320 Major F. Bailey's Forest Tour 



aud it was easy to imagine how soon a multitude of goats, 

 such as would be found in a sim.ilar locality in India, would 

 cause tlie complete disappearance of the last vestiges of 

 forest growth. After walking for some time through tJiis 

 uninviting tract, we gained a plateau, bounded towards the 

 sea by high rocks, on the soil washed down from whicli 

 some fields have been established; and at the further end 

 of this plateau is situated the hospice where we were to 

 pass the night. 



The hospice of La Sainte Baume (Holy Grotto) is main- 

 tained by the Dominican Monks for the accommodation 

 and feeding of the pilgrims who visit the shrine annually 

 during the summer months, to the number of tliirty or 

 forty thousand. The sacred grotto is high up in the rocks 

 above, and is said to have been the refuge of Mar}^ ^Mag- 

 dalene after the Crucifixion, Notwithstanding that the 

 day was Friday, we were provided with an excellent 

 breakfast, after which we proceeded to insjject the forest, 

 which formed for us, of course, tlie great attraction of the 

 place. It covers an area of 340 acres, at the foot of the 

 rocks, immediately below the grotto, and has been pre- 

 served by the monks as sacred from very early times. 

 Except to satisf}' their very limited requirements, it re- 

 mained untouched until the Eevolution of 1790, when it 

 was appropriated by the State. Some trees were then cut, 

 but very few, on account of the absence of export roads, 

 and to this day it is almost a virgin forest, only dead or 

 dying trees being taken out. On entering it, one is im- 

 mediately struck by its extraordinary character. Here, in 

 the hot, dry region of Provence, we could imagine our- 

 selves suddenly transported back to Nancy. There are 

 huge beech trees, with oak (^. sessiUflora) , maple, lime, 

 hornbeam, and other kinds that are not found anywhere 

 else in this part of the country, certainly not within a 

 distance of nearly seventy miles as the crow files. There 

 are many yew trees, some of huge size and apparently of 

 great age, and also a large number of hollies. The ground, 

 which is, generally speaking, covered with a deep layer of 

 vegetable mould, was, where the forest was at all open, 

 carpeted with flowers, many of them kinds found at 

 Nancy, the sweet-scented violet and narcissus being very 



