THE HUMAN SPECIES. 151 



ed, belong to this class. Such are the Cagots of the 

 south-east of France, by some asserted to derive their 

 name from a contraction of Can-goth, because they are 

 a residue of the Goths, who, being anciently Arians, 

 were held in detestation by their neighbours ; they were 

 stigmatised as lepers, and refused entrance into church 

 by the common doors, &c. This people, either an 

 ancient residue, or latterly forced to a vagrant life, 

 extended, under many different names, to Guienne, 

 Beam, Bretagne, and la Rochelle, being sometimes 

 confounded with Gypsies, although they were known 

 before the arrival of the latter, and even enjoined 

 not to appear abroad without the mark of a goat's 

 foot sewed upon the outer garment. King Louis XVI. 

 first ameliorated their condition, and the French re- 

 volution finally swept away all the remaining legal 

 disabilities.* 



In the forests of ancient Dauphiny, there exist also 

 relics of another population, unrecorded in history, but 

 commonly ascribed to a Saracen or Moorish origin, 

 stragglers of those who invaded France in the seventh 

 and eighth century, and were unable to escape. There 

 were Caucones in the Peloponessus, Conconi (drinkers 

 of horse blood), and Cheretani, in the Eastern Py- 

 renees ; but they and the Almogavaries who have been 

 absorbed. 



The Chuvash, still found scattered in the provinces 



* There are recent accounts of this people, written by 

 Baron Ramon, as well as ancient notices by Ochenartus, 

 " Vasconice notitia." Bel Forest, and Paul Merula. 



