, 13th cent., on a hill 987 ft. above the sea. In the
neighbourhood are important quarries.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
138
392
POUILLY-SUR-LOIRE, pop. 3500. Inn:
Écu. The surrounding vineyards produce a famous white wine, with a
peculiar flavour. It is drinkable in the second year, and deteriorates
after the 15th.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
141
389
LA CHARITÉ, built on
a hill sloping down from the railway to the Loire, crossed by both a
stone and suspension bridge. Inns: Poste et G. Monarque;
Dauphin; omnibuses await passengers. It has still part of its
fortifications and towers of the 14th cent. Of the church St. Croix,
consecrated in 1107 by Pope Pascal II., there remain a vast
narthex, the choir, and a high and profusely ornamented tower. This
church belonged to a Benedictine convent, whose deeds of charity gave to
the town its name. The convent is now occupied by the order of the
Visitandines (Visitation). In the treasury are the chasuble and mitre of
St. François de Sales.
Pougues les Eaux. Fourchambault.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
150
380
POUGUES LES
EAUX, pop. 1400. Hotels: Near the station, the H. du
Châlet. At the entrance into the avenue, the H. de l’Etablissement,
and opposite the “Etablissement,” the Hôtel Thermal. Pougues, being a
quiet place, can be recommended only to those in search of repose, whose
stomach or other internal organs have become weak or deranged. The
establishment, which has every kind of apparatus for administering the
water, is situated in a park extending to the Loire, where fair
rod-fishing may be had. The water, principally used internally, is cold,
has a pungent taste, and contains a large amount of carbonic acid gas,
both free and in combination with lime, soda, potash, magnesia, and
iron, and is serviceable in the cure of dyspepsia, enlargement of the
liver, gall-stones, and diseases of the kidneys. Douche baths of
carbonic acid gas are employed.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
154
376
FOURCHAMBAULT,
pop. 6500. Inns: H. Bourges at station; in town,
H. Berry. A town on the Loire full of large ironworks,
employing above 5000 workmen. The Colonne de Juillet and the Pont du
Carrousel were cast here. Omnibus at station.
Nevers.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
158
372
NEVERS, pop. 20,400.
Hotels: at the station, H. de la Paix; H. du Chemin de
Fer. In the town the France, Europe, and Nièvre. A short distance
N.W. from the station, or from the N.W. corner of the Park, is the
nunnery of St. Giddard, containing the tomb of Bernadette Soubirous, to
which establishment she was entrusted after her reported interviews with
the “immaculately conceived one,” and where she died, after a lingering
illness, caused, it is said, by the knowledge that the present pope had
not the same implicit faith in her story as his predecessor Pio IX.
entertained (see under Lourdes, in Black’s South France, West
Half). In the garden of the convent, in a small chapel, is her grave,
covered by a marble slab bearing the following inscription:— “Ici
repose, dans la paix du Seigneur, Bernadette Soubirous, honorée à
Lourdes en 1858 de plusieurs apparitions de la Très Sainte Vierge. En
religion Sœur Marie Bernard, décédée à Nevers, à la Maison-Mère des
Sœurs de la Charité, le 16 Avril 1879 dans le 35e année de
son age et la 12me de sa profession religieuse. C’est ici le
lieu. Psalm 131, v. 15.”
Julius Cæsar kept his military stores in Nevers; but after his defeat at Gergovia (p. 372) the inhabitants plundered his camp and massacred the soldiers. Of the old fortifications there remain the tower of the Loire, of which the lower part is of the 11th cent.; the tower of St. Eloi, 16th cent.; the tower Goguin, 12th cent.; and the Porte du Croux, a square tower of the 12th cent., but rebuilt in 1393, now containing an antiquarian museum. At the entrance into the town by the Paris road is a triumphal arch, erected in 1746 to commemorate the victory of Fontenoy, 12th May 1745, when the French defeated the Anglo-German and Dutch forces under the Duke of Cumberland. Nevers stands on the slope of a hill rising from the Loire in the midst of a flat country abounding with iron, giving employment to important ironworks. In the most elevated part is the Grande Place, with the Palais de Justice, formerly the Palais Ducal, a stately edifice built in 1475 by Jean de Clamecy, Comte de Nevers, but altered and enlarged during the 16th cent. by his successors, belonging to the families of Clèves and Gonzaga. It is in the form of a parallelogram, flanked with four towers, each containing a staircase. In the centre turret is the “Escalier d’honneur,” ornamented with sculpture representing scenes connected with the history of the house of Clèves. The market-place occupies the site of the old Palais de Justice, built in 1400 by Philippe de Bourgogne. Opposite the Palais de Justice is a fountain by Lequesne. Nevers: Faïence. In the Hôtel de Ville are the Library, the Picture Gallery, and an interesting collection of faïence, which has been manufactured at Nevers for eight centuries. Faïence is the French term for all descriptions of glazed earthenware, and corresponds nearly to the English word “crockery.” The manufacture of majolica or enamelled pottery was introduced into France by Catherine de Médicis and her kinsman Louis Gonzaga, who, by marriage with Henrietta of Clèves in 1565, became Duke of Nevers. There are still important pottery works in the town.
Nevers: Cassini.
Opposite the Palais de Justice is the Cathedral of St. Cyr, reconstructed in the 13th cent., with parts belonging to other epochs. The nave was rebuilt in 1188, the N. portal in 1240, the choir in the 14th cent., and the S. portal, which is flamboyant in style, adorned with complicated mouldings, in the 15th cent. In the interior we find a western and eastern apse; the former, 16th cent., covers a crypt of the 11 th cent. Statuettes like Caryatides sustain the columns of the triforium. On the floor of the western end is the meridian traced by the astronomer Cassini while engaged in the triangulation of France.
The church of St. Etienne, 1097, is in the Romanesque style. St. Père was built in 1512, St. Genest, now in ruins, in the 12th cent., and the chapel of the Visitandines in 1639.
32½ m. E. by rail is Cercy la Tour, where a coach awaits passengers for the comfortable bathing establishment of St. Honoré. The water is hot, and in chemical composition resembles very much the springs in the Pyrenees. Hotel at the establishment. (See map, p. 1.)
Varzy. Clamecy.
Junction with branch to La Roche, 108 m. N. on the direct line between Paris and Turin (see p. 14). On this branch line, 8¾ m. N. from Nevers, is Guerigny, pop. 3050, on the Nièvre, with the important ironworks called the Forges de la Chaussade, employing upwards of 1300 men. 24¼ m. farther by the same line is Varzy, pop. 2890; Inn: H. de la Poste; with a very beautiful church, St. Père, 13th and 14th cents., surmounted by two square towers. In the interior are an elegant triforium and a beautiful Flemish painting (1535) of the Martyrdom of St. Eugenie. 44 m. S. from La Roche and 64 m. N. from Nevers is Clamecy, pop. 5400 (p. 15); Inns: Boule d’Or; Univers; *Poste; on the junction of the Yonne with the Beuvron. On the bridge across the Yonne is a bronze bust by David of Jean Rouvet, the inventor of those large rafts by which the wood from the forests is floated down to Paris and other parts. In the church of St. Martin, 12th to 15th cent., are a statue of Ste. Geneviève by Simart, a handsome organ-case of the 16th cent., and a beautiful reredos on the high altar. Under the markets are the vaults of the old castle of the Dukes of Nevers. The Palais de Justice, the gendarmerie, and the prison occupy one large building.
22 m. N. from Clamecy is Cravant (p. 14), an important railway junction. Junction also at Nevers with line to Chagny, 178 m. E. (see p. 24). Branch to Le Creusot and Autun (see p. 24).
Saincaize. Moulins.
PARIS
154
SAINCAIZE, 600 ft.
above sea; junction with line to Bourges, 38 m. W. (See Black’s
South France, West Half.)
MARSEILLES
195
335
MOULINS, pop. 22,000.
Hotels: At the station, H. du Chemin de Fer; in. the town,
Dauphin, Paris, France, Allier. Omnibuses at the station.
A cheerful town with extensive boulevards and pleasant walks along
the banks of the Allier, crossed by a bridge built in 1763, of 13
arches, and 328 yards long. In the centre of the town is the Cathedral
of Notre Dame, in the transition florid style of the 15th cent. The
façade, over which rise two handsome spires, is of white sandstone, with
colonnettes of dark Volvic lava. The tops of the buttresses are adorned
with statues. The choir, which is seven steps higher than the nave, is
lighted by windows containing valuable 16th cent. glass, and covered
with a curious roof. In the chapel to the right of the altar is a small
mausoleum with a recumbent figure illustrating the condition of even the
fairest forms after death. Under the altar, in a little crypt, is an
Entombment. In the first chapel, N. side of the choir, is an “Adoration
of the Virgin” of considerable merit. Opposite the main entrance is a
large square tower called “La tour mal coiffée,” 15th cent., now a
prison, which, with the handsome portico of the Gendarmerie, formed part
of the famous castle of the Dukes of Bourbon. The most interesting old
houses are within and around the Place de l’Allier. In that square is
also the church of St. Nicolas, built in the style of the 13th cent. In
the chapel of the Lycée, No. 15 Rue de Paris, a little beyond the
Palais de Justice, is the marble mausoleum, by Coustou, Anguier,
Renaudan and Poipant, of Henri II., Duc de Montmorenci, godson of
Henri IV., and one of the bravest marshals of France. He had the
misfortune to draw upon himself the enmity of Cardinal Richelieu and the
displeasure of Louis XIII., which
led to his execution in the Capitole of Toulouse on the 30th October
1632, where the knife is still preserved. His widow, Maria Orsini,
caused his body to be brought to this chapel, then belonging to the
convent of the nuns “de la Visitation.” The statues, all of the finest
Carrara marble, represent the duke in a half-recumbent posture and the
duchess seated near him. Fee, ½ fr. In the Hôtel de Ville is the public
library, with 25,000 vols. and a manuscript Bible of the 12th cent,
called the Souvigny Bible. The town clock, with its moving statues, is
mounted on a square tower, 15th cent., 40 ft. high.
Duke of Berwick. Sterne’s Maria.
Lord Clarendon, while on his way from Montpellier to Rouen, stayed some time at Moulins, where he wrote a part of his History of the Rebellion, which he finished while resident in Rouen, where he died on the 9th of December 1674, after having appealed twice in vain to Charles II. to be allowed to return to England. James Fitz-James, Duke of Berwick, a marshal and peer of France, natural son of James Duke of York, afterwards James II., by Arabella Churchill, sister of the great Duke of Marlborough, was born at Moulins on the 21st of August 1670, and died 12th June 1734. Montesquieu said of him: “In the works of Plutarch I have seen at a distance what great men were; in Marshal Berwick I have seen what they are.” By the side of the Paris road, under a tree at the northern entrance into Moulins, the forlorn Maria, with her lute and her dog Sylvie, used to sit. Thwarted in love by the intrigues of the parish curate, she became the prey to a deep-seated melancholy. (See Sterne’s Sentimental Journey, “Maria.”)
Souvigny.
9 m. W. from Moulins by rail is Souvigny, pop. 4000. Hotel: Croix d’Or. At the end of the village farthest from the station is a beautiful basilica, commenced in the 10th cent and rebuilt and restored at various periods. It is 275 ft. long, 125 broad, and 56 high. In the Chapelle Vieille, to the right of the high altar, is the mausoleum of Louis II., Duc de Bourbon, and Anne his wife. On the other side is that of Duc Charles I. and Anne de Bourgogne his wife. Both chapels are enclosed in a stone screen with delicate flamboyant tracery. To the left of the principal entrance is an ancient column with the signs of the Zodiac sculptured on it. N. from the church, on the opposite side of the street, is the old castle of the Bourbons, occupied by people of humble rank. From the Souvigny station an omnibus runs 10 m. N. to Bourbon l’Archambault, passing at about half-way St. Menoux (Hôtel de l’Écu). It stops in front of the church just sufficient time to allow the traveller to cast a rapid glance over this pleasing specimen of Aquitaine and Auvergne architecture of the 11th cent. (See map, p. 1.)
Bourbon-l’Archambault Baths.
Bourbon-l’Archambault, pop. 4500. Hotels: Close to the bathing establishment, the Hôtel Montespan, on the site of the house which used to be occupied by Madame de Montespan and Louis XIV. About 100 yds. distant the Hôtel de France. On a hill at the northern side of this ancient town are the ruins of the once strong feudal castle of Bourbon, commenced by Louis I. in 1321, and finished in the 15th cent, by Duc Pierre II. Four massive towers, built of stone, with projecting points, still remain of the twenty-four which it had originally. On a hill at the opposite side of the town is the parish church, commenced in the 12th cent., resembling the church of St. Menoux. In the centre of the town is the copious spring of mineral water which, besides supplying the bathing establishment, is largely used for drinking and domestic purposes. It is clear, inodorous, unctuous, easily digested, slightly saline and aperient, and 128° Fahr. One-sixth of its volume is free carbonic acid gas, besides the same acid in combination with lime, magnesia, and soda; and some salts of bromine, iodine, and iron. It is eminently diaphoretic, diuretic, and tonic, and excellent for rheumatism, rheumatic gout, and scrofula. Between the bathing establishment and the church is the cold water spring called the “Source de Jonas,” containing bicarbonates of lime and magnesia, chlorides of soda and magnesia, silicates of lime, alumina, and soda, the carbonate of iron and the oxide of manganese. The water is tonic and slightly laxative. St. Pardoux Spring. 9½ m. S. from Bourbon is St. Pardoux, in a wooded and hilly country, forming one of the best drives from Bourbon. There is here a spring of remarkably sparkling water, ⅚ths of its volume being free carbonic acid gas. It contains the bicarbonates of lime, magnesia, and soda, silicates of lime and alumina, and the oxide of iron. It is delightful to the taste, very pungent, and, owing to the presence of so much carbonic acid gas, slightly heady. It is an excellent tonic, highly diuretic, and stimulates the secretion of bile. It is sold in litre bottles at Bourbon at 3d. per bottle. Madame Montespan, when in the height of her power, used regularly to visit Bourbon to recruit her health, and here she died, in solitude, on the 25th of May 1707, cast off and deserted by Louis XIV. 33 m. W. from Souvigny by rail is Commentry (see map, p. 1).
From Moulins branch line extends 73 m. E. to Montchanin, passing, at 17½ m. E. from Moulins, Dompierre; at 23 m. E., Gilly, station for Bourbon-Lancy; 29¼ m. E., Saint Agnan; 35 m. E., Digoin; and 41½ m. E., Paray-le-Monial (see p. 27, and map, p. 1).
Dompierre-sur-Bebre, pop. 2230. Inns: Commerce; Lion d’Or. Coal and iron found in this neighbourhood. The country is undulating and well cultivated. Near the next station, Diou on the Loire, is the Cistercian abbey of Sept-Fonds, founded in 1132, rebuilt in the 17th cent., and now an agricultural school.
Gilly.
Gilly, station for Bourbon-Lancy, pop. 3300, 8¾ m. N. by the Loire. Coach awaits passengers at station, fare 1½ fr. Inn:: H. Trois Barbeaux, where carriages for drives can be had. The village, situated on an eminence, is full of old houses, of which the best are near the clock-tower, 15th cent. In the valley at the foot of the eminence is the suburb of St. Leger, with an excellent small Bathing Establishment, supplied by five alkaline springs, temp. 132° Fahrenheit, which flow into large basins in the court fronting the baths. The water contains free carbonic acid gas and 19 grains of the chloride of sodium to the pint. In lesser quantities the chlorides of calcium and magnesium, the sulphate of soda, the carbonates of lime and magnesia, and the oxide of iron. In Vichy the drinking of the water is the most important, but here it is the external application by baths and other means. They are very serviceable in the cure of nervous and cutaneous diseases, in neuralgia of the face, and in every form of rheumatism. The baths are of marble and easily entered, and furnished with ingenious contrivances to facilitate the application of the water to any particular part. Near the Casino, and standing by itself, is a swimming bath, 62 ft. long by 29½ wide and 5 deep, filled with the mineral water cooled down to 90° Fahr. The surplus water is still carried off by the underground channels constructed by the Romans. At intervals along their course perpendicular shafts are sunk down to the bed of the outlet.
On a height near the bathing establishment is a hospital built by M. and Mme. Aligre, and given by them to the town. A monument to their memory is in the Place of St. Leger, and a replica of the statue of Madame in silver is in the hospital. Inns: Opposite the establishment, the *Grand Hotel, 12 frs., and the G. H. des Termes, pension 8½ frs. A little farther, the G. H. des Bains, 7½ frs.; for a lady, 6 frs. Opposite, the H. Allier. The charge for the baths and Casino is very reasonable. For particulars write to M. Le Regisseur des Bains de Bourbon-Lancy. The surrounding country is of considerable interest, the Loire is within an easy walk, while several important cities are within a few hours by rail.
A little beyond Gilly is Saint Agnan on the Loire. Inn: H. de Marion. A small town in the midst of iron and coal mines. 6 m. farther is Digoin, pop. 3300. Inns: H. des Diligences, in the town; at the station, the H. de la Gare. Church of the llth cent. Suspension bridge across the Loire.
St. Germain-des-Fossés.
PARIS
MARSEILLES
220
310
ST.
GERMAIN-DES-FOSSES, 845 ft. above the sea. Large refreshment
rooms. Always a great deal of traffic at this station. Change carriages
for Vichy. Behind the station, on a little eminence, is the inn G.
H. du Pare (bed 2 frs.), with garden. At the warehouse end of
the station is the inn H. de la Gare. In the village, the Paix.
7 m. S. from St. Germain and 227 m. S. from Paris is
on the Allier, pop. 7000, 8 hrs. by express from Paris. Hotels: The largest and best are around the Parc. Of them the most elegantly furnished are:—The Nouvel Hôtel, pension 25 frs.; the H. Parc, 12 to 20 frs.; Ambassadeurs, 12 to 20 frs.; Mombrun, 12 to 20 frs.; and the Grand Hôtel, 12 to 16 frs., all first-class.
Vichy: Hotels and their Charges.
The following, also round the Parc, are equally comfortable, but the furniture is not so costly. The H. des Thermes, 10 to 12 frs., adjoining the Villa Strauss, in which Napoleon III. resided; Cherbourg, 9½ to 15½ frs.; the Princes, 9½ to 15½ frs.; the G. H. de la Paix, 12¾ to 15¾ frs.; the G. H. Velay et des Anglais, 9½ to 13½ frs.; Royal Hotel, Amirauté, 7½ to 10½ frs.; and H. de la Restauration. Almost adjoining the Ambassadeurs, the H. Moliere, 8½ to 12½ frs., a smaller house. In all the above hotels, excepting in the first three, servants are taken at the rate of 6 frs. per day. The above prices include everything except the charge of 1 fr. for candles at the end of the stay.
Adjoining the north corner of the Etablissement, near the Grande Grille, is the G. H. des Bains, 9 to 14 frs. Opposite the Etablissement, the H. Britannique, 7½ to 10 frs.; the Richelieu, 8½ to 10½ frs.; and behind it the H. Grande Grille, 8½ to 11½ frs., a more handsome house.
In the Rue Petit, near the Châlets in the Boulevard National, *H. d’Amerique, 9 to 10 frs., a clean quiet house, generally full.
In the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville at the south end of the Parc are the H. d’Espagne, 6½ to 10 frs., a small house served principally by the family; and the Deux-Mondes, 8½ to 10½ frs., fronting likewise the Place Rosalie. The fraction in the prices is for service.
In the Place Rosalie are the Source de l’Hôpital and the Banque de Vichy, where circular notes are cashed and money changed.
In the Rue de Nîmes, a busy street, separated from the Parc by a row of houses, is the H. de Nice, 8½ to 10 frs.; one side faces the church. On the other side of the church is the *H. Notre Dame, 9½ to 10½ frs. Then follow the G. H. du Centre, 7 to 10 frs.; H. Fénélon; H. du Regence, 8 to 9½ frs.; Orleans and Milan same price.
In the Rue de Paris, the street between the town and the railway station, are the G. H. du Louvre et de Reims, 7 to 10 frs., open all the year; Univers, 8 to 10 frs.; *Rome, 7½ to 9½ frs.; the Suisse; H. Dubessay; *Couronne, 8½ to 9½ frs.; Beaujolais; Brest, 7 to 8½ frs.; Cote d’Or, 7 to 7½ frs.; Globe, 7 frs., open all the year—all between the railway station and the Etablissement.
At the end of the Rue de Paris, in the Rue de Ballore, the G. Hôtel Maussant, 8 to 10 frs. In the Avenue Victoria, behind the military hospital, and in front of the petrifying spring, is the H. de Provence, 6 to 9 frs. In front of hospital, Hotel Lucas.
In the Rue de Nîmes, between the Parc and the Parc des Celestins, are the G. H. Palais, 7½ to 10 frs.; Genève; Milan; Bordeaux. Near the entrance into the Parc des Celestins, the H. Venise, 8 to 9 frs. and the H. Palais-Royal.
There are a great many maisons meublées, in which furnished rooms are let at prices varying from 4 to 8 frs., and ½ fr. for service. Lodgers can always have a breakfast prepared for them of coffee, bread, and eggs, without any extra charge, but the dinner is more troublesome. Among the maisons meublées are the Villa Sévigné (in which Madame resided) in the Boulevard National, near the Source Larbaud.
Travellers wishing to inspect the hotels and maisons meublées before deciding which to take should alight at one of the hotels in the Rue de Paris, as they are nearest the station, and sufficiently comfortable without being expensive.
Close to the principal establishment, in the Rue Lucas, is one of the best apothecary shops, the Pharmacie Durin, where information regarding the different doctors can be had.
Vichy, during the season, from 15th May till the end of September, forms a most enjoyable residence. It is full of comfortable hotels presided over by civil landlords, charging various prices from 6½ to 25 frs. per day, which includes wine, service, and everything else. The best situations are the Parc and in the contiguous streets. Tastefully-planned grounds, called the Neuf Parc, extend between the town and the Allier, crossed here by a handsome bridge, on the site where Caesar built his wooden bridge. On an eminence at the southern end of Vichy are the old town and the old parish church of St. Blaise, 13th and 14th cents. In works undertaken for the railway numerous coins have been dug up bearing the effigy of the Gallic chief Vercingetorix, as well as many Roman objects belonging to all the epochs of the empire. In 1402 Louis II., Duke of Bourbon, surrounded Vichy with a moat and fortified walls, within which he erected his castle; but of it all that remains is the great clock-tower or belfry.
Vichy: Mineral Water Establishment.
At the head of the Rue de Paris, on the north end of the Pare, is the Mineral Water Establishment, composed of two large buildings—1st, The “Grand Etablissement,” containing only first-class baths; a parallelogram 167 ft. long by 250 broad, provided with 100 cabinets with baths, and traversed by a gallery from N. to S., having on the western side the gentlemen’s baths, and on the eastern side the ladies’. At the extremity of this passage is an inhaling-room. Each bath costs 2½ frs., including service and linen. An hour and a quarter is allowed, including dressing. Below the baths are large reservoirs. In front of the entrance to the central gallery, near the spring Chomel, is the office for the taking down of the bathers’ names and for the sale of the bath tickets.
2d, Separated by a narrow street is a similar edifice in which second and third class baths are given, costing respectively 1½ frs. and 60 c. each. The difference in the price of the baths arises from the quality of the accommodation and the amount of linen and towels supplied. The baths themselves are the same, and are filled too from the same springs. The two buildings contain together 350 baths and 150 shower-baths, and during the season as many as 4000 baths can be given in a single day. They commence at 3.30 A.M. and continue till 5 P.M., but at one part of the season till even later. But it must always be remembered that the external application of the water is not nearly so important as the internal. Patients may visit Vichy, at any time; but the season suited to follow with success the course of treatment is from the 15th May till the beginning of October. The month of May is sometimes rainy. August and September are generally the driest months, and the most equable. The Vichy treatment lasts from 3 to 4 weeks. The waters are taken in the morning and during the day, and baths daily or every second day. For elderly people with sanguine and irritable temperaments and delicate constitutions the duration of the bath should not be more than 20 or even 15 minutes.
Vichy: Casino. The Vichy Springs.
At the south or opposite end of the Parc is the Casino, a handsome comfortably-furnished edifice. The ballroom is 60 ft. long by 38 wide and 45 high, and lighted by five large bay windows looking into the park. The decorations are of the period of Louis XIV., with elegantly-painted walls and ceiling. A gallery, running across the building in a lateral direction, separates the ballroom from the theatre, which occupies the centre of the Casino and contains seats for 800 persons. The remainder of the building is occupied by the reading, billiard, and gambling rooms, and a saloon for ladies. One entrance ticket, 2 frs.; a month, 25 frs. There is music every morning, a concert in the afternoon, and theatricals in the evening. A great quantity of journals and reviews are at the disposal of members; also books, pianos, and music. A professor of billiards is attached to the Casino.
The Vichy Springs.—The Vichy waters are stimulating, but not tonic. They are gaseous and alkaline, their principal constituents being carbonic acid and the bicarbonate of soda. They differ materially from each other only in temperature. They are easily digested and readily eliminated into the system, where they restore the vitality of the organs below the diaphragm. None of the springs possess any special specific property, the best for the patient being that which agrees best with him. Nevertheless, experience has detected certain peculiarities which may assist him to discover the most suitable spring. The maximum quantity which can be taken daily with advantage is from 24 to 28 oz. The usual dose is four glasses of 5 or 6 oz., taken at different times throughout the day, and not necessarily from the same spring. The water may with advantage be mixed with the wine taken at dinner. Carafes are filled at the springs without any charge. In the shops are sold graduated glasses of 150 to 180 grammes, divided into three equal parts. 30 grammes equal 1 oz.
The Springs and their peculiarities.—Under the vestibule of the principal establishment are three important springs—the Grande Grille, the Puits-Chomel, and the Mesdames (see plan).
Vichy: Grande-Grille, Chomel, Mesdames.
The Grande-Grille, 110° Fahr., is slightly aperient, and is employed with success by persons suffering from indigestion, obstructions of the viscera, congestion of the liver, spleen, biliary calculi, and gravel.
The Puits-Chomel, 113° Fahr. The water of this spring possesses marked anodyne properties, which render it very valuable whenever the weakened state of the constitution or its irritability requires to be moderately excited. Of all the Vichy waters it contains the least carbonic acid without being more difficult of digestion, and as, on the other hand, it is the most mineralised, it can in many cases profitably replace the other springs.
Mesdames, 61° Fahr., highly chalybeate, is beneficial in cases of chlorosis, amenorrhœa, and in debility following loss of blood. In cases where the constitution has been weakened without any evident derangement it stimulates the energy of the digestive functions so as to enable the patient to recover his usual strength.
The only other spring in the establishment is the Puits-Carré, 113° Fahr., which rises in the centre of the building, and is used for supplying the baths.
Vichy: Prunelle, Parc, Hôpital, Celestins.
About 100 yards E. from the principal establishment, in a building opposite the military hospital, is the Source Prunelle, a cold spring, recommended for diseases of the liver, gravel, and calculi. A little farther E. is the Source Lucas, 84° Fahr., principally employed in baths for diseases of the skin. As a drink it is beneficial where the organs are more disturbed than diseased. In the park, opposite the Hôtel de la Paix, is the Source du Parc, 71° Fahr., recommended for sluggish action of the digestive organs, atonic derangement of the intestines, and affections of the bronchial tube caused by chronic irritation or catarrh. At the N. end of the Casino, in front of the town hospital, is the Source de l’Hôpital or Rosalie, 89° Fahr., resembling very much the Grande Grille, but less exciting. It is recommended to those affected with diseases of the digestive organs, dyspepsia, gastritis, obstinate diarrhœa, and dysentery; and is particularly useful to literary men whose digestive functions are deranged from mental labour. It renders important service in ovarian tumours and other diseases of females.
A short way up the river by the Boulevard des Celestins are the five important springs, the Sources des Celestins, 54° and 58° Fahr., of which the nearest is under a handsome artificial grotto. They are largely exported, and have the same action, the only question being their respective degree of efficacy. Those who chiefly frequent these springs are invalids suffering from gout, gravel, and affections of the urinary organs, whose stomachs are sufficiently sound to be able to digest the water easily. Otherwise it is best to commence with either the “Hôpital” or the “Grande Grille” spring. In all cases the water of the Springs Celestins should be drunk moderately and with caution. Just beyond the Celestins, at the end of the Boulevard and near the Parc des Celestins, are the Lardy springs and establishment. The water, 77° Fahr., which rises from a depth of 620 ft., has a stimulating action on the mucous membrane of the stomach, is easily eliminated, and is generally drunk after meals by the Vichy invalids. “Stomach disorder, attended with heartburn and acidity, is in many cases capable of being cured or materially relieved by the use of one or other of the Vichy waters. When complicated with pain (gastralgia) and diminished power of the stomach, the Hôpital spring in some cases, the Lardy and Mesdames in others, would be most likely to have a beneficial effect: in other cases, where a more energetic action is required, the Grande Grille would be preferable.” —Dr. E. Lee.
Source Hauterive. Influence of Vichy Water.
3 m. S. from Vichy, on the W. bank of the Allier, is the Source Hauterive, 57° Fahr., used principally for exportation. In therapeutical qualities it resembles the Celestins.
The principal use of the Vichy waters is in the treatment of gout, and in chronic diseases of the stomach and abdominal viscera, such as dyspepsia, chronic hepatic disease, biliary calculi, fatty degeneration or cirrhosis, and in hæmorrhoidal affections, which are so often connected with congestion of the liver. They are equally serviceable in enlargements of the spleen and in many cases of hypochondriasis. Moreover, this spa is specially adapted for the cure of some of the chronic diseases of women connected with disordered menstruation, and for the anomalous “critical complaints” which often set in at the period of life when this function ceases. “The complaint for which nine-tenths of the English visitors drink these springs is gout; but it should be distinctly understood that Vichy water is not a specific for gout; it can only act on the gouty diathesis by improving the tone of the digestive organs, augmenting the secretions, and correcting the abnormally acid condition of the blood.” —Madden’s Health Resorts. “The Vichy waters do not cure gout. They have, however, a very beneficial effect when administered with caution in cases of either hereditary or acquired gout, whether articular or internal, acute or chronic. The proper time to use the waters is in the interval of attacks, and as far as possible from the last attack. If too near the last attack, a repetition is to be feared, and there is almost as much danger in provoking nature as in resisting its action in a crisis.” —Dr. Daumas. “We may then sum up the effects of a Vichy course, when judiciously prescribed, as restorative to the digestive and assimilative functions, and invigorative to the general health. The tone of the stomach is soon improved, digestion becomes easier and more rapid, pain and weight after food disappearing. The bile flows more freely. The bowels become regular. Diarrhœa, if previously present, ceases. The consequence of these changes is better assimilation, and therefore flesh is often gained. With the improvement in nutrition the colour returns to the cheeks and energy to the mind.” —Dr. P. James.
|
GG = Grande Grille. Ch = Chomel. Md = Mesdames. L = Lucas. |
P = Park. H = Hopital. Ce = Célestins. Hr = Hauterive. |
|
Acids and Bases contained in each litre. |
NAMES OF THE SPRINGS. |
|||||||||
| GG | Ch | Md | L | P | H | Ce | Hr | |||
| Carbonic Acid | 4.418 | 4.429 | 5.029 | 5.348 | 5.071 | 4.719 | 4.705 | 5.640 | ||
| Sulphuric „ | .164 | .164 | .141 | .164 | .177 | .164 | .164 | .164 | ||
| Phosphoric „ | .070 | .038 | traces | .038 | .076 | .025 | .050 | .625 | ||
| Arsenic „ | .001 | .001 | .002 | .001 | .001 | .001 | .001 | .001 | ||
| Hydrochloric Acid | .332 | .334 | .222 | .324 | .344 | .324 | .234 | .334 | ||
| Silica | .070 | .070 | .032 | .050 | .055 | .050 | .060 | .071 | ||
| Protoxide of Iron | .002 | .002 | .012 | .002 | .002 | .002 | .002 | .008 | ||
| Lime | .169 | .169 | .235 | .212 | .239 | .222 | .180 | .168 | ||
| Strontia | .002 | .002 | .002 | .008 | .003 | .003 | .003 | .002 | ||
| Magnesia | .097 | .108 | .134 | .088 | .068 | .064 | .105 | .160 | ||
| Potash | .182 | .192 | .098 | .146 | .151 | .228 | .163 | .098 | ||
| Soda | 2.488 | 2.536 | 1.957 | 2.501 | 2.500 | 2.500 | 2.560 | 2.368 | ||
| Totals | 7.997 | 8.043 | 7.866 | 8.877 | 8.687 | 8.302 | 8.327 | 9.039 | ||
| 1.2345 | 1.2345 | 1.2345 | ||||||||
|
Saline ingredients in each litre. |
||||||||||
| Free Carbonic Acid | .908 | .768 | 1.908 | 1.751 | 1.555 | 1.067 | 1.049 | 2.183 | ||
| Bicarb. of Soda | 4.883 | 5.091 | 4.016 | 5.004 | 4.857 | 5.029 | 5.103 | 4.687 | ||
| „ Potash | .352 | .371 | .185 | .282 | .292 | .440 | .315 | .189 | ||
| „ Magnesia | .303 | .338 | .429 | .275 | .213 | .200 | .328 | .501 | ||
| „ Strontia | .303 | .003 | .003 | .005 | .005 | .005 | .005 | .003 | ||
| „ Lime | .434 | .427 | .604 | .545 | .614 | .570 | .462 | .432 | ||
„ Protox. of Iron |
.004 | .004 | .026 | .004 | .004 | .004 | .004 | .017 | ||
| Sulphate of Soda | .291 | .291 | .250 | .291 | .314 | .291 | .291 | .291 | ||
| Phosphate | .130 | .070 | traces | .070 | .140 | .046 | .091 | .046 | ||
| Arseniate | .002 | .002 | .003 | .002 | .002 | .002 | .002 | .002 | ||
Chloride of Sodium |
.534 | .534 | .355 | .518 | .550 | .518 | .534 | .534 | ||
| Silica | .070 | .070 | .032 | .050 | .055 | .050 | .060 | .071 | ||
| Totals | 7.914 | 7.959 | 7.811 | 8.797 | 8.601 | 8.222 | 8.244 | 8.956 | ||
The Larbaud spring, which is not given in this analysis, differs only slightly from the Célestins.
In a garden of a house in the Boulevard Victoria is a petrifying spring, containing a large quantity of the carbonate of lime.
Vichy: Drives.
CAB FARES.—The course within the town from 6 A.M. to 12 P.M. with 1 horse, 1½ fr.; 2 horses, 2½ frs. By time, carriage and 1 horse, first hour, 3 frs., and 2 frs. each successive hour. Half the day, 9 frs.; the day, 18 frs. Carriage with 2 horses, first hour, 4 frs., the following hours, 3 frs. each. The half-day, 12 frs. 50 c.; the day, 25 frs.
Art. 17—The price for the first hour, in or outside Vichy, is always fully charged although the coachman has not been employed the entire hour. All the other hours are divided and paid by quarters.
Art. 18.—The day is fixed at 12 hrs., which comprises 2 hrs. for rest; the half-day at 6 hrs., and 1 hr. for rest.
For drives with a fixed destination the price should be settled beforehand. The following are the usual prices. To the Casino des Justices (about 2 m. beyond Gusset), there and back, 1 horse, 7 frs.; 2 horses, 10 frs. The same prices are charged, there and back, from Vichy to Charmeil, Côte St. Amand, Hauterive, Les Malavaux, and Montagne-Verte. To the Ardoisière, there and back, 1 horse, 8 frs.; 2 horses, 12 frs. To Chateldon and back, 1 horse, 15 frs.; 2 horses, 20 frs. To Busset and back by the Ardoisière, 1 horse, 16 frs.; 2 horses, 20 frs. To Maulmont and back, 1 horse, 15 frs.; 2 horses, 20 frs. To Randan by Bois-Randenez, return by Maulmont, 1 horse, 18 frs.; 2 horses, 24 frs.
Cusset.
Cusset, pop. 6200, on the Sichon, 2 m. E. from Vichy. Inn: H. du Centre, in the Place de la Halle, near the church. Omnibus, 20 c. At the entrance into the town is the Etablissement Thermal Ste. Marie, a neat building of red and black brick, with a large entrance flanked with turrets. Opposite are the “Sources Ste. Marie” and Elizabeth, both cold. The baths cost 1½ fr. From 9 in the morning till 2 in the afternoon only 1 fr. is charged. The waters are of the same class as those of Vichy, but have a little more soda and iron.
From Cusset a pleasant road leads to Les Malavaux, 2½ m. S.E. Take the road to Les Guitons the length of the bridge, which do not cross, but walk up by the course of the stream Joland. The hill to the right is called the “Côte des Justices,” because on it criminals suffered the extreme penalty of the law. Shortly afterwards the valley narrows into a miniature gorge between basaltic rocks, and situated in the prettiest part, 1¼ m. from the bridge, is an inn with refreshment rooms. Pension per day, 10 frs. Beyond the inn the valley gradually widens and flattens. From the inn are visited the Puits du Diable; and on the Malavaux the Fontaine des Sarrasins and the scanty ruins of a castle said to have been built by the Knight Templars; admission, 1 fr. each.
2½ m. N. from Vichy by the Rue de Ballore is the Montagne-Verte, 1288 ft. above the sea, with a restaurant on the top, whence there is a good view of the surrounding country. This road makes the nicest walk in the neighbourhood of Vichy. At about a mile it passes by the cemetery.
Vichy to Busset by Cusset and the Ardoisière, 10 m. S. Return by St. Yorre, where the rail may be taken.
The road passes by Cusset and then extends southwards by the side of the Sichon. The first village passed on the Sichon is Grivats, famous for the manufacture of the Toiles de Vichy, called also Grivats, a variegated cotton stuff used for gowns and petticoats. The best quality, made only at Grivats, costs 1½ fr. the mètre (1 ⅛ yard); the inferior qualities, made chiefly at Roanne, cost from 75 c. to 1 fr. the mètre. At Grivats they are all made by handlooms in the houses of the weavers. Among the best shops in Vichy for this article is that of Delorme-Desfougères, Rue de l’Hôpital.