370 CHAPTER LIL 



given to strong language. I lived in a house where 

 the road made a double bend ; it was rare that a 

 carter could guide his horses round that corner with- 

 out an oath. One day the following announcement 

 appeared in a local paper printed in English : " Grand 

 International Cursing Match ; first prize 10,000 frs." 

 Some new variety of wickedness, I thought. But no : 

 it was merely a misprint for " Coursing." If ever 

 there were an " International Cursing Match " (which 

 Heaven forbid) there are no people anywhere who 

 could hold their own for a moment against the 

 Ni9ois. Of course, all this strong language is not to 

 be taken seriously. It is merely used for the sake of 

 emphasis and ornament, and is very different from 

 the coarse profanity of the English proletariat. 



The Ligurian has altered little since ancient 

 times. It is doubtful if the population of any district 

 can ever radically change ; for a given region produces 

 men of certain character, just as the fauna and flora 

 vary with the nature of the soil and the conditions of 

 the atmosphere. You may plant a country with an 

 alien race ; but these strangers will gradually dis- 

 appear, or else the new-comers will change to the type 

 which they have supplanted. The greater ferocity of 

 the invaders may maintain them for a time ; but 

 climate is against them, and diet. Of each generation 

 those only survive who approach nearest to the type 

 that is suited to its environment ; until at last the 

 invaders are either absorbed or killed off by disease, 

 and no trace of them remains. How few of the tall 

 blue-eyed, yellow-haired Kelts are left in Ireland I 

 The earlier race of short dark men has swallowed 

 them up. What strain of Gothic blood remains in 



