608 i 
_ The existence of voloanio mountains, 
spread, over)60 imanyy hundred square 
miles» in !the: interior cof rFranee; matu- 
rally leads t6 twoimportant inquiries'*— 
) Ustee How! many years or “dyes hive 
passed away since the most recent of these 
dulednoes were in an’ active state? and, 
2dly, Is; the volcanic fire which once 
raged so extensively in these districts 
extinel ; or. has it, like the fires of Vesu- 
vins,, periods of returning activity at 
distant intervals of time? Yo the first 
of, these inquiries, the history of Europe 
yives)us no: answer 5.and «from this si- 
Jence, it has been:generally inferred that 
no ‘volcanic eruption has taken place in 
Auvergne’ since’ Caesar was encamped 
before Gergovia, ior for a considerable 
period before that timc, as he mentions 
no tradition of any such event. 
There is nothing in the external 
appearance of the yoleanoes of Au- 
vergne: which can lead, the observer 
to conclude that their, eruptions will 
never. ibe. renewed; | and) the springs 
of shot: water in this district) indicate 
ihatithe! source of subterranean heat 
beneath it is*not:extinet. ‘The most 
abundant ‘and best known “of /these 
springs are at Mont d’Or and Vichy: 
ihey- have a temperature of from 120° 
to 125°; but there are many other 
springs, which, haye as high a tempe- 
rature. From the whole of the evidence 
before us, it does not appear improbable 
that, the voleanoes of this disjrict may 
agaimoresume, their activity; for such 
anjevent wonld mot be at variance with 
our ‘present knowledge of these ope- 
yationss* “Ao voleano that had been dor- 
matt fortwo ‘thousand years, is said to 
have Droken out suddenly m Calabria, 
in the yeard702; and we are. not cer- 
tain that those of Auvergne bave been 
inactiye for so long a period. 
+ te odnit PRQURBONS: 
At. dhe. end, of the. market-place. in 
Riom,) a) Jofty. crucifix: has lately been 
erected by the missionaries, with a eolos- 
sal figure suspended upon it, of Christ in 
the last agonies, but superbly gilt, and 
surmounted by the crown and arms of 
the Bourbons: A number of devotees 
were kneeling down in the open air be- 
fore’ it, abd ‘Adoring ‘these crblems of 
religion tad" teyalty, © In what manner ; 
the French goverimetit can. suppose 
that the cause of religion will be. pro- 
moted by thas reviving ihe rites of an- 
cient superstition, aud mijigliug with 
them much’ military parade, aid the 
tawdry decorations of royaliy, it is dif 
ficult to conceive, unless it be supposed 
4 
Bakewell’s Travels in the Ti rentaise, 5c. 
: ‘abe: ADEM RGIS hE. 
HOMS19 
practicable to, revive. also the, ignorance 
and b par of the dark ages, ) That 
as, 
these exhibitions -haye (the, tendency, to 
prejudice intelligent people in France 
against all religion, Lam fully convinced 
from my own observations ; and among 
people less intelligent) it produces a 
strange jeonfasion'y Of ideas, avbich is 
sometimes truly dudierousy At Paris, 
the nobles have movi a god/of their own, 
created by tbe government, called, \Le 
Saint. Esprit-de Cordon, Blen,”, or, the 
Holy Ghost of,.the Blue, Ribband ; nor 
are the.common, people, in the. country 
behind them.in absurdity. 
FONTAINBLEAU. 5 
The palace and gardens,of Fontain- 
bleau have been often described; we 
spent a day here.,...A small :apartment 
in the palace contains the table.on which 
Napoleon’signed his abdications»;When 
we consider the staterof mind:ofi thatex- 
traordinary vbaracter,*thes:situation cof 
France, and’ the hopes and fearssof' ‘all 
the civilized world!at'thé times weimeast 
recard. the moment’ of ey 
cation, as the most eventful érisis in: 
history of modern Enrope. 900" 28". 
Fontainblean appears lke, a, deserted 
city ; many of the best.houses,are closed, 
and grass..is,, growing ; im)the, streets. 
Those inbabitants. whem (hb conversed 
with, preserve a kindy of treligions;yene- 
ration for the memory of theremperor> 
Fontainbleau mast be, Dconceive,oa 
healthy and cheap residence,saml with 
good society’ would be’ \partienlarly 
agreeable in. the summer, on “which 
account Kwwas surprised to set $6 many 
houses unoccupied. It is also wconye- 
nient distance, from: Patis., ~ were 
told that several .English families had 
lately hired houses at; Voutaimblean, 
FUNERAL OP THE) ABBE; HAUDYs) airllp 
Returning) late ‘from Versailles: one 
evening; I found: upen.my table,if the 
hotel) a card of ‘invitation torattend the 
funeral of Professor Hatiy;°theécle-’ 
brated mineralogist, ‘on! the “following 
morning. infeed 
On arriving at the Jardin des Plantes, 
I found the cofin placed! in the gateway 
of the Abbé’s;house, to receive the; fus- 
{rations of holy. water. from, dhe, passen- 
ers. ; ; 6? e& talonisds 
On this aceount the) faneral, (service 
was\porformed ja the éharchy of StieaMe- 
dard: Phe procession’ was on foots you 
DP had a placevim the? church between 
tle 'Goflin and the altar; where mass) was 
performed? AS*the Abbé Haity Wasa 
member of the Jegion of hovonr,‘a file of 
soldiers stood round the coffin, and pre- 
sented 
