194 Travels in France 



Greyffier de Talairat, avocat and subdelege, to whom I had a 

 letter; and who was so obliging as to answer, with attention, 

 all my inquiries into the agriculture of the neighbourhood. He 

 inquired much after Lord Bristol, and was not the worst pleased 

 with me when he heard that I came from the same province in 

 England. We drank his lordship's health, in the strong white 

 wine, kept four years in the sun, which Lord Bristol had much 

 commended. — 18 miles. 



x6th. Early in the morning, to avoid the heat, which has 

 rather incommoded me, to Fix. Cross the river by a ford, near 

 the spot where a bridge is building, and mount gradually into a 

 country, which continues interesting to a naturalist from its 

 volcanic origin; for all has been either overturned or formed by 

 fire. Pass Chomet; and descending, remark a heap of basaltic 

 columns by the road, to the right; they are small, but regular 

 sexagons. Poulaget appears in the plain to the left. Stopped 

 at St. George, where I procured mules, and a guide, to see the 

 basaltic columns at Chilliac, which, however, are hardly striking 

 enough to reward the trouble. At Fix, I saw a field of fine 

 clover; a sight that I have not been regaled with, I think, since 

 Alsace. I desired to know to whom it belonged: to Monsieur 

 Coffier, doctor of medicine. I went to his house to make 

 inquiries, which he was obliging enough to gratify, and indulged 

 me in a walk over the principal part of his farm. He gave me 

 a bottle of excellent vin Mane mousseux, made in Auvergne. I 

 inquired of him the means of going to the mine of antimony, 

 four leagues from hence; but he said the country was so enrage 

 in that part, and had lately been mischievous, that he advised 

 me by all means to give up the project. This country, from 

 climate, as well as pines, must be very high. I have been for 

 three days past melted with heat; but to-day, though the sun 

 is bright, the heat has been quite moderate, like an English 

 summer's day, and I am assured that they never have it hotter; 

 but complain of the winter's cold being very severe, — and that 

 the snow in the last was i6 inches deep on the level. The 

 interesting circumstance of the whole is the volcanic origin : aU 

 buildings and walls are of lava : the roads are mended with lava, 

 pozzolana, and basaltes ; and the face of the country everywhere 

 exhibits the origin in subterranean fire. The fertility, however, 

 is not apparent, without reflection. The crops are not extra- 

 ordinary, and many bad; but then the height is to be considered. 

 In no other country that I have seen are such great mountains 

 as these cultivated so high; here corn is seen everywhere, even 



