272 Discovery of Fosr.il Bones in France, 



The volcanic character of Aiivergne and the neighbouring 

 regions, as described*, is truly interesting and wonderful, and 

 almost unknown to the French themselves, in general, although 

 the visible devastations are equal in magnitude to some of the 

 recent convulsions of the earth in Iceland ! 



With respect to the epoch when these extinct volcanoes 

 were in action, it is, perhaps, impossible to come to any 

 certain conclusion. Gaul was, for nearly five centuries, sub- 

 ject to the Romans ; but, like Britain, its history during that 

 period is unknown, except the descriptions of actual wars or 

 revolts. There were twelve hundred walled towns in Gaul 

 when the Romans conquered it, but such fortifications were 

 thenceforth not permitted f. There are, at least, six cen- 

 turies, since the Christian era, of what may be termed a blank 

 in the history of France, when no such event as a volcano 

 would be registered ; and therefore, as far as history is con- 

 cerned, these convulsions may have happened as well after as 

 before the Roman conquest. If such bones as those in ques- 

 tion be found under volcanic tufa, it is not an indifferent proof 

 of those volcanoes not being so ancient as Caesar's invasion, 

 especially as some of the streams of lava are quite fresh in 

 appearance, 



" In the cavern of Oiselles, near Besan9on, there have 

 been found remains of bears (ursus spelaeus) of all ages, 

 tigers, hyaenas, and other carnivorous, besides herbivorous, 

 animals. The bones are marked by the teeth of hyaenas, hke 

 many others discovered in England, &c." — Annates de Chimie 

 et de Physique, Oct. 1827. 



'^ Near the church of Notre Dame, in Besangon, is a tri- 

 umphal arch, to Aurelian, on which are seen several mutilated 

 figures of men and animals. This was one of the most magni- 

 ficent places the Romans had in Gaul, and many superb 

 remains of their buildings are still visible 5 but after the death 

 of Julian, it was almost destroyed by the Germans, and a 

 second time by the Huns, commanded by Attila J." When 



* Quarterly Review, Oct. 1 827. *' Serope's Geology of Central France." 

 t Mezeray (Introduction). Many of the walls round the towns of Gaul 

 were composed of double palisades of trees, filled with earth or stones. - 

 % Rees's Cyclopaedia. " Besanjon." 



